BIOL/ENEC461Tues-Thurs 12:30-1:45

Fundamentals of Ecology128 Wilson Hall

Fall 2015P.S. White & R.K. Peet

Syllabus

INTRODUCTION

Biology 461 is a survey of the field of ecology intended for upper-level undergraduates and beginning graduate students. The course aims to give students a comprehensive understanding of the field of ecology including major concepts, broad empirical patterns and important contemporary directions. The course has a required lab in which students will be exposed to a broad range of experimental, observational and quantitative methodology. Students are expected to have taken Biology 201 (Introduction to Evolution and Ecology) or its equivalent.

STAFF

Instructors

  • Peter S. White – Professor of Biology
    Office = 406 Coker Hall; Phone = 919-962-6939; Email =
  • Robert K. Peet – Professor of Biology
    Office = 413 Coker Hall; Phone = 919-962-6942; Email =

We will almost always be available immediately after class in case you have questions or wish to discuss something. This is also a good time to set up appointments for longer conversations.We are interested in helping you in any way we can. Feel free to send us email messages at any time.

Teaching assistant

  • ???? –Graduate Student
    Office =; Phone =; Email =

Office hours Thursdays 12:30-1:30, or by appointment.

EXPECTATIONS AND GRADING

In addition to the prerequisite course in Ecology and Evolution (Bio 201), we expect that you have a solid background in high school algebra. Ideally, you will have taken an undergraduate level course in calculus, statistics and chemistry, but these are not necessary. We will take extra time in lecture and laboratory to review/introduce key methods and concepts from these fields.

Attendance at lectures and laboratories will be key to your performance in this class. The text is mainly for you to review concepts from BIOL 201 as needed, whereas the assigned readings will come from a selection of more advanced sources such as other texts, reviews and the primary literature. The lecture will bridge the gap between these two sources and you will miss vital context if you do not attend.

We like to combine a variety of types of questions on our exams. Typically, these include identification, short answer (a few sentences), graph or figure interpretations, problem solving, and short essays. We will post examples of previous exams on the Sakai site. You might note that it is common for our questions to require you to use in new ways facts, principles, or approaches we have presented in class. To do well on our tests, you should not just "memorize" the material; you should take time to think about what the material means, why it is significant, and how it might be applied and generalized!

Grading will be as follows:

  • Mid-term exam, each - 30%
  • Final exam – 35%
  • Lab assignments - 15%
  • Paper - 10%
  • Lab project - 10%

Late assignments will be marked down daily, unless previous permission is granted. Finally, if a serious situation arises that makes it difficult for you to satisfactorily complete the requirements of the course in a timely manner, please contact one of us as soon as possible. We will do our best, within reason, to try to make accommodations for you.

READING ASSIGNMENTS

We have chosen Ecology 3rd Edition by Cain, Bowman and Hacker as the recommendedbackground text for this course. It should serve as a source for you to review material from Biology 201. If you used a different text for Biology 201, feel free to use it instead of Cain et al. Throughout the course we will assign required reading from other sources and place them on the Sakai site.

COURSE OVERVIEW

The class follows a largely “constructive” approach. This means that through the semester we will traverse a rough hierarchy from individual-scale to the scale of the entire globe. This approach mimics one methodology of general research in ecology, which tries to apply understanding of simple systems to supersets of these systems. A contrasting approach is to examine properties of these larger systems as “emergent properties” that are difficult to understand as mere compilations of simpler systems. Both approaches have merits and as we get towards the end of the semester we will be examining some of these emergent properties of complicated systems.

  • The course will start by examining how the behavior and physiology of individual organisms change with environment. We will seek to understand how evolution adapts organisms to environments and what the chemical and physical constraints are to this adaptation.
  • The second section will examine populations of individuals – how they interact and what determines patterns of abundance in time and space.
  • The third section will focus on major interaction types between two species. We will examine how these interactions alter population dynamics and abundance, and also how species adapt to these interactions.
  • In the fourth and fifth sections we will examine the forces that create assemblages of species that are encountered in nature at scales ranging from local to global
  • In the sixth section we will examine the functional basis of all ecosystems -- the flows of energy and elements as mediated by organisms.
  • We will conclude the course by examining a few topics pertaining to the application of ecological principles in the context of a human-dominated world.

