![]() ![]() Please keep in mind that field trips are unpredictable. Written assignments associated with the labs will be a mix of straight data analysis and interpretation and conventional lab reports. Most of the time, rain will not deter our field trips. Most of the labs will be outdoors - dress appropriately, expect mud and standing water. Labs meet each week during the term with no lab in week 10. Each exam will comprise essays, short answers, multiple–choice and in some cases, computer-based questions. There will be two exams, an in-class mid-term exam and a cumulative final exam. Therefore, lab material will be on exams. ![]() The lab and course work are fluid and often run into one another. You will also be expected to read the laboratory material before lab each week. ![]() Discussion is essential for learning, and I encourage you to interrupt lectures with questions as they come up. You will be responsible for material covered in either format, but the lecture material will represent approximately 80% of the test materials. Lectures will follow the same sequence as the readings, although there may be content that is covered in one but not the other. Keep up with the assigned readings (a tentative schedule is included in this syllabus), which are at most 25-35 pages per class meeting. You may also be asked to read supplemental materials. The textbook, Ecology, Concepts and Applications, by Manuel Molles systematically covers the content of this course. Therefore, my goal in this class is to inform you as much as possible and try to make the material as memorable as possible so that you will live the rest of your life adhering to sound ecological principles. As an ecologist, I am very much aware that the future of the biosphere depends on everyone understanding fundamental ecological principles and living their lives accordingly. Although the topic of this course is ecology and not environmental science, it is impossible to discuss the natural world without also touching upon some of the effects that humans have on natural systems. However, there is still much benefit, both personal and academic to studying ecology. I would be delighted if you all wanted to become professional ecologists, but I don’t expect that most of you will go on to serious, post-graduate work in ecology. My goals in teaching this course are simple: I want you to learn as much ecology as possible and I want you to enjoy it. By the end of the term, you will know about several natural areas within easy reach of the Union campus, and you will be familiar with many of the species encountered in local forests. Outdoor labs and field trips will also serve to increase your familiarity with nature. We will conduct empirical research in the field and you will learn basic statistical techniques that will allow you to analyze the data that we collect in lab. This is a very field oriented course and you will see that often the lab bleeds into the class and vice versa. This course will introduce you to the spectrum of research in ecology, covering 1) physiological ecology, 2) population and community ecology, and 3) landscape ecology and geographic ecology. Develop an appreciation of nature and the services provided by intact ecosystems.Įcology is the study of the relationships among organisms and the mutual influence of organisms and their environment. ![]()
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