For students in Rice University’s Introductory Lab in Ecology and Evolution, the classroom stretches far beyond campus walls into the heart of one of Texas’ most ecologically rich landscapes: Brazos Bend State Park.
As part of the course led by biosciences teaching professor Scott Solomon, students recently spent the day at the 5,000-acre park in Fort Bend County, where they explored diverse ecosystems from endangered coastal prairie to hardwood forests and freshwater wetlands. The hands-on fieldwork offered students the opportunity to apply what they have learned in lectures, collecting environmental data like soil temperature and pH levels, identifying microhabitats and gathering leaf litter samples to study invertebrate diversity.
“Ecology is a science best learned by getting your hands dirty,” Solomon said. “Brazos Bend is an ideal living laboratory, where students can experience firsthand the complexity and beauty of natural systems and understand how different factors shape biodiversity.”
During the field trip, students worked in small groups to analyze three microhabitats within each ecosystem, documenting conditions like soil moisture, sunlight exposure and vegetation types. A key goal was to compare how physical environments influence the species that live there — a core principle in ecological science. Along the way they encountered wildlife, including deer, alligators, a variety of different birds and a baby turtle.
They also had the opportunity to meet with park superintendent Jason Castle, who discussed land management practices and conservation challenges, giving students insight into how human decisions affect local ecosystems. Castle explained how a prescribed burn, which helps to preserve the prairie by eliminating woody plants that would grow into trees and cast shade on the native grasses, had recently been performed.
“The coastal prairie is the most endangered habitat in North America,” Solomon said. “Bringing students here shows them what’s at stake — and what science can do to help.”