There is far too much subject material to provide a comprehensive treatment of ecology in a single course. One thing we attempt to do is convey an overview of the major organizing concepts and the major areas of current research to provide you with a context for interpreting new material. Perhaps even more importantly, we want you to learn to think like an ecologist so that you will be in a position to evaluate new findings and research. Throughout the class we will take occasional breaks from lectures to discuss an article from the primary literature. These discussions are an important part of the class, as they expose you to the real communication medium of science. Science is very hard and in reading these articles critically, you will see just how difficult the actual discoveries of science are.

CLASS SCHEDULE

Below is an outline of the class schedule for semester, including dates for the examinations. We indicate the relevant recommended chapters in Moles. We will post specific required readings at least two days prior to the class on Sakai.

Date / Instructor / Topic
Ecology of Individuals
Aug 18 / 1 / Physical environment / 1,2
Aug 20 / 1 / Biosphere / 3
Aug 25 / 1 / Resource capture and use / 4, 5
Aug 27 / 1 / Genetic variation and evolution / 6
Sep 1 / 1 / Life history theory / 7
Sep 3 / 1 / Behavioral ecology / 8
Ecology of Populations
Sep 8 / 1 / Population distribution and abundance / 9
Sep 10 / 1 / Population growth and regulation / 10
Sep 15 / 1 / Populations dynamics in space andtime; metapopulations / 11
Species Interactions
Sep 17 / 1 / Competition / 12
Sep 22 / 1 / Predation and herbivory / 13
Sep 24 / 1 / Disease and parasitism / 14
Sep 29 / 1 / Mutualisms and commensalism / 15
Oct 1 / 1 / Exam 1
Community Ecology
Oct 6 / 2 / Community concepts and structure / 16
Oct 8 / 2 / Community analysis and description
Oct 13 / 2 / Succession / 17
Oct 20 / 2 / Disturbance ecology
Oct 22 / 2 / Community diversity / 19
Oct 27 / 2 / Community assembly, food webs and trophic interactions
Macroecology
Oct29 / 2 / Landscape ecology / 24
Nov 3 / 2 / Biogeography and global patterns of diversity / 18
Nov 5 / 2 / Ecoinformatics and unifying theories
Ecosystem Ecology
Nov 10 / 2 / Production / 20
Nov 12 / 2 / Energy Flow and Food Webs / 21
Nov 17 / 2 / Nutrient Supply and Cycling / 22
Ecology & Society
Nov 19 / 2 / Conservation Biology / 23
Nov 24 / 2 / Global Biogeochemistry / 25
Dec 1 / 2 / Applied ecology and the Anthropocene
TBA / Final Exam

LABORATORY SECTIONS

1. Sections

  • 401: 2:00 – 5:00 Tuesdays, 202 Wilson Hall
  • 402: 12:30 – 3:30 Wednesdays, 202 Wilson Hall

2. Objectives

  • Provide a forum for discussing material presented in lecture.
  • Learn how to formulate questions, quantify observations, and test hypotheses.
  • Provide field experience in natural ecosystems.
  • Provide experience collecting data and analyzing them
  • Teach how results of scientific studies are published and how to gain access to and evaluate the validity of ecological studies.

3. Attendance

  • Students are required to attend all laboratory sessions
  • If you are unable to attend your section during a particular week, be sure to contact Miranda as soon as possible, and try to attend the other lab section that week.
  • Labs begin the week of August 25.

4. Grades and assignments

  • Lab assignments will include three lab reports, a presentation of the group project, and worksheets for certain lab topics.
  • Each lab report will be worth 5% of the final grade; the final presentation (along with the written assignment associated with this presentation) will be worth 10% of the course grade. Lack of attendance may result in negative points.
  • A semester paper assignment will also be introduced and discussed during the lab. This paper assignment will be worth 10% of your course grade.

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