CETroB* Seminar Course: Plant-Animal Interactions
Target audience:
Biology and Environmental Studies Students (FIU and UM)
Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden Volunteers
This course will provide an introduction to plant-animal interactions, including the co-evolutionary
context, types of interactions and conservation applications. The seven sessions will focus
respectively on co-evolution, herbivory, plant defense, pollination, seed dispersal, interactions
across the life cycle, and conservation. This course will meet in 7 sessions and will be listed as a
Special Topic course EVR 4934 U05 for undergraduate students and EVR 5935 U04 for graduate
students at Florida International University and cross-listed at University of Miami for the spring
semester 2013.
Classes will meet at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Science Village Classroom, 2:30 p.m. –
5:00 p.m on selected Monday afternoons (see below). The class will have faculty lectures, hands
on activities and student critiques of scientific literature. Each student has a chance to
moderate one discussion (see updated syllabus on your assigned date and topic).
Students needing further details about course numbers, please contact:
Hong Liu, Ph. D.,
Assistant Professor
Department of Earth and Environment,
ECS 343 Florida International University
Or Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Science Village
hliu@fiu.edu
phone: 1-305-348-6799
Office Hours: Tu,Th 2-4pm at FIU (or by appointment)
Carol C. Horvitz
Professor
Department of Biology
University of Miami
carolhorvitz@miami.edu
tel: 305 284 5364
*Center for Excellence in Tropical Biology is a coalition of educational institutions, gardens and
museums:
University of Miami, Florida International University, Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden , the
Kampong of the National Tropical Botanical Garden, Miami Museum of Science, Smithsonian
Institution)
Class Schedule
Jan 14 Introduction to Plant-Animal Interactions; What is coevolution vs. association?
Dr. Carol Horvitz, University of Miami
Jan 28 Herbivory
Dr. Suzanne Koptur, Florida International University
Feb 11 Plant Defense
Dr. Suzanne Koptur, Florida International University
Feb 25 Pollination
Dr. Hong Liu, Florida International University
Mar 11 No Class
Mar 18 Seed Dispersal
Dr. Carol Horvitz, University of Miami
Coping with Multiple Interactions Across the Life Cycle
Dr. Carol Horvitz, University of Miami
Apr 15 Conservation of Butterflies and their Host Plants in Florida
Dr. Joyce Maschinski, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
Apr 1
Web Access
Students will use this website:
http://www.bio.miami.edu/horvitz/Plant-animal%20interactions%202013/
or for some browsers the following version works if the above version does not.
http://www.bio.miami.edu/horvitz/Plant-animal interactions 2013/
to obtain updates to the syllabus and reading assignments.
There is a folder for each topic, and within that folder are two folders: “required reading” and
“supplementary reading.” Within the “required reading” folder there is a folder “for the discussion”
with the paper that will be discussed by the class in detail.
Students who do not have web access please
(jmschinski@fairchildgarden.org, Phone: 305-588-0383)
contact
Dr.
Joyce
Maschinski
Grading Criteria
Grades will be based on attendance and participation.
Course requirements and policies:
1. On-time attendance is required. Attendance will be taken at the start of the period, and you
must attend the full period to receive credit. Unannounced short quizzes may be used to
check attendance, as well as homework assignments.
2. A student maybe excuse from one class meeting during the semester, in case of exceptional
conditions as defined in the Student Handbook, which require written evidence.
3. If absent from class, it is your responsibility to find out what you missed and obtain notes from
your classmates. Being absent does not excuse you from anything that was discussed or due
during class.
4. Reading of the assigned readings prior to class is expected. Come to class with your
assigned reading completed and prepared to take notes, ask questions, and participate in
class discussions.
5. Each student has a chance to moderate one discussion/group (see updated syllabus
on your assigned date and topic). We will explain in more detail how to moderate a
discussion during the first class. Moderating the class discussion is an important
source of the participation grade.
6. All electronic devices must be turned off during class. Failure to comply with this rule, may
result in the student being excused from class.
7. Late assignments will not be accepted, except under approved emergency circumstances as
defined in the Student Handbook.