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Ecosphere in Crisis Lab
Biology 104, Section 7, Spring 2008
Fri 11:30-2:30, 110 Halsey
Dr. Bob Stelzer
Contact information:
Office Hours
Location
Mon. 10:30-11:30
Halsey 150
Wed. 11:30-12:30
and by appointment
Phone
424-0845
email
stelzer@uwosh.edu
Objectives of Lab:
To gain a fuller understanding of how humans interact with their environment through
participation in field & lab exercises and by reading and discussing articles treating
various aspects of environmental science. Issues such as energy use and supply, global
warming, water quality, and biodiversity are becoming increasingly important for the
livelihood of humans and for the sustainability of earth. We hope that by the end of Bio
104 you will be able to make more informed decisions about these issues.
Lab Schedule:
You will learn more in Lab and your grade will be better if you come to class prepared.
Read through the exercises and other handouts ahead of time. Carefully read the papers
for discussion and write down questions or comments that come to mind as you read the
articles. These will give you a way to participate in the discussions.
Point distribution:
Lab Reports (4*)
Quizzes (2)
Participation
40%
40%
20%
Overview of lab activities
The lab schedule is organized so most of the topics covered in lab will coincide with
coverage of these topics in lecture. You are expected to attend all labs. Lab reports are
required for the four exercises in the schedule noted by asterisks. The two Quizzes will be
designed to test your comprehension of material covered in Lab only (not lecture).
The first quiz will cover all lab material prior to the quiz. The second quiz will cover all
lab material since the first quiz. Your participation grade will be based on the quantity
and the quality of your participation during discussions of papers and films, discussion
during lab exercises, and attendance.
Quizzes, lab reports and other field & lab activities must be done (or turned in the case of
lab reports) at their scheduled times. Lab reports should be typed and turned in as hard
copies (not by email). Make-ups, where possible, will only be given if you provide a
valid, documented excuse. Make-ups must be completed within one week of the missed
activity. Late assignments will be docked 10% for each day they are late.
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Week
4-8 Feb
11-15 Feb
18-22 Feb
25-29 Feb
3-7 March
10-14 March
17-21 March
24-28 March
31 March4 Apr
7-11 Apr
14-18 Apr
21-25 Apr
28 Apr2 May
5-9 May
12-16 May
Lab
Introduction and small group discussions; Introduction to Ecological
Footprint Exercise
Ecological Footprint Exercise* (lab report due Feb. 15); Discussion of
class data and the articles “A blot on the land” by Rees and
“Ecological footprints: evaluating sustainability” by Palmer.
Guest Speaker: Mr. Pete Knigge, “Farming in Wisconsin”
Film: “Food Fight”; Discuss film and paper “Environmental,
energetic, and economic comparisons of organic and conventional
farming systems” by Pimental and co-authors.
No lab; Stelzer at American Water Resources Association Meeting
Discussion of “Material flows for a sustainable city” by Ackerman
and “Landfills expand energy output” by Weeks; Quiz 1
Field Trip: Landfills; for Apr. 4 read Global nitrogen cycling out of
control” by Fields and “Dead zones spreading in world oceans” by
Dybas.
Spring Break
Water Quality Lab* (lab report due Apr. 11)
Film: An Inconvenient Truth; Discussion of film and “A climate
repair manual” by Stix and “A plan to keep carbon in check” Socolow
and Pacala. Introduction to CO2 emission Lab
Exercise: Calculation of personal CO2 emissions* (lab report due Apr.
18); compile and discuss class CO2 emission data
Introduction to Biodiversity Lab; Discussion of “Where rivers are
born: the scientific imperative for defending small streams and
wetlands” by Meyer and co-authors
Field Trip: Biodiversity of Waukau Cr.* (lab report due May 9)
Field Trip: Terrell’s Island Wetland
Quiz 2
Where to find the Articles for discussion:
All of the articles will be posted as pdf files on D2L. You will need to use a computer that
has Adobe Reader to read pdf files. See
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html to download a free copy of Adobe
Reader.
Statement on Disabilities: Students who have physical or learning disabilities who wish
to request academic adjustments should notify the Disabilities office so that appropriate
accommodations can be made. For more information call or visit the Counseling Center
or Disabilities Services (424-2404).
Academic Integrity: If you decide to cheat on a quiz or to engage in other forms of
academic misconduct (e.g. plagiarism) you will be subject to the Student Academic
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Disciplinary Procedures as outlined in the Student Disciplinary Code
(http://www.uwosh.edu/dean). Under Chapter UWS 14 (Student Academic Disciplinary
Procedures), “academic misconduct” means an act in which a student (UWS 14.03):
a) seeks to claim credit for the work or efforts of another without authorization or
citation;
b) uses unauthorized materials or fabricated data in any academic exercise;
c) forges or falsifies academic documents or records:
d) intentionally impedes or damages the academic work of others;
e) engages in conduct aimed at making a false representation of a student’s academic
performance; or
f) assists other students in any of these acts.