Teaching Undergraduate Students to Manage Aquatic Ecosystems at the Watershed Level: an Ecological Engineering Approach.

The Ecological Engineering Group within the Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department at the University of Arkansas applies the principles of ecology and engineering to prepare students to investigate and restore ecosystems degraded by human activity, focusing on the smallest unit of ecosystem management--the watershed. Ecological engineering teaching intertwined with research activities include investigation of the response of aquatic systems to nutrient enrichment from diffuse and point sources, control of biotic and abiotic processes on water quality, combining these investigations to enhance ecosystem management and develop decision support systems. Students are given an opportunity to apply their classroom knowledge to real-world watershed projects. Integration of teaching and research has enabled students to fully publish their research findings in undergraduate research journals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]