Course: ENVS 375 A – Freshwater Ecology
Class Time: TH 11:30am – 6:00 pm Claytor Nature Center
Instructor:
Office:
Office Phoneemail
Dr. Thomas D. Shahady
215 Hobbs Hall
434-544-8545
shahady@lynchburg.edu
Prerequisites: Biol 111-112, ENVS 101-102 or permission of the instructor.
Course Description: This course focuses on the interactions among living components
of the freshwater habitat and the effects of physical and chemical properties on the living
inhabitants of this environment.
Purpose of Course: This course is an elective for the Environmental Science major,
helping meet the following Environmental Science Program goals:
Goal 2: Environmental science majors will be able to communicate orally and in writing
general and specialized environmental science knowledge.
Goal 3: Environmental science majors will acquire basic field and procedural skills in
Environmental Science, Chemistry, & Math.
Goal 4: Environmental science majors will have specialized knowledge in one or more
areas of Environmental Science.
Course Objectives and Assessment: Students will become familiar with: (1) freshwater
aquatic environments (readings and laboratory), (2) the interaction between biological,
chemical and physical attributes of freshwater ecosystems (quizzes and exam), (3)
scientific measures of water quality (laboratory, presentation and paper), (4) current
issues surrounding water quality throughout the Lynchburg area and Central Virginia
(laboratory, presentation and paper), and (5) monitoring and analysis of water quality with
local professionals (class presentation and paper).
Course Structure: This course is designed to introduce you to the freshwater
environment. We will use streams as our primary focus of study incorporating the
biological, chemical and physical components of this environment. Lecture is structured
to enhance your overall understanding of freshwater. Laboratory focuses on team work,
application of field data, professional presentation of results and integration into large
scale ecological monitoring project.
Skills: Able to perform physical, chemical and biological assessments of streams. This
includes water quality instrument calibration, stream macroinvertebrate and fish
identifications, stream bank and bed characterization and calculation of water quality
metrics.
Progress in Course
It is the absolute responsibility of the student to ask the instructor for work not obtained
in classes missed. If the student is not in class to receive work that student must schedule
times throughout the term to assess their grade and receive missed work. It is not the
responsibility of the instructor to inform a student about their progress on work missed
through absences in class. At anytime in this course (before the final week of class) a
student may set an appointment to review and discuss their progress in this course. All
work relevant to your grade will be discussed and reviewed.
Email
I will periodically communicate to you as a class through email. It is the student’s
responsibility to check email throughout the entire time this class is taught. It is also the
student’s responsibility to maintain their email account in working order. The professor
is not responsible for messages returned. A student may request an alternative email
address from their college account for correspondence by contacting the professor.
Attending Class
Students are expected to attend class and to arrive on time as we will travel to Claytor
Nature Center. Arriving on time is a courtesy that you owe your fellow students and your
instructor. This course is structured to allow discussion of material, development of ideas
and to promote your understanding of the freshwater environment. It is essential that you
plan to be actively involved -- this means attending class, reading your text and notes
before class, being attentive, and participating in class.
Office Hours
Monday 9:30 – 11:00 am
Tuesday 9:45– 11:am and 1:30 – 3:00 pm
Effective Communication
You are responsible for communicating with me. I cannot understand your situation unless
you communicate it to me. I am available to talk with you after class and at a scheduled
appointment. Problems you are having in class with your performance, problems you are
experiencing out of class that inhibit your performance, general questions on class
organization or general questions on your performance can be effectively communicated
between us if you initiate the communication.
Timing is very important here. Effective communication diminishes with time.
Procrastination invariably makes the problem worse. Talking with me about a problem
when your grades begin to suffer is very effective. Talking with me about a problem when
your cumulative semester grades are very poor is not effective. During the last week of
class I am preparing your exam and finalizing your grade. It is at this point (the final week
of this course) I will no longer consider any new issue related to your grade. I will calculate
final averages and assign a grade accordingly.
Texts:
Dodds, WK. 2002. Freshwater Ecology: Concepts and environmental applications.
Academic Press, San Diego CA.
Wohl, E.E., 2004. Disconnected Rivers: linking Rivers to landscapes. Yale University
Press, New Haven Connecticut.
Rohde, FC, RG Arndt, DG Lindquist and JF Parnell. 1994. Freshwater fishes of the
Carolinas, Virginia, Maryland and Delaware. University of North Carolina Press, Chapel
Hill NC.
Voshell, JR. 2002. A guide to common freshwater invertebrates of North America.
McDonald and Woodward Publishing.
Basis of Grade – Exams, Questions and Quizzes
Mid Term (25%) and Final Exam (25%): You will have a comprehensive mid term
and final exam. This exam will test your knowledge of freshwater ecology that we have
covered over the term. This exam will consist of short answer, essay and identification
questions.
