Conservation Biology (BISC 352L) Syllabus
Syllabus - Conservation Biology (BISC 352L)
Summer 2017, USC, Natural History Museum, Santa Monica Mountains, and Catalina Island
Instructors
Dr. Sergey Nuzhdin, RRI 304C, 213 740-5773 (USC campus)
Email:
Dr. Regina Wetzer, Marine Biodiversity Center, NHM, 213 763-3386
Email:
TA: Levi Simons, RRI 316
Email:
Course description
This course was developed for the Environmental Studies Catalina Sustainability Block Semester, and is also offered for Biology Majors and students concerned with environment at large. The course will cover the principles of conservation science, analyze ways of conserving nature, while serving people. Conservation of terrestrial ecosystems will be a topic of instructions on the USC Campus and at the La Kretz Center, while the health of ocean ecosystems will be the main subject of instruction at the Natural History Museum and on Catalina Island. The basic science disciplines of conservation biology, quantitative and population ecology, and genetics will be introduced as foundations for decision making involving social and economic issues.
Recommended preparation
This course has no formal prerequisites, but students should have had an introductory course in biology.
Course overview
We have now entered the Anthropocene era, where human decisions and practices influence every living organism on Earth. This clearly calls on us to set the environmental rules for business, recreation and other human activities in order to minimize our impact on the planet and its inhabitants. Currently a switch is taking place in a number of countries, from the earlier paradigm of profit maximization independent of environmental costs to the rise an environmentally sustainable economic system. Some countries, notably in Europe and North America are ahead on the curve of transition, while others, like China, might be quickly catching up. In coming years knowledge of sustainable and environmentally friendly business practices will be increasing in demand, along with employment growth in what has been recently labeled as ‘green’ and ‘blue’ jobs; jobs relevant to sustaining terrestrial and oceanic ecosystems, respectively. This class will explore the scientific foundations needed for running sustainable societies and maintaining global biodiversity and health. The course material will focus on applying the tools of the scientific method, such as hypothesis generation and experimental design in conversation biology. Students will engage in both fieldwork and laboratory experiments centered on key questions pertaining to the current state of biodiversity, as well as, methods for mitigating industrial society’s impact upon them. This course will then, starting from fundamental scientific principles, help students build both the quantitative and interdisciplinary skills necessary for participating in the growing green economy.
General goals of the course
Through lectures, laboratories, and projects you will gain experience toward some of the generalcurricular goals of the university as related to marine biology:
1) The ability to think logically, analytically, and independently;
2) The ability to communicate clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing;
3) The ability to learn on one's own and as part of a group; and
4) In-depth knowledge of a specific sub-discipline of marine biology.
Specific learning objectives of the course. Students will:
1)Explain the importance of biodiversity in conservation and describe how to assess the need to preserve biodiversity while attaining practical goals.
2)Articulate the causes and consequences of anthropogenic disturbances on biodiversity and the ways of mitigating them.
3)Learning the role of biodiversity advocates, trying to offer practical solutions to biodiversity-related problems.
4)Research and critically interpret scientific literature to formulate hypotheses and develop strong foundational knowledge of current issues and problems.
5)Learn and apply basic analytical and experimental design techniques.
6)Learn about responses of biological communities to past disturbances.
7)Predict responses of biological communities to future disturbances and envision strategies for preventing undesirable outcomes.
8)Work as part of a team to design a research project, undertake sampling, and then present the results in oral and/or written formats.
Required textbook and additional books
Kareiva, P, and M. Marvier. 2011. Conservation Science. Roberts and Company Publishers, Greenwood Village, CO. ISBN: 978-1-936221-06-6
Laboratory & field exercises
The two experimental exercises, one focusing on a laboratory study and the second focused on field observations, will be written up in standard scientific format (Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Discussion, Literature Cited, Table and Figures). Reports must be typed and should be approximately 3-5 pages in length (excluding tables and figures).
Group projects
Students will be presented with the option of choosing one of the instructor-formulated problems, or envision a research topic of their own as arises from personal observations in the field and/or based on reading peer-reviewed research. Students will self-combine into research teams to formulate the goals, methodology, and execution (or at a minimum propose strategies of executing more substantial ones) of their choosen project. A single collective report will be presented by each group.
Discussion sessions
We will have reading and discussinon sections of classical books (Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring), as well as topical papers from the primary literature. Students are expected to have read the assignments and actively participate in the discussion.
Grading
Exams: PointsPercent
Exam I 10025.0%
Exam II10025.0%
Labs:
DNA Barcoding lab (Full lab report)307.5%
Insect Diversity Lab (Full lab report)307.5%
Pollution Lab (Full lab report)307.5%
Group Projects:
Group Project 1: TBD307.5%
Group Project 2: TBD307.5%
Group Science Presentation: TBD307.5%
Discussions:
Paper 1 5 1.25%
Paper 2 5 1.25%
Paper 3 5 1.25%
Paper 4 5 1.25%
TOTALS 400 100.0%
Policies
Missed exams: Missed exams will receive a grade of zero unless the student has an excused absence due to a documented medical or family emergency. At the discretion of the instructor, a missed exam a) may be retaken as a written exam, b) may be retaken as an oral exam or c) may be given a prorated score based on performance in the rest of the course.
