Biological Sciences 112 Ecology
Instructor: Dr. Kelly Decker
Email: kdecker@napavalley.edu
Office phone: none
Office room: Biology Building, room 2038
Office Hours: by appointment
Class Meetings: Lecture: T&TH 9:30-10:45 Room 2030
Textbook: Environment 8th Edition Raven, Hassenzahl and Berg. The textbook is required.
Course Description: This is majors and non-majors course in Ecology and Environmental Science. We
will explore basic principles including global biology, diversity, ecophysiology, ecosystems,
communities, and populations. Humans’ role in shaping the environment will also be discussed.
Lecture Exams: There are three midterm exams and one final exam. The final is comprehensive. The
lectures, activities, and reading will be covered on the exams. Lecture attendance is critical for
success in this course; most of the material that you are required to master is given in lecture. If
you need to take the exam early please contact me as early as possible. In order to take an early
midterm you must receive my approval in advance of the midterm. Early midterms will only be
allowed in rare cases. In order to take an early final you must receive written approval from me.
If you have a documented medical excuse, you may take an exam late and you must contact me
before the scheduled exam, or as soon as possible after. Make up exams will only be given during
the last week of class. There will be no make up exams for the final, you will receive zero points
if you miss the final or if you miss a regular exam without contacting me prior to the exam.
.
Class Exercises and Homework: These will be assigned throughout the class, and there is no credit for
late work. Some exercises will depend on pre-reading the material assigned for the week.
Therefore, all reading must be done prior to the day’s class.
Course Points:
Midterm Exams = 150 points each
Final Exam = 200 points
Classwork/Homework assignments = 200 points total
Important Dates:
Last Day to Add: Feb 5th
Last Day to Drop without a “W”: Feb 7th
Last Day to Drop with a W: April 11th
Students in need of accommodations in the college learning environment:
Any student who feels s/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a learning disability should
contact Learning Services in the Library and Learning Resource Center (LLRC), room 1766, phone (707)
256-7442. A Learning Disability Specialist will review your needs and determine appropriate
accommodations.
If you need accommodations for physical or other types of disabilities, schedule an appointment with DSPS
Counselor, Sheryl Fernandez, in the Counseling Department located in the 1300 building, phone (707) 2567234 for appointment.
All information and documentation is confidential.
Please feel encouraged to make an appointment with me privately to discuss your specific learning needs in
my class.
Academic Honesty and Student Code of Conduct and college policies: Refer to the Catalog for a full
explanation, the following is an excerpt from the catalog
It is expected that a student’s academic work be of his/her own making, failure to abide by this standard of
conduct is considered to be academic dishonesty. Types of Academic Dishonesty include: Copying from
others on a quiz, examination, or assignment (“cheating”), allowing another student to copy one’s work on
a quiz, exam, or assignment, having others take any exam instead of taking the exam oneself, giving other
students information that allows the student an undeserved advantage on an exam, such as telling a peer
what to expect on a make-up exam or prepping a student for a test in another section of the same class
If a student cheats (for example: copies the answers from another student or has notes during the exam, has
a cell phone during the exam, changes answers on a scantron after they have been graded, retaining or
copying exam questions) they will receive a zero for the exam and your name will be forwarded to the Vice
President of Student Services. A second act of academic dishonesty will result in a zero for the course. I
consider lying to be an act of academic dishonesty.
Cell phones must be turned off and left in the front of the classroom during the exam. No notes will be
brought to your desk while taking the exam. All phones, bags, packs, notes, jackets, and hats will be left at
the front of the room. If you have any notes, books or cell phones with you while taking the exam you will
receive a zero for the exam. You may not leave and re-enter the exam in progress.
Plagarism is a form of cheating, if you copy information from the internet, books, friends, etc and use it as
your own work in a report, you will receive zero points.
Appropriate behavior in class: For the consideration of your fellow classmates, please turn off your cell
phones during class and exams. Please refrain from talking during class, if you have a question during
class, please raise your hand and ask the instructor. Come to class on time.
Student Learning Outcomes
1. Demonstrate skills in analysis through writing, exams, and group work in the classroom and in field
work.
2. Demonstrate a proficiency of knowledge in ecology and environmental biology.
Course Objectives
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Understand that evolution is the outcome of abiotic and biotic selective factors that result in
various physiological, behavioral, morphological, developmental adaptations.
Understand how these adaptations are always aiming at a moving target, because those abiotic and
biotic factors are constantly changing.
Know the major terrestrial and aquatic biomes on earth and what abiotic and biotic processes
dominate in them.
Understand structural and functional aspects of ecosystems, especially our local ecosystems.
Learn and understand the major impacts of humans on the environment: climate change,
extinction, habitat loss, pollution.
Understand the natural tension between the human biological imperative for growth and
sustainability.
Understand the basic principles of population, community, and ecosystem ecology
Biological Sciences 112
Week starting:
Jan 23
Jan 28-30
Feb 4-6
Feb 4-6
Feb 11-13
Feb 18-20
Feb 25-27
Mar 4-6
Mar 11-13
Mar 18-20
Mar 25-27
Apr 1-3
Apr 8-10
Apr 15-17
Apr 22-24
Apr 29-May 1
May 6-8
May 13-15
May 20-22
May 29
Lecture Topic
Introduction to course
Natural selection and adaptation
Adapting to the
environment/ecophysiology
Global Biology/ terrestrial biomes
Terrestrial biomes
Freshwater/brackish biomes
Exam 1; Marine biomes
Populations
Communities
Ecosystems
Spring Break
Ecosystems
Exam 2; Environmental Science
Human populations, agriculture
Urbanization; Toxicology
Pollution
Climate Change
Exam 3; Diversity
Diversity, Sustainability
Final Exam
Pre- Reading
Exercise/Exam/Prep
85-89
TBA
TBA
TBA
113-123
Ch 14,17
124-130; ch 13
130-138; 386-392
85-95
96-106
Ch3
TBA
TBA
TBA
Exam 1
TBA
TBA
TBA
Ch4
Ch 1-2
Ch 8, 370-386
Ch 9,7
Ch 19,21,23
Ch 20
Ch 16
Ch 16,24
TBA
Exam 2
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
FINAL EXAM