Landscape ecology is a sub-discipline of ecology that examines the development, causes and attributes of spatial patterns of landscapes and their implications for ecological processes.  By its nature, landscape ecology draws from many other areas within ecology. The course will consider ecological processes at the individual, population, community, and ecosystem level. The ecology of landscapes is also critical to the development of management and restoration schemes that take into account biodiversity conservation, provision of ecosystem services, and human land use.  The course will cover the conceptual underpinnings of landscape ecology and will introduce students to some of the tools used to analyze the structure and dynamics of landscapes.  Students will also examine consequences of landscape patterns and dynamics for organisms and for the management and sustainability of landscapes.  These skills prepare students to ask questions from a landscape perspective. The weekly two-hour lab will provide students will skills and confidence in the use of mapping and analysis tools in landscape ecology.