Biol 363 3 Dr. Schnurr

Forest Ecology Spring 2014

ADVANCED ECOLOGY: FOREST ECOLOGY

BIOL 363

Spring 2014

Dr. Jackie Schnurr

Office: 315 Stratton Phone: 364-3274 e-mail:

Office Hours: MWF 10:30 – 11:30; T 12:30-2; or when I’m in my office!

Lectures: MWF 11:30

Textbook: None, but use Molles, Ecology: concepts and applications, and Campbell, Biology as references.

Grade Weighting

Take Home Exams 30%

Final Examination (Due 5/8 at noon) 15%

Weekly assignments 35%

Term paper 20%

Class description

This is an advanced ecology class – as such, I assume that you already understand the basics of ecology. If you have forgotten anything we might touch on in class, you are responsible for reviewing the concept in your texts.

I am structuring this course much like a graduate level course. I expect that you will come to class having done the reading and ready to participate in discussion. You are expected to formulate your own opinions, and to be understanding of the opinions expressed by others. I’m looking for your ability to think in this course!

A short, typed (1 page or less) summary of the weekly reading is due at the end of each paper discussion. You can use the summary to aid in your discussion, but you must give it to me before you leave the class each week. LATE ASSIGNMENTS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED!

As always, the Wells Honor Code is expected to be upheld in everything you do…

Class objectives:

·  Describe biotic and abiotic factors that influence the distribution and abundance of the species, populations and communities found in forests.

·  Read, summarize and critically discuss contemporary ecological literature.

·  Demonstrate proficiency with field sampling techniques.

·  Write a term paper using the primary ecological literature on a forest ecology topic of your choice.

Lecture Schedule and Associated Readings

Some topics may take more or less time than indicated

Date

/

Topic

/

Chapter

20 Jan / Course Intro and Climate and Physiognomy / Molles 2
22 Jan / Climate and Physiognomy
24 Jan / Discussion about term paper topics
27 Jan / Biomes / Molles 2
29 Jan / Biomes
31 Jan / Braun, E.L. 1970. Ch.1, 2&3 in Deciduous Forests of Eastern North America. The Blackburn Press.
3 Feb / Regional and Global Diversity
TERM PAPER TOPIC DUE / Molles 16
5 Feb / Regional and Global Diversity
7 Feb / Rosenzweig, M.L. 1995. Ch. 2 in Species Diversity in space and time. Cambridge University Press.
10 Feb / Paleoecology
12 Feb / Paleoecology
14 Feb /

Davis, M.B. 1969. Climatic changes in southern Connecticut recorded by pollen deposition at Rogers Lake. Ecology 50: 409-422.

17 Feb / Photosynthesis / Molles 6
19 Feb / Photosynthesis
LIST OF 5 POTENTIAL TERM PAPER SOURCES
21 Feb / Chazdon, R.L. and R.W. Pearcy. 1991. The importance of sunflecks for forest understory plants. BioScience 41: 760-766. / TAKE HOME EXAM 1
24 Feb / Global change / Molles 23
26 Feb / Global change
28 Feb / Hansen et al., 2001. Global change in forests: responses of species, communities, and biomes. BioScience 51:765-779. / TAKE HOME DUE
3 March / Competition / Molles 13
5 March / Competition
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY DUE
7 March / Callaway, R.M. and L.R. Walker. 1997. Competition and facilitation: a synthetic approach to interactions in plant communities. Ecology 78: 1958-1965.
17 March / Herbivory / Molles 6
19 March / Herbivory
21 March / Coley, P.D. and J.A. Barone. 1996. Herbivory and plant defenses in tropical forests. Ann. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 27: 305-335.Community Properties
24 March / Community Properties
26 March / Community Properties
28 March / Ostfeld, R.S., C.G. Jones, and J.O. Wolff. 1996. Of mice and mast: ecological connections in eastern deciduous forests. BioScience 46: 323-330. / TAKE HOME EXAM 2
31 March / Disturbance and succession / Molles 20
2 April / Disturbance and succession
4 April / Canham, C.D. and O.L. Loucks. 1984. Catastrophic windthrow in the presettlement of forests of Wisconsin. Ecology 65: 803-809. / TAKE HOME EXAM 2 DUE
7 April / Local abundance, diversity and rarity / Molles 9
9 April / Local abundance, diversity and rarity
11 April / Pitman, N.C.A., J. Terbough, M.R. Silman, and P.Nunez V. 1999. Tree species distributions in an upper Amazonian forest. Ecology 80: 2651-2661.
14 April / Ecosystem Processes
ROUGH DRAFT OF TERM PAPER DUE / Molles 20
16 April / Ecosystem Processes
18 April / Vogt, K.A., C.C. Grier, C.E. Meier, and R.L. Edmonds. 1982. Mycorrhizal role in net primary production and nutrient cycling in Abies amabilis ecosystems in western Washington. Ecology 63: 370-380.
21 April / Communities in Landscapes / Molles 21
23 April / Communities in Landscapes
25 April / Schnurr, J.L., C.D. Canham, R.S. Ostfeld, and R.S. Inouye. 2004. Neighborhood analyses of small mammal abundance and activity: Impacts on tree seed predation and seedling establishment. Ecology 83: 741-755.
28 April / Field techniques
TERM PAPER DUE / TAKE HOME FINAL
30 April / Field techniques
2 May / Field techniques