• Learn to understand ecosystem degradation and restoration from
a systems perspective.

• Examine the ecological principles that form the foundation of
restoration ecology.

• Explore the history and plurality of rationales, values, 
goals, and tradeoffs associated with restoration.

• Consider how ecological theory and values are translated into
practice through restoration methods and practice.

• Gain deeper appreciation of challenges in restoration ecology
by studying and evaluating primary literature and case studies.

A.  Ecosystems as Systems
    1.	Systems ecology & basics of complexity theory 
    2.	How systems change: feedbacks, thresholds, degradation, 
resilience, regime shifts
    3.	Social-ecological systems
B.  Restoration: What do we want, and why do we want it?
    1.	Intervention Ecologies:  Restoration, Conservation, and
Sustainability
    2.	Evolution of past and current schools of thought
    3.	Approaches to restoration: historical, structural vs.
functional, ecosystem services
    4.	Values, objectives, tradeoffs, and ethics 
C.  Ecological Principles and Applications: How do we understand
and achieve restoration?
    1.	Autecology and population ecology: abiotic/biotic
limitations, physiological ecology, ecological engineering,
micro-site and landscape-scale conditions. 
    2.	Species interactions: consumer-resource interactions,
competition, facilitation, invasion ecology
    3.	Succession, assembly rules, disturbance ecology
    4.	Evolutionary ecology, adaptation, climate change
    5.	Ecosystem ecology: functional and response diversity,
carbon, nitrogen, water cycles
    6.	Ecosystem services, landscape ecology, urban systems
D.  The Big Picture: Recognizing and synthesizing science and
values in ecological restoration