School of Natural Resource Sciences
Range Science is the study and management of landscape ecosystems dominated by natural vegetation of grasses, forbs, and shrubs. These often vast and wild landscapes are rangelands and cover 40% of planet Earth’s land mass. While rangelands are usually characterized as arid and semi-arid regions, range landscapes also include grasslands, prairies, savannas, shrublands, tundra, alpine meadows, wetlands, and deserts. The defining characteristic for rangelands is that they are landscapes managed as natural ecosystems. Management of these ecosystems is done by people like you!
The Range Science program offers graduate study leading to M.S. and Ph.D. degrees. Advanced work may involve specialized training in the following areas: range land ecology, ecosystem science, vascular plant systematics, and natural resources management.
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Study ecosystem management online at Penn State. Gain in-demand skills in quantitative and spatial data analysis, project management, and leadership. Apply now for 2025!
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