Chabot College
Fall 2002
Removed Fall 2010
Course Outline for Biology 40
FIELD BIOLOGY
Catalog Descriptions:
40 - Field Biology
3 units
California ecosystems and living vertebrates, their behavior, evolution and ecology, and their interactions with
humans. 2 hours lecture, 3 hours laboratory.
[Typical contact hours: lecture 35, laboratory 52.5]
Prerequisite Skills:
None
Expected Outcomes for Students:
Upon completion of the course, the student should be able to:
1.
identify vertebrate wildlife of the Bay Area;
2.
identify common plants and invertebrates;
3.
carry out biological field work, using appropriate techniques;
4.
interpret animal behavior;
5.
apply principles of field biology to ecological problems;
6.
identify major California ecosystems.
Course Content:
Lecture:
1.
California topography
a.
Geologic structure
b.
Habitat diversity
2.
Ecology
a.
Life zones; a transect of California
b.
Indicator species
c.
Composition of ecosystems
d.
Ecologic succession
e.
Concepts: niches; habitat; ecotone; biome
f.
Ecologic formations
g.
Community structure
Concepts: food chains; energy pyramid; predator-prey relationships; population cycles;
competition
3.
Behavior
a.
Instinctive behavior
Concepts: fixed action patterns; the IRM
b.
Types of instinctive behavior
c.
Learned behavior
d.
Displays
4.
Ornithology
a.
Feather structure; molt; color
b.
Sound communication
c.
Territoriality
d.
Adaptations for flight
e.
Avian reproductive cycles
f.
Migration
5.
Amphibians
a.
Classification
b.
Survey of native species
c.
Coloration: visibility and concealment
Chabot College
Course Outline for Biology 40, page 2
Fall 2002
6.
7.
8.
9.
Reptiles
a.
Classification
b.
Survey of native species
c.
Sense perception in reptiles
d.
Body temperature and thermal regulation
Mammals
a.
Evolutionary history
b.
Classification; California species
c.
Adaptive radiation of teeth of mammals
d.
Adaptive radiation of locomotion
e.
Mammalian diets
Vertebrate distribution
a.
Faunal regions
b.
Endemism
c.
Disposal and Barriers
d.
Island Faunas
Vertebrate Speciation
Laboratory:
1.
Bird identification; feather and wing structure
2.
Skull identification; variation in dentition
3.
Reptile and amphibian identification
4.
Assembling and writing a field notebook
Methods of Presentation:
1.
2.
3.
Lectures and discussion.
Laboratory.
Field trips.
Assignments & Methods of Evaluating Student Progress:
1.
Typical Assignments
a.
Preparation for lab practicals
b.
Preparation for lecture exams
c.
Field reports
1)
Population study of small mammals
2)
Secondary succession in selected areas
2.
Methods of Evaluating Student Progress
a.
Midterm, quizzes and final examination
b.
Laboratory practical
c.
Field notebook
Textbook(s) (Typical):
California Reptiles and Amphibians, R.C. Stebbins, U.C. Press Publishers, 2000
Field Guide to Western Birds, R.T. Peterson, Houghton - Mifflin Publishers, 2001
California Mammals, E.W. Jameson and H.J. Peeters, U.C. Press Publishers, 2000
Special Student Materials:
None.
BC:al
Revised 10/4/2001