Syllabus for Bio 11C Ecology

Fall Semester 2006

MW 8:00- 12:40 in 5005

Office Hours: MW 7:35-8am & 12:30-1pm in 5005 and TTh 12:40-1:30pm in 622

 

Description

The Eco logy course is an overview of the fundamental concepts and principles of ecology and evolution.  The course addresses basic ecological theory, the organization and functions of natural systems, and the application of ecological thinking and analysis to practical problems of environmental management.  The course follows the organization of the text.  Lectures plus slide shows, videos, class exercises, guest speakers, and relevant professional scientific information will highlight and supplement the text.

 

This course is a pre-requisite for the Environmental Studies major at UC Santa Cruz and other UC and CSU campuses, and focuses on material relevant to that major.  It is also appropriate for majors in the natural sciences, including biology.  Those students who do not intend to pursue such majors or who do not have relevant backgrounds are also welcome.

 

Refer to the Course Schedule for the dates of lectures and exams.  Refer to the Fall Semester catalog and the Cabrillo Student Handbook for information about campus policies, course registration, grading, and student responsibilities.

 

Textbook

Ecology: Concepts & Applications. Fourth Edition. Manuel Molles. 2007. McGraw Hill, Inc.  See his web site for quizzes, reviews, and supplementary materials.

 

Lectures and Lecture Notes

Most class meetings will consist of lectures and in-class discussions to clarify and highlight the material presented in the text.  The lectures will introduce information, including case examples and illustrations, supplementary to the text.  Posted on-line are .pdf files of lecture notes which you should download and print and bring to each class, for use as a note-taking aid.

 

Laboratories

Labs will be integrated with the lectures, and focused on illustrating current thinking on factors influencing distribution, abundance, and evolution of organisms.  The labs will include simulations, experiments, projects, and field trips.  Please print out and read the lab manual before lab, and BRING IT TO LAB.

 

One mandatory three-day field trip will go to the Landels-Hill Big Creek Reserve on the Big Sur coast.  This is a 4000-acre research and teaching facility of the University of California.  There we will examine coastal ecosystems, with focuses on fire disturbances, vegetation succession, and the natural history of redwood forest, coastal scrub, chaparral, oak woodland, and coastal grassland biota.  We will camp outdoors and cook meals as a group.  Additional details will be provided in lab.

 

Exams

There will be three mid-term exams, each during the first hour of class (refer to the Course Schedule).  Each mid-term exam will cover factual information and analytical skills from among the ecological concepts and principles presented in the text, lectures, in-class discussion, and guest speakers pertinent to the period since the previous exam.  Mid-term exams will consist of a varying set of true/false statements, multiple choice, identification of definitions with terms, fill-in identifications, and short narratives to demonstrate comprehension of those concepts and principles, ecological reasoning, and applications of ecology to assess problems. The last class meetings will be devoted to presentations on topics that you present as memebrs of two person teams - pick your partner wisely!  The final exam will synthesize all course material, composed of longer essays to demonstrate applications to hypothetical management and research problems.

 

Short quizzes will be given at unscheduled times.

 

Grading Percentages

Mid-term Exam One                           15%                 Final Exam                              15%

Mid-term Exam Two                          15%                 Quizzes                                  10%

Mid-term Exam Three                        15%                 Lab Assignments                    30%