Tropical Conservation and Environmental Science (CBES) Graduate Courses for the Master of Science in TCBES

CBES 500 Master's Plan Studies (1) (other) Used for continuous enrollment purposes. Must be taken as CR/NC. Does not count toward fulfillment of degree requirements. Pre: Master's or Doctoral candidacy and instructor's consent.

CBES 600 Conservatn Biol & Environ Sci (3) Fundamental principles of ecology, evolution, and environmental sciences, with an emphasis on the conservation, management and restoration of organisms and ecosystems. Discussion will include the physical and biological factors that affect and shape tropical organisms and ecosystems: biodiversity, biogeography, climate, genetics, nutrient cycling, population viability, reproductive systems and topography. Tropical organisms and ecosystems world-wide will be compared with an emphasis on Hawaii.

CBES 601 CBES Field & Laboratory Method (3) A practical course in laboratory and field methods and techniques in conservation biology and environmental sciences. Students will be introduced to methods used for studying, monitoring and experimenting upon animals and plants in a diversity of habitats. Emphasis is placed on the choice of techniques for data collection, followed by rigorous analysis of results with the application of appropriate statistical analyses. Students will also become familiar with the biological and environmental diversity of the Island of Hawaii. The information collected will be more fully analyzed in CBES 605.

CBES 602 Research Seminar in TCBES (1) (other) A research seminar in tropical conservation biology and environmental science. Presentations will focus on research related to conservation biology and environmental science. Following the seminar there will be a question and answer discussion session with the seminar speaker and students. Students will also give a short presentation of their research or internship projects. These seminars will be critiqued by the instructor and the students for both the content of the project and presentation style.

CBES 603 Natural Resource Mgt Seminar (1) (other) Seminars given by TCBES faculty, visiting scientists from other universities, federal, state and non-profit agency personnel working in fields related to TCBES. The seminars will be focused on natural resource management issues. Following the seminar there will be an open question and answer discussion session with the seminar speaker and the students. Student will also give short presentations of their research or internship projects. These seminars will be critiqued by the instructor and the students for both the content of the project and presentation style.

CBES 609 Theory/Apps Landscape Ecology (3) (lecture/other) This course explores the theory and application of landscape ecology as a framework for landscape research, analysis and management. Students will become well-versed in concepts, methods and applications of landscape ecology through reading classic and contemporary literature and performing independent research. Topics will include: characterizing landscape patterns and dynamics, application of landscape management, and emerging areas of research.

CBES 610 Environmental Chem Analysis (3) Basic concepts of chemical measurements in environmental media. Analysis in environmental matrices with emphasis on water, soil, air and tissue. Topics include basics of calibration and measurement, sample collection, sample lability, chemical interferences, matrix effects and reporting analyses of chemicals in the environment. Pre: CHEM 161, 161L, 162, 162L, 241, 330, 330L. Recommended: CHEM 331.

CBES 615 Global Environmental Change (3) Discusses the natural and anthropogenic processes regulating the function of the Earth system. The history and mechanisms of global change processes and the means by which human activities alter Earth system function at local to global scales will be examined, along with potential consequences of and solutions to global change. Focuses on interrelationships of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere and biosphere. Provides students with an understanding of the role that multidisciplinary science and technology have on research of the Earth system.

CBES 620 Rrsch Techniq Molecular C Biol (3) (lab) Major advances in molecular biology important to conservation studies are examined. Molecular techniques that are applied to conservation studies are performed, including PCR, RFLP, AFLP, DNA sequencing, and microsatellite analysis. Data analysis is examined, including a number of popular genetics software packages that enable pairwise comparisons of large data sets and the construction of genetic distance matrices and networks. Pre: BIOL 357L and 481L or equivalent, or instructor's consent.

CBES 630 Nearshore Monitoring & Analysi (3) (lecture/lab) Theoretical and practical planning and implementation of data collection and analysis of the intertidal and shallow subtidal marine environments. Techniques include measuring geological, chemical, and physical environments and estimating the abundance and diversity of organisms. Pre: MARE 350 & 350L, CBES 610; or instructor's consent.