Reading Assignments (25%): Assignments based on reading are delivered at the
beginning of each class. Assignments are due at the beginning of each subsequent class
as indicated on the outline.
Grades
Upon return of your assignment or exam I will discuss the correct answers. Periodically,
questions arise from answers given and correct answers. Credit on a disputed answer will
be given according to the following policy.
1. Within one week of the return date of the quiz or exam student notes question(s)
of dispute.
2. Using the book or other sources of information student writes explanation of
answer explaining why credit is appropriate.
3. Explanation is due within one week of returned work.
4. After evaluating the explanation I will decide if answer warrants credit. Decision
will be returned to student with written explanation.
5. If student is not satisfied with outcome, we will set a meeting to discuss the issue.
In the meeting the student may request another individual from the environmental
science faculty assist our decision-making.
6. Once a suitable outcome is decided upon the grade is final.
7. If the written explanation is not submitted within one week of the return of exams
the grade is final.
Return of Assignments and Exams
Quizzes and Exams are returned within a week. If a student is not in class on the date of
the return of the exam it is the students responsibility to contact the instructor
independently to obtain the exam. One-week deadlines for any discussion of a grade on
the exam still apply to the student who misses the return date. The date for discussion is
the return date in class and not the date the student receives the exam.
If a student does not contact the instructor (email, voicemail, in person) within one week
of missing the return date of the exam the exam is filed. The student must come to the
office to receive the exam. All rights of discussion for this exam are forfeited.
Water Quality Report (15%): Part of your grade is dependent upon analysis and
completion of a water quality report. This report is a collection of analysis compiled by
the entire class throughout the Blackwater Creek Watershed. The report is written in a
scientific format and presented at the end of the term to officials from the City of
Lynchburg. This is a class assignment. Reports must be submitted electronically and in
hard copy. You will be evaluated on the quality of this document. One document is
submitted by the entire class.
Presentation (10%): Your final presentation to officials from the City of Lynchburg.
You will be evaluated on the quality of your presentation, clarity of slides, explanations
and answers to questions.
Equipment: You will need to use various pieces of equipment throughout the course to
complete your water quality report. Data collected in the field is only as good as the
equipment we are using. Use of the equipment is a privilege and must be respected.
Certain pieces of equipment are assigned to this course. Others use some equipment.
Check to see the availability of equipment prior to use.
Late Work: All assignments are due at the beginning of the following class period from
the original assignment. Laboratory work is due the following laboratory period. Class
work is due the following class period. I will subtract 10% for each 24 hour period from
that time work is turned in late. All late work must be turned in to my mailbox.
Letter Grade / Percent Equivalent
Letter Grade
Percent
Letter
Equivalent
Grade
A+
97-100
B
A
93-96
BA90-92
C+
B+
87-89
C
59 and below is an F
Percent
Equivalent
83-86
80-82
77-79
73-76
Letter
Grade
CD+
D
D-
Percent
Equivalent
70-72
67-69
63-66
60-62
Course Outline
Jan
Date
17
19
Feb
Feb
Topic
Introduction – Blackwater and Ivy Creek System
Class Logistics
Physical Properties of Water – Water as an
Environment - Allen Chapters 1 and 3
Laboratory
On Campus Hobbs 221
Physical Parameter
Collections and Analysis
Oxygen, Temperature, pH
and stream walk.
Chemical Parameter
Collections and Analysis
Nitrogen and Phosphorus
Macroinvertebrate
Collections
26
Chemical Properties of Water - Allen Chapter 2
Rivers and Humans – Wohl 8-39
2
Biological – Macroinvertebrates - Voshell 9-67
9
Pioneer Impacts on Rivers – Wohl 40-93
Biological – Autotrophs and Heterotrophic Allen
Chapter 4 and 5
Macroinvertebrate
Analysis
Commercial impacts – Wohl 94-175
Biological - Fish - Rohde et. al. 1-38
Fish Analysis
16
Bureaucratic Impacts – Wohl 176-221
23
Tues
Mar
28
9
16
23
30
Apr
May
6
13
20
27
5
Trophic interactions and Predation Allen
Chapters 6 and 7
Rehabilitation Impacts – Wohl 222-255
Mid Term Exam
Break
Herbivory and Competition – Allen Chapters 8
and 9
Thinking in Terms of Rivers – Wohl 256-272
Drift and Community Ecology – Allen Chapters
10 and 11
Organic Matter and Nutrients – Allen Chapters
12 and 13.
Collections and Analysis
Collections and Analysis
Collections and Analysis
Presentations 12:30-3:30 pm
Friday - Final Exam
Data Interpretation I
Hobbs 221
Data Interpretation II
Data Interpretation III
Collection of Water
Quality Data