Land Resources and Environmental Sciences - College of Agriculture

MSU’s College of Agriculture in Bozeman,Montana is the ideal setting for studentsinterested in the natural environment,ecology, biotechnology and the relationshipbetween humans and the outdoors. Many ofour “labs” are outdoors in the mountains,valleys and rangelands of beautifulsouthwestern Montana.Montana State UniversityLand Resources & Environmental ScienceIntegrating basic and applied sciences to understand and manage resources in agricultural and natural landscapesAll programs of study are science-based.You will learn skills and study critical issuesthat prepare you to step into the challengesand opportunities of the working world.And, just as you are drawn to Montana forits unique balance of learning and lifestyle,our professors have also chosen MSU forits supportive, ambitious and down-to-earthatmosphere. As leaders in their fields, MSUfaculty have chosen Bozeman for its dynamic,collaborative and inspiring setting.Our Focus: Learning for a LifetimeThe MSU College of Agriculture works closelywith the Montana Agricultural ExperimentStation (MAES), which conducts relevantresearch for the people of Montana, andMSU Extension, which disseminates theresearch findings through a network ofcounty and reservation offices. Many Collegeof Agriculture faculty and staff are fully orpartially funded by MAES or MSU Extension.Land Resources and Environmental Sciences (LRES) integratescoursework and research involving soils, vegetation,water, and organisms into a multi-disciplinary approach tounderstand and manage land resources. We focus on naturaland managed landscapes, with fundamental and appliedexploration of environmental sciences, agriculture, naturalresources, and land management. We foster collaborationwith allied disciplines, institutions and stakeholders toaddress land resource issues that are complex and that crossscales from the microscopic to the landscape.LRES faculty members conduct cutting-edge investigationsin specialized laboratories, modern greenhouses, and in themany outstanding and diverse natural laboratories within theGreater Yellowstone Ecosystem. We utilize public, farm andranch lands across the state and region, as well as the MSUPost and Red Bluff research facilities. Our faculty are participantsin and/or collaborators with the Center for InvasivePlant Management, the Reclamation Research Unit, theThermal Biology Institute, Big Sky Institute, Spatial AnalysisCenter, and Research Centers throughout the state. Theresearch conducted in LRES is recognized internationally forits contributionsto environmentalsciences andland resourcesmanagement.If you want to be challenged, meet inspiringpeople, and prepare for a professional careerin one of the most beautiful places on earth,the MSU College of Agriculture is for you.Undergraduate programs lead to B.S. degrees in EnvironmentalSciences, Land Rehabilitation or Land ResourceSciences. Graduate programs offer M.S. or Ph.D. degrees inLand Resources and Environmental Sciences, an M.S. in LandRehabilitation, and a cross-departmental M.S. in Entomology.Off-campus education programs provide research-basedinformation, new technologies and basic education to landmanagers through the development of interpretive tools, learninggroups, and education programs for agricultural productionand natural resource management.Our unique location in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystemprovides an unparalleled natural laboratory as well as diverseopportunities for recreation.For more information about theDepartment of Land Resources andEnvironmental Sciences, contact:334 Leon Johnson HallP.O. Box 173120Bozeman, MT 59717-3120Tel: 406-994-7060Fax: 406-994-3933Email: lresinfo@montana.eduTo find out more about our programs, contactus on the web at http://landresources.montana.edu

Undergraduate Degree ProgramsUndergraduate, Graduate andPostdoctoral Research OpportunitiesStudents in LRES degree programs take core courses in biology, chemistry, earth science, ecology, mathematics, physics,soil science, economics, statistics and written and oral communication. Many of our upper division courses include valuableLRES research programs offer opportunities for advanced study beyond the B.S. degree, leading to an M.S. in LandSoil and Water Sciencelaboratory experiences. A senior-level capstone field course allows students to apply classroom knowledge to hands-onResources and Environmental Sciences, M.S. in Land Rehabilitation, M.S. in Entomology, or Ph.D. in LandFaculty with expertise in soil and environmental physics,development of interdisciplinary solutions to real-world environmental problems.Resources and Environmental Sciences. Undergraduates may participate in the discovery process through originalchemistry, hydrology, watershed analysis and modeling,LRES degrees prepare students for careers in environmental sciences, agriculture, land reclamation, and other naturalresource fields with governmental agencies, private landowners, private industry, and the non-profit sector, and providestudents a strong base for advanced graduate training.B.S. in Environmental SciencesChoose from two options:The Environmental Biology option is for students interestedin the basic biology and ecology of organisms in natural andaltered environments, and includes an emphasis on microbialsystems.research projects mentored by LRES faculty. Our research covers a wide range of topics, including:Agricultural SystemsIntegrate soil and crop management principles with moderntools to maximize profitability and environmental stewardshipin diversified cropping systems. Focal areas include:• creation of more economical practices through croppingsystems