Vernal pools are temporary bodies of water which contain rich floral and faunal assemblages.
Many vernal pool species are not only endemic to vernal pool habitats, but often to a specific pool. These reservoirs of biodiversity represent an opportunity to study an entire ecosystem in an area less than the size of a football field. The primary goal of this course is to engage students in active scientific research through a hands-on, field experience. In order to prepare students for their research projects, we will spend considerable time learning the known basic science of this ecosystem, methods for critically reading scientific literature, and techniques for studying aquatic ecosystems. With this knowledge students will be prepared to spend the second half of the semester collecting scientific data from a series of vernal pools which have not been studied to date.