The Restoration Ecology and Environmental Horticulture (REEH) interest group investigates plants, soils, and their importance in the restoration and sustainable management of ecosystems.
Two learned degrees, Master of Science (MS) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), and a professional degree, Master of Environmental Horticulture (MEH), are tailored to the interests and needs of individual students. These degrees are described in more detail below.
Restoration Ecology and ecological restoration refer to intentional activities that initiate or accelerate the recovery of ecosystems with respect to their health, integrity, and sustainability. Frequently, the ecosystem that requires restoration has been degraded, damaged, transformed or entirely destroyed as the direct or indirect result of human activities. In some cases, these impacts have been caused or aggravated by natural agencies such as wildfire, floods, storms, or volcanic eruption.
Environmental Horticulture is concerned with the function, management, and uses of plants in human-altered environments. Emphases of the REEH interest group include study and research on the following topics:
• Restoration of terrestrial and marine ecosystems
• Community ecology
• Physiological ecology
• Invasive species
• Soils
• Use of soil amendments in restoration
• Phytoremediation
• Arboretum and botanic garden management
• Urban forest management
• Conservation biology (see also, Forest Ecology interest group)
• Horticultural education and interpretation
• Landscape plant selection and management
Master of Science (MS) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Degrees
Students in these degree programs are involved in research, teaching, and public outreach. Cross-disciplinary interactions in the physical, biological and social sciences are encouraged. REEH MS and PhD degrees prepare students for careers in university research and teaching, restoration, management of parks, gardens and arboreta, urban forestry, horticultural education, and supporting service professions and management agencies and organizations.
Course selection is flexible to cover the range of disciplinary interests within the interest group.
Master of Environmental Horticulture (MEH) Degree
The Master of Environmental Horticulture (MEH) degree is a coursework and internship/project based master’s degree. The program is designed for developing and mid-career professionals in the fields of arboretum/botanic garden management, landscape management, plant conservation, public and institutional horticulture, teaching (at vocational and community college levels), and urban forest management.
The MEH degree provides a wide array of tools for improving the management of plants in human-altered environments and advancing professional careers in this new field. The program does not emphasize research, but students graduate with the ability to understand and apply current research in their practice. This degree is not recommended for students who plan to continue in academia. Coursework and degree requirements can be found here.