Revised 20 Jan 2012 Biogeography – BIOL/GEOG 459(G) Spring 2012 Instructor Dr. Ken McCravy Office: 348 Waggoner Hall Office Hours: 2-4pm M, 2-3pm TU, and 2-3pm TH Phone: (309) 298-2160 Fax: (309) 298-2270 Email: KW-McCravy@wiu.edu Text Cox, C.B., and P.D. Moore. 2010. Biogeography: An Ecological and Evolutionary Approach, 8th ed. John Wiley & Sons. Course Goals Biogeography is the study of spatial and temporal patterns of biodiversity. This course is designed to introduce students to basic geographical patterns of organisms, the historical and ecological processes underlying these patterns, and the role of biogeography in biological conservation. Prerequisites BOT 200 and ZOOL 200 Grading 2 exams @ 100 points each 9 quizzes @ 25 pts. each (lowest one dropped) Presentation TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS 200 200 100 500 Final grades will be based on the following scale: Undergraduates Graduate Students 460 and above = A 460 and above = A 444 – 459 = A410 – 459 = B 428 – 443 = B+ 360 – 409 = C 412 – 427 = B 310 – 359 = D 396 – 411 = BBelow 310 = F 380 – 395 = C+ 364 – 379 = C 348 – 363 = C332 – 347 = D+ 316 – 331 = D 300 – 315 = DBelow 300 = F 1 Exams and Quizzes Exams will consist of a combination of objective and short writing questions. Tentative exam dates are given in the schedule of class topics. Quizzes will be similar in format to exams, except shorter. No makeup or other “special arrangement” exams or quizzes are given. The policy regarding missed exams and quizzes is as follows: -A missed exam is recorded as a zero unless excused. I will determine if an excuse is acceptable. -A missed exam that is excused will be replaced by the quiz average (using percent scale). -No more than one missed exam can be excused. A second missed exam will be assigned a zero, regardless of the reason. - A missed quiz will be treated as a dropped grade, so any quizzes missed in excess of one will be assigned a zero. Presentations and Evaluations The presentation will be a 20 minute talk reviewing a biogeographical topic. Each presentation will be evaluated by your peers, and these evaluations will count as one quiz grade (for the evaluator). Graduate students are also required to submit a written paper on their presentation topic, which will count 50% of the presentation grade. More information on presentations, evaluations, and written papers will be provided. Americans With Disabilities Act/Disability Resource Center “In accordance with University policy and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), academic accommodations may be made for any student who notifies the instructor of the need for an accommodation. For the instructor to provide the proper accommodation(s) you must obtain documentation of the need for an accommodation through Disability Resource Center (DRC) and provide it to the instructor. It is imperative that you take the initiative to bring such needs to the instructor's attention, as he/she is not legally permitted to inquire about such particular needs of students. Students who may require special assistance in emergency evacuations (i.e. fire, tornado, etc.) should contact the instructor as to the most appropriate procedures to follow in such an emergency. Contact Disability Resource Center (DRC) at 298-2512 for additional services.” Western Online Website There is a Western Online website for BIOL/GEOG 459(G). To access it, go to http://westernonline.wiu.edu, type in your ECOM username and password, and click OK. Once you have logged in, click on the Biogeography course link. The site will contain the syllabus, grades, answer keys, and so forth. See me if you have questions or problems, or contact the UCSS helpdesk at ucss@wiu.edu or (309) 298-2704. Other Information The Department of Biological Sciences website (http://www.wiu.edu/biology/student/policies.php) has links to University policies on Student Rights and Responsibilities, Grade Appeals, Final Exams, Plagiarism, and Academic Integrity. It is the student’s responsibility to be familiar with this information. Each student should access and carefully read this information. If you have questions about any of the information, feel free to ask. 2 Tentative Schedule (Thursday, 6 – 8:50 pm) Date 1/19 Topic Introduction to Course Introduction to Biogeography Text 1/26 A History of Biogeography Patterns of Distribution Communities and Ecosystems Ch. 1 Ch. 2 Ch. 3 2/2 Communities and Ecosystems (cont.) Patterns of Biodiversity Ch. 3 Ch. 4 2/9 Patterns of Biodiversity (cont.) Plate Tectonics Ch. 4 Ch. 5 2/16 Evolution – The Source of Novelty From Evolution to Patterns of Life Ch. 6 Ch. 7 2/23 Lecture Exam #1 (through “From Evolution to Patterns of Life”) 3/1 Life, Death, and Evolution on Islands Ch. 8 3/8 Drawing Lines in the Water Ch. 9 3/12-3/16 NO CLASS – Have a nice break! 3/22 Living in the Past The Geography of Life Today Ch. 10 Ch. 11 3/29 The Geography of Life Today (cont.) Ice and Change Ch. 11 Ch. 12 4/5 The Advent of Humanity Into the Future Ch. 13 Ch. 14 4/12 Lecture Exam #2 (through “Into the Future”) 4/19 Student Presentations 4/26 Student Presentations 5/3 Student Presentations 5/10 Student Presentations 3