innovations• impacts of technology (precision agriculture, nutrients,herbicides, GMOs) on agricultural systemsEnvironmental Biology and MicrobiologyResearch concerning microbial and plant ecology of naturaland disturbed environments includes:• microbial ecology of extreme geothermal environmentsin nearby Yellowstone National Park• bioremediation ecology, where environmental biophysicsand chemistry are combined with microbial ecology tounderstand the ecology of contaminant-degrading bacterialimnology, microbiology, nutrient cycling, pedology, landrehabilitation and landscape science interact on researchprojects such as:• biogeochemical cycling of trace elements associatedwith geothermal or mine impacted sites• interactions between plants and soils, including waterrelationships, plant physiological ecology, biophysicsand bioremediation• interactions of climate, landscapes, plants, soils andhumansThe Soil and Water Science option prepares studentswho are interested in the physical, chemical and biologicalprocesses occurring in natural and managed soil andaquatic environments. Students gain appreciation for practicalapplications in watershed management, pollutant fateand transport, and other critical issues.B.S. in Land RehabilitationThis curriculum is for students interested in reclamation andrestoration ecology, including revegetation and soil remediationof sites degraded by industrial activities, recreationalactivities, invasive species or natural disturbances.B.S. in Land Resource SciencesChoose from two options:The Land Resources Analysis and Management optionprepares students to inventory and analyze land resourceinformation using state-of-the-art tools for mapping (GIS andGPS) and remote sensing, and to integrate that informationwith management concerns for informed land resource useand decision-making.The Agroecology option offers training to work in contemporaryagricultural management. Students may specialize inapplied ecology, cropping systems, natural ecosystems, pestmanagement, or policy and planning.LRES Undergraduate MinorsThe Department offers or supports three minor degrees:Soil Science (LRES), Entomology, and Water Resources(both shared with other campus departments).• integrated weed and insect pest management todevelop economically viable, ecologically healthy andrelatively weed- and pest-resistant rangeland andcropping systems (agroecosystems)• interaction of landscape characteristics, climate, andagronomic practices on soil and water conservation,nutrient cycling, biodiversity, and pest dynamics• land management and cropping systems strategies thatmitigate greenhouse gas emissions or enhance soilfunctional capacityAnalysis, Management and Decision MakingApply biological, socio-economic and physical data to landresource management. Focus areas include:• environmental and biological risk assessment withparticular emphasis on pesticides, biotechnology, andinvasive species• risks and opportunities associated with climate changethrough long-term ecological research in the GreaterYellowstone and Antarctic regions• modern tools for land analysis (satellite remote sensing,GIS, GPS, and computer decision support andsimulation modeling)• documenting soil-landscape patterns and causes ofchange to define strategies for using and sustainingland resources• ecology of areas impacted by weeds, mining, recreationand other activities, including those at high elevations• microbial ecology of Antarctic ecosystems focusing onthe biogeochemistry, survival, and evolution of microbesassociated with ice• physiology, biochemistry and genetics of microbe-plantinteractionsInvasive PlantsStudy invasive plant species in managed or wild lands, includingecologically-based management, revegetation of disturbed areas,and factors determining the distribution, survival and abundanceof exotic plants. Areas of focus include:• revegetation strategies for disturbed and invasiveplant-dominated areas• factors (soil, hydrology,climate and organisms)controlling distribution andsuccess of invasive species• evaluating above- and belowgroundmechanisms ofplant/environment interactions• regulating plant communitychange to manage invasivespeciesLand RehabilitationResearch opportunities include partnerships with governmentagencies and private industry to develop cost-effectivereclamation methods and to evaluate critical interrelationshipswithin disturbed and reclaimed systems. Somespecific areas of inquiry are:• decision tools for large-scale land reclamation strategies• geochemical characterization of sulfide mineral weathering• phytostabilization of acid metalliferous mining wastes• the influence of soil microorganisms on successfulrevegetation of disturbed lands• ecological principles to restore plant communities• nutrient loading and algal growth impacts on lake,reservoir, and river quality• soil and water management alternatives to improvesurface and ground water quality, such as vegetativefilter strips, riparian and/or constructed wetlands, riparianzone hydrology, hillslope hydrology, and hyporheiczone hydrology• land use impacts on hydrology, vegetation, and biogeochemistry• watershed hydrologic modelingEntomologySpecialize in several areas of entomological science, andits interface with agricultural and natural resource sciences.Research areas include:• insect behavior and ecology, as they relate to insectdistribution, abundance, and evolution• using arthropods, microorganisms and other naturalenemies to regulate weed and insect pests in wildlandsand crops• integrated pest management and economic entomology forarthropod pests of small grains, forage and specialty crops• insect-plant interactions, including chemical ecology andplant and insect physiology