FOR 330 FOREST ECOLOGY
SPRING 2008
Instructor:
John Goodburn
243-4295
Email:
goodburn@forestry.umt.edu Telephone:
Office: Room 409 Science Complex (4th Floor)
Office hours: Mon. 3:00-5:00 p.m. and Thurs. 9:00-11:00 am (or by advance appointment)
Teaching Assistant: Kodi Augare
Email: kodi_augare@yahoo.com
Office – Office meeting hours and location to be arranged.
Lecture and Discussion
Lab/Field Work
Mon. & Wed. 11:10 a.m. -12:00 p.m. Forestry Bldg. Room 301
Wed. 2:10-5:00pm or Thurs. 2:10-5:00pm Field Labs meet at Campus Security Office
(Indoor labs held Wed in FOR Rm 301 and Thurs in CHCB Rm 423)
Ecology is the study of the structure and function of nature, i.e., the relationships between organisms
and their environment. It can be investigated at the various scales of individual organisms, species
populations, communities of interacting species, or entire ecosystems.
Forest ecology is concerned with the structure, composition, and function of forests as threedimensional ecological systems. It is the study of plant and animal communities and their response to
physical factors of the environment at scales ranging from cubic centimeters of soil to landscape
ecosystems encompassing hundreds of square miles. In this course, we will particularly focus on factors
affecting forest structure and composition, the effects of environmental gradients on plant species
distribution, the dynamics of vegetation communities over time, and key ecosystem-level processes such
as the cycling of water, carbon, and minerals.
General Course Objectives:
1. Provide overview of forest ecology with particular emphasis on vegetative community dynamics and
integrated ecosystem processes at multiple spatial and temporal scales.
2. Develop skills in field observation and in sampling techniques used to characterize forest vegetation
composition, structure, and function.
3. Familiarize students with the interpretation, analysis, and presentation of ecological data, as well as
the use of published ecological literature and sampling methods for developing research project
proposals.
4. Provide synthesis of information from basic biology, soils, microclimate, and plant ecology as a
foundation for addressing current issues facing forest conservation and management.
Upper Division Writing
This course is one of three courses needed to satisfy the upper division writing requirement for CFC
majors. Each student is required to achieve satisfactory scores on a sophomore-level writing course (FOR
220/WBIO 245 or equivalent). The successful completion of one of these courses plus the writing
proficiency exam will be prerequisites for completion of the upper division distributed writing requirement.
Assessment of student writing will be on the basis of the following criteria:
1. A clear statement of purpose (hypothesis or question or goal) within the scientific context of the
specific discipline.
2. The development of effective logical arguments using evidence and/or theory from the discipline or
supporting disciplines.
3. Writing meets discipline-specific writing conventions including the proper citation of sources of
information.
4. Demonstrate appropriate English language usage.
Readings
Course Readings: Discussion readings and other recommended readings will be drawn from a few
different text books and from a variety of journal articles, news stories, and other sources. Reading
material will be available on-line through the Mansfield Library Electronic Reserves (i.e., ERES).
Students unfamiliar with the use of ERES can check with the instructor, but everyone will be expected to
be comfortable accessing readings.
There are three fine texts on Forest Ecology that we will draw from, including the following:
Forest Ecology: A Foundation for Sustainable Management & Environmental Ethics, 3rd Ed. Kimmins, J.P. 2004.
Forest Ecology, 4th Ed. Barnes, B.V., D.R. Zak, S. Denton, and S.H. Spurr. 1998.
Forest Ecosystems, Perry, David A. 1994.
Course Reading assignments will be provided as a separate handout the second day of class.
Class Participation is encouraged and expected. Your preparation and willingness to ask questions
and discuss various topics will benefit not only your own learning experience, but also that of your
colleagues in the class. Approximately 3% of your course grade will be based on class participation.
FOR 330 FOREST ECOLOGY
Drop in or drop me a line. You are encouraged to ask questions and initiate discussions both in and out
of class. I am available during office hours or at other times (by advance appointment) if you cannot
meet during posted hours. Also feel free to contact me via email to clarify questions you have. No need
to wait until after an exam to ask questions!
Labs
For Field Labs, we will meet to board vans in front of the Campus Security Office just east of
the Football Stadium (where campus parking and motor pool are administered). Some labs will be
meeting indoors, particularly at the beginning of the semester. Such arrangements will be announced in
class. The field lab exercises are considered an essential component of learning forest ecology and
integrating various concepts discussed in lectures. Labs are designed to introduce you to many of the
key methods used to characterize ecosystem composition, structure, and function.
