UMD Courses for Future Stream Restoration Professionals

These courses may help students learn the basics of various aspects of stream restoration. This is not a comprehensive list; students are encouraged to seek out advisors and do their own research on courses that may best fit their career goals. However, this is a great starting point for students who are curious about different aspects of the field.

ENST452 – WETLAND RESTORATION

• Design, construction, and evaluation of wetlands restored or created to provide ecosystem services or to mitigate losses due to development. Topics include fundamental properties of wetlands, ecological restoration theory, site selection and goal setting, design plans, practices for establishing wetland hydrology, substrate, and vegetation, and restored ecosystem monitoring.
• Students will tour multiple stream and wetland restoration sites as a part of this course.

ENST281 – COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN IN ECOLOGY

• Computer Aided Design in Ecology is an introductory course in sketching and computer-aided drafting and design. Students will be taught the basics of computer aided design (CAD) including commands, tools, multi-view drawing and dimensioning techniques with an emphasis on applications to the design of constructed ecosystems. Students will also be introduced to Sketch-up and energy systems diagrams.

ENST450 - WETLAND ECOLOGY

• A strongly field-based course, Wetland Ecology delves into Plant and animal communities, biogeochemistry, and ecosystem properties of wetlands. Students gain experience with identification of wetland plant species, wetland delineation, and collection and analysis of field data on wetland vegetation, soil, and hydrology.

ENST453 - WATERSHED SCIENCE: WATER BALANCE, OPEN CHANNEL FLOW, AND NEAR SURFACE HYDROLOGY

• Conceptual study of hydrologic cycle components and their prediction using empirical and physical-based models is covered in addition to definition and delineation of watersheds based on the stream orders. This course shows students principles of conservation of mass in the context of life cycles (water cycle, carbon cycle, photosynthesis, aerobic cycle, anaerobic cycle, and nitrogen cycle) as it relates to the broader Biosystem.

ENST485 - WATER MANAGEMENT IN URBAN ENVIRONMENT

• This course explores a systems approach to urban water hydrology, engineering, planning, and management, focusing on the complexities of water supply, stormwater management, and climate impacts in growing urban areas. Students gain skills in analyzing urban water cycles, assessing runoff and drainage characteristics, and designing best management practices for sustainable water use and environmental protection.

ENST456 - SPATIAL ANALYSIS AND ECOLOGICAL SAMPLING

• This data management course provides students with a slew of essential tools needed for a successful career in the field of environmental sciences. Students gain skills through developing and testing a hypothesis, carried out in small groups, culminating in a portfolio-worthy presentation of an applied learning research project. The course includes lessons in QGIS and R Studio.

ENST450 - WETLAND ECOLOGY

• An engaging hands-on course taught by the highly specialized Dr. Baldwin, this class gives practical experience in identification of wetland plant species, wetland delineation, and collection and analysis of field data on wetland vegetation, soil, and hydrology. Practice with delineation and wetland dynamics that inform restoration are offered though lab and field-based classes, vital experiences for aspiring environmental scientists and restoration specialists.

ENST373 - NATURAL HISTORY OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY

• An overview of the past, present, and future human uses of the Chesapeake Bay. The economic viability and sustainable use of Bay resources are also covered in this course through discussion of the many organisms associated with the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem.

ENST334 - ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY

• Case studies and concepts of ecotoxicology are taught in connection with global processes and local issues facing the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Topics emphasized include origin and variety of environmental pollutants, routes of biological exposure, modes of toxicological action and effects on individual organisms, populations and ecosystems.

ENST436 - EMERGING ENVIRONMENTAL THREATS

• Focusing on current and future hurdles to securing environmental health, the course offers practical knowledge that serves students looking to be prepared for careers in consulting and remediation. The course explores intrinsic links between human and environmental health, covering topics such as infectious disease, climate change, resource consumption, non-traditional pollutants, biodiversity change, and other significant environmental concerns.

