BIOLOGY 2F03
Fundamental and Applied Ecology
Fall 2014
Instructor:
Dr. Jurek Kolasa (LS 340)
kolasa@mcmaster.ca Office hours: by
appointment via email.
Course Coordinator:
Mr. Marvin Gunderman (LS 116)
gundermn@mcmaster.ca
Instructor Contact:
For all lab section changes, permission for missing
coursework/midterms, contact Mr. Gunderman via email.
Calendar Description:
An introduction to fundamental ecological principles and
illustration of these are applied to current environmental
problems at the level of organisms, populations and ecosystems.
Course Objective:
Understand basic ecological concepts and current problems in
biodiversity loss, explore reasons that threaten biodiversity in
Canada and in the world, and become familiar with possible
solutions; develop communication (lab discussions) and
independent analytic skills by completing independent computer
exercises.
Required Resources:
“Ecology: Concepts and Applications” by Molles and Cahill
(2011) and two Simbio software modules (“Population
Growth”, “The Barnacle Zone”).
Lectures: Monday, Thursday 12:30-1:20, Tuesday 1:30-2:20. TSH-120
Labs: Bi-weekly 3-h Field Trip, Lab Discussions, Computer Exercises.
Labs
Grading Scheme:
Midterm test
Cumulative Final Exam
40%
Participation (labs)
10%
Leading lab discussions
Assignments (5% each:
Cootes and two SimuText
reports)
15%
15%
25%
35%
There will not be any deferred midterms or presentations. The final mark will be based on a
combination of the three components (Final Exam alone or Final Exam and Midterm test or Labs
or both) that leads to the highest mark. Thus, except for the final exam, midterm test and labs will
not affect the calculations negatively if you do not gain good marks in them or even if you skip
them altogether. However, it will affect your knowledge. Lab and Midterm marks can lift your
course mark whenever they turn out better than the final exam score. It is in the student interest to
participate in all course work to increase the chance of receiving a high mark. Note that the final
exam will have about one-third of the questions based on the labs (discussions and computer
exercises) to reflect their contributions to the course.
Example of marking scheme:
All labs Midterm combined /25 /40 Student 1 Student 2 Student 3 Student 4 100 100 75 0 0 100 75 80 Final exam /35 Course mark % 50 50 90 92 62.5 82.5 90 92 Biology 2F03 Important Information:
1. Avenue to Learn will be used to communicate with students in this course
and lecture handouts or supplements may be downloaded from Avenue.
Please consult this regularly (minimum once each week) to keep up with
updates and last-minute instructions regarding meeting instructions. You are
also encouraged to use this to further your class discussions with classmates
and myself. Students should be aware that, when they access the electronic
components of this course, private information such as first and last names,
user names for the McMaster e-mail accounts, and program affiliation may
become apparent to all other students in the same course. The available
information is dependent on the technology used. Continuation in this course
will be deemed consent to this disclosure. If you have any questions or
concerns about such disclosure please discuss this with the course instructor.
2. Labs. Find the schedule that looks like this on Avenue in the Tutorial
general info section. It is not included here as changes are necessary during
the first week of classes.
Cootes hike
Sect 1 Sect 2 Sect 3 Sect 4 Sect 5 Sect 6 Sect 7 Sect 8 15/09‐26/09 15/09‐26/09 15/09‐26/09 15/09‐26/09 15/09‐26/09 15/09‐26/09 15/09‐26/09 15/09‐26/09 Discussion
1 starts
6/10 20/10 6/10 20/10 6/10 20/10 6/10 20/10 Discussion
2 starts
3/11
10/11
3/11
10/11
3/11
10/11
3/11
10/11
Discussion
3 starts
17/11
24/11
17/11
24/11
17/11
24/11
17/11
24/11
Populatio
n Growth
report
due:
Barnacle
Zone
report
due:
Sep 26
Sep 26
Sep 26
Sep 26
Sep 26
Sep 26
Sep 26
Sep 26
Oct 24
Oct 24
Oct 24
Oct 24
Oct 24
Oct 24
Oct 24
Oct 24
Your
TA
name
TA email
Sect 9 Sect 10 Sect 11 Sect 12 Sect 13 Sect 14 Sect 15 Sect 16 Sect 17 Sect 18 3.
15/09‐26/09 15/09‐26/09 15/09‐26/09 15/09‐26/09 15/09‐26/09 15/09‐26/09 15/09‐26/09 15/09‐26/09 15/09‐26/09 15/09‐26/09 6/10 20/10 6/10 20/10 6/10 20/10 6/10 20/10 6/10 20/10 3/11
10/11
3/11
10/11
3/11
10/11
3/11
10/11
3/11
10/11
17/11
24/11
17/11
24/11
17/11
24/11
17/11
24/11
17/11
24/11
Sep 26
Sep 26
Sep 26
Sep 26
Sep 26
Sep 26
Sep 26
Sep 26
Sep 26
Sep 26
Oct 24
Oct 24
Oct 24
Oct 24
Oct 24
Oct 24
Oct 24
Oct 24
Oct 24
Oct 24
Teaching philosophy. The course aims to foster independent study skills. To achieve
this aim, students will be asked to take their own class notes, study material from the
textbook to expand and supplement the lectures and do so as they see necessary to firm
up their knowledge and understanding (the instructor will not prescribe specific
readings), to develop judgment as to which facts and ideas are indispensable, to engage
in discussions of the material on Avenue, and to collaborate in learning. A range of
specific ways on how to approach these challenges will be explained in class.
