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Climate and ecosystem dynamics vary across timescales, but research into climate-driven vegetation dynamics usually focuses on singular timescales. We developed a spectral analysis–based approach that provides detailed estimates of the timescales at which vegetation tracks climate change, from 10¹to 10⁵years. We report dynamic similarity of vegetation and climate even at centennial frequencies (149⁻¹to 18,012⁻¹year⁻¹, that is, one cycle per 149 to 18,012 years). A breakpoint in vegetation turnover (797⁻¹year⁻¹) matches a breakpoint between stochastic and autocorrelated climate processes, suggesting that ecological dynamics are governed by climate across these frequencies. Heightened vegetation turnover at millennial frequencies (4650⁻¹year⁻¹) highlights the risk of abrupt responses to climate change, whereas vegetation-climate decoupling at frequencies >149⁻¹year⁻¹may indicate long-lasting consequences of anthropogenic climate change for ecosystem function and biodiversity. 

Abstract Field courses provide transformative learning experiences that support success and improve persistence for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics majors. But field courses have not increased proportionally with the number of students in the natural sciences. We conducted a scoping review to investigate the factors influencing undergraduate participation in and the outcomes from field courses in the United States. Our search yielded 61 articles, from which we classified the knowledge, affect, behavior, and skill-based outcomes resulting from field course participation. We found consistent reporting on course design but little reporting on demographics, which limits our understanding of who takes field courses. Cost was the most commonly reported barrier to student participation, and knowledge gains were the most commonly reported outcome. This scoping review underscores the need for more rigorous and evidence-based investigations of student outcomes in field courses. Understanding how field courses support or hinder student engagement is necessary to make them more accessible to all students.