Biology 260: Ecology
Meets: Lecture - T and F 11-12:15 in Nursing 203
Labs - M,T,Th,F 2-4:50 BNO 309
Professors:
Dr. Jen Klug
Dr. Tod Osier
209 Bannow
207 Bannow
ext. 2543
ext. 3420
jklug@mail.fairfield.edu
tosier@mail.fairfield.edu
Office hours: Klug – T: 1-2; Th: 9-10 and by appointment.
Osier – M: 1-2; W: 1-2 and by appointment.
Text: Ricklefs, The Economy of Nature. Available at the bookstore. Lab handouts are available on the
course website.
Course website: http://faculty.fairfield.edu/jklug/ecology03/ecology03.html
The course website will contain lecture outlines, lab handouts, and keys to exams.
Textbook website: http://www.whfreeman.com/ricklefs5e/
The textbook website has many helpful study aids.
Course objectives: This course is designed to introduce you to the study of ecology. Ecology is the
study of interactions between organisms and between organisms and their environment. The course will
be an overview of ecology, including discussion of the types of questions ecologists ask, and the
methods ecologists use to answer questions. We will also discuss the role that humans play in
ecological systems.
Academic dishonesty: Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. For information on the University’s
policies on academic dishonesty please see your student handbook.
Grading: The course will be graded on a straight scale with the final grade curved up if the average is
less than a high C. Exams will be a combination of multiple choice, short-answer, and short-essay
questions. I have given the dates of the exams below, and therefore none of the exams should take you
by surprise. Some crises might make it impossible to take an exam when it is scheduled, such as severe
illness or a death in the family. However, unless you are incapacitated, there is no excuse for not telling
us beforehand if you cannot take an exam at its scheduled time. If you miss an exam without telling one
of us beforehand, you will get a zero on the exam. All makeup exams will be oral. Lab attendance is
mandatory. For every unexcused absence, we will take 10% off of your final lab grade.
Lecture (70% of final grade)
3 midterm exams – 55% (exam 1 – 15%, exams 2 and 3 – 20% each)
1 cumulative final exam – 35%
in-class assignments/quizzes – 10% (lowest grade on these will be dropped)
Lab (30% of final grade)
1 lab exam – partially open book 40%
in-class assignments/quizzes 20%
1 final presentation 25%
Participation 15%
Schedule for lecture and lab: This schedule may change. I will announce any changes in lecture.
You will learn more in lecture and in lab if you read the assigned chapters before they are discussed. R
stands for the Ricklefs text, LM stands for the lab manual
Week
1: Fri. 9/5
2: Tues. 9/9
Fri. 9/12
Lecture topic
Introduction
Variation in the physical
environment
The biome concept
3: Tues. 9/16
Fri. 9/19
4: Tues. 9/23
Fri. 9/26
Survey of the biomes
Survey of the biomes
Organisms
Organisms
5: Tues. 9/30
Fri. 10/3
6: Tues. 10/7
Fri. 10/10
7: Tues. 10/14
Fri. 10/17
8: Tues. 10/21
Fri. 10/24
9: Tues. 10/28
Fri. 10/31
Ecosystems
Exam 1
Ecosystems
Ecosystems
TBA
Populations
Populations
Populations
Species interactions
Species interactions
10: Tues. 11/4
Fri. 11/7
11. Tues. 11/11
Fri. 11/14
12. Tues. 11/18
Fri. 11/21
13. Tues. 11/25
Fri. 11/28
14. Tues. 12/2
Fri. 12/5
15. Tues. 12/9
Thur. 12/11
Exam 2
Species interactions
Communities
Communities
Communities
Lab exam
Biodiversity/extinction
No lecture - Thanksgiving
Applied ecology
Exam 3
Review
Final exam 1:30
Lab topic
No lab
Intro. To Ecology
(outside on
campus)/Set up
lemna
Foraging lab
(outside on campus)
Population
growth/foraging
analysis
Housatonic River
field trip
Independent
projects (research)
No labs – Fall
Break
Coastal ecology
field trip
Independent
projects (set up in
lab)
Forest ecology field
trip
Independent
projects (in lab)
Independent
projects (in lab)
No lab
Reading assignment
R: Chap. 1
R: Chap. 4, 5
LM: Intro. To Ecol.
Independent project
presentations
No lab
R: Chaps. 26
R: Chap. 5
LM: Coastal Ecology
R: Chap. 2,3,9
LM: Foraging
R: Chap. 6
LM: River Ecology
R: Chap. 7, 8
LM: Review Foraging
R: Chaps.13
R: Chaps. 14,15
LM: Population growth
R: Chaps. 17, 18, 19
R: Chap. 20
LM: Forest ecology
R: Chap. 21
R: Chap. 22
LM: Cemetery demography
R: Chap. 23, 25
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