FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY

Department of Biological Sciences

PCB 4043- Principles of Ecology (3 Credits) Summer 2009

T/R 1:15 – 4:25  -  GS 118 – Boca Campus

Instructor-

Dr. Tom Chesnes,  [email protected]

Office Hours- Immediately after class. 4:30 – 5:30   Office TBD

Course website:  www.geocities.com/chesnesecology

            Announcements, lecture outlines, grades

Required Materials-

•       Ecology: the Experimental Analysis of Distribution and Abundance.  2001.  C. J. Krebs.  Fifth edition. Benjamin Cummings, San Francisco, CA.

•       EcoBeaker  Exercise Packets, SimBiotic Software, Ithaca, NY.

•       A calculator (yes, ecology is quantifiable)

Grading Procedures-

Two exams                                                                            :                        70 %

Participation and “Laboratory” exercises                                                   30 %

Guaranteed floors for grading:

A- 90               B- 80               C- 70              D- 60

Make-up exams are given at the discretion of the instructor, typically if one has a legitimate, written excuse. 

Topics, Labs (and Readings in Krebs) to be covered in class:

Week 1

Syllabus Overview / Introduction to course

Introduction to the science of ecology                                                                  (p 2-15)

Evolution and Ecology                                                                                        (17-28)

Factors controlling Distribution -Methods for Analyzing                                          (32-39)

Factors controlling Distribution - Biotic Factors & Interactions                                (41-83)

Week 2

Factors controlling Distribution - Biotic Factors & Interactions                                (41-83)

Factors controlling Distribution - Abiotic Factors                                                   (86-104)

Population Parameters                                                                                       (116-131)

Mark and Recapture Lab

Demographic Techniques                                                                                    (133-154)

Week 3

Population Growth                                                                                              (157-176)

Isle Royale Lab Exercise 1 & 2

Midterm Exam         9 July 2009

Week 4

Species Interactions Competition                                                                        (179-204)

Niches and Competition Lab

Species Interactions- Predation                                                                           (206-234)

Isle Royale Lab Exercise 3

Species Interactions- Herbivory                                                                           (235-256)

Species Interactions- Disease and Parasitism                                                      (258-278)

Sick Fish Lab

Week 5

Community Ecology                                                                                           (386-400)

Community Change                                                                                            (403-431)

Biodiversity                                                                                                        (434-456)

Ecosystem Metabolism - Primary Production                                                       (513-534)

Isle Royale Exercise 5

Ecosystem Metabolism - Secondary Production                                                   (537-557)

Ecosystem Metabolism - Nutrient Cycles                                                             (560-581)

Week 6

Ecosystem "Health" - Human Impacts                                                                 (583-607)

Applied Problems - Harvesting Populations                                                           (305-328)

Applied Problems - Conservation Biology                                                             (355-382)

Corridors, Stepping Stones, and Butterflies Lab

Final Exam               30 July 2009

***Schedule and Topics subject to change.