UC Berkeley

The primary objective of the laboratory and field work in this course is to aid the student in making personal, first-hand observations on the biology of living vertebrate animals in their natural environments. Containing a variety of habitats and ecological formations, such as coniferous forest, oak-bay woodland, chaparral, grassland, fresh-water marsh, lakes, and stream banks, East Bay Regional Parks support a rich variety of vertebrate species and are easily accessible. We will emphasize the behavior, adaptations, and way of life of Bay Area vertebrate species in an effort to understand their natural history, their interactions, and the ecosystems of which they are a part. Attention is given to techniques of field study, species identification, ecologic niches, foraging behavior, food habits, predator-prey relationships, habitat selection, competition within and among species, geographic distribution, and interactions between humans and vertebrate animals as they relate to conservation and human welfare. Although different species may be present in other areas, it should be realized that the techniques and principles of vertebrate natural history learned by the study of local animals will have broad geographic application.