SEMESTER ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE CALENDAR – SEPT./OCT. 2015
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
9/6
Week 1
Intro to
Ecosystems
Science
Noon: Picnic
Welcome &
Orientation
14:30 Starr 209
(classroom)
Pick up books,
lab, field gear
Wednesday
9/7
9/8
8:30 Starr 209
8:30-10:00 Melillo
Intro to Core Course How Humans are
08:45-10:00 Giblin Altering the Earth as
Earth as an Ecosys- an Ecosystem: The
Global Carbon Cycle
tem: 4 Billion years
of Biogeochemistry
10:15-noon Elective
10:30–17:00 Lb 208
13:30-17:00, Lb 208
Shaver Field Day:
Shaver Lab (Loeb
Forest Biomass
209) Forest Biomass
19:30 (Starr 209)
Analysis, leaf area
Bonnie Kwiatkowski measurements, etc.
Computer Orientation &
Problem Solving
9/13
Week 2
Ecosystem
Primary
Production
9/14
08:00 Wk 1 Biomass
problem set due
08:30 Cardon
Photosynthesis,
Water Balance and
Primary Production
on Land.
Week 3
Fate of
Organic
Matter
Produced
on Land
and Water
9/27
Week 4
Fate of
Organic
Matter in
Ecosystems &
Secondary
Production
9/21
08:00 Terrestrial
Primary Prod. Prob.
Set due
0800–Noon Lb 208
Foreman Aquatic
Lab / Field Day
Primary production.
Collect incubate & fix
initial water samples
Extract Chl a; Run
CHN filters from
biomass Lab (Wk 1)
9/28
08:30 Foreman
Aquatic Primary
Production
10:15-noon Elective
9/22
08:30-10:00
Melillo Litter
Decomposition &
Fate of Organic
Matter on Land.
10:15-noon Elective
13:30 Foreman
Aquatic Primary
Production Lab.
Titrate bottles; Start
calculations; Measure
Chl a in carboy H2O
9/29
0800 Aquatic Primary 08:30 Deegan
Prod. Lab Report due Use of Isotopes to
8:30-10:00 Deegan
Secondary Production & Ecological
Efficiency.
10:30–17:00
Deegan Field Day
Trophic / Community
Structure in Aquatic
Systems: collect Biota
West Falmouth Harbor,
Waquoit, Johns Pond
8:30 Peterson
Surprises from Greenhouse Gas Buildup:
The Pan-Arctic Water
Balance & Abrupt
Climate Change.
10:30–17:00
Foreman Lb 208
Field Day; Aquatic
Biomass Lab
Return Optional Field
Trip selections form to
SES office
9/15
13:30-17:00 Heskel
Lab: NPP from tree
cores; leaf areas
10:30-17:00 Heskel- and data work up
Field Day: Leaf level
CO2 flux measurements from forest &
Grassland sites
9/20
9/9
Study Ecosystems.
10:15-noon Elective
13:30-17:00
Deegan Lab Day
Sorting, Identifying &
Counting Organisms
from Aquatic Sites
Thursday
printed: 9/2/2015 10:38 AM
Friday
9/10
8:30 Shaver
The Ecosystem
Concept & Major
Themes of Ecosystem Studies
Saturday
9/11
8:30-12:00 Shaver
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
Science Journalism
15:00-16:00
Library Orientation
16:00-17:00
Safety Lecture MBL
Marcello (Starr 209)
J.
9/16
9/17
9/18
08:30-10:00 Neill
Ecosystem & Net
Primary Production
at regional to global
scales
08:30-10:00 Cardon
Physical Forcing:
Climate, Microclimate and Plant
Ecophysiology
08:30–noon Neill/
Foreman (Starr 209)
Student-led Presentations: Terrestrial &
10:30 McHorney /
10:15-noon Elective
Foreman
13:30 –17:00
Heskel - Data
work-up; Forest
NPP & GPP
Terrestrial Field
Day; FWTP Tour &
Orientation Pack
CHN filters from
Week 1
Return Wk 1 Prob Set
9/23
9/24
08:30 Conte
08:30 Hobbie
Decomposition and
Decomposer
Fate of Organic
Organisms
Matter in the sea
10:30 – noon Liles 10:15-noon Elective
Science Journalism 13:30 Lab work-up
Data: Complete calcForeman Primary
ulations & presentaProduction Lab
Calculate daily rates
of GPP, R, NCP;
Scale to pond / bay.
finish data work-up.
