Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Spring Semester 2026

Wildland Ecology (Face-to-Face)

RANG 4200-01

Course: RANG 4200-01
Credits: 3
Term: Spring Semester 2026
Department: ASNS
CRN: 10058

Instructor Information

Instructor: Nathan Dulfon, MS Rangeland Science
Office: GC 203B
Office hours: Monday, Wednesday - 12:00 - 1:00 PM
Tuesday - 1:00 -2:00 PM
Wednesday, Friday - 8:00 - 9:00 AM
Or by appointment
Phone: (435)-586-1923
Email: nathandulfon@suu.edu

Course Description

Ecology of western wildlands including major life zones, ecosystems, range plant responses and inventories, monitoring, grazing systems, and current issues in wildland ecology.

Required Texts

Rangeland Ecosystems of the Western US (Yvette Gibson & Oregon State University)

Rangeland Systems - Processes, Management, and Challenges (David D. Briske)
ISBN 978-3-319-46707-8

*Electronic open source PDF of the above books will be provided on Canvas*

Supplementary text:
Range Management: Principles and Practices, 6th Edition (Holechek, Pieper, & Herbel)
ISBN-13: 978-0-13-501416-5


Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course students will be able to:
  • Understand the components and history of rangeland ecology and rangeland ecosystem management
  • Define terms associated with rangeland ecology and ecosystem management
  • Describe rangeland ecosystems located in the US and factors that define them
  • Use and apply factual knowledge, concepts, fundamental principles, and theories of rangeland ecosystems
  • Be proficient with methods used to collect data to assess rangeland ecosystems on the landscape
  • Understand and discuss trends related to rangeland ecosystems
  • Use knowledge gained to manage ecosystems of different vegetation types for sustainability for future use

Grading

Students will earn points for assignments, projects, and exams.
A letter grade will be assigned according to the following grading scale:

Grade         Percent Range
A                100% to 94%
A-               < 94% to 90%
B+              < 90% to 87%
B                < 87% to 84%
B-               < 84% to 80%
C+              < 80% to 77%
C                < 77% to 74%
C-               < 74% to 70%
D+              < 70% to 67%
D                < 67% to 64%
D-               < 64% to 61%
F                 < 61% to 0%

Semester Point Breakdown
Unannounced quizzes and quizzes - 250 pts
Activities - 250 pts
Project 1 - Community ecology  - 200 pts
Project 2 - Game show final review - 100 pts
Exam 1 - Midterm exam - 100 pts
Exam 2 - Final exam - 100 pts
TOTAL 1000 pts

*Semester point breakdown and course outline may be subject to change*

Course Requirements

Prerequisite(s): RANG 3600
Prerequisite Min. Grade: C
Registration Restriction(s): None

Attendance Policy

The professor expects students to arrive to class on time and be prepared to participate in class discussion.
Attendance is very important and students are responsible for making arrangements to get class material when missing class.
Students are responsible for transportation to activities within close proximity to SUU campus/SUU Valley Farm/SUU Mountain Center.
Cell phones are to be shut off or silenced during class.
No dogs in class unless it is a certified service dog.

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Assignments/quizzes/projects are to be submitted on the established due date.
Late work will be accepted with a 30% deduction of points.
One quiz score will be dropped if missed.

Course Outline

Date           Topic and reading assignment
W 1/7          Syllabus and course expectations - Commenced attendance quiz & student demographic information form
F 1/9           Ecosystem Biogeography - Solar Radiation

M 1/11          Ecosystem Biogeography - Solar Radiation
W 1/14         Ecosystem Biogeography - Climate
F 1/16          Ecosystem Biogeography - Climate activity and assignment

M 1/19          Martin Luther King Day - No Classes
W 1/21          Ecosystem Biogeography - Topography
F 1/23           Ecosystem Biogeography - Soils

M 1/26          Ecosystem Biogeography - Soils activity and assignment
W 1/28         Species Biology - Plants
F 1/30          Species Biology - Plants

M 2/2           Species Biology - Animals
W 2/4           Population Ecology - Demography
F 2/6            Population Ecology - Population Growth and Control

M 2/9           Population Ecology - Influences on Population Dynamics and Distribution
W 2/11         Ecological Systems Thinking - Systems Components/Interactions
F 2/13          Ecological Systems Thinking - Controls/Feedbacks

M 2/16          President's Day - No Classes
W 2/18         Ecological Systems Thinking - Systems Patterns and Structure
F 2/20          Community Ecology - Properties of Ecological Communities

M 2/23         Community Ecology - Species Interactions
W 2/25         Community Ecology - Influences on Interactions
F 2/27          Community Ecology - Plant Community Ecology

M 3/2           Mid term exam - No Classes
W 3/4          Ecosystem Disturbance
F 3/6           Nonequilibrium Ecology and Ecosystem Resiliency - Nonequilibrium Ecology

M 3/9           Spring Break - No Classes
W 3/11         Spring Break - No Classes
F 3/12          Spring Break - No Classes


M 3/16          Nonequilibrium Ecology and Ecosystem Resiliency - Nonequilibrium Ecology
W 3/18         Nonequilibrium Ecology and Ecosystem Resiliency - Resiliency Theory
F 3/20          Nonequilibrium Ecology and Ecosystem Resiliency - Resiliency Thinking and Social-Ecological Systems (SES)

M 3/23          Sagebrush Ecosystems - Geographic Distribution/Major Land Resource Areas of Sagebrush Ecosystems
W 3/25         Sagebrush Ecosystems - Sagebrush species
F 3/27          Sagebrush Ecosystems - Succession and Retrogression in Sagebrush Ecosystems

M 3/30         Pinyon-Juniper Woodland Ecosystems - Geographic Distribution/Major Land Resource Areas (MLRAs) of Pinyon-Juniper Ecosystems
W 4/1          Pinyon-Juniper Woodland Ecosystems - Pinyon Pine and Juniper Species
F 4/3           Pinyon-Juniper Woodland Ecosystems - Succession and Retrogression in Pinyon-Juniper Ecosystems

M 4/6          Pinyon-Juniper Woodland Ecosystems - Current Environmental Anthropogenic Stresses
W 4/8          Mojave Desert Ecosystems - Physiography/Classifications
F 4/10         Mojave Desert Ecosystems - Current Anthropogenic Stresses

M 4/13        Sonoran Desert Ecosystems - Physiography/Classifications
W 4/15        Sonoran Desert Ecosystems - Soils/Biodiversity/Current Anthropogenic Stresses and Conservation
F 4/17         Game Show Final Review

M 4/20       Final Exam - Available all day on canvas

*Course outline and semester point breakdown may be subject to change as needed*

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.