Biology 283A, Ecology

Biology 283a, Ecology (Summer session 2008)

Prerequisite(s): A minimum grade of 60% in Biology 022 or Biology 023. Mandatory course in second or third year of BSc Biology program and in most modules offered by the Department of Biology. “Unless you have either the requisites for this course or written special permission from your Dean to enroll in it, you may be removed from this course and it will be deleted from your record. This decision may not be appealed. You will receive no adjustment to your fees in the event that you are dropped from a course for failing to have the necessary prerequisite.”

Instructor: Dr. Gabor Sass Department of Biology Room: B & G 2070 Email: [email protected]

Office Hours: I will be available in my office on Monday and Wednesday from 12:00 to 12:30, after the lectures. Appointments at other times can be arranged by contacting me by email.

General theme: Humanity’s fingerprint on Earth has become substantial during the last 100 years, due in large part to an increasing population (currently at 6.5 billion people) and its corresponding use of resources. Impact of humans can be seen in both regional and global scales (for example, pollution and global climate change), but the level of fundamental change is at the level of “ecology”. Ecology is the science whose study focus is the relationships between organisms and their living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) environment.

In this course, we will answer questions such as: What determines the abundance of species in nature? How important are the interactions in establishing who is in the environment? What causes some communities to be stable and others to undergo wide oscillations in their numbers? Throughout the course we will emphasize two important facts: that humans are just like any other organism in terms of being controlled by biotic and abiotic factors BUT also the fact that they are unlike any other organism in that they are agents of change at global scales.

Lectures and tutorials will emphasize ecological principles, ideas, examples, and theory. The purpose is to get you to think about the links between the living and non-living systems of this world in as many ways as possible. Ecology should lead you to see the integrated nature of this world. General themes to be covered:  The physical environment  Organisms and their environment  Population ecology  Community ecology  Landscape ecology  Global change and biodiversity

Textbook: R. L. Smith and T. M. Smith 6th edition (2006). Elements of Ecology.

There are 50+ NEW ($123.95) plus 1 - 2 USED ($90) copies of the book in the bookstore. I have also placed 3 copies of the text on 3-day reserve in the Taylor library.

Course website: http://instruct.uwo.ca/biology/2483a/

Lectures: P&AB 137 – Mondays and Wednesdays 9:30-12:00. Please be sure to attend every lecture as attendance will be taken at the start of each class. Powerpoint lecture presentations will be posted on the website at least 24h before each lecture. You may download these and use them to take notes during class. It should be noted that the course content will not, necessarily, adhere directly to the textbook, but you are expected to read the sections that are identified in the syllabus. For engaging discussions during class please be sure to read the relevant pages prior to the lecture.

Tutorials: P&AB 137 – Thursdays 9:30-12:00. Tutorials will be used to get you to hear and talk to ecologists who are doing cutting-edge science in this department, watch relevant films, and prepare for exams.

Mark Allocation: Mid-term exam (July 24th, 2008, 9:30-12:00 3M 3250) - 30% Final exam (TBA) - 55% Participation (lecture and tutorial attendance, 3 mini-assignments) - 15%

Examination Policy: In ALL examinations you will be asked questions that relate to the material presented in class or in assigned readings from the textbook. The mid-term will cover lecture and text material from the start of the course to the lecture just prior to the examination (Lecture 1-5). The final exam will cover all materials in the course, including guest lectures and films. Examinations are compulsory. If a student misses an exam for health or compassion concerns, documentation must be presented to the Dean’s office within 48 hours of having missed the examination. You must also contact me (within 48 hr) by phone or by email. Students that miss an exam and do not receive an appropriate authorization from the Dean’s Office will be awarded a “0” for the missed examination. I reserve the right to use software for the analysis of examination patterns during examinations.

Lecture and tutorial schedule: Wk Date Lecture Tutorial Topics covered Chapters Introductions / Evolution/ The Chp. 1, 2, 3 1 July 7th 1 physical environment (Climate) The physical environment (Aquatic Chp. 4, 5 1 July 9th 2 and terrestrial environments) Film: Collection from Planet Earth 1 July 10th 1 and Blue Planet series Ecosystems (energetics, Chp. 20, 21, 2 July 14th 3 decomposition and nutrient cycles) 22 The organism and its environment Chp. 6 2 July 16th 4 (plant adaptations) Guest speaker: Dr. Norm Huner – Photosynthesis and energy sensing 2 July 17th 2 Mini-assignment # 1 due The organism and its environment Chp. 7, 8 (animal adaptations), Life history 3 July 21st 5 patterns Populations (Properties, growth, Chp. 9, 10, 3 July 23rd 6 intraspecific regulation) 11, 12 Mid-term exam (Lectures 1 - 5) 3 July 24th 3 3M 3250 9:30 – 12:00 Species interactions (Interspecific Chp. 13, 14, competition, predation, parasitism 15 4 July 28th 7 and mutualism) Community ecology (Structure, Chp. 16, 17, factors affecting it, dynamics) + 18 4 July 30th 8 landscape ecology Guest speaker: Dr. Hugh Henry – Plant ecology, biogeochemistry and global change biology 4 July 31st 4 Mini-assignment # 2 due August Chp. 19 5 6th 9 Landscape ecology Guest speaker: Dr. Jeremy McNeil – August Behavioral and chemical ecology of 5 7th 5 insects Human ecology (Population growth, Chp. 27 resources use, sustainability, habitat August loss, conservation) 6 11th 10 Mini-assignment # 3 due August Biodiversity and global climate Chp. 28, 29 6 13th 11 change August Guest lecture: Dr. Albert Bartlett, On 6 14th 6 population growth and sustainability August 7 18th-20nd FINAL EXAM: Cumulative

Statement on Academic Offenses: “Scholastic offenses are taken seriously and students are directed to read the appropriate policy, specifically, the definition of what constitutes a Scholastic Offence, at the following Web site: http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/handbook/appeals/scholoff.pdf”