Regrades: If you would like to contest a grade on an exam or assignment, you must submit a written explanation of why you think the grade was incorrect. Please note that the ENTIRE exam or assignment will be subject to reevaluation and your score may therefore go up, go down or remain the same. Regrade requests must be submitted to the instructor within two days of when the exam/assignment is returned.
Late assignments: Due dates are provided in thissyllabus. Late assignments will be downgraded by 10% per day.
Schedule: Due to the vagaries of weather, boat schedules and island life, it may be necessary to make some adjustments in the course schedule.
Statement for students with disabilities: Any student requesting academic accommodations based on a disability is required to register with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each semester. A letter of verification for approved accommodations can be obtained from DSP. Please be sure the letter is delivered to the professors(or TA) as early in the semester as possible. DSP is located in STU 301 and is open 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The phone number for DSP is (213) 740-0776.
Academic honesty: Academic integrity policies of the university will be strictly followed. Infractions can result in severe penalties. See SCampus for these policies (
Statement on academic integrity: USC seeks to maintain an optimal learning environment. General principles of academic honesty include the concept of respect for the intellectual property of others, the expectation that individual work will be submitted unless otherwise allowed by an instructor, and the obligations both to protect one’s own academic work from misuse by others as well as to avoid using another’s work as one’s own. All students are expected to understand and abide by these principles. Scampus, the Student Guidebook, contains the Student Conduct Code in Section 11.00, while the recommended sanctions are located in Appendix A: Students will be referred to the Office of Student Judicial Affairs and Community Standards for further review should there be any suspicion of academic dishonesty. The Review Process can be found at:
Tentative Schedule (color codes: lectures; discussions; labs;group projects; field trips)
July 10–21 takes place onthe USC campus and at the Natural History Museum; July 14–28 at La Kretz, Santa Monica Mountains; and July 31–August 8 at Wrigley Lab, Catalina Island. Syllabus blocks are color-coded.
Day, Date / Morning / Afternoon / ReadingsM
7/10 / Lecture: Introduction to conservation science
Lecture: Seafood labeling: Introduction to DNA barcoding lab
Lab: Intro to molecular methods / Ch.1, K&M
T
7/11 / Lecture: Biodiversity and extinction
Lab: DNA barcoding I, PCR / Group project: Conflicts in species conservation or TBD
Discussion: Paper 1 / Ch. 2, K&M
Paper 1
W
7/12 / Lecture: Ecosystem services
Lecture: Policies to protect biodiversity / Lab: DNA barcoding II, load, run, stain and score gels
Work on Group Projects / Ch. 3-4, K&M
Th
7/13 / Field Trip: Los Angeles Natural History Museum / Group Project Symposium: Conflicts in species conservation or TBD
F
7/14 / Lecture: Protected Areas / Lab: DNA barcoding III, analysis / Ch. 5, K&M
M
7/17 / Lecture: Small Populations
Lecture: Population viability analysis (PVA) / Discussion: Paper 2
Group project: Diversity of Marine Organisms or TBD / Ch 7-8, K&M
Paper 2
T
7/18 / Lecture: Setting Priorities
Work on Group Projects / DNA barcoding report due
Work on Group Projects / Ch. 6, K&M
W
7/19 / Lecture: Assessing threats / Group Project Symposium: Diversity of Marine Organisms or TBD
Review for Midterm I / Ch. 9, K&M
T
7/20 / Lecture: Islands, theory & practice / Lecture: Habitat fragmentation / Ch. 10, K&M
F
7/21 / 9:30am: Midterm Examination I
M
7/24 / Lecture: Restoration, reintroduction and translocation / Ch. 11, K&M
T
7/25 / Lecture: Adaptive management / Discussion: Paper 3
Lecture: Natural lands conservation / Ch. 12, K&M
Paper 3
W
7/26 / Lecture: Balancing agriculture & conservation / Lab: Insect biodiversity I, field collections / Ch. 13, K&M
Th
7/27 / Field trip, Santa Monica Mountains / Lab: Insect biodiversity II, data analysis
F
7/28 / Lecture: Conservation agriculture / Insect biodiversity data group presentation / Ch. 14, K&M
M
7/31 / MPAs
Lab: how pollution affects activity, set up. / Activity: Shellfish intro, and long lines group trip. / Ch. 15, K&M
T
8/1 / Lecture: Introduced & invasive species, 1 / Discussion: Paper 4 / Ch. 16, K&M
Paper 4
W
8/2 / Lecture: Introduced & invasive species, 2 / Lab: How pollution affects activity, data gathering. / Ch. 17, K&M;
Th
8/3 / Lecture: How to succeed at conservation / Lab: How pollution affects activity, data analysis. / Ch. 18, K&M
Fr
8/4 / Lecture: Climate and ocean change / Ch. 19, K&M
M
8/7 / Insect Biodiversity report due
Pollution analysis report due / Review for Midterm II
T
8/8 / 9:30 Midterm Examination II
1