Offered at: San Luis Obispo Campus
This interdisciplinary minor prepares students for careers in the science and management of semi-arid grasslands, shrub lands, and savannas. This is an entry point for students into a wide range of careers in grassland-based livestock production and the conservation and management of rangeland ecosystems, including native wildlife and plant populations. Students will learn purposes for and methods of assessing the health and productivity of rangeland ecosystems, and how to manage the animals and plants that depend on them. Coursework in the minor will give students an understanding of the interactions of plants, animals, water, soil and landscape features in these ecosystems, with particular emphasis on the management of grazing animals. This minor will prepare students for careers with state and federal land and natural resource management agencies and non-governmental conservation organizations as scientists, resource specialists, and managers. It will also strengthen a graduate's opportunities in the private sector as agricultural or environmental consultants, ranch managers, and other natural resource management specialists. Completion of this minor meets the basic educational requirements for the state of California's Certified Rangeland Manager (CRM) license.
Program Learning Objectives
- Explain components and processes of rangeland ecosystems and the management practices applied to them.
- Describe how grazing can be manipulated to adjust ecosystem conditions and processes.
- Develop rangeland improvement practices appropriate to management objectives.
- Evaluate rangeland management plans based on historical and existing conditions and information from state-and-transition models.
- Monitor changes in ecological conditions using objective methods.
Minor Requirements and Curriculum
The minor must be completed prior to, or at the same time as, the requirements for the bachelor's degree. A major and a minor may not be taken in the same degree program, and a minor is not required for a degree. Requirements for the minor include:
- At least half of the units must be from upper-division courses (3000-4000 level).
- At least half of the units must be taken at Cal Poly (in residence).
- No more than one-third of the units will be taken with credit-no credit grading (CR/NC), not counting courses with mandatory CR/NC. Departments may further limit CR/NC grading if desired.
- A minimum 2.0 GPA is required in all units counted for completion of the minor.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| REQUIRED COURSES | ||
| ASCI 2232 | Small Ruminant and Rangeland Management 1 | 3 |
| or ASCI 2239 | Principles of Rangeland Management | |
| BOT 1121 | General Botany | 4 |
| SS 1120 | Introductory Soil Science | 4 |
| Approved Electives | ||
| Select from the following: 1 | 13 | |
| Advanced Beef Cattle System Management | ||
| Rangeland Improvements | ||
| California Rangeland and Ranch Resource Management | ||
| Special Problems for Advanced Undergraduates | ||
| Rangeland Assessment and Planning | ||
| Special Advanced Topics | ||
| Wildlife Ecology | ||
| Wildlife Management | ||
| Spatial Ecology | ||
| Plant Taxonomy | ||
| Plant Ecology | ||
| Field Botany: California Plant Diversity | ||
| Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing with GIS Applications | ||
| Advanced Surveying with GIS Applications | ||
| Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Applications for Design Projects | ||
| The World of Spatial Data and Geographic Information Technology | ||
| Advanced GIS Application to Projects | ||
| Natural Resource Ecology and Habitat Management | ||
| Applied Geographic Information System | ||
| Soil Morphology | ||
| Forest and Range Soils | ||
| Total Units | 24 | |
- 1
Additional prerequisites may be needed to complete this requirement.