Students are provided with state-of-the-art basic knowledge of wetland flora and fauna, hydrology, soils, and ecology through classroom presentation and field trip participation.. The course emphasizes wetlands functions and values in an ecosystem perspective. Both saltwater and freshwater wetlands will be addressed in the course. The relationship of wetlands to adjacent terrestrial and deep water habitats, along with wetlands succession and dynamics, are discussed. This course provides the base working level fundamentals in the wetlands ecology area and may also serve to update students in current developments in wetlands science. While the focus of this course is not on wetlands delineation or regulatory (Section 404) issues, regulatory personnel would benefit from the broader overview of wetlands ecology. This course provides instruction in the following topics: (a) wetland hydrology; (b) wetland vegetation; (c) major faunal populations associated with wetlands; (d) wetland plant and animal communities, ecosystem relationships, and dynamic processes; (e) hydric soils; (f) wetland classification systems, including the relationship of such wetland classifications to ecosystems classifications and parameters; (g) principles of wetlands ecology and dynamics; (h) current research in wetlands; (i) evaluation of wetland functions; (j) overview of wetland development, restoration, and constructed wetlands; and (k) open discussion and problem solving.