Ecology Concentration in Biology (BS)
San Francisco State University
Description
Ecology emphasizes the study of the interactions among and between organisms and the environment, the conservation and management of populations and communities of species, and the pattern and process of evolutionary diversification that leads to the generation and maintenance of biodiversity.
The San Francisco State University campus is uniquely located to enhance the study of ecology because of its proximity to a variety of natural and human altered environments. A variety of terrestrial, marine, and aquatic habitats are within an easy drive from campus, including estuarine, open coast, marsh, lake, chaparral, forest, and grassland environments. In addition, the College of Science and Engineering supports the Sierra Nevada Field Campus in the Sierra Nevada north of Truckee and the Romberg Tiburon Center for Environmental Studies on San Francisco Bay for extended study in ecology. The Department of Biology has a close association with the California Academy of Sciences located in nearby Golden Gate Park. The Academy's extensive research collection of plants and animals is available for a wide variety of studies in ecology and evolution. Also located in Golden Gate Park, is the San Francisco Botanical Garden, a 40-acre collection of choice plant specimens, as well as the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers, which houses an excellent collection of tropical plants. The San Francisco Zoological Garden, where opportunities for ecological and behavioral studies of native and exotic animals are readily available, is also situated near the campus. Considerable emphasis is placed on field studies, and students can expect to spend time on organized field trips and individual study projects.
In addition to continuing instruction and research in the traditional areas of biology, botany, ecology, and zoology, this program offer coursework and research opportunities for students in biosystematics, conservation, resource management, population biology, biometry, entomology, evolutionary biology, and behavioral biology. The curriculum covers a wide range of ecosystems and organisms.
The facilities available for instruction and research in the university's fully equipped modern 8-story building include: a variety of teaching collections of plants and animals, controlled environmental chambers, greenhouses, seawater aquaria, the Genomics and Trancriptomics Analysis Core for study and analysis of DNA variation, the Cell and Molecular Imaging Center, and many other laboratories.