CBES 633 Biodiversity (3) (lecture/other) This lecture and discussion course will examine the primary theories and evidence for the origin and maintenance of species richness in hyper-diverse communities, using tropical rainforests and/or coral reefs as model systems. Topics will include historical biogeography, speciation, coevolution, neutral vs. non-neutral models for the maintenance of species richness, and biodiversity conservation. Methodological approaches will also be discussed.

CBES 635 Physical Environment of Ecosys (3) Examination of the influences of climate, hydrology, geology and soils on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Emphasis on mechanisms of change, anthropogenic impacts and monitoring networks. Pre: GEOL 100 or 111 or GEOG 101; BIOL 281 or GEOG 309 or equivalent; or instructor's consent.

CBES 640 Adv Remote Sensing/Digital Ima (3) (lecture/lab) Digital image processing of satellite-derived remotely sensed data for earth resource analysis and applications. Specific applications include image enhancement, classification, post classification analysis, special transformations, and multi-temporal analysis for land cover change detection. Pre: GEOG 470 or equivalent; or instructor's consent.

CBES 642 Comm. Science in K-12 Settings (2) For graduate students interested in improving their ability to communicate their scientific knowledge and research by designing activities and teaching in local schools or community events. The course combines inquiry-based science teaching methods with teaching experience in a local school classroom or community event. Pre: TCBES Cohort Acceptance. This course is dual listed with BIOL 442

CBES 645 Soc Sci Rsch Mthds Envir Cons (3) This course introduces students to social science research strategies that can be applied to explore interactions between society and environment. Methods training includes data collection such as ethnography, in-depth qualitative interviewing, and/or survey methods and the development of analytical skills in grounded theory, content analysis, and/ or case studies. Students may also be introduced to methodological perspectives such as action-oriented research, indigenous methodologies, feminism, and/or sustainability. Pre: Enrollment in TCBES program or Instructor's Consent.

CBES 650 Oceanographic Monitoring & Ana (3) (lecture/lab) Theoretical and practical planning and implementation of data collection and analysis of neritic and pelagic marine environment from an oceanographic vessel platform. Techniques include measuring geological, chemical and physical nearshore properties; estimating the abundance and diversity of plankton, nekton, and benthos; and use of modern data recording and analyzing systems. Pre: MARE 350, 350L, and CBES 610 or instructor's consent.

CBES 655 Ecological Physiology (3) Physiological adaptations to environmental variation including physiological and biochemical mechanisms for food acquisition and digestion, thermal energetics, respiratory gas exchange, activity metabolism and osmoregulation. This course is dual listed with BIOL 443.

CBES 657 Vegetation of the Hawaiian Isl (3) Develops a methodology for understanding processes shaping major types of vegetation in Hawaii. Intensive plant taxonomy and identification, field methods in surveying and monitoring vegetation, and application of these to overall research design. This course is dual listed with BIOL/ENSC 457.

CBES 658 Insect Systematics and Ecology (3) Gain an appreciation and understanding of insect diversity, taxonomy, evolution, and ecology of major endemic Hawaiian lineages of insects and introduced insects. Identify insect orders and families present in Hawai‘i, and the roles insects play as threats and beneficial organisms across all ecosystems. Applied management of insect issues will be emphasized.

CBES 660 Molecular Ecology (3) (lecture/other) This lecture and discussion course will examine the molecular genetic applications in current ecological research. Topics will include the fundamentals of molecular biology as they pertain to ecological systems. Theoretical background of modern molecular genetic techniques will also be discussed. The format of the course will include student-led seminar discussions of recent primary literature in molecular ecology. Some genetics background necessary.

CBES 663 Fisheries Ecology (3) Case studies, lectures, and class discussions provide an interactive exploration of the ecology of fishes related to management and conservation. Topics include: predator-prey theory, reproduction and early life- history, habitat selection, fish biodiversity, and response to anthropogenic climate change. Pre: MARE 265, BIOL 281, or instructor's consent. This course is dual listed with MARE 463.

CBES 664 Environmental Microbiology (3) Role of microorganisms in environmental science. Topics include microbial diversity, environmental applications, bioremediation, antibiotic resistance, and biogeochemical cycling. The course will be discussion based with readings from textbooks and primary literature.

