SEMESTER ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE CALENDAR – SEPT./OCT. 2016
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
9/4
Week 1
Intro to
Ecosystems
Science
Noon: Picnic
Welcome &
Orientation
14:30 Starr 209
(classroom)
Pick up books,
lab, field gear
Wednesday
9/5
9/6
9/11
Week 2
Ecosystem
Primary
Production
SES office
9/12
08:00 Wk 1 Biomass
problem set due
9/13
08:30 Foreman
Aquatic Primary
Production
08:30 Cardon
The Fates of Energy: 10:15-noon Elective
Water Cycling,
13:30-17:00 Heskel
Photosynthesis &
Lab: NPP from tree
Primary Production
cores; leaf areas and
on Land
data work up
10:30-17:00 HeskelField Day: Leaf level
CO2 flux measurements from forest &
Grassland sites
9/18
Week 3
Fate of
Organic
Matter
Produced
on Land
and Water
9/25
Week 4
Fate of
Organic
Matter in
Ecosystems &
Secondary
Production
9/7
8:30 Starr 209
8:30-10:00 Melillo
08:30-10:00 Cardon
Intro to Core Course How Humans are
Physical Forcing:
Altering
the
Earth
as
Climate, Micro-climate
08:45-10:00 Giblin
an
Ecosystem:
The
and Energy Balance.
Earth as an EcosysGlobal
Carbon
Cycle
tem: 4 Billion years
of Biogeochemistry
10:15-noon Elective 10:30–17:00
10:30–17:00 Lb 208
13:30-17:00, Lb 208 Foreman Lb 208
Neill Field Day:
Neill Lab (Loeb 209) Field Day; Aquatic
Forest Biomass
Biomass Lab
Forest Biomass
19:30 (Starr 209)
Return Optional Field
Analysis, leaf area
Bonnie Kwiatkowski measurements, etc. Trip selections form to
Computer Orientation &
Problem Solving
9/19
08:00 Terrestrial
Primary Prod. Prob.
Set due
9/20
08:30-10:00
Melillo Litter
Decomposition &
Fate of Organic
Matter on Land.
0800–Noon Lb 208
Foreman Aquatic
Lab / Field Day
10:15-noon Elective
Primary production.
Collect incubate & fix
initial water samples
Extract Chl a; Run
CHN filters from
biomass Lab (Wk 1)
Titrate bottles; Start
calculations; Measure
Chl a in carboy H2O
9/26
0800 Aquatic Primary
Prod. Lab Report due
13:30 Foreman
Aquatic Primary
Production Lab.
9/27
08:30 Deegan
Use of Isotopes to
Study Ecosystems.
8:30-10:00 Deegan
Secondary Production
Ecological Efficiency. 10:15-noon Elective
10:30–17:00
13:30-17:00
Deegan Field Day
Deegan Lab Day
Trophic / Community
Sorting, identifying &
Structure in Aquatic
counting organisms
Systems: collect Biota from Aquatic Sites
West Falmouth Harbor,
Waquoit, Johns Pond
Thursday
printed: 9/7/2016 9:51 AM
Friday
Saturday
9/8
8:30 Shaver
The Ecosystem
Concept & Major
Themes of Ecosystem Studies
9/9
8:30-12:00 Neill
Foreman Biomass
calculation discussion
& initial synthesis.
10:15-noon Elective
Students introduced to
Center staff at Donuts.
Lunch – Foreman
13:30-15:00 Liles
Project Discussion
13:30–17:00
Foreman Lb 208
Aquatic Lab
Biomass Analysis
9/14
Science Journalism
15:00-16:00
Library/Security
Orientation
16:00-17:00
Safety/IT Lecture MBL
(Starr 209)
9/15
9/16
08:30-10:00 Shaver
Ecosystem & Net
Primary Production at
Regional to Global
Scales
08:30-10:00 Shaver
Disturbance, Environmental Variation and
Feedbacks– Controls
on Carbon Balances
08:30–noon Neill/
Foreman (Starr 209)
Student-led Presentations: Terrestrial &
10:30 McHorney /
10:15-noon Elective
Foreman Terrestrial
Field Day; FWTP
Tour & Orientation
Pack CHN filters from
Week 1
Depart
SWOPE 09:00
for
Provincetown,
noon cruise
return for
dinner
9/17
Aquatic Ecosystem
Primary Producer
Biomass
Data work-up; Forest Dr. Tony D’Amato
NPP & GPP
U. Vermont Sustaining
Return Wk 1 Prob Set Forest Ecosystems in
the Face of Global
Change (Lillie
Auditorium)
9/21
9/28
WHALE
WATCH
(SAT OR
SUNDAY)
13:30-17:00 Heskel 15:00-16:30 – DSS
9/22
08:30 Giblin
08:30 Huber
Decomposition,
Molecular Methods
Aerobic / Anaerobic
in Ecosystems
Respiration, Redox
Science
Chemistry.
