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BIOL 612
Freshwater Ecology
COURSE SYLLABUS
FALL 2014
Time: MWF 10:30, T 1:30-4:20 lab
Location: Lecture W 025; Lab AK 228
Instructor: Walter Dodds
Office: 113 Bushnell; Phone: 532-6998
Email: wkdodds@ksu.edu
Office Hours: by appointment or walk in
Assistant: Allison Veach Office: 333 Ackert Email: amveach@ksu.edu Office Hours: by appointment
Assistant: Matt Trentman Office: 108 Bushnell Email: mtrentman@ksu.edu Office Hours: by appointment
Text: Freshwater Ecology: Concepts and Environmental Applications 2nd edition
Lab Manual: available for copying, or download from the course web page.
Course Web Page Address: http://www.k-state.edu/doddslab/limnology/limnology.html
Course materials: Videos of lecture are available, though they are from 2012 so the student still has the final
responsibility for determining what was said in class this year that is what will be tested on. The list of youtubes
is found in the link above. Lecture powerpoints are also available.
I. Course Requirements
Midterm 1
15%
Midterm 2
15%
Midterm 3
15%
Final
15%
Questions
Laboratory notebook
Final practicum
Paper reports
6%
20%
10%
4%
II. Course Goals
To provide students with an understanding of the applied and theoretical aspects of aquatic systems. This
includes some general ecological principles and basics of stream, lake, wetland, and groundwater ecology and
management. Environmental issues will be covered. Synthetic understanding is the goal.
III. Lectures
Please come to class prepared to discuss the materials, schedule is tentative, except exam dates
Day
Date
M
W
F
Aug
25
27
29
M
W
F
Sep
1
3
5
Lecture
Reading
Introduction
Properties of Water
Properties of Water
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
University Holiday
Hydrology and Physiography Groundwater
Wetland Physiography
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
M
W
F
8
10
12
Physiography Streams
Physiography Lakes
Organisms intro
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
M
W
F
15
17
19
Organisms Microbes/ Plants
Organisms Microbes/ Plants
Organisms Animals
Chapter 9
M
W
F
22
24
26
Biodiversity
Biodiversity
First exam
Chapter 11
Chapter 10
2
M
W
Oct
29
1
General Chemistry & Redox
Oxygen
Chapter 12 (last drop day w/o a W)
F
3
M
W
F
6
8
10
Carbon
Nitrogen
Sulfur
M
W
F
13
15
17
Phosphorus and iron
Extreme or Unusual Environments
Toxic Chemicals
M
W
F
20
22
24
Toxic Chemicals
Second exam
Extreme Environments
M
W
F
27
29
31
Nutrient use
Nutrient Limitation
Chapter 17
(last day to drop)
3
5
7
Eutrophication
Eutrophication
Eutrophication
Chapter 18
M
W
F
10
12
14
Guest lecture
Micro-ecology
Micro-ecology
M
W
F
17
19
21
Predation
Predation
Other interactions
M
W
F
24
26
28
University Holiday
University Holiday
Thanksgiving
M
W
F
M
W
F
Nov
Dec
1
3
5
Photosynthesis
Community
Ecosystems
Third exam
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 24
M
8 Ecosystems
W
10 Ecosystems
F
12 Prospects for the future, final review
Chapter 25
Tues
15 Final examination 11:50
Use lab time?
‘Question of the day’ is required for every class. Each question is worth 2 points, 1 point for effort and one for content.
Percent will be calculated as total points /(total classes*2-12). There will also be 1 extra credit test point for each unique
error found in the text. We will schedule in 2 paper reports and you can choose from a list. This will be 1 paragraph written
what you liked and did not like, and a 3-5 minute class presentation.
Required Statements:
1. Statement Regarding Academic Honesty
Kansas State University has an Honor System based on personal integrity, which is presumed to be sufficient assurance that, in
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academic matters, one's work is performed honestly and without unauthorized assistance. Undergraduate and graduate students, by
registration, acknowledge the jurisdiction of the Honor System. The policies and procedures of the Honor System apply to all full and
part-time students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate courses on-campus, off-campus, and via distance learning. The honor
system website can be reached via the following URL: www.ksu.edu/honor. A component vital to the Honor System is the inclusion
of the Honor Pledge which applies to all assignments, examinations, or other course work undertaken by students. The Honor Pledge
is implied, whether or not it is stated: "On my honor, as a student, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid on this academic
work." A grade of XF can result from a breach of academic honesty. The F indicates failure in the course; the X indicates the reason is
an Honor Pledge violation.
Any form of plagiarism will not be tolerated. Examples of plagiarism can be found at http://www.kstate.
edu/honor/students/examples.htm.
2. Statements for Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
Any student with a disability who needs a classroom accommodation, access to technology or other academic assistance in this course
should contact Disability Support Services (dss@k-state.edu) and/or the instructor. DSS serves students with a wide range of
disabilities including, but not limited to, physical disabilities, sensory impairments, learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder,
depression, and anxiety.
3. Statement Defining Expectations for Classroom Conduct
All student activities in the University, including this course, are governed by the Student Judicial Conduct Code as outlined in the
Student Governing Association By Laws, Article VI, Section 3, number 2. Students who engage in behavior that disrupts the learning
environment may be asked to leave the class.
Kansas State University is a community of students, faculty, and staff who work together to discover new knowledge, create new ideas,
and share the results of their scholarly inquiry with the wider public. Although new ideas or research results may be controversial or
challenge established views, the health and growth of any society requires frank intellectual exchange. Academic freedom protects this
type of free exchange and is thus essential to any university’s mission.
Moreover, academic freedom supports collaborative work in the pursuit of truth and the dissemination of knowledge in an environment
of inquiry, respectful debate, and professionalism. Academic freedom is not limited to the classroom or to scientific and scholarly
research, but extends to the life of the university as well as to larger social and political questions. It is the right and responsibility of the
university community to engage with such issues.