BIOL 2400 (Section 01)                                 Ecology                                  Spring 2008   

Instructor: Dr. J. Campbell                                               Text: Molles, Manuel C., Ecology.  4th ed., McGraw Hill.

Office: SM 254; Phone: 6140                          Class=3 credit hours 

Email: john.campbell@northwestcollege.edu

Office Hours: 10-10:50 MTWThF,                  Class Meeting: MWF 1:00-1:50

Class web page: http://biology.northwestcollege.edu

 

Course Objectives:

Ecology is the study of organisms, living systems, and their relationships to the physical environment and to each other. This course will provide an understanding of the general principles and methods of ecology as they pertain to individual organisms, populations, communities, and ecosystems. At the end of the course, you should have a good working understanding of these general principles, and a perspective on how ecological questions are approached. Both qualitative and quantitative techniques will be discussed. Additionally, you should gain writing and speaking skills that improve your ability to express ideas.

 

Learning Outcomes:

 By the end of this course you should be able to:

1. demonstrate an understanding of the major biological principles pertinent to Ecology

2. demonstrate sound scientific reasoning and use it to assess ecological issues.

3. be able to organize, analyze and interpret data.

4. demonstrate oral and written communication skills.

 

Course Outline:

Some of the following textbook readings will be assigned as readings, and will not be discussed in the lecture. We will cover each chapter in about one week of class.

 

Topic                                                                      Chapter Reading

 

Introduction

What is Ecology?                                                                 1             

Life on Land                                                                        2

Life in Water                                                                        3

 

Ecology of Individuals

Temperature Relations                                                       4

Water Relations                                                                   5

Energy and Nutrient Relations                                          6

Social Relations                                                                   7

 

Population Ecology

Population Genetics and Natural Selection                    8

 

Population Distribution and Abundance                        9

Population Dynamics                                                         10

Population Growth                                                              11

Life Histories                                                                        12

 

Interactions         

Competition                                                                         13

Exploitive Interactions                                                       14

Mutualism                                                                            15

 

Community Ecology and Ecosystems

Species Abundance and Diversity                                    16

Species Interactions and Community Structure            17

Primary Production and Energy Flow                              18

Nutrient Cycling and Retention                                        19

Succession and Stability                                                    20

 

Large Scale Ecology

Landscape Ecology                                                            21

Geographic Ecology                                                            22

Global Ecology                                                                    23

 

Some Chapters will be assigned as reading assignments and not be covered during lecture.

 

Exams and Grading:

Grades will be based on four non-comprehensive exams (20% each), and class participation, assigned writings and /or presentations (20%).  One or more writing assignments/papers will be required.

 

A=90-100%, B=80-89%, C=70-79%, D=60-69%, F=<59%

 

Tentative exam and paper due dates are:                                                     

                Exam 1                  February 8                                                                           

                Exam 2                  March 7

                Exam 3                  April 11                                                                                 

                Final Exam           May 6, Tuesday. 1:00-2:50 PM       (Do not plan on taking this exam early)                                        

 

 

 

Absence policy:

Your contribution to the class is important, and your exposure to material presented in the class is needed. Thus class attendance is very critical. The College absence policy of three unexcused absences allowed may be used. After these absences, your grade may be reduced by one letter grade for each additional absence. People involved in excused school activities should provide a written excuse prior to their absence, in addition to the note provided by your sponsor. You are important to the class and should make every attempt to participate.

 

Missed exams and late assignments:

A normal makeup exam will be allowed only if the absence was excused. All college-sponsored activities must be excused in advance. If illness prevents you from taking an exam, a phone call must be made to me in my office, to the school nurse, or to the Office of Enrollment Services, before exam time. Absences not dealt with in the above manner will not be considered excused and any makeup exam, if allowed, will be worth only 80% of a normal exam (two letter grade penalty). Assignments not turned in by the assigned date and time will be accepted, but will be worth only 80% of their normal value (two letter grade penalty).

 

Cell Phones:

The biology classroom is a no cell phone zone. Please turn off your cell phone when in the biology classroom. Ringing phones and students text messaging are distracting to others in the classroom.

 

Policy on Academic Integrity: You are expected to strictly observe NWC rules regarding academic honesty. These rules are detailed in your Student Handbook.  These rules require you to abstain from cheating on exams, properly reference published written and electronic material, and only submit work that is your own. If you have any questions regarding what behavior is proper, including what constitutes plagiarism, please do not hesitate to ask.

 

Students with Special Needs: Students who qualify for specific accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act should notify the instructor in the first week of class to ensure that their needs are met in a timely manner. It is the student’s responsibility to inform the instructor of his/her needs and to provide the necessary documentation to the Student Success Center before any classroom accommodations can be made. To contact the Director of the Student Success Center, call 754-6204 or stop by the Center located in the basement of Colter Hall.

 

How to contact me: If outside of the normal class meeting time you have questions to ask, points to raise, or just information to transfer to me, you can use several different methods (not listed in any particular order).

 

1. Stop before or just after the class time

 

2. Visit me in my office during my office hours

 

3. Visit me in my office outside of office hours. Just stop by and check or make an appointment.

 

4. Call me on the phone (6140), leaving a voice mail message if I'm not there.

 

5. Send me an email message. (my address is  john.campbell@northwestcollege.edu  This method can be very effective. You can ask a question at any hour of the day.  You will get a written response to which you can later refer. You can avoid any potential embarrassment you might feel by asking in front of the class.

 

General Comments and Hints:

 

Many of the ideas and concepts in Ecology are ones that you likely are familiar with through exposure to the natural world in your daily life. But many others will be new to you, and many new vocabulary words and theories will be introduced. The detail of the lecture and the speed of the course are based on the assumption that you have read the textbook material before coming to class. If you do not read the text in advance, you may not fully understand the material presented. Ideally, we can use the class time to present other perspectives on the material, answer questions that you might have, and discuss implications of the ideas presented in the text.

 

If you find yourself having trouble with the class, please come and talk with me. Try and identify problems early and they will be more easily overcome.

 

Catalog Description: A study of ecosystems, energy flows, habitats, natural cycles, environmental influences, succession, population, and speciation. Prerequisite: One semester of biological science (3 hrs lec.)