BIOL 3484
General Ecology
4 Credit Hours
Fall 2015
Lecture: 9:10-10:00 MWF
RM B19
Lab: T 1:40-4:30
RM B31
Instructor: Dr. Christopher G. Sims
Office: B 4
Office Phone: 460-1664
E-mail: simsc@uamont.edu
Web Site: http://uam-web2.uamont.edu/facultyweb/sims2/
Office Hours: 8:00-9:00 or 1:00-2:00 MWF; TH 8:00-9:00. I will be in the office at other times as well. Changes in this schedule may occur and
will be posted outside my door or announced in class.
Course Description: Principles of ecology; study of environments and their components, the flow of energy and materials, ecological succession,
pollution, and radiation ecology.
Student Learning Outcomes: The student will explain, describe, discuss, recognize, and/or apply knowledge and understanding of the following:
The Physical Environment, The Organism and Its Environmen, Populations, Species Interactions, Communities
Prerequisites: BIOL 2153 and 2161 General Zoology (ACTS #: BIOL 1054), BIOL 2143 and 2171 General Botany (ACTS #: 1034) and 6 hours of
chemistry
Textbook: Smith, T. M. and R. L. Smith, Elements of Ecology, 9th ed. ISBN-10: 0321934180 • ISBN-13: 9780321934185
Course Grade:
Exam 1:
Exam 2:
Exam 3:
Final Exam:
3 journal article summaries 20 pts each.
Lab (lab summaries, paper discussions, etc.)
Total for Course:
100 pts.
100 pts.
100 pts.
100 pts.
100 pts.
500 pts.
Grade Scale (percentage):
A = 100-89.5, B = 89.4-79.5, C = 79.4-69.5, D = 69.4-59.5, F < 59.4
********NO EXTRA CREDIT will be given under any circumstances!!!
Assignments and grading may change at the discretion of the instructor. Prior notice will be given in all cases.
Posting Grades:
Each student will choose a code number/code name prior to the first test and this will be used to post grades. Grades will be posted on my website.
If you do not wish to have your grade posted please let the instructor know prior to the first test. Grades will not be provided over the phone.
Attendance, Testing, and Cheating: Attendance in this course is mandatory and will be recorded regularly.
Exam attendance is required and make-up exams will be given only under extreme circumstances. Make-up exams will be allowed only in
cases of illness with a doctor’s excuse, excused university functions, or family emergencies with a written excuse from a family member. If you are
forced to miss an exam you must notify me within 24 hours of the exam. Failure to do so will result in a zero on that exam. If you know ahead of
time that you will be absent please let me know and prior arrangements for testing can be made.
Cheating in any form will not be tolerated and will automatically result in failure of the course. Cellular phones are included in the
cheating policy and any appearance of a cellular phone (or other communication devise) during a test will be considered an attempt to cheat by the
student.
Likewise electronic devises such as cellular phones etc. will not be allowed in lecture unless prior approval is given by the instructor.
Students with disabilities: It is the policy of the University of Arkansas at Monticello to accommodate individuals with disabilities pursuant to
federal law and the University’s commitment to equal educational opportunities. It is the responsibility of the student to inform the instructor of any
approved accommodations at the beginning of the course. Any student with questions regarding accommodations should contact the Office of
Special Student Services located in Harris Hall Room 120; phone 870 460-1026; TDD 870 460-1626; fax 870 460-1926.
Statement on disruptive behavior: The following action is prohibited under the Student Conduct Code: Disorderly Conduct: Any behavior which
disrupts the regular or normal functions of the University community, including behavior which breaches the peace or violates the rights of others.
Tentative Lecture Schedule (some topics will not be covered):
Introduction and Background
Adaptation and Evolution
Climate
The Aquatic Environment
The Terrestrial Environment
Exam I
Animal Adaptations to the Environment
Life History
Exam II
Properties of Populations
Population Growth
Intraspecific Population Regulation
Exam III
Interspecific Competition
Predation
Community Structure
Factors Influencing the Structure of Communities
Community Dynamics
Final
Chapters:
1
5
2
3
4
7
10
8
9
11
13
14
16
16
18
Wed. Dec. 9, 10:30 A.M.
Tests will be announced at least one week in advance.
Tentative Lab Schedule (dates will change due to weather and other field issues so be sure to keep up; likewise some assignments might be
altered to due to issues with scheduling and weather):
25-Aug
Intro to stats.
1-Sep
El Niño
8-Sep
El Niño Analysis
15-Sep
Paper Discussion 1
22-Sep
Test #1
29-Sep
Plot Sampling or Life Tables
5-Oct
Plot Sampling or Life Tables
13-Oct
Paper Discussion 2
20-Oct
Test #2
27-Oct
Succession
3-Nov
Paper Discussion 3
10-Nov
Test #3
17-Nov
Winter Territoriality
24-Nov
Analysis
1-Dec
TBA
All lab assignments will be due one week from the date of assignment unless otherwise instructed (some assignments will take longer and more time
will be provided).
Important Dates:
August 19 (Wed) – Admission application deadline. First day of classes for sessions 1
August 21 (Fri) – Last day to register or add classes.
September 7 (Mon) - Labor Day Holiday. Offices and classes closed.
October 2 (Fri) - Deadline to apply for May graduation. Last day of session 6W1 classes.
October 28 (Wed) - Last day to drop a session 1 class or withdraw from the term (not applicable to other sessions). Grade(s) will be W.
November 2 (Mon) - Preregistration for Spring begins.
November 13 (Fri) - Preregistration for Spring ends.
November 25 (Wed) - Classes closed.
November 26-27 (Thurs-Fri) - Thanksgiving Holiday. Offices and classes closed.
December 4 (Fri) - Last day of classes.
December 7-11 (Mon-Fri) - Final exam period.
December 16 (Wed) - Fall conferral of degrees.
Academic Alert:
The Academic Alert System is a retention program that puts students in contact with the appropriate campus resources to assist them in meeting their
educational goals at UAM. If you are doing poorly in your academic work, are chronically absent from class, are exhibiting disruptive behavior or
are having difficulty adjusting to campus life, University faculty, staff or a fellow student may report you to the Office of Academic Affairs through
the Academic Alert system.
Students with disabilities: It is the policy of the University of Arkansas at Monticello to accommodate individuals with disabilities pursuant to
federal law and the University’s commitment to equal educational opportunities. It is the responsibility of the student to inform the instructor of any
approved accommodations at the beginning of the course. Any student with questions regarding accommodations should contact the Office of
Special Student Services located in Harris Hall Room 120; phone 870 460-1026; TDD 870 460-1626; fax 870 460-1926.
Student conduct statement: Students at the University of Arkansas at Monticello are expected to conduct themselves appropriately, keeping in
mind that they are subject to the laws of the community and standards of society. The student must not conduct him/herself in a manner that disrupts
the academic community or breaches the freedom of other students to progress academically.
Academic dishonesty:
1. Cheating: Students shall not give, receive, offer, or solicit information on examinations, quizzes, etc. This includes but is not limited to the
following classes of dishonesty:
a. Copying from another student’s paper;
b. Use during the examination of prepared materials, notes, or texts other than those specifically permitted by the instructor;
c. Collaboration with another student during the examination;
d. Buying, selling, stealing, soliciting, or transmitting an examination or any material purported to be the unreleased contents of
coming examinations or the use of any such material;
e. Substituting for another person during an examination or allowing such substitutions for oneself.
2. Collusion: Collusion is defined as obtaining from another party, without specific approval in advance by the instructor, assistance in the
production of work offered for credit