10:15-noon Elective
10:30 – noon Liles
Science Journalism 13:30 Lab work-up
Data: Complete calcForeman Primary
ulations & presentaProduction Lab
tions Aquatic Primary
Calculate daily rates
of GPP, R, NCP;
Scale to pond / bay.
Finish data work-up.
9/10
Production
9/23
08:30–noon
Heskel / Foreman
(Starr 209)
Students present &
discuss results of
Primary Production
Lab, contrast P/B on
Land and Water
15:00-16:30 – DSS
9/24
PIE FIELD
TRIP
(OPTIONAL)
Depart for Plum
Island Saturday
morning, return
Sunday
afternoon
Dr. Tim Essington
U. Washington.
Tradeoffs in Ecosystem Services (Lillie
Auditorium)
9/29
08:30 Hobbie
Plant-Microbe
Interactions and
Decomposer
Organisms
08:30-Tang
Energy Balance and
Soil Respiration in
Terrestrial Systems
13:30-17:00
Deegan Lab Day
Finish sorting, ID
and counts; begin
calculations.
13:30 Deegan
Lab -Prepare isotope
10:15-noon Elective
samples, complete
trophic pyramids of
numbers, biomass,
and production.
9/30
8:30-noon Deegan
Student-led discussion Secondary
Production and
Trophic Pyramids.
Synthesis of data on
food webs; choose
samples for Isotope
Analysis
10/1
SES PROGRAM CALENDAR – OCTOBER 2016
Sunday
Monday
10/2
Week 5
Ecosystem
Stoichiometry
and Biogeochemistry
Tuesday
10/3
08:00 Lab Rpt Due
Trophic Pyramids
Wednesday
10/4
08:30 Giblin The
Phosphorus Cycle
08:30-10:00 Giblin 10:15-noon Elective
The Nitrogen Cycle
13:30-17:00 Tang
10:30-17:00 Tang
Terrestrial. Lab Terrestrial. Field
Prepare soil for
Day – Soil pits, soil C/N, pack wood
respiration,
and foliage, extract
soils for N-mineralization estimate
10/5
08:30 Giblin
Ecosystem
Stoichiometry
10:30-17:00 Giblin
Aquatic Field Day
Collect W. Falmouth
Harbor & Waquoit
Bay sediment cores;
Siders Pond /Johns
Pond water column
profiling.
Distribute Midterm
Study Questions
10/9
Week 6
Nitrogen and
Phosphorus
Cycling &
Budgets
DAY OFF
COLUMBUS DAY
10/16
Week 7
10/17
08:00-12:30
Land-Water
Interactions
Note:
Meet with
possible project
mentors during
next two weeks
10/23
Week 8
10/10
Current Issues
in Ecosystems
Science
MID-TERM EXAM
10/11
08:00 Report due
Terrestrial Ecosystem Soil Respiration
& N-mineralization
09:00-17:00
McHorney Lab H2O
Budget & Nutrient
Analysis – AM
Standard Curve
Competition;
PM Analyze NO3, NH4
& PO4 in rainfall, soil
water, groundwater
10/6
08:30 Conte
Decomposition and
Fate of Organic
Matter in the Sea
10:15-noon Elective
13:30 Giblin
Aquatic Lab Day
Core incubations.
Analyze Pond
samples. Prepare
sediments & soils
for C/N analysis
10/12
10/13
8:30 Giblin
Acid Deposition, Ion
Exchange & Charge
Balance
08:30 Foreman
8:30 –10:00 Liles
Coastal Nutrient Load- Science Journalism
ing and Eutrophication
10:15-noon Elective
10:30-noon
13:30-17:00 Tang
10:15-noon Elective Foreman, TA’s
Discussion of project Calculate N & C
13:30–17:00
stocks in soils, trees
ideas
Foreman/ Tang
& litter; Soil Respir13:30-17:00 Giblin
LAB: Run CHN on
Calculate core fluxes, ation and Nitrogen
foliage, wood, soils;
sediment CHN & water Mineralization
Begin to calculate soil
column nutrients
respiration.
10/18
10/19
08:30 Neill The
8:30 –10:00 Liles
Science Journalism Hubbard Brook
10:15-noon Elective
13:30-17:00 Giblin/
Prepare for Week 5-6
Tang (Starr 209)
project presentations
Student-led presentation discussion
SES Project Mentor
Week 5-6 Fate of
Planning Meetings
Organic Matter and
Ecosystem Stoichiometry
10/24
Thursday
Watershed Story.
08:30 Neill
Deforestation in the
Tropics.
10:30-17:00
Foreman/McHorney
Water & Nutrient
Budget Lab Sample
streams & groundwater, Massachusetts
Alternative Septic
System Test Center
(MASSTC)
10:15-noon Elective
10/26
10/27
10/25
08:30 Giblin Human 08:00 – Project
Draft Proposal Due
Alteration of Global
Element Cycles
08:30 Neill
10:15 - Elective
Loss of Ecosystem
Services.
13:30-17:00
13:30-17:00
Foreman/Neill
McHorney /Neill –
Nutrient Analysis
2nd
Discussion and
Calculations
10/20
Water Nutrient
Budget Lab – Water
balance calculations
13:30 McHorney /
Neill – Water &
Nutrient Budget
Lab Sampling soil
solution-water at
terrestrial sites.
Friday
Saturday
10/7
08:00 –12:00
McHorney / Giblin
Lab Analysis of
nutrients (NO3,
NH4, PO4) in
samples of water
and soils (KCL)
extracts
13:30 –15:00
Complete nutrient
lab analysis/workup
10/14
08:30-Noon
OPTIONAL Q & A
for Midterm exam;
review problems
15:00-16:30 –DSS
Dr. Donald Canfield
U. South Denmark
Breathing Easy at Night:
Atmospheric Oxygen
and Biological Evolution
(Lillie Auditorium)
10/21
H2O / Nutrient
Budget Lab
GIS/Nutrient Loading
13:30-15:00 Liles
Writing Seminar
17:00 Report due
Stoichiometry and
Fate of Organic
Matter in Aquatic
Ecosystems
10/28
Budget Calculations
Water Nutrient
Budget Lab Student
discussion and
presentations.
Applied Science
Scenarios & Report
Preparation
10/22
08:30 -12:00
Hayn / Foreman
08:30-noon
Neill / Foreman
13:30-17:00
10/15
08:00 – 1st Project
Concept Paper Due
08:30-10:00 Neill /
Foreman Nutrient
10:15- Elective
10/8
15:00-16:30 –DSS
Dr. Susan Kidwell
U. Chicago
Dead Shells Do Tell
Tales: Evaluating
Human Impacts
Using the Youngest
Fossil Record (Lillie
Auditorium)
10/29
Cape Cod
Marathon Relay
Sunday 30th
Students, Alumni
vs. Faculty
SES PROGRAM CALENDAR – NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016
Sunday
Monday
10/30
Week 9
What Species Do
in Ecosystems
Faculty Challenge
Reunion Picnic
Tuesday
10/31
08:00 CrossSystem Flux Lab
Report due.
08:30 Deegan
What Species do
in Ecosystems
13:30–17:00
Deegan Lab
Isotopes and Food
Web Data Work-up
Happy Halloween
11/6
Week 10
Current Issues in
Ecosystems
Science cont’d.
11/1
08:30 Deegan
Nutrient Transport
by Animals
10:15 Elective
13:30–17:00
Deegan Lab
Isotopes and Food
Web Data Work-up
and Discussion.
Return Draft Project
Proposal. Distribute
Study Question for
Final
11/7
08:00 Final
Project Proposal
Due
Wednesday
11/8
08:30 Elective
Project Work
DAYLIGHT SAVINGS
15:30-17:00 Liles
TIME ENDS (GAIN HOUR) Writing Seminar
Week 11
11/13
08:30 Foreman
Resource &
Predation Controls
on Production
13:30-17:00
Deegan:
Friday
11/3
11/4
Ecosystems Assessment of Fisheries
Exploitation
Students present
project proposals
and preliminary data
10:15 Elective
14:00-17:00
Q&A, Final Exam
Review (optional)
11/10
8:00-12:30
08:30 Elective
Core
FINAL EXAM
Project Work
11/15
Project Work
11/16
11/11
Project Work
11/17
11/12
New England
Aquarium
Boston Field
Trip
(optional)
11/18
11/19
11/25
11/26
Project Work
Project Work
Project Work
11/5
08:00-12:30
08:30 Deegan
Lab/ Student
Presentations &
Discussion Isotope
/ Food Web
11/9
Saturday
Project Work
11/14
Project Work
11/2
Thursday
15:30-17:00 Liles
Writing Seminar
11/20
Week 12
11/21
11/22
11/24
.
Project Work
Project Work
11/23
Project Work
Thanksgiving Break
15:30-17:00 Liles
Writing Seminar
Final Paper Due
11/27
11/28
Week 13
Project Work
Project Work
12/4
Week 14
12/5
Project Work
12/11
Week 15
Project Work
12/19
Noon
FINAL Project
Report Due (written
& electronic Word,
Powerpt, Excel files)
11/30
Project Work
12/6
Project Work
12/12
12/18
Week 16
11/29
12/7
Project Work
12/20
End of Course
Check out
12/14
Project Work
17:00 Draft Project
Report Returned
12/21
12/2
12/3
Project Work
Project Work
Project Work
12/13
12/1
17:00 Project
Progress Report Due
12/8
Project Work
12/9
12/10
Project Work
08:30 Project
DRAFT Report Due
12/15
12/16
12/17
Student Research
Project Work
SYMPOSIUM
Oral Project Reports
12/22
12/23
Merry Christmas &
Happy Hanukkah
12/24