B.S. In Forestry The University of Tennessee Knoxville

Our principal instructional objective is to provide the broad education needed to deal effectively with the complexity of forest resources. This program is the only forestry bachelor’s program in Tennessee and is highlighted by a semester-long field camp that takes students all over the southeastern United States for hands-on experiences.

Concentrations

Forest Resources Management

The forest resources management concentration involves the management of the broad spectrum of natural resources. In addition to core required courses, there are elective credit hours for broad studies or specialized training in one or more areas of forestry.

Restoration and Conservation Science

This concentration prepares students for a career in maintaining and restoring the health of our natural landscapes. The program draws from many disciplines and emphasizes forestry, ecology, soil and waters, and wildlife. The curriculum includes an internship and courses in restoration and conservation, and students may specialize in wildlife habitats, watersheds, ecosystem construction, ecology, or biodiversity.

Urban Forestry

This concentration is an interdisciplinary program emphasizing forestry, arboriculture, horticulture, urban forest management, and urban wildlife. The curriculum is designed to prepare graduates who can evaluate, plan, and resolve problems in urban and traditional forests. Foresters work closely with the public and private sectors, so the development of personnel management and communications skills is highly encouraged.

Wildland Recreation

This is an interdisciplinary program that prepares students to work in natural resource-based recreation settings. Students can obtain specializations in complementary areas, such as education, cultural and natural history interpretation, communications and public relations, landscape design and ornamental horticulture, or business and public administration.

