The Applied Ecology Graduate Specialization
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SNR faculty members Larkin Powell (blue shirt, standing, left); Scott Hygnstrom (black shirt, standing, middle); and Drew Tyre (white shirt, standing, far right); lead students on a recent field trip. |
Students in the Applied Ecology Specialization will be encouraged to seek a broad background in several areas focusing on interactions among ecosystem components. This specialization is designed for students interested in applying ecological principles to the management of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Additionally, it should especially appeal to students interested in:
- Agroforestry/agroecology
- Aquatic and stream ecology
- Conservation biology
- Forest ecology
- Grassland ecology
- Wildlife ecology
- Ecosystem science.
Educational goals and objectives:
- Provide students a learning environment to promote a broad understanding of ecological principles and how they can be applied to the conservation and management of our natural resources.
- To recognize students who have attained an advanced knowledge of ecological science and management.
- To support interactions and cooperation among the community of scientists and students working on applied ecological problems.
Resources/Facilities
The School of Natural Resources is housed in the newly renovated Hardin Hall on UNL’s beautiful East Campus. The new building has excellent laboratory, office, and classroom facilities to support research, teaching and outreach regarding natural resources.
Faculty within the Applied Ecology specialization have strong cooperative efforts with other departments and colleges. Faculty within SNR or associated with SNR through adjunct or courtesy appointments teach many of the courses associated with the specialization. A wealth of additional courses are available throughout UNL which add both breadth and depth to the specialization. The addition of faculty from the newly formed Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit and the UNL Water Initiative will add additional graduate level courses in their specialty areas contributing to the Ph.D. program in SNR.
Faculty Point-of-Contact
If you are interested in the Applied Ecology graduate specialization, please feel free to contact the following SNR faculty member:
| Advising Faculty | Specialty Area |
| Craig Allen | Invasive Species / Landscape Ecology |
| Tala N. Awada | Plant Ecophysiology |
| James R. Brandle | Agroforestry/Shelterbelt Ecology |
| Felipe Chavez-Ramirez | Whooping Crane Trust |
| Patricia W. Freeman | Mammalian Morphology and Biodiversity |
| Aris Holz | Aquatic Ecology |
| John C. Holz | Water Quality |
| Scott E. Hygnstrom | Wildlife Ecology and Wildlife Damage Management |
| Ron J. Johnson | Wildlife Biology and Avian Ecology |
| Mark A. Pegg | Fisheries |
| Kevin Pope | Fishery Ecology and Management |
| Larkin A. Powell | Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology |
| Karina Schoengold | Environmental and Natural Resources Economics |
| Venkataramana R Sridhar | Hydrology / Land-Atmosphere Interactions |
| Steven Thomas | River/Stream Ecologist |
| Drew J. Tyre | Wildlife Population Ecology / Population Modeling |
| David A. Wedin | Grassland and Forest Ecology |
| Xinhua Zhou | Shelterbelt Ecologist |
Example Courses
- NRES 802 - Aquatic Insects
- NRES 806 - Plant Ecophysiology
- NRES 807 - Plant-Water Relations
- NRES 808 - Microclimate: The Biological Environment
- NRES 810 - Landscape Ecology
- NRES 812 - Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
- NRES 817 - Agroforestry Systems in Sustainable Agriculture
- NRES 824 - Forest Ecology
- NRES 835 - Agroecology
- NRES 848 - Advanced Topics in Wildlife Damage
- NRES 849 - Woody Plant Growth and Development
- NRES 850 - Biology of Wildlife Populations
- NRES 854 - Ecological Interactions
- NRES 856 - Mathematical Models in Biology
- NRES 859 - Limnology
- NRES 862 - Conservation Biology
- NRES 863 - Fisheries Science
- NRES 864 - Fisheries Biology
- NRES 866 - Advanced Limnology
- NRES 869 - Bio-Atmospheric Instrumentation
- NRES 868 - Wetlands
- NRES 876 – Mammalogy
- NRES 896 – Independent Study
- NRES 897 – Career Experiences in Natural Resource Sciences
- NRES 889 - Ichthyology
- NRES 907 - Agricultural Climatology
- NRES 908 – Solar Radiation Interactions at the Earth’s Surface
- NRES 922 – Seminar in Geographic Information Systems
- NRES 943 – Advanced Avian Physiology
- NRES 954 – Turbulent Transfer in the Atmospheric Surface
- NRES 966 – Soil Fertility
- NRES 996 - Research Other Than Thesis
- BIOS 854 - Population and Community Ecology
- BIOS 857 - Ecosystem Ecology
- BIOS 870 - Prairie Ecology
- BIOS 953 - Advanced Population Ecology
- BIOS 959 - Advanced Community Ecology
- ENTO 806 - Insect Ecology
- RNGE 840 - Great Plains Ecosystems
- RNGE 842 - Wildland Plants
- RNGE 844 - Vegetation Analysis
- RNGE 845 - Livestock Management on Range and Pasture
- METR 854 - Regional Climatology
Admission Requirements
All potential SNR graduate students must meet the following minimum requirements or provide the requested information:
- A bachelor’s degree with a background that includes at least one course in each of the following disciplines with a minimum of eight courses total:
- Mathematics (must include one semester of Calculus)
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Life Sciences (Agronomy, Biology, Ecology, Forestry, Wetlands, etc.)
- Earth Sciences (Geology, Meteorology, Oceanography, Soils, etc.)
- GRE scores of 500 verbal, 620 quantitative, and 4.0 analytical writing
- TOEFL score of 600 paper-, 300 computer- or 79 web-based (applies only to international applicants for whom English is not the first language)
- GPA of 3.0 (on a 4-point system)
- Three letters of recommendation
- Statement of purpose
Program Requirements
Print downloadable document containing complete program requirements.
- PhD requirements (In Press)
Career Opportunities
Printable Version (pdf) (In Press)