CBES 665 Environmental Toxicology (3) Biochemical basis for toxicity. Chemical distribution and fate in the body; molecular mechanisms and effects of toxic action. Emphasis on environmental toxicants. Pre: Upper division courses in biochemistry and physiology, or instructor's consent.

CBES 670 Geog Info Sys & Visualization (3) (lecture/other) Key principles and concepts of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) that includes: a theoretical foundation, software training, real-world applications and techniques in visualization of spatial information relevant to conservation biology and environmental science research. This course is dual listed with GEOG 480.

CBES 675 Conservation Genetics (3) Basic concepts of population genetics and molecular evolution as it applies to conservation biology. Specific topics include population dynamics and inbreeding depression, and population genetic structure related to ecological parameters and requirements of an organism.

CBES 677 Quantitative Ecology (3) This course will consist of weekly lectures and computer-based in-class exercises. It will explore multiple regression, General Linear Models including Logistic and Poisson regression, Mixed effects models, and various other analysis of variance approaches, including repeated measures designs. Diagnostics and model selection procedures such as Akaike's Information Criteria (AIC) will be strongly emphasized. By the end of the course, students should have a good general understanding of the ways to design, analyze, and model many types of biological datasets.

CBES 680 Adv Stats Analysis & Rsrch Des (3) An advanced examination of statistics and research design in conservation biology and environmental science. Emphasis on specific applications and underlying assumptions, design of experiments, and observational schemes for research project. Extensive computer analysis is employed, including the use of R statistical software. Pre: CBES 677 or instructor's consent.

CBES 681 Advance Geo-Spatial Techniques (3) (lecture/other) CBES 681 is an advanced course in spatial analysis and modeling specific to Geospatial Information Science. This course will emphasize the correct application of Geospatial software tools along with the underlying theories and opportunities for applied learning in terrain modeling, suitability modeling, predictive ecosystems mapping and data visualization. Further knowledge and skills will be developed by customization of GIS applications through interface design and automation of geospatial analysis procedures. This course is dual listed with GEOG 481.

CBES 682 Natural Resource Env Econ (3) An analytical framework for examining the relationships among environmental quality, natural resource use, and economic and political systems; analysis of circumstances that give rise to environmental problems, resource use conflicts, and possible policy solutions to these problems and conflicts. The course will emphasize issues pertaining conflicts. The course will emphasize issues pertaining climate change. This course is dual listed with ECON 482.

CBES 685 Behavioral Ecol & Evol Analyse (3) Principles of behavioral ecology and evolution with a focus on conservation biology. Research techniques in behavioral ecology related to analyzing populations in geographically and age-structured populations. The importance of reproductive strategies, habitat selection, foraging behavior, parental care, social organizations, and the importance of migration and movement patterns on the regulation of population sizes and evolution. Population, quantitative and species genetics as it relates to evolution, speciation, and biodiversity. Pre: CBES 610 or consent of instructor.

CBES 689 Organiz Mgmt & Logistics (3) This course covers topics related to working within a natural resource management field, whether as an individual consultant, a researcher, or a manager working within a government agency, a non-government organization (NGO), or other entity. Focus will be on business acumen in terms of budgeting, marketing, and human resources; on project and organizational management in terms of scheduling, seeking funding, inter-agency communication; on legality in terms of permitting, and understanding state and federal laws regarding environmental conservation; and on communication in terms of public outreach. Pre: Enrollment in TCBES Program or Instructor's Consent.

CBES 690 Internship (1–6) (other) Internship for Master's students in TCBES with a federal, state or non-government agency with projects in Hawaii or other Pacific Islands. Internship project will be developed and carried out in consultation with the host agency and the approval of the TCBES advisor. Development of the internship is formalized through a written proposal, periodic written reports and meetings with the graduate advisor and host agency representative. Final report and oral presentation are required at the end of the internship. Repeatable 4 times for a maximum of 10 credits. Pre: Instructor's Consent

CBES 700 Thesis Research (1–6) (other) Research in conservation biology and environmental sciences for Plan A Master's students.

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CBES x94 Special Topics in Subject Matter (Arr.) Special topics chosen by the instructor. Course content will vary. May be repeated for credit, provided that a different topic is studied. Additional requirements may apply depending on subject and topic.

CBES x99 Directed Studies (Arr.) Statement of planned reading or research required. Pre: instructor’s consent.