4. Academic dishonesty. You are expected to exhibit honesty and use ethical
behavior in all aspects of the learning process. Academic credentials you earn
are rooted in principles of honesty and academic integrity. Academic
dishonesty is to knowingly act or fail to act in a way that results or could result
in unearned academic credit or advantage. This behavior can lead to serious
consequences, e.g. a grade of zero on an assignment, loss of credit with a
notation on the transcript (notation reads: “Grade of F assigned for academic
dishonesty”), and/or suspension or expulsion from the university.
It is your responsibility to understand what constitutes academic dishonesty.
For information on the various types of academic dishonesty please refer to
the Academic Integrity Policy, located at
http://www.mcmaster.ca/academicintegrity
The following illustrates only three forms of academic dishonesty:
•
Plagiarism, e.g. the submission of work that is not one’s own or for which
other credit has been obtained.
•
Improper collaboration in group-work.
•
Copying or using unauthorized aids in tests and examinations.
The following are some pitfalls experienced by previous students:
•
If you use any information from the internet, verbatim or paraphrased, and
you do not acknowledge the source, then you have plagiarized.
•
If you work with a classmate and have an identical written answer (i.e.,
•
sentences or phrases have the identical wording or phrasing), then you have
plagiarized.
If you copy a photograph or a graph from the internet and do not
acknowledge the source, you have plagiarized.
If you are found to have committed plagiarism, you will automatically
receive a grade of zero for the given assignment. There will not be any
exceptions to this rule.
5. All assignments are due by 5pm and must be deposited in the drop box
labeled with the appropriate course name outside of LSB 116.
6. Policy on missed work, extensions, late penalties and missed exams:
Our policy is simple:
•
There will not be any deferred midterms or presentations.
•
The final mark will be based on the final exam and other components as
per the grading scheme outlined earlier.
•
The calculation of all completed, eligible work that leads to the highest
mark will be used.
•
Thus, except for the final exam, tests and labs can be seen as optional. It is
in the student interest to participate in all course work to increase the
chance of receiving a high mark.
7. Only McMaster-approved calculators (Casio FX-991) are allowed for
midterms and final exams. This does not apply to the course as we will not be
doing any calculations that require technical aids.
8. The instructor and university reserve the right to modify elements of the
course during the term. The university may change the dates and deadlines for
any or all courses in extreme circumstances. If either type of modification
becomes necessary, reasonable notice and communication with the students
will be given with explanation and the opportunity to comment on changes. It
is the responsibility of the student to check their McMaster email and course
websites weekly during the term and to note any changes.
* Serves to catch up with broader topics, may be dropped sometimes
Topics and approximate dates (updated Aug 29)
Topic
Date
Comments
Sect I Natural History
Sep-05
About the course and what is ecology
Chapter 1
Sep-6
Life on land
Chapter 2
Sep-9
Life on land
Chapter 2
Sep-11
Life in water
Chapter 3
Sep-15
Catch up lecture
Sect II Individuals
Sep-16
Temperature relations
Chapter 5
Sep-18
Water relations
Chapter 6
Sep-22
Energy and nutrients
Chapter 7
Sep-23
Energy and nutrients
Chapter 7
Sect III Population Ecology
Sep-25
Distribution and abundance species
Chapter 10
Distribution and abundance species
Chapter 10
Sep-30
Population structure
Chapter 11
Oct-02
Population growth
Chapter 11
Sep-29
Sect IV Interactions
Oct-06
Oct-7
Competition
Chapter 13
Competition
Chapter 13
Oct-9
Herbivory and predation
Oct-13
Thanksgiving Holiday
Oct-14
Herbivory and predation
Chapter 14
at home
Chapter 15
Oct-16
Mutualism, parasitism, and disease
Chapter 15
Oct-20
Midterm test
in class
Sect V Communities and Ecosystems
Oct-21
Species abundance and diversity
Chapter 16
Oct-23
Species interactions and community structure
Chapter 17
Oct-27
Insect guest lecture: Mr. M. Gunderman (Dept
Biology)
Oct-28
Insect guest lecture: Mr. M. Gunderman (Dept
Biology)
Oct-30
Species interactions and community structure
Chapter 17
Nov-03
Succession and stability
Chapter 18
Nov-04
Succession and stability
Chapter 18
Nov-6
Production and energy flow
Chapter 19
Nov-10
Production and energy flow
Chapter 19
Nov-11
Nutrient cycling and retention
Chapter 20
Nov-13
Catch up lecture
Sect VI Large-scale ecology
Nov-17
Landscape ecology
Chapter 21
Nov-18
Macroecology
Chapter 22
Nov-20
Macroecology
Chapter 22
Nov-24
Global ecology
Chapter 23
Nov-25
Global ecology
Chapter 23
Nov-27
Catch up lecture
Dec-1
Review of the material
Dec 2
Review of the material
Lab locations (for Discussions)
L01Mo
L02Mo
L03Mo
L04Mo
L05Tu
L06Tu
L07Tu
L08Tu
L09We
L10We
L11We
L12We
L13Th
L14Th
L15Th
L16Th
L17Fr
L18Fr
08:30
08:30
14:30
14:30
08:30
08:30
14:30
14:30
08:30
08:30
14:30
14:30
08:30
08:30
14:30
14:30
08:30
08:30
11:20
11:20
17:20
17:20
11:20
11:20
17:20
17:20
11:20
11:20
17:20
17:20
11:20
11:20
17:20
17:20
11:20
11:20
KTH/B103
KTH/105
KTH/B103
KTH/105
KTH/B103
KTH/105
KTH/B103
KTH/105
KTH/B103
KTH/105
KTH/B103
KTH/105
KTH/B103
KTH/105
KTH/B107
KTH/B103
KTH/B103
KTH/105