Attendance at all scheduled lab sessions is expected, and unexcused absences could negatively affect
your grade. Please notify me as soon as possible if you will be unable to attend lab for some reason.
Unless lab is scheduled to be indoors, always wear appropriate field clothes and footwear (boots) to
labs. If rain is forecast, bring rain gear and do not expect lab to be canceled on account of bad weather.
PLANNED GRADING SCHEME
Grading System
Exams
Midterm Performance 1
Midterm Performance 2
Final Performance
Lab Exercises, Lab Reports, Quizzes & *
Take-home questions/Readings
Further details to be provided in Lab
Individual Research Proposal
Journal Article Critiques
Literature Review and
Research Project/Proposal
Class participation
Points
% of Total Grade
50%
140 pts
160 pts
200 pts
250 pts
25%
23%
20 pts
120 pts
90 pts
20 pts
2%
TOTAL
1000 pts
100%
All students must practice academic honesty. Academic misconduct is subject to an academic penalty by the course
instructor and/or a disciplinary sanction by the University.
All students need to be familiar with the Student Conduct Code. The Code is available for review online at
http://www.umt.edu/SA/VPSA/index.cfm?page?1321.
Special Accommodations - Students with disabilities who need accommodations should see me
privately during my office hours to make arrangements.
FOR 330 FOREST ECOLOGY
Spring 2008
General Course Outline*
*COURSE READINGS AND PLANNED LAB SCHEDULE WILL BE PROVIDED 2nd DAY OF
CLASS
Week / Dates
Week 1 (1/23)
Wed/Thurs Lab
Topic
Forest Ecology: Introduction and Overview
NO LAB Week 1
Week
2 (1/28)
Vegetation Patterns
Basic Concepts regarding plant cycles and forest ecosystems
Climate, Physiography, Soils, Moisture Availability; Biota; Drought adaptations
Week
3 (2/4)
Solar radiation, light quantity/quality, plant response
Variation in Tree Growth & Genetics with Environment: Ecotypes, Seed Zones
Week
4 (2/11)
Forest structure, understory light environment, and shade tolerance
Forest Ecosystem Dynamics and Disturbance Ecology
Characterizing Forest Structure, Composition, and Dynamics (Succession)
Week
5 (2/18)
Monday OFF – President’s Day 2/18
Midterm Performance 2 Wed (covering material through 3/13)
Week
6 (2/25)
Characterizing Forest Structure, Dynamics II
Week
7 (3/3)
Forest Community Concepts: Plant Associations, Interactions, Mutualisms
Week
8 (3/10)
Forest Comm. Concepts: Plant Associations vs. Continuum Theory, Potential Veg. vs.
9 (3/17)
Ecosystem Classification:
Midterm Performance 2 (covering material through 3/17)
- Regen Ecology
Climax
Week
F 3/20 due date
(Literature Review of Research Topic due no later than 5:00pm Friday, 3/20/08)
Week
10
3/24 – 3/28
Spring Break, Spring Break, Spring Break
Week
11 (3/31)
Nutrient Cycling & Biogeochemistry
Decomposition or Organic matter and Rates of Nutrient Cycling
Week
12 (4/7)
For. Community Dynamics: Old-growth, Equilibrium, and Range of Variability
Week 13 (4/14)
4/17 due date
Species Richness, Species-area curves, and Diversity
(Indiv. Research Proposal Papers due no later than 5:00pm Friday, 4/17/08)
Week
14 (4/21)
Midterm Exam 3 (covering material through 4/21)
Biodiversity Patterns at Multiple Scales, Driving Factors
Week
15 (4/28)
Further considerations of Spatial and Temporal Scales -
Finals Week
Final Performance
10:10am – 12:10pm Monday, May 5, 2008
* There are obvious weather related difficulties with conducting a field oriented forest ecology
course during Spring semester. As a consequence, it is helpful to schedule much of the field work
for the latter part of the semester. During the early part of the semester, in some cases we will not
utilize the full period for planned indoor lab exercises or discussion.
** Further information on Recommended and Additional Reading will be forthcoming.
Chapter numbers listed in Required Readings refer to the Kimmins Forest Ecology text unless
otherwise noted. Additional readings or references will likely be handed out in class or placed on
Electronic or Traditional Reserve at the Mansfield Library.