Peter A. Raymond
Associate Professor of Ecosystem Ecology
Teaching Statement
My general interest in teaching is to offer a set of classes that have a range of classroom and fieldwork aspects. Currently I have developed or co-developed 4 classes that are explained below:
Ecosystem Pattern and Process
Ecosystem science provides a unique vantage point from which scientists can approach complex adaptive systems. The basis of ecosystem science is to determine how patterns in biological processes emerge from interactions between organisms and the abiotic environment. This course introduces the ecosystem concept, investigates the structure and function of ecological systems, studies the response of systems to changing environmental conditions and applies resulting knowledge to preservation and management issues. Presentation is balanced between terrestrial and aquatic/marine systems. Taught from 2003-2006, enrollment in 2006 is 24.
Field Ecology
This course exposes students to ecosystem level questions through field-based ecological research. Students spend an afternoon in the field each week exploring experimental, quantitative, descriptive approaches, comparative analysis, field data collection and modeling. The weekly field visits is coupled with 1 hour of classroom work designed to review theory and provide skill on data manipulation, writing for scientific journals, and presenting data at scientific meetings. There is also a weekend trip to Yale Myers forest. The culmination of this class is an individual or small-group project relevant to major topics in ecology. Taught in 2004-2006, enrollment in 2006 is 7.
Managing the Coastal Nutrient Problem: The Case of Long Island Sound
As is the case for many coastal ecosystems, Long Island Sound suffers from excessive loading of nutrients, with hypoxia as the primary symptom of this problem. This course covers the science, management and policy of this issue and examines what has and has not been achieved in more than a decade of addressing this problem. Taught in 2004 and 2006, enrollment ~12.
Isotopes in Environmental Science
The use of stable and radio-isotopes in environmental science has evolved as a powerful methodology to approach many questions from a variety of sub-fields, including ecology, biology, hydrology, biogeochemistry, and paleo-climatology. This course is intended to provide students with a working knowledge of the techniques and applications of using a range of isotopes and isotope tracers within different terrestrial, aquatic, and atmospheric systems. The course utilizes interactive lectures and the primary literature to introduce students to concepts. The course will also be structured to allow students interested in pursing specific isotopic approaches to incorporate these interests into the class. Taught in 2005, enrollment 11 students.
In 2005 I received a NSF-CAREER grant. As part of this grant I will be developing a new Watershed Science class to be offered in the fall of 2008.
Ecosystem Pattern and Process
Ecosystem science provides a unique vantage point from which scientists can approach complex adaptive systems. The basis of ecosystem science is to determine how patterns in biological processes emerge from interactions between organisms and the abiotic environment. This course introduces the ecosystem concept, investigates the structure and function of ecological systems, studies the response of systems to changing environmental conditions and applies resulting knowledge to preservation and management issues. Presentation is balanced between terrestrial and aquatic/marine systems. Taught from 2003-2006, enrollment in 2006 is 24.
Field Ecology
This course exposes students to ecosystem level questions through field-based ecological research. Students spend an afternoon in the field each week exploring experimental, quantitative, descriptive approaches, comparative analysis, field data collection and modeling. The weekly field visits is coupled with 1 hour of classroom work designed to review theory and provide skill on data manipulation, writing for scientific journals, and presenting data at scientific meetings. There is also a weekend trip to Yale Myers forest. The culmination of this class is an individual or small-group project relevant to major topics in ecology. Taught in 2004-2006, enrollment in 2006 is 7.
Managing the Coastal Nutrient Problem: The Case of Long Island Sound
As is the case for many coastal ecosystems, Long Island Sound suffers from excessive loading of nutrients, with hypoxia as the primary symptom of this problem. This course covers the science, management and policy of this issue and examines what has and has not been achieved in more than a decade of addressing this problem. Taught in 2004 and 2006, enrollment ~12.
Isotopes in Environmental Science
The use of stable and radio-isotopes in environmental science has evolved as a powerful methodology to approach many questions from a variety of sub-fields, including ecology, biology, hydrology, biogeochemistry, and paleo-climatology. This course is intended to provide students with a working knowledge of the techniques and applications of using a range of isotopes and isotope tracers within different terrestrial, aquatic, and atmospheric systems. The course utilizes interactive lectures and the primary literature to introduce students to concepts. The course will also be structured to allow students interested in pursing specific isotopic approaches to incorporate these interests into the class. Taught in 2005, enrollment 11 students.
In 2005 I received a NSF-CAREER grant. As part of this grant I will be developing a new Watershed Science class to be offered in the fall of 2008.
