PCB-3043 Ecology Home

PCB-3043:  Ecology

Syllabus – Fall 2008

 

 

Time:  T, TH 11:00-12:15

Location:  ECS 135

 

Instructor:  Dr. Evelyn Gaiser                                      Phone:  348-6145

Office:  OE 211                                                           Email:  gaisere@fiu.edu

Office Hrs:  After class or by appointment.

 

Prerequisites:                         General Biology I, II (BSC 1010, 1011)

 

HOMEPAGE: 

http://www.fiu.edu/~gaisere/PCB3043

 

All links to readings, assignments and grades will be provided via the course website.  Due to photocopying restrictions you should not expect to be provided with hardcopies of this information.  If for unexpected reasons the webpage is unavailable, send me an e-mail I can provide you with the files via e-mail.  However, I will only provide files via e-mail in the unexpected event of the server being down.  Computers are available at multiple locations throughout the university for convenient viewing and downloading from the website, or you may do so remotely from your own computer at your convenience.

 

COURSE STRUCTURE:

 

Goals:

The goal of this course is for you to learn the basics of the science of ecology by studying the fundamentals of how organisms interact with their abiotic and biotic environment. The reading and lecture schedule will lead you through a progressive hierarchy of ecological concepts from the level of the individual organism, to populations, communities and, finally, ecosystems to meet the following objectives:

 

Objectives:

By the end of the course the successful student will:

  1. Be familiar with fundamental ecological theories in order to understand and explain patterns observed in nature
  2. Learn ecological terminology and be able to use it in the proper context in order to communicate intelligently about natural systems
  3. Be aware of important ecologists and the historical development of the discipline in order to understand contemporary ecological issues in a modern context
  4. Be able to critically evaluate primary ecological literature and interpret case studies in the context of ecological theory
  5. Be able to apply ecological theory to formulate solutions to modern ecological problems
  6. Be able to locate, read and summarize primary scientific papers and clearly convey ideas and criticisms in writing

 

READINGS:

 

The reading sequence is provided on the syllabus.  It includes chapters from your text and supplemental readings (case studies).  The text follows a logical progression that introduces you to basic ecological theory and important terminology in a historical context relevant to reaching objectives 1-3 above.  It also provides case-studies that, along with supplemental readings, will help you understand real-world examples in the context of theory (objective 4, above).  Read the assigned reading before class - it will improve your understanding of lectures, give you the background knowledge for in-class exercises, and help you be a more active participant in class discussions.

 

Text: 

Ricklefs, Robert F. 2007.  Economy of Nature.  5th Edition.  W.H. Freeman.  There is a helpful website associated with the textbook:  http://bcs.whfreeman.com/ricklefs5edataanalysis/

 

Supplemental Readings: 

There are four additional readings that you can download to your computer by clicking on the indicated reading in the syllabus.  The supplemental readings are modern case-studies relating to the topic being discussed in class.  These readings provide examples of how particular ecological problems are interpreted in the context of ecological theories covered in preceding chapters and lectures.  Come prepared to discuss the paper in class.

 

ASSESSMENT:

 

The course has 4 forms of assessment that will allow me to evaluate your progress toward the objectives (above).  This includes exams, in-class exercises, problem sets and a writing assignment.  Your grade will be broken down in the following manner:

 

                                    Points (%)

Best 2 of 3 Midterm Exams      200

Final Exam                               100

Exercises/Problem sets             100

Writing Assignment                   100     

Total Possible                           500  

 

The best grades will be achieved by doing the readings, attending lecture and taking good notes, taking all exams, and turning in assignments on time.

 

Exams: 

Exams will have a combination of multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank and short essay questions.   Multiple choice and short answer questions will mainly evaluate your assimilation of factual information (objectives 1-3 above) while the essay questions will evaluate your ability to integrate facts and theory to solve novel problems (objectives 4-5 above).  The best way to prepare for exams is to come to class, study your notes, participate in classroom exercises/activities and keep up with reading assignments. 

 

Exams 1 - 3 will be unit exams while the final exam (exam 4) will be partly comprehensive (70% from unit 4 and 30% comprehensive).  All exams will have 110 possible points but will be graded out of 100.  Therefore, you have 10 free points on each exam.  YOUR LOWEST MIDTERM EXAM SCORE WILL BE DROPPED FROM YOUR FINAL COURSE GRADE.  There will be NO make-up exams – a missed exam will constitute your dropped score.  ALL STUDENTS MUST TAKE THE FINAL EXAM ON THE SCHEDULED DATE AND TIME: 

 

Exercises/Problem sets:

During the semester there will be 4 homework assignments (problem sets) and 8 in-class exercises, each worth 10 points that will help you apply what you’ve learned in lectures and readings to solve problems (objectives 1 and 5 above).  The total of all exercises/problem sets will be graded out of 100 so you may choose to do 2 of the 4 homework assignments or miss 2 class exercises and still be able to earn 100% on this part of the course.  Alternatively, you may use the extra 20 points as extra credit (it WILL be possible to achieve over 100% on this part of the course that will help your final grade).  The in-class exercises will be based on readings and help me assess your progress and also determine how effective I have been at conveying the information I want you to understand.  There will be no opportunities to make-up missed exercises or problem-sets. The problem sets will be due in class on the date indicated in the syllabus.  Late assignments will not be accepted – they must be turned in during the class period on the due date.  Problem sets will be posted on the website and will be graded out of 10 points.

 

Writing Assignment:

The purpose of the writing assignment is for you to become familiar with modern ecological literature and develop the ability to critically evaluate it in writing (objectives 2, 4 and 6 above).  By reading and participating in discussions of assigned case studies (supplemental readings) you will learn how to read scientific papers and think critically about them.  Then you will apply this approach to your writing assignment.  The writing assignment will also help you improve your writing skills (especially in the scientific style) by requiring you to turn in a rough draft for improvement before you craft your final paper.  A detailed description of the writing assignment is provided on the website (click here). 

 

Honor Code: 

FIU students are bound by an academic honor code that includes serious sanctions for academic dishonesty (including but not limited to plagiarism and cheating).  I will follow the university code (www.fiu.edu/~jms, follow link to student code of conduct) when a student is suspected of academic dishonesty.