Ecology online - Summer C 2018
Course
Instructor |
Learning
Assistants: Yulio
Font, Ridha Ahmad |
Dr.
Suzanne Koptur |
PLTL
Leaders: |
OE
232, ph. 305-348-3103; email: kopturs@fiu.edu |
|
Virtual
office hours Tuesday 4 6 pm EST Thursday 3 5 pm EST; and by appt. |
What can Ecology do for you?
Have you ever wondered how things in nature have become the way they are? What is the worth and role of organisms, and non-living parts of ecosystems, on the earth? How do organisms adapt to environmental stresses? How are organisms modified in response to their environments? How can the life history of a species be used to evaluate and compare its strategies for reproduction and interactions with other species? How do organisms and habitats compare in different biomes around the world? How does energy flow and nutrients cycle through food webs and communities? How can we compare and evaluate communities in terms of species richness and diversity? What roles have humans played in transforming natural ecosystems? And what are our prospects for conservation of remaining biodiversity? In this course you will use your foundation in biology, chemistry, and math to explore the data examining and implications of the answers to these questions.
Learning goals:
Students
completing this course should gain foundational knowledge, including: the worth and role of all organisms and
non-living parts of ecosystems on the earth; how organisms adapt to
environmental stresses; how organisms are modified in response to their
environments; how life histories can be used to evaluate and compare strategies
for reproduction and interactions with other species; how organisms and
habitats compare in different biomes around the world, and how things have come
to be the way they are; energy flow and nutrient cycles through food webs and
communities; how communities can be compared in terms of species richness and
diversity; the role humans have had in transforming natural ecosystems; the
prospects for conservation of remaining biodiversity; and more.
You will integrate and apply what learn to
hypothetical and real-world situations, preparing for challenges you may face
in future courses, research, employment, and life. Students will gain skills in problem solving,
information retrieval and synthesis, writing, presentation, and working with
others. Hopefully, you will also become
aware of the consequences of their/our/human actions on natural biota, and what
can be done to ameliorate negative effects and promote ecosystem health.
Class content
will be presented in our textbook and recorded lectures by the professor and
videos available on our course website. There will also be readiness
quizzes over the reading, and other assignments to be completed online to
augment your learning. We will use small-group learning, and students will engage
in contests, discussions, games, problem solving, and various assessment
techniques to facilitate their understanding of the material.
We will also explore the quantitative aspects of
ecology using exercises and models, including some in our textbook. The PLTL session each week will focus on
strengthening comprehension and recall of important things covered week by
week, and is part of the lecture class grade. We plan that all parts of
the course will work together to give you a dynamic understanding of this
science and its interfaces with mathematics, statistics, and other
sciences.
Grading:
This course will
involve continuous assessment, not all of the graded kind: some will be educative
in nature, allowing us to know if you have learned the material, and helping you
to learn more in the process of being assessed. One way this will be
accomplished is with exams at the end of each module, taken first individually,
then in groups. Another way is with
student assessments of your own knowledge at the beginning of the course, and
learning gains, along with some other in-class surveys.
The writing
component of the course has two additional parts: short essays, and group
projects called jigsaws. The five-minute essays will pop up in class
throughout the modules, and the best 80% of them will be
counted for a percentage of your final grade. The jigsaw will be
done in groups on assigned topics, in stages; we will have some training in library
research to help you find references relevant to your topic, and you will to
start projects early enough to find relevant references, read the scientific
articles, as well as other relevant information found from other sources, and
to put together your ideas. Groups will present their findings in
recorded presentations posted on the website, and also turn in their words via
TurnItIn.com to verify originality. Students will review the work of
other groups presentations and also report their
group members contributions to their final products. Needless to say, plagiarism is unethical and
will not be tolerated in this or any course activity.
Individual/Group
assessments end-of module exams (four highest scores out of five - 30%) and
online quizzes (10%) |
40% |
Final
Exam |
10% |
Best
60% of "pop" essay grades and other activities |
20% |
Jigsaws
two presentations with written components |
20% |
PLTL
- attendance, participation, and performance |
10% |
Syllabus for Ecology (PCB 3043) online Summer C 2018
Textbook: Ricklefs, R.E. and R.
Relyea. 2014. Ecology: The Economy of Nature, 7th edition, W.H Freeman
and Company, New York.
Schedule of events
Module |
Dates
to open |
Lecture
Topic |
Readings
- R&R chapter |
1 |
7
May 2018 |
Pre-test
and Introduction Read
through module 0 and get familiar with course Module
1 read
ch. 1 of textbook take
quiz 1 listen
to lecture Introduction watch
short videos What is Ecology? And Giant pandas in China |
1
|
|
9
May |
The
Physical Environment - Water and Nutrients adaptations to the aquatic
environment Read
ch. 2 in textbook Take
quiz 2 Watch
lecture Physical Environment: water and nutrients Watch
plant nutrition video Essay:
Ecological questions about your favorite organism (due by 14 May) |
2 |
14
May |
The
Physical Environment - Light, Energy, Heat adaptations to the terrestrial
environment Read
ch. 3 in text book Take
quiz 3 Watch
lectures: Light
and energy Heat
and energy Watch
videos on photosynthesis and Emperor penguins Do
area/volume relationships exercises and submit answers Biomes
assignment begin collaboration on topics |
3 |
|
|
16
May |
Variation
in Climate and Soils Read
chapters 4 and 5 Take
quiz on chapters 4 and 5 Watch
lectures: Biological
Communities Soils
& Biomes Watch
videos on soil, soil textures, pottery making, and survival of trees Work
with partners on Biomes project |
4
& 5 |
21
May |
Read
chapter 6 Take
quiz on chapter 6 |
6 |
|
|
23
May |
Biomes
Group presentations due today review and feedback all online Students
evaluate each groups presentation, and evaluates their own groups
collaboration |
|
|
25
May |
Exam
1 - online |
|
Module
2 |
28
May |
Evolution
and Adaptation Read
chapter 7 Take
quiz on chapter 7 Watch
lectures: Adaptation
and Natural Selection A.
