Planning, selecting, and maintaining indoor plants, shrubs, trees, flowers, lawns, fruits, herbs and vegetables in and around the home. Plant propagation, as well as pests/diseases and their control, are also covered. This is a course with practical applications and is suitable for students in any major.
Provides students with basic horticultural skills to enable them to have a better understanding of the care and use of plants in and around the home including turf, ornamental flowers, trees and shrubs, vegetables, herbs and home garden fruit plants. Plant identification, propagation and pest/disease control are also covered. Pre/Co-requisite: ALE 1100.
Analyzes factors driving current agricultural production systems, the problems associated with the industrial agriculture model, and the variety of approaches and practices for producing food in an ecologically sound and socially just manner.
Training in the skills required to produce aesthetically pleasing visual representations of botanical subjects grounded in technically correct plant morphology and anatomy. Use of line, shading, and color explored in depth. Media include graphite, pen and ink, colored pencils and watercolor. Includes a final project. Prerequisite: Junior/Senior Standing.
See Schedule of Courses for specific titles.
Covers basic entomology, insect diversity and identification, and the basic principles of pest management. Prerequisite: BIOL 1400 and BIOL 1450, or BCOR 1400 and BCOR 1450, or BCOR 1425.
Identification, ecology, and management of weeds and other invasive plants in agriculture, urban/suburban landscapes, and natural areas. Prerequisite: ALE 1100, ALE 1210, PBIO 1040, or Instructor permission.
Introduction to the causes of agricultural and forest plant diseases including examination of the relationship of the plant, pathogen, and environment in disease development and disease management. Prerequisite: PBIO 1040, or BIOL 1400 and BIOL 1450, or BCOR 1400 and BCOR 1450, or BCOR 1425, or Instructor permission. Cross-listed with: PBIO 2170.
Indoor flowers, culture, related topics such as design. Prerequisite: ALE 1100, ALE 1210, one semester of Biology, or Instructor permission.
Outdoor flowers, culture, related topics. Prerequisite: ALE 1100, ALE 1210, one semester of Biology, or Instructor permission.
Identification, climatic requirements, cultural management, and use of woody ornamental plants (trees, shrubs, groundcovers and vines/climbers) in managed landscape settings. Prerequisites: PBIO 1040 or ALE 1100, or ALE 1210, or ALE 1370 or BIOL 1400 or BIOL 1450 or BCOR 1400 or BCOR 1450 or FOR 1210 or Instructor permission.
Introduces students to the history and principles of landscape design. Examines various aspects of built environments with consideration of natural and cultural phenomena, with topics to include: spatial scale, equity, land use, design precedent, soils, plants, water, recreation, transportation, and more. Prerequisite: ALE 1370, ALE 1100, ALE 1210, ENVS 1510, ENVS 1520, NR 1010, NR 1020, or CDAE 1010; minimum Sophomore standing; or Instructor permission. Cross-listed with: CDAE 2370, ENVS 2650.
Introduces students to the practice and profession of landscape design through studio-based learning. Through a series of design exercises, field experiences, and a real-world final project, students engage the landscape design process from site inventory and analysis to conceptual design, schematic planning, and supporting drawings. Students learn drafting and illustration techniques for design communication, with an emphasis on hand-drawn methods. Prerequisites: Minimum Sophomore standing; ALE 2370, ALE 2560, ARTS 1010, CDAE 1160, or Instructor permission. Co-requisite: ALE 2370.
Design of agriculturally productive environments that have the diversity, stability, and resilience of the natural biosphere to harmoniously integrate landscape and people. Prerequisites: ALE 1100, ALE 1210, BIOL 1450, NR 2030, BCOR 1450, BCOR 2100, or a basic ecology course. Cross-listed with: ENVS 2654.
Biological, chemical, and physical properties of the dynamic soil system as related to plant growth and environmental problems. Prerequisites: ALE 1100, ALE 1210, ALE 1370, ENSC 1010, or CE 1000.
On-site supervised work experience combined with a structured academic learning plan directed by a faculty member or a faculty-staff team in which a faculty member is the instructor of record, for which academic credit is awarded. Offered at department discretion.
A course which is tailored to fit the interests of a specific student, which occurs outside the traditional classroom/laboratory setting under the supervision of a faculty member, for which credit is awarded. Offered at department discretion.
Undergraduate student service as a teaching assistant, usually in an introductory level course in the discipline, for which credit is awarded. Offered at department discretion.
Undergraduate student work on individual or small team research projects under the supervision of a faculty member, for which credit is awarded. Offered at department discretion.
An in-depth overview of research and applications in the field of agroecology, including current ecological and social dynamics in agricultural landscapes in Vermont and abroad. Prerequisites: ALE 1210 or one semester ecology at the 2000-level or above or Instructor permission.
Principles and practices of commercial tree fruit production, including site considerations; cultivars; training; nutrient, water and pest management; harvest and postharvest considerations. Special emphasis on environmental and economic sustainability of the orchard system. Pre/Co-requisites: ALE 1100, ALE 1210, BIOL 1400, BIOL 1450, BCOR 1400, or BCOR 1450; ALE 2610.
A comprehensive understanding of landscape design strategies in the built environment. Students will work on one project that could enable communities and cities to thrive, exploring the driving forces of change in the landscape and developing strategic masterplans for addressing socioecological challenges. Explores the intersection of urbanism and landscape design, such as climate crisis, local economies, biodiversity preservation, environmental justice, and social equity. Prerequisites: ALE 2371 or CDAE 1010; minimum Sophomore standing; or Instructor permission. Pre/Co-requisites: ALE 2371 or CDAE 1010; Sophomore standing.
Provides a comprehensive understanding of land use planning in a changing world. Students will be working on two projects that could enable communities and regions to thrive, exploring the driving forces of change in the landscape and developing strategic plans for addressing international challenges. Explores the intersection of landscape planning and international challenges, such as climate crisis, global economies, and biodiversity preservation. Prerequisites: ALE 2371 or NR 2430; minimum Sophomore standing; or Instructor permission. Pre/Co-requisites: ALE 2371, NR 2430.
Student service as a teaching assistant, usually in an introductory level course in the discipline, for which credit is awarded. Offered at department discretion.
Student work on individual or small team research projects under the supervision of a faculty member, for which credit is awarded. Offered at department discretion.
Covers the evolution of agroecology from its origins to the present, including the myriad ways it is both understood and practiced, evaluating examples from around the world to explore agroecology's biophysical, sociocultural, and political potential for food system transformation.
Introduces students to Participatory Action Research (PAR) in the context of agroecology, and examines how the integration of PAR and transdisciplinary approaches can serve to deepen our collective understanding of complex problems/issues. Prerequisite: ALE 6110.
The capstone designed for the application of newly developed knowledge and skills in a culminating experience/project that addresses an agroecological topic relevant to the individual student. Prerequisites: ALE 6110, ALE 6120, ALE 6130, ALE 6140.
Research for Master’s Thesis.
Presentations of personal research by faculty, Graduate students, and outside guest speakers. Attendance and oral presentations are required of Graduate students in Plant & Soil Science. Repeatable two times for Master's students and four times for Doctoral students.
Research for Doctoral Dissertation.