Biology 340
Fall 2008
Professor: Dr. Travis Perry
Plyler Hall Room 171C
Campus Phone: 294-3009
E-mail: Travis.Perry@furman.edu
Office Hours:My office hours will be 9:30 to 10:30
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. If these hours are not convenient,
I will be happy to make an appointment. You can always
contact me via e-mail. I will check my account frequently for
student messages.
Course Objectives: General Ecology provides the student with an understanding of:
the interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environments, the consequences of these
interactions for population dynamics, community structure, and the flow of energy and matter through ecosystems,
all within the context of evolutionary processes. The course will also consider environmental issues and conservation.
Required Materials:The text book required for this class is
Manuel Molles Ecology: Concepts and Applications, fourth edition. 2008. Published by McGraw Hill.
ISBN 978-0-07-305082-9. Students are expected to read the chapters listed in the weekly syllabus.
Any material presented in the text will be considered testable material whether or not it has been discussed in class.
Other readings from the primary literature will be assigned and used in laboratory work and class discussions.
Grading: Your grade in the course will be
assessed based on the following items:
Item
|
Percent
|
Lab
|
20
|
Exam 1
|
20
|
Exam 2
|
20
|
Exam 3
|
20
|
Exam 4 (Final)
|
20
|
Letter grades will be assigned on a 10-percentage-point scale:
98-100 A+
|
78-79 C+
|
59 or below F
|
93-97 A
|
73-77 C
|
|
90-92 A-
|
70-72 C-
|
|
88-89 B+
|
68-69 D+
|
|
83-87 B
|
63-67 D
|
|
80-82 B-
|
60-62 D-
|
|
Lectures:You are expected to attend every lecture.
If you do miss a class it is your responsibility to recover the information
you missed. Three successive absences will be reported to the Associate Academic
Dean.
Laboratories:Do NOT miss lab! It will often not be possible
to make up or recover the material covered in lab. Lab grades constitute 20% of your final grade.
Grades for the lab portion of the course will be based on lab quizzes, research papers, participation,
and attendance. Do NOT arrive LATE for lab. We may frequently leave the lab or campus to examine a
variety of habitats and ecological phenomena. Tardiness to lab increases the likelihood that you will
be left behind or that you will seriously disrupt the lab for the rest of the class. Safety -
Laboratory safety rules must be followed - food and drink are NEVER to be
brought into the lab. Lab will be from 2:30 to 5:20 on Mondays unless otherwise scheduled.
Lab topics may change from week to week depending on conditions.
Field Trips:
There will be one overnight field trip during the term: Oct. 17th and 18th.
If you have a conflict with the field trip bring it to my attention immediately!.
Quizzes and Examinations:
Your first exam will be soon! This should motivate you to develop a sound understanding of general
ecology within the context of evolution early in the term to serve as a foundation for the remainder
of the course. Quizzes and exams will consist of short answer, multiple choice, and essay questions.
Quiz and Exam dates will not change. Dates of lab quizzes will be announced one week or more in advance.
Other Policies: E-Mail - Each student is
required to maintain a university e-mail account and check it often,
in case of important announcements regarding the class.
Academic Dishonesty
(Don't even think about it!) - General university policies regarding
academic dishonesty will be strictly observed.
Integrity gives the educational enterprise its legitimacy.
Honesty, respect, and personal responsibility are principles that guide
academic life at Furman, in and out of the classroom. Academic misconduct in
any form (plagiarism, cheating, inappropriate collaboration, and other
efforts to gain an unfair academic advantage) threatens the values of the
campus community and will have severe
consequences, such as failure in the course, and/or suspension or dismissal from the
university.
If you have any question about what constitutes plagiarism or any other
form of academic misconduct, it is your responsibility to consult with
me so that you will fully understand what I expect of you in this
course. If you have any doubts, ask!
Special ConsiderationsStudents who need academic
accommodations should contact the Coordinator of Disability
Services at 294-2322.
After a meeting with them, contact me during regular office
hours. DON'T procrastinate: do this during the first week
of the term.
Proposed Schedule
Week
|
Date
|
Lecture Topics
|
Exam
|
Lab Topics
|
1
|
20, 22 August
|
Introduction to Ecology
|
|
No Lab
|
2
|
3,5 September
|
Methods
|
|
Labor Day No Lab
|
3
|
8,10,12 September
|
Physical Environment
|
1st Exam on the 12th
|
Natural History
|
4
|
15,17,19 September
|
Physiological Ecology
|
|
Hypothesis Testing
|
5
|
22,24,26 September
|
Physiological Ecology
|
|
Niche Dimensions
|
6
|
29 September - 1 October
|
Population Ecology
|
|
Pollination
|
7
|
6,8,10 October
|
Population Ecology
|
2nd Exam on the 10th
|
Microhabitats
|
8
|
13,15,17 October
|
Community Ecology
|
|
TBA
|
9
|
20,22,24 October
|
Community Ecology
|
|
Field Trip
|
10
|
27,29,31 October
|
Community Ecology
|
|
TBA
|
11
|
3,5,7 November
|
Community Ecology
|
3rd Exam on the 7th
|
Forest Succession
|
12
|
10,12,14 November
|
Ecosystem Ecology
|
|
Disturbance
|
13
|
17,19,21 November
|
Ecosystem Ecology
|
|
TBA
|
15
|
24 November
|
Landscape Ecology
|
|
Paper Discussion
|
15
|
1,3,5 December
|
Geographic Ecology
|
|
Presentations
|
16
|
8 and 11 December
|
Geographic Ecology
|
Final Exam on the 11th
|
TBA
|