Syllabus 450: 404
Advanced Physical Geography: Biogeography
Spring 2013 M-TH (12-1:20 pm)
Location:
Instructor:
Lucy Stone Hall B-266, Livingston Campus.
Dr. Laura C. Schneider,
Lucy Stone Hall B228 (732) 445-0071.
Email:
laschnei@rci.rutgers.edu
TA Office hours: Tuesday 1-3 pm or by appointment
Course web page: http://sakai.rutgers.edu/450-404
I. Description:
Biogeography is the science that documents and explains spatial patterns of biological diversity.
Biogeography studies the relationships between living organisms (animals, plants and
microbes) and their environment (climate, geology, soils), emphasizing the spatial and temporal
patterns in their distributions over the face of the Earth. Biogeography is an interdisciplinary
field of inquiry linking concepts from ecology, evolutionary biology, geology, and physical
geography, and employing methodologies from geography such as geographic information
systems and spatial analysis. In this course, therefore, students will be exposed to theories and
data from several disciplines. By the end of the course, students should have a comprehensive
knowledge of biogeographical terminology and an understanding of its general patterns and
processes; we will explore the importance of biogeography in a changing world. Additionally
students should have the ability to map the distribution of organisms and their habitats using
geographic information systems techniques.
II. Course Format:
The material of the course is explored through lectures, readings, computer lab exercises, field
visits and class participation. The course is divided in four major units: 1) Biogeographic
patterns (environmental setting); 2) fundamental biogeographic processes ; 3) introduction to
ecological biogeography; and 4) conservation biogeography and human impacts. Course
material (readings) will range from introductory to intermediate level, and some concepts will
require basic algebra and understanding of basic biology. This course will introduce new
vocabulary which should be reviewed on regularly. For the class project, basic understanding of
computers is required. The class project consists in developing habitat suitability maps and
species distribution maps through the use of Geographic Information Systems software
(IDRISI). The class project would be individually and computer assistance would be provided
by the instructor. We will also do a couple of visits to the biological preserve in Livingston
Campus*, the visits will are planned in addition to class time.
III. Grades and Assignments:
In order to succeed in this course, students need to attend and participate in class, complete the
assigned readings before class, submit written/lab assignments, develop successfully a class
project, and pass two midterm exams.
Participation:
1st
Mid-term Exam:
2nd
Mid-term Exam:
Assignments
Class Project:
10
25
25
20
20
points
points
points
points
points (Due date May 2nd)
Total:
100
points
The grading system for the course is as follows: A (90-100 points), B (80-89), C (70-79), D (60-69),
F (less than 59).
IV. Required text:
Lomolino, M.V., B.R. Riddle and J. H. Brown. 2010. Biogeography. Fourth Edition. Sinauer
Associates, Inc. Sunderland, Massachusetts. Book is available in Rutgers Bookstores. Used
copies of the book are available through major online bookstores.
During the course students will use the GIS software IDRISI Taiga, specifically the Land
Change Modeler for Ecological Sustainability Module. See Computer Lab information below for
computer lab policies.
V. Additional Readings:
Part III from Gould, S.J. The Richness of Life (2006), edited by Steven Rose. Book is published by
W. W. Norton, New York. Used copies of the book are available through major online
bookstores.
VI. Class Policies and Expectations
Students are expected to attend class. Arriving in class late and departing is disruptive and
rude. Students should make every effort possible to get to class on time, and once there, STAY.
Cell phones (including text messaging) must be TURNED-OFF while you are in the classroom.
Make-up exams and extensions on lab assignments will not be given except in the event of
religious observance, documented illness, documented family emergency, or documented
Rutgers team event.
Please refer to the following website to review the policies on classroom etiquette:
http://geography.rutgers.edu/undergraduateprogram/current-ugrad/80-pol-classroom-etiquette
Workload expectations: It is expected that in addition to lecture time students will need to
spend an additional time outside study and for project work to achieve an average or
satisfactory grade in the course. While grades tend to be correlated with amount of time
devoted to study and work, they are based on the quality of the work, not the hours of effort.