• FORS 100 – Forests and Forestry in American Society (3 Credit Hours). An introductory course examining the role of forests in shaping American culture and society and exploring the evolution of the forestry profession in North America.
• FORS 214 – Tree Biology (3 Credit Hours). An introduction to the anatomy and development of woody plants, their reproduction, growth requirements, and functioning. Prerequisite(s): Biology 101 or 111.
• FORS 215 – Forest Ecology (3 Credit Hours). Ecological interactions among tree species, other plant and animal species, and their environment. Forest ecosystem classification; energy, nutrient, and hydrologic cycles; and site quality. Perturbations and growth, survival and forest composition; forest succession; and fire ecology. Regeneration ecology through the establishment and stand dynamics. Physiological ecology, ecological strategies, and adaptations of trees. Contact hour distribution: 2 hours and 1 lab. Prerequisite(s): Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries 212. Registration restriction(s): Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries majors.
• FORS 217 – Honors: Tree Biology (3 Credit Hours). Students will attend Forestry 214 classes with supplementary assignments. Prerequisite(s): Biology 101 or 111.
• FORS 305 – Prescribed Fire Management (2 Credit Hours). Prescribed fire ecology, use, and management in forest stands. Grading restriction: Letter grade only. Prerequisite(s): Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries 312.
• FORS 314 – Economics of Forest and Wildland Resources (2 Credit Hours). Basic principles of forest resource economics. Microeconomic applications in forestry and non-market valuation and analysis. Financial analyses of private and public forest resource management decisions. Prerequisite(s): Economics 201.
• FORS 317 – Honors: Economics of Forest and Wildland Resources (2 Credit Hours). Students will attend Forestry 314 classes with supplementary assignments. Prerequisite(s): Economics 201.
• FORS 321 – Wildland Recreation (3 Credit Hours). The philosophical foundation of recreation. Planning, development, and management of forest recreation resources. Interpretation of forest resources. Overnight weekend field trips may be required. Satisfies general education requirement: (WC).
• FORS 322 – Silvicultural Practices (3 Credit Hours). Application of silvicultural techniques and tree improvement. Use of herbicides and fire management. Prerequisite(s): Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries 312. Corequisite(s): 305 and 323.
• FORS 323 – People and Forest Practices (1 Credit Hour). Examination of how people, institutions, and society at large effect and are affected by forest management practices. Case studies and field applications will concentrate on the wide variety of linkages that exist in society among people and forests. The application of basic skills of collaborative problem solving will be emphasized. Overnight field trips are required. Grading restriction: letter grade only. Corequisite(s): FORS 305 and FORS 322.
• FORS 327 – Honors: Wildland Recreation (3 Credit Hours). Students will attend Forestry 321 classes with supplementary assignments. Satisfies general education requirement: (WC).
• FORS 329 – Forest Resource Inventory (3 Credit Hours). Form class, site index, volume, and growth estimation. Fixed-radius, variable-radius, and 3P cruising. Prerequisite(s): FWF 313. Corequisite(s): FORS 305 and FORS 323.
• FORS 331 – Wood Science for Forestry Majors (2 Credit Hours). A survey of the anatomy, properties, applications, and impacts of wood materials. Includes training in wood identification. Similar to FORS 333 but the schedule and expectations accommodate attendance in the Fall block. Corequisite(s): 332.
• FORS 332 – Forest Products Industry (1 Credit Hour). An overview of the many steps in wood products manufacturing, from forest harvest to finished products. Includes visits to industrial facilities. Corequisite(s): 331.
• FORS 333 – Wood Science for Non-Majors (2 Credit Hours). A survey of the anatomy, properties, applications, and impacts of wood materials. Includes training in wood identification. No prerequisite. Recommended for engineers, architects, materials scientists, and anyone with an interest in this important natural resource.
• FORS 335 – Principles of Urban Forestry (3 Credit Hours). The introductory course covers the history of the urban forest, benefits, and costs of urban forests, tree biology, urban soil, urban forestry planning and management, urban forestry and public policy, and public works.
• FORS 337 – Honors: Wood Properties and Uses (2 Credit Hours). Students will attend Forestry 331 classes with supplementary assignments. Prerequisite(s): Biology 112. Corequisite(s): FORS 332
• FORS 345 – Practical Arboriculture (2 Credit Hours). Students will be exposed to modern hands-on techniques in arboriculture that will demonstrate real-world situations and teach students to respond appropriately. Techniques covered will include climbing, cabling, bracing, and pruning.
• FORS 411 – Principles of Wood Procurement and Sustainable Forestry (2 Credit Hours). An introduction to wood procurement for forest products companies including different procurement methods, financial and resource assessment negotiation skills, and legal requirements.
• FORS 414 – Tree Physiology (3 Credit Hours). Tree structure, growth, development, function, and how these are related to the environment and to cultural practices. Influence of environmental variables on plant growth and distribution. Effects of forest management practices on growth and function. Credit Restriction: Students cannot receive credit for both FORS 414 and FORS 514. Prerequisite(s): Biology 112 or Biology 102.
• FORS 415 – Forest Conservation Workshop (1-3 Credit Hours). How forest biology, ecology, and management related to conservation issues. How current conservation issues can be integrated into classroom work and student projects. Environmental education strategies. Repeatability: May be repeated. Maximum 3 hours. Credit restriction: May not be taken by forestry or wildlife and fisheries majors. Registration permission: consent of instructor.
• FORS 420 – Forest Resource Management (3 Credit Hours). Introduction to forest-level management concepts from an economic perspective. Harvest determination; goal-setting under multiple-use concepts; taxes; classical approaches to regulation, linear programming, and harvest scheduling; and goal programming.
• FORS 422 – Forest and Wildland Resource Policy (3 Credit Hours). Policy formulation and criteria for policy determination. Forest and wildland law and regulation. Theory of conflict resolution. Formal and informal resolution. Registration restriction(s): Minimum student level; senior
• FORS 423 – Wildland Recreation Planning and Management (3 Credit Hours). Planning processes, master and site planning, and site design projects. Management strategies and methods of visitor and recreation site management. Case studies. Weekend field trips may be required. Contact hour distribution: 2 hours and 1 lab.
• FORS 427 – Honors: Forest Resource Management (3 Credit Hours). Students will attend Forestry 420 classes with supplementary assignments.
• FORS 430 – Inventory and Assessment of Urban Land (2 Credit Hours). Students will actively participate in tree inventory techniques used in three major metropolitan cities in Tennessee. Different tree inventory techniques (i.e. fGIS, i-Tree, modification of FIA) are used throughout the state of Tennessee. Students will be exposed to the latest technology used both by Regional and City Urban Foresters.
• FORS 433 – Urbanization and Urban Soils (2 Credit Hours). The course will cover the below-ground factors that affect tree establishment and survival in urban areas, specifically addressing the importance of soil structure, density, pH, water availability, and chemical properties (i.e. minerals, CEC).
• FORS 435 – Trees and the Law (1 Credit Hours). The course will evaluate tree law cases in the United States, focusing primarily on tree problems between private neighbors, government, and public utilities.
• FORS 492 – Practicum in Forestry (1-6 Credit Hours). Supervised experience at departmental-approved employment locations. Grading Restriction: Satisfactory/No Credit grading only. Repeatability: May be repeated. Maximum 6 hours. Registration restriction(s): Minimum student level; junior.
• FORS 493 – Independent Study in Forestry (1-15 Credit Hours). Special research or individual problems in forestry. Repeatability: May be repeated; maximum 15 hours. Registration permission: consent of instructor.
• FORS 495 – Internship in Wildland Recreation (1-6 Credit Hours). A highly structured field experience guided by specific learning objectives. Students earn one credit per two weeks of full-time field experience. The student is responsible for field placement. Must be pre-approved by the instructor and the field supervisor. Repeatability: May be repeated. Maximum 6 hours. Registration restriction(s): Minimum student level; junior.
• FORS 496 – Internship in Forestry (1-6 Credit Hours). Supervised experience at departmental-approved employment location arranged by the student. Students earn one credit per two weeks of full-time field experience. Internship learning objectives must be pre-approved by the advisor/instructor and the field supervisor. Daily log, supervisor evaluations, and final report required. Repeatability: May be repeated. Maximum 6 hours. Registration restriction(s): Minimum student level; junior.
• FORS 514 – Tree Physiology (3 Credit Hours). A study of a tree structure, growth and development, and function, and how these are related to the environment and to cultural practices. Students may not receive credit for both 414 and 514.
• FORS 520 – Advanced Forest Ecology. Delve into current, important forest ecology topics of interest to course participants through surveys of the literature, critical reading and review of recent and relevant publications on a given topic, and vigorous in-class discussion. Provide an opportunity to expand into new areas of forest ecology. Enhance skills in surveying the literature, formulating unique research questions and hypotheses, and writing in an organized, persuasive fashion. Enhance skills in critically reviewing papers and proposals, and in developing constructive reviews.
• FORS 580 – Advanced Silviculture (3 Credit Hours). Forest stand dynamics, analysis of changes in species composition, and forest stand structure (physical and temporal) during forest succession, the response of stands to disturbances (anthropogenic and natural), techniques to make predictions of future stand development.
• FORS 630 – Forest Growth and Development (3 Credit Hours). Forest stand dynamics, analysis of changes in species composition, and forest stand structure (physical and temporal) during forest succession, the response of stands to disturbances (anthropogenic and natural), techniques to make predictions of future stand development.

• Forest biology
• Forest business management
• Forest economics
• Forest inventory