Ecology for QBIC (PCB 3043)          CE6 link

Spring 2010 - Monday and Wednesday 9 - 10:15 am  in GC 275B

syllabus revised 5 March 2010 due to various events and delays

Course Instructor

PLTL Leader

Lab Instructor

Dr. Suzanne Koptur

Jose Alberte and Alberto Cruz

Bryan Dewsbury
OE 232, ph. 305-348-3103; email: kopturs@fiu.edu
 R 5 - 6:15 pm
 M 1 - 5 pm, HLS 270
office hours Mon and Wed 10:30 am - 12 pm and by appt.
 Link to PLTL
 Link to Lab

 The goal of this course is for you to understand ideas and concepts of ecology, and be able to integrate information to formulate solutions and solve ecological problems in modern life.  We will emphasize connections with mathematical, physical, and chemical processes, as well as biological ones!  Readings should always be done before the lecture for which they are assigned.  Material covered in lecture will supplement what you read in the text, and understanding the lecture will depend on your having read the chapter before class.  The best grades will be achieved by doing the reading, attending lecture, participating in class activities, working the problems, taking all exams, and turning in/presenting assignments on time. 

Classroom activities and your textbook reading will be assisted with a course website in which you can review terminology, read more on subjects that interest you, and take practice quizzes to help you master the material.  You will also explore the quantitative aspects of ecology using exercises and models.  The PLTL session each week will focus on strengthening math and statistics ability, and the data analysis modules from the textbook.  The lab will complement the lecture class, with exercises in the field and lab to provide real data to analyze as well as solve how best to answer certain questions and test hypotheses.  We hope that all parts of the course will work together to give you a dynamic understanding of this science and its interfaces with mathematics and other sciences. 

There will be three exams and a final.  If you must miss an exam, the zero will become your low grade.  Your lowest midterm grade will be dropped.  All students must take the final.   Keys will be posted on the course web page.  If you feel that an error was made in the grading of your exam, you may request in writing that your test be regraded, handing in your exam with the problems described on a sheet stapled to the front of your exam.

The writing component of this lecture course has two parts:  pop quizzes (essays) in lecture, and a group project called a jigsaw.  The five-minute essays will pop up in lectures throughout the semester, and the best 60% of them will be counted for a significant portion of your final grade.  The jigsaw will be done in stages with topics assigned; we will have some training in library research to help you find references relevant to your topic.  It is advisable to start this project early to give yourself time to obtain references from InterLibraryLoan (if needed), read the scientific articles, and to put together your ideas.   Students will present their findings as group powerpoint presentations in class, and also turn in their papers via TurnItIn.com to verify originality.  Plagiarism is unethical and will not be tolerated in this or any course activity. 
 
Exams (20% each, a total of 2 (best 2 of 3) midterms and 1 final) 60%
Best 60% of "pop" essay grades 15%
Jigsaw - oral and written presentation
 15%
PLTL - participation, math review, and completed modules
 10%

Syllabus for QBIC Ecology (PCB 3043) - Spring 2010

Textbook:  Ricklefs, R.E. 2008.  Economy of Nature, 6th edition, W.H Freeman and Company, New York.  Website resources:  http://www.whfreeman.com/ricklefs6e
plus: Harris, M., G. Taylor, and J. Taylor. 2005. CatchUp Math and Statistics for the Life Sciences.  Scion Publishing Ltd.
 
Date/ day Lecture number and Topic Readings - Ricklefs chapter
4 Jan M
 1 - Introduction  1
6 Jan W
 2 - The Physical Environment - Water and Nutrients
  2
11 Jan M
 3 - The Physical Environment - Light, Energy, Heat
  3
13 Jan W
 4 - Variation and Biomes
  4 & 5
18 Jan M
 MLK holiday - no class
20 Jan W
 5 - Adaptation and Natural Selection 6
25 Jan M
 6 - Life History Strategies 
7   [Data Analysis Module 1]
27 Jan W
 7 - Sex , Family, Society, Evolution 8, 9
1 Feb M
  EXAM 1
3 Feb W
  8 - Population Structure, Growth and Regulation  [jigsaw assigned] 10, 11 [D.A.M. 2]
8 Feb M
   Population Movie Day
   
10 Feb W
  Library session - how to find information for jigsaw project
15 Feb M
 9 - Population Dynamics 12   [D.A.M. 3]
17 Feb W
 10 - Population Genetics
13   
22 Feb M
 11 - Species Interactions 14
24 Feb W
 12 - Consumer/Resource Interactions
 15 [D.A.M. 4]
1 Mar M
 Predation Activity
3 Mar W
 Museum Day - artistic inspiration
8 Mar M
  13 - Competition AND 14 - Evolution of Species Interactions - coevolution and mutualism 16 & 17
10 Mar W
 Jigsaw Presentations by all groups

15 Mar M
 SPRING BREAK
17 Mar W
 SPRING BREAK 

22 Mar M
 EXAM 2    
24 Mar W
 15 - Community Structure AND 16 - Community Development  18, 19  [D.A.M. 5]
29 Mar M
 Ecology Film Festival Part I  [no lecture but read chapters please - Biodiversity and Biogeography]  20 & 21
31 Mar W
 Ecology Film Festival Part II  [take-home activity on Biodiversity and Biogeography]
 " "
5 Apr M
 18 - Energy in Ecosystems
 22
7 Apr W
 19 - Elemental Cycles and Nutrient Flow in Ecosystems
 23 & 24
12 Apr M
 EXAM 3
14 Apr W
 20 - Landscape Ecology, Conservation Biology, and Global Ecology
 25, 26, & 27
23 Apr F
(7:30) 8:00 am!!!  Final Exam (Cumulative) - note that this is Friday and earlier than we usually meet