ENST423 - SOIL-WATER POLLUTION

• The study of the relation of the environment with soil water pollution, through industrial and animal waste, pesticides and nutrient fertilizers. A lecture-based class that covers a wide breadth of pollutants and their interactions with the environment, this course is helpful for all students looking to understand the fundamentals of pollutants’ interactions with environmental processes.

ENST434 - TOXIC CONTAMINANTS: SOURCES, FATE, AND EFFECTS

• Contaminant Dynamics in the environment, the release, transport, persistence, and fate of toxins and the human activities that influence them. This course brings together topics of wildlife and human health in the context of environmental contaminants, risk, exposure and long term impacts. Students gain an appreciation for the behavior and ultimate fate of environmental contaminants and their long term effects on environmental health.

ENST430 - WETLAND SOILS 

• Taught by the esteemed Dr. Rabenhorst, Wetland Soils delves into the soils of wetlands, chemistry, hydrological processes and history of management. Federal and state protections and historical regulations are also covered, along with present issues facing the future of wetland management. Field experience is a major component of this course, where students learn to delineate hydric soils and measure hydric indicators in the field.

GEOL452 – WATERSHED AND WETLAND HYDROLOGY

• This course explores hydrological processes in watersheds and wetlands. Students will examine hydrological processes: precipitation, infiltration, overland and subsurface runoff, groundwater recharge, evapotranspiration. and streamflow. Students will examine how variations in topography, climate, land-use and vegetation type affect the water balance.
• This course includes field trips to streams to record measurements in streamflow and evapotranspiration.

GEOG416 - CONCEPTUALIZING AND MODELING HUMAN-ENVIRONMENTAL INTERACTIONS

• Students learn to develop research methods and carry out personal research projects on the human-environmental interactance that influence ecological economics. The course guides student to practice using tools such as the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC), environmental input-output analysis and life-cycle analysis, index number calculations and decomposition analysis, and multi-criteria decisions aid (MCDA)

GEOL342 - SEDIMENTATION AND STRATIGRAPHY

• This course covers processes of sedimentation, origin and distribution, sedimentary structures, stratigraphic principles and ties in lithostratigraphy and biostratigraphy. The course includes opportunities for field stratigraphic measurements, practical applications of material learned.

BSCI467 – FRESHWATER BIOLOGY

• Biology and ecology of freshwater invertebrates in lotic and lentic habitats, their adaptation to aquatic life, their function in aquatic ecosystems, and their relationship to environmental deterioration. Laboratory will include field trips, demonstrations, and identifications.
• This course is especially recommended for those interested in working as an ecologist in the stream restoration field. Macroinvertebrate sampling is often used as a measure of stream health due to the sensitivity of these creatures.

GEOL453 – ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION

• Overview of ecosystem functions across biomes/geologic settings, and considerations and tradeoffs in ecosystem restoration strategies. Specific case studies and discussions will be aimed at understanding how structure can influence biophysical and biogeochemical processes supporting ecosystems, and then describes how rates, timing, and location of physical, chemical, and ecosystem processes can be altered by different restoration strategies to enhance ecosystem services.

LARC453 – INTRODUCTION TO GIS AND HYDROLOGIC MODELING

• Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and their application to hydrologic modeling. Basic GIS skills are used to manipulate and analyze spatial data to populate NRCS TR-55 hydrologic model for use in sizing constructed wetlands, bio-retention cells, and minor flood zones. No prior knowledge of GIS or hydrologic modeling is required. Stormwater and erosion control permitting as well as basic design principles for Maryland Environmental Site Design standards are introduced.
• TR-55 hydrologic modeling is an important skill for future engineers to know! Although this class is specifically designed for Landscape Architecture students (and may be “restricted”) it’s encouraged to reach out to your professor/advisor with your career goals and ask permission for this course.

ENCE305 – FUNDAMENTALS OF ENGINEERING FLUIDS

• The theoretical bases for fluid statics and dynamics, including the conservation of mass, energy and momentum. Modeling of hydraulic systems are introduced. Emphasis on pipe flow and open-channel hydraulics, with real-world applications.
• Highly recommended for engineers