Conservation biology combines ecological and evolutionary principles with resource management, the social sciences and ethics to understand, manage and maintain biodiversity. This seminar is designed to familiarize students with the questions conservation biologists ask and the methods they use to conserve life on Earth. Students engage in problem-solving exercises that examine conservation-related questions at the genetic, population, community, landscape or ecosystem levels and employ suitable analytical techniques or strategies to address the questions.

This lab course involves field and laboratory investigations of plant ecology and conservation, with an emphasis on Northeastern plant species and plant communities. The labs explore interactions between plants and insects, visit wetland and upland habitats and investigate plant population dynamics at sites around western Massachusetts. Students gain hands-on experience with descriptive and experimental research approaches used to investigate ecological processes in plant communities and inform conservation of plant biodiversity. Corequisite: BIO 364. Enrollment limited to 20.

This course surveys the environmental factors, historical processes and ecological interactions that influence the distribution and abundance of plant species in the landscape and informs conservation of rare and threatened plant species. The class examines how plant communities are assembled and what processes influence their structure and diversity, including past and present human activities, climate change and exotic species.

Research design and methodology for field and laboratory studies of animal behavior. Prerequisite: BIO 260, BIO 272 or a statistics course. Enrollment limited to 15.

This lab covers genomic analysis pipelines from nucleic acid isolation to sequence analysis in Linux and R environments. Students independently design and execute a high-throughput sequencing experiment to measure genetic variation in natural populations. Corequisite: BIO 336. Prerequisite: BIO 230, BIO 232 or equivalent. Enrollment limited to 12.

Ongoing developments in high-throughput sequencing technologies have made genomic analysis a central feature of many scientific disciplines, including forensics, medicine, ecology and evolution. This course reviews the scope and applications of genome sequencing projects. After completing the course, students are prepared to design a high-throughput sequencing project and interpret the results of genomic analysis. Prerequisite: BIO 230 or BIO 232. Enrollment limited to 40.

Instrument specific course highly recommended for students interested in using state-of-the-art microscopy techniques in research (special studies, honors, SURF, etc.). Participants get exposure to basic and advanced light and electron microscopy techniques available at Smith. Mechanical and optical components are reviewed. Operational parameters for improving image quality and data collection using digital imaging and image analysis techniques are discussed.

The laboratory applies concepts discussed in lecture and uses several small-group projects in the field and laboratory to develop relevant skills for conducting marine-related research. Students learn to design and analyze experiments and to write in the scientific style. Field trips to Rhode Island and Cape Cod, MA provide hands-on experience with marine organisms in their natural habitats. Corequisite: BIO 268. Enrollment limited to 12.

The laboratory applies concepts discussed in lecture and uses several small-group projects in the field and laboratory to develop relevant skills for conducting marine-related research. Students learn to design and analyze experiments and to write in the scientific style. Field trips to Rhode Island and Cape Cod, MA provide hands-on experience with marine organisms in their natural habitats. Corequisite: BIO 268. Enrollment limited to 12.