Forest and Soil Ecosystem Services: International Distance Education and Student Exchange.

Comprehensive courses on ecosystem services are not part of undergraduate or graduate curricula at most universities. To address this shortage, a consortium of three U.S. and three Brazilian universities developed an, international, distance-delivered course on Forest and Soil Ecosystem Services. The course features: (i) co-developed, web-available PowerPoint lectures; (ii) supporting literature representing a range of ecosystems in both countries, and (iii) a discussion board with mandatory participation that brings U.S. and Brazilian students together to share experiences and ideas. The course covers the important role that forests and soils play in production, regulation and cultural services; while the content exposes students to biological, physical and chemical mechanisms as well as social science perspectives. While the lectures, reading materials and student interactions are in common among universities, each university approves and offers the course as its own. This provides flexibility to add to the course through recitation sessions and within university discussions.  The course is required of all students participating in an associated exchange program among our universities. The impact of the course and exchange has been considerable.  Students completing the program have gone on to graduate school and/or begun internationally-based careers in this area.