VII. Computer Lab Information:
The computer lab is located in Lucy Stone Hall, Room B-266. B-251 is the alternate lab for
students to work when B-266 is used by other classes. The following web page contains detailed
information regarding schedule and user policies.
http://geography.rutgers.edu/computing/
Students will be given an account on the department's server. Your account allows you to gain
access to the software used in this course, gives you a place to store files (up to 3 GB) , allows
you to print your lab assignments off the lab's printers and use the plotter to print the poster for
your final project.
The data used for assignments will be stored and available to the students in the following
folder in the geography server: J:/class_404/Biogeography. Students will not be able to store
their data in that folder; personal files should be saved on student's space in the server (U:
drive). Space in the server is limited (3 GB) per students so students should make sure not to
exceed the quota. Files used in this class tend to be very big, please make sure to keep just the
essential data for labs and remove all unnecessary files.
VII. Course Agenda (Topics are subject to change)
Week
Date
Class set up
Jan 24th
1. Environmental
Setting: Geographic
Template
2. Visualization and
the Geographical
Template
3. Biogeographic
Patterns: Ecological
Foundations
4. Biogeographic
Patterns II
5. Biogeographic
Processes:
Dispersal and
Immigration
6. Biogeographic
Processes:
Changing Earth
Lecture Topic
Monday
Jan 28th
Jan 31
st
Monday
Feb 4th
Feb 7th
Monday
Feb 11th
Class set up. What
is Biogeography?
Definitions and
History of
Biogeography
Biodiversity and
relations to climate,
geology and soils
Visualization: the
use of GIS and
Remote Sensing
Distribution of
species: Mapping
and Measuring
geographic range
Distribution of
Communities and
Ecosystems: Time
Readings for class
discussion
Lomolino Chapter 1
and 2 pages 1-45
Lomolino
Chapter 3
47-68
Lomolino
Chapter 3
69-80
Lomolino
Chapter 4
Lomolino
Chapter 5
136-159
Monday
Feb 18th
Ecological
Succession and
disturbance
Lomolino
Chapter 5
Feb 21st
Terrestrial Biomes
Lomolino
Chapter 5
138-159
Monday
Feb 25th
Dispersal and
Immigration
Lomolino Chapter 6
Feb 28th
Speciation and
Extinction
Lomolino
Chapter 7
Monday
March 4th
Geological
Timescale and
continental drift
Lomolino
Chapter 8 259-299
March 7
Consequences of
Plate Tectonics
Lomolino 8. Gould,
S.J. The validation of
continental drift
Feb 14
th
Using IDRISI.
GIS Exercise.
Spatial patterns
of individuals –
Assignment 1
Due. Results
from GIS
exercise
Lomolino
Chapter 5
123-136
Distribution of
Communities and
Ecosystems: Space
th
Assignments/
Work in class
Visit to
Ecological
Preserve *
Assignment 2.
Essay on
Gould
7. First Mid Term
and Intro to
Evolutionary
Biogeography
8. NO CLASS
9. Intro to
Evolutionary
Biogeography
10. Introduction to
ecological
biogeography
11. Introduction to
Ecological
Biogeography
12. Conservation
Biogeography
13. Human
Impacts on current
patterns
14. Class Project
15. Presentations
Monday
Mar 11th
Mar 14th
First Mid-Term
Endemism and
Cosmopolitanism
Mar 18th
Mar 22nd
Lomolino Chap. 10
SPRING BREAK
Monday
Mar 25th
Maintenance of
distinct biota
Lomolino
Chapter 10
Mar 28th
Glaciations (history
of Biotas)
Lomolino
Chapter 12
Island
Biogeography
Equilibrium and
non equilibrium
biotas
Lomolino
Chapter 13
Monday
April 8th
Biodiversity
Gradients
Lomolino
Chapter 15
April 11th
Macroecology and
Ecogeography
Lomolino
Chapter 15
April 15th
Geography of
extinctions
Lomolino
Chapter 16
Monday
April 1st
April 4th
April 18th
April 22nd
Research Project:
Mapping Habitat
and Species
Distribution
Lomolino
Chapter 13
Visit to Ecological
PreserveLivingston*
Planet Earth From Pole to Pole
Effects of land use
on biodiversity
April 25th
Hansen et al., 2004
Second Mid term
Monday
April 29th
Class project:
habitat assessment.
IDRISI Andes, Tutorial Part 6: Land
Change Modeler exercises
May 2nd
Class project:
habitat assessment.
Class project: habitat assessment.
May 6th
Class presentations