WHALE
WATCH
(SAT OR
SUNDAY)
Depart
SWOPE 09:00
for
Provincetown,
noon cruise
return for
dinner
9/19
Aquatic Ecosystem
Primary Producer
Biomass
14:30-15:30 – DSS
Mercedes Pascual
University of Chicago
Dynamics of Infectious
Diseases & Climate
Change (Lillie Auditorium)
9/25
9/26
08:30–noon
Heskel / Foreman
(Starr 209)
Students present &
discuss results of
Primary Production
Lab, contrast P/B on
Land and Water
tions Aquatic Primary
Production
9/30
10/1
08:30 Shaver
Disturbance, Environmental Variation and
Feedbacks– controls
on carbon balances
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.
9/12
10:15-noon
Elective
13:30 Deegan
Lab -Prepare isotope
samples, complete
trophic pyramids of
numbers, biomass,
production.
10/2
8:30-noon Deegan
Student-led
discussion
Secondary
Production and
Trophic Pyramids.
Synthesis of data on
food webs; choose
samples for Isotope
Analysis
10/3
PIE FIELD
TRIP
(OPTIONAL)
Depart for Plum
Island Friday
afternoon, return
Saturday late
afternoon/
evening
SES PROGRAM CALENDAR – OCTOBER 2015
Sunday
Monday
10/4
Week 5
Ecosystem
Stoichiometry
and Biogeochemistry
10/11
Week 6
Nitrogen and
Phosphorus
Cycling &
Budgets
10/5
08:00 Lab Rpt Due
Trophic Pyramids
Land-Water
Interactions
Note:
Meet with
possible project
mentors during
next 2 weeks
Wednesday
10/6
08:30 Giblin The
Nitrogen Cycle
08:30-10:00 Giblin 10:15-noon Elective
Decomposition,
Aerobic / Anaerobic 13:30-17:00 Tang
Respiration, Redox Terrestrial. Lab Chemistry.
Prepare soil for
C/N, pack wood
10:30-17:00 Tang
and foliage, extract
Terrestrial. Field
Day – Soil pits, soil soils for N-mineralization estimate
respiration,
DAY OFF
10/12
COLUMBUS DAY
10/18
Week 7
Tuesday
10/19
08:00-12:30
MID-TERM EXAM
10/13
Thursday
10/7
08:30 Giblin The
Phosphorus Cycle
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
10/14
10/8
08:30 Giblin
Ecosystem
Stoichiometry
10:15-noon Elective
13:30 Giblin
Aquatic Lab Day
Core incubations.
Analyze Pond
samples. Prepare
sediments & soils
for C/N analysis
10/15
08:30 Huber
08:30 Foreman
Coastal Nutrient Load- Molecular Methods
ing and Eutrophication in Ecosystems
Science
10:30-noon
Foreman,
TA’s
10:15-noon Elective
10:15-noon Elective
Discussion of project
13:30–17:00
13:30-17:00 Tang
ideas
Foreman/ Tang
Calculate N & C
13:30-17:00 Giblin
stocks in soils, trees
LAB: Run CHN on
Calculate core fluxes,
& litter; Soil Respirfoliage, wood, soils;
sediment CHN & water
Begin to calculate soil
ation and Nitrogen
column nutrients
respiration
Mineralization
8:30 Giblin
Acid Deposition, ion
exchange & charge
balance
10/20
10/21
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 presentSES Project Mentor
ation discussion
Planning Meetings
Week 5-6 Fate of
Organic Matter and
Ecosystem Stoichiometry
Watershed Story.
10:30-17:00
Foreman/McHorney
Water & Nutrient
Budget Lab Sample
streams & groundwater, Massachusetts Alternative
Septic System Test
Center (MASSTC)
10/22
08:30 Neill
Deforestation in the
Tropics.
10:15-noon Elective
13:30 McHorney /
Neill – Water &
Nutrient Budget
Lab Sampling soil
solution-water at
terrestrial sites.
Friday
Saturday
10/9
10/10
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
10/16
10/17
08:00 – 1st Project
Concept Paper Due
08:30-11:30OPTIONAL Q & A
for Midterm exam;
review problems
13:30 – 15:00 Liles
Journalism Seminar
10/23
08:30 -12:00
Hayn / Foreman
H2O / Nutrient
Budget Lab
GIS/Nutrient Loading
13:30-15:00 Liles
Writing Seminar
10/24
Cape Cod
Marathon Relay
Sunday 25th
Students, Alumni
vs. Faculty
17:00 Report due Fate
& Stoichiometry of OM
in Aquatic Ecosystems
15:00-16:30 –DSS
Nancy Grimm,
Arizona State Univ.