& S. part 2 Behavioral Plasticity Evolutionary
Change and Genetic Fixation Watch
videos on the Galapagos finches and the Peppered Moth Write
Essay # 2 herbivore and tree evolution |
7
|
|
30
May |
Life
Histories and Fitness Read
chapter 8 Take
quiz on chapter 8 Watch
lectures: Life
History Strategies Life
History Theory Watch
videos on Bacteria, and Birds of Paradise, Crickets |
8 |
|
4
June |
Reproductive
Strategies Read
chapter 9 Take
quiz on chapter 9 Watch
lecture: Sex
and Family Watch
videos on Beetles and Sex in the Insect World Complete
activities sheet on Life Histories, Fitness, and Reproductive Strategies |
9 |
6
June |
Social
Behavior Read
chapter 10 Take
chapter 10 quiz Watch
lecture: Society
and Evolution Watch
videos: mountain lions, prairies dogs Listen
to recordings: Charles Darwin meets Snoop Dogg Complete
Clutch Size vs. Age of First Reproduction activity |
10 |
|
|
8
June |
Exam
2 |
|
Module
3 |
11
June |
Population
Distribution Read
chapter 11 Take
quiz on chapter 11 Watch
lectures: Population
structure Population
size Watch
videos: Bugger off and Mark/recapture Complete
Mark/recapture activities with butterfly and vole simulated populations Species
interaction jigsaw assignment library training - begin collaboration on topics |
11
|
|
13
June |
Population
Growth and Regulation Read
chapter 12 Take
quiz on chapter 12 Watch
lectures: Population
Growth Life
Tables Population
Regulation Watch
videos: Pied Flycatcher, Dall sheep, Thinning your plants Write
essay individually and submit online |
12 |
|
18
June |
Population
Dynamics Read
chapter 13 Take
quiz on Chapter 13 Watch
lectures: Population
dynamics Time
delays and oscillations Watch
videos: monarch butterflies, moose and wolves, and manatees Complete
Population dynamics activities in an online group discussion |
13 |
|
20
June |
Exam
3 |
|
Module
4 |
25
June |
Predation
and Herbivory Read
chapter 14 Take
quiz on Chapter 14 Watch
lectures: Predation Mimicry
and modeling predation Herbivory Watch
videos: body invaders, black racer, plant vs. predatorComplete
assignment: predation experiment Write
up results and submit online |
14 |
|
27
June |
Parasitism
and Infectious Diseases Read
chapter 15 Take
quiz on chapter 15 Watch
videos: lyme disease, S-I-R model on prime time |
15 |
|
29
June |
Competition
Read
chapter 16 Take
quiz on Chapter 16 Watch
lectures: Competition Modeling
Competition Watch
videos: gooseneck barnacles, mussel-eating competition Complete
activity on competition models and turn in online |
16 |
|
2
July |
Mutualism Read
chapter 17 Take
quiz on Chapter 17 Watch
lectures: Coevolution
and Mutualism Modeling
Mutualism Watch
videos: Iiwi bird, crazy ant farmers Complete
activity on Complex Interactions and turn in online |
17
|
|
4
July |
Species
Interactions Jigsaw Presentations due today peer review and feedback |
|
|
6
July |
Exam
4 |
|
Module
5 |
9
July |
Community
Structure Read
chapter 18 Take
quiz on Chapter 18 Watch
lectures: Community
Structure Community
Attributes Watch
videos: James Lovelock, Trophic Level Cascades Complete
activity on Community Diversity and turn in online |
18 |
|
11
July |
Community
Succession Read
chapter 19 Take
quiz on Chapter 19 Watch
lectures: Community
development -succession Community
development models of succession Community
development disturbance Watch
videos: Mayan community discovered, beaver dams, volcanic eruptions Complete
group activity on succession and submit online in discussion forum |
19 |
16
July |
Energy
and Elements in Ecosystems Read
chapter 20 Take
quiz on chapter 20 Watch
lectures: Energy
pyramids and productivity Energy
transfer Watch
video: Frances Moore Lappe Complete
Energy in Ecosystems problems and activities turn in online Read
chapter 21 Take
quiz on chapter 21 Watch
lectures: Elemental
cycles Nutrient
flow Watch
videos: acid rain Complete
group activity elemental cycles submit online Complete
individual activity poem or creative composition submit online |
20, 21 |
|
|
18
July |
Exam
5 |
|
Module
6 |
20
July |
Landscape
Ecology, Biogeography, and Biodiversity Read
chapter 22 Take
quiz on chapter 22 Watch
lecture: Biodiversity
and Niche Theory Watch
videos: |
22 |
|
23
July |
Conservation
of Biodiversity Read
chapter 23 Take
quiz on Chapter 23 Watch
lectures: Conservation
Biology Conservation
and Extinction Watch
videos: spotted owl and Green Ninja Complete
Endangered Species group activity and submit online |
23 |
|
25
July |
Exam
6 |
|
|
27
July |
Cumulative
Final Exam |
|