Forestry
Forestry is the study of forest ecosystems and the environmental components and processes (biological, physical, and chemical) that affect them.
Forestry majors at Sewanee are broadly trained to integrate traditional forestry coursework (dendrology, silviculture, forest ecology, and natural resource management) with courses outside the department in Biology, Chemistry, Economics, and Mathematics. Courses in soils, hydrology, natural resource policy, GIS (Geographic Information Systems), wildlife management, urban forest management, and tropical and boreal forestry are also either encouraged or required. Forestry majors participate in the department’s junior presentations seminar and senior capstone interdisciplinary field course along with all students majoring in geology or natural resources and the environment.
Requirements for the Major in Forestry
The major requires successful completion of the following:
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Course Requirements 1 | ||
| FORS 121 | Introduction to Forestry (Lab) | 4 |
| FORS 211 | Dendrology (Lab) | 4 |
| FORS 262 | Forest and Watershed Restoration (Lab) | 4 |
| or FORS 204 | Forest Wildlife Management | |
| FORS 303 | Soils (Lab) | 4 |
| or FORS 314 | Hydrology (Lab) | |
| FORS 305 | Forest Ecology (Lab) | 4 |
| FORS 307 | Biometrics | 4 |
| FORS 312 | Silviculture | 4 |
| FORS 319 | Natural Resource Management and Decisions | 4 |
| GEOL 121 | Physical Geology (Lab) | 4 |
| Select two of the following: | 8 | |
| Entomology (Lab) | ||
| Evolutionary Biology | ||
| Environmental Physiology of Plants (Lab) | ||
| Advanced Conservation Biology (Lab) | ||
| Freshwater Biology (Lab) | ||
| Coastal Ecology | ||
| Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems (Lab) | ||
| Plant Evolution and Systematics (Lab) | ||
| General Chemistry I - Matter to Molecules (Lab) | ||
| Advanced General Chemistry I (Lab) | ||
| Environmental Economics | ||
| Island Ecology (Lab) | ||
| Natural Hazards | ||
| Earth Systems and Climate Change | ||
| Hydrology (Lab) | ||
| Calculus I | ||
| Calculus II | ||
| Elementary Statistics | ||
| Statistical Modeling | ||
| Select one additional course in Forestry (FORS) | 4 | |
| Total Semester Hours | 48 | |
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Additional Requirements | ||
| Three comprehensive examinations (field skills, written, and oral) in the senior year | ||
| Writing-Intensive Course in the Major Requirement, which may be satisfied by successfully completing a designated writing-intensive course in the department (FORS 262 & FORS 204) | ||
| Department capstone requirement, which may be satisfied by: | ||
Completion of FORS499, which requires approval of the department chair and prior completion of one of the following to enroll in: An independent study project or a summer research experience,such as an NSF REU or Sewanee SURF, that culminates in a presentation at a scientific conference or the development of a management plan. | ||
Writing-Intensive Course in the Major Requirement
Students majoring in Forestry or Natural Resources and the Environment can satisfy their writing-in-the-major requirement by:
- Successfully completing a designated writing-intensive course in the department, or
- Successfully completing three Forestry and/or Geology designated “writing portfolio” courses. Written and edited scientific papers from each writing portfolio course are to be compiled into a scientific writing portfolio by each student, and maintained by the advisor.
The following courses are designated as writing portfolio or writing-intensive courses in the Department of Earth and Environmental Systems. Other courses may be approved as such during some years. In exceptional cases and by faculty permission, one of the three writing portfolio courses might be fulfilled by FORS 444 or GEOL 444.
Writing Portfolio Courses in the Department of Earth and Environmental Systems (three required):
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Forestry Major | ||
| FORS 204 | Forest Wildlife Management (project report) | 4 |
| FORS 262 | Forest and Watershed Restoration (Lab) (class paper) | 4 |
| FORS 305 | Forest Ecology (Lab) (lab report or paper) | 4 |
| FORS 312 | Silviculture (lab report or paper) | 4 |
| FORS 319 | Natural Resource Management and Decisions (project report) | 4 |
| Geology Major | ||
| GEOL 222 | Historical Geology (Lab) (term paper) | 4 |
| GEOL 305 | Economic Geological Resources (Lab) (field trip report) | 4 |
| GEOL 314 | Hydrology (Lab) (lab report) | 4 |
| GEOL 320 | Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology (Lab) | 4 |
| Natural Resources and the Environment Major | ||
| FORS 204 | Forest Wildlife Management (project report) | 4 |
| FORS 262 | Forest and Watershed Restoration (Lab) (class paper) | 4 |
| FORS 305 | Forest Ecology (Lab) (lab report or paper) | 4 |
| FORS 312 | Silviculture (lab report or paper) | 4 |
| FORS 319 | Natural Resource Management and Decisions (project report) | 4 |
| GEOL 222 | Historical Geology (Lab) (term paper) | 4 |
| GEOL 305 | Economic Geological Resources (Lab) (field trip report) | 4 |
| GEOL 314 | Hydrology (Lab) (lab report) | 4 |
| GEOL 320 | Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology (Lab) | 4 |
Student Learning Outcomes
A student majoring in Forestry will
- Demonstrate ability to apply the scientific method (formulating and testing hypotheses, and interpreting and synthesizing data collected in the field and laboratory).
- Demonstrate competence in the techniques and tools used to navigate, measure, analyze and study landscapes and the geologic features/resources they contain while in the field.
- Demonstrate the ability to communicate clearly and effectively on a subject related to the discipline in both written and oral form.
- Be able to describe, discuss and interpret natural landscapes, with a specific and developed emphasis on forests and hydrologic features.
- Properly evaluate and appraise policies and practices that impact the sustainable management specifically of forest resources in the US and/or abroad.