Climate and the Future of
Cities (Lillie Auditorium)
10/25
Week 8
Current Issues
in Ecosystems
Science
10/26
08:00 Report due
10/27
10/28
08:30 Giblin Human 08:00 – 2nd Project
Draft Proposal Due
Alteration of Global
Element Cycles
08:30 Neill
10:15 - Elective
Loss of "Ecosystem
09:00-17:00
Services".
McHorney Lab H2O
13:30-17:00
13:30-17:00
Budget & Nutrient
Foreman/Neill
Analysis – AM Standard
McHorney /Neill –
Nutrient Analysis
Curve Competition;
Water Nutrient
Discussion and
PM Analyze NO3, NH4 &
Budget Lab – Water
PO4 in rainfall, soil water, Calculations
balance calculations
Terrestrial Ecosystem Soil Respiration
& N-mineralization
groundwater
10/29
08:30-10:00 Liles
Writing Seminar
10:15- Elective
13:30-17:00
Neill / Foreman
Calculations of
Nutrient Budgets
Applied Science
Scenarios
10/30
08:30-noon
Neill / Foreman
Water Nutrient
Budget Lab Student
discussion and
presentations.
15:00-16:30 –DSS
Cheryl Palm
Columbia Univ.
Agricultural Intensification in Africa ((Lillie
Auditorium)
10/31
Happy
Halloween
SES PROGRAM CALENDAR – NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015
Sunday
Monday
11/1
Tuesday
11/2
08:00 CrossSystem Flux Lab
Week 9
What Species Do
in Ecosystems
Report due.
08:30 Deegan
Ecosystems Assessment of Fisheries
Exploitation
Faculty Challenge
Reunion Picnic
13:30–17:00
Deegan Lab
Wednesday
11/3
11/9
8:00-12:30
Week 10
Current Issues in
Ecosystems
Science cont’d.
Core FINAL EXAM
15:30-17:00 Liles
DAYLIGHT SAVINGS
Writing Seminar
TIME ENDS (GAIN HOUR)
Week 11
11/15
Saturday
11/5
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.
08:30 Foreman
Resource &
Predation Controls
on Production
08:30 Shaver
What species do in
Ecosystems
08:00-12:30
10:15 Elective
14:00-17:00
Q&A, Final Exam
Review (optional)
11/10
11/11
08:00 Final Project
Proposal Due
08:30 Elective
10:30- noon Liles
Writing Seminar
Oral Report
Preparation
14:00-17:00
Deegan:
Lab/ Student
Presentations &
Discussion Isotope
/ Food Web
Veterans Day
Project Work
11/13
U.Calif. Irvine, JPL
Water Cycle Change &
Global Groundwater
Depletion (Lillie
Auditorium)
11/17
Project Work
11/18
11/19
11/14
New England
Aquarium
Boston Field
Trip
(optional)
11/20
11/21
11/27
11/28
12/4
12/5
Project Work
Project Work
Project Work
11/7
Students present
project proposals
and preliminary data
Project Work
15:00-16:30
Dr. Jay Famiglietti
08:30 Elective
Project Work
11/6
11/12
Project Work
11/16
Project Work
Friday
11/4
Isotopes and Food
Distribute Study
Web Data Work-up
Question for Final
Return Draft Project
Proposal.
11/8
Thursday
15:30-17:00 Liles
Writing Seminar
11/22
Week 12
11/23
11/24
11/26
.
Project Work
Project Work
11/25
Project Work
15:30-17:00 Liles
Writing Seminar
Final Paper Due
11/29
11/30
Week 13
Project Work
Project Work
12/6
Week 14
12/7
Project Work
12/13
Week 15
Project Work
12/21
Noon
FINAL Project
Report Due (written
& electronic Word,
Powerpt, Excel files)
12/2
Project Work
12/8
Project Work
12/14
12/20
Week 16
12/1
Project Work
12/9
Project Work
12/15
Project Work
12/22
End of Course
Check out
12/3
12/10
Project Work
12/16
Project Work
17:00 Draft Project
Report Returned
12/17
Project Work
12/23
Merry Christmas &
Happy Hanukkah
Project Work
17:00 Project
Progress Report Due
12/11
12/12
Project Work
08:30 Project
DRAFT Report Due
12/18
12/19
Student Research
SYMPOSIUM
Oral Project Reports
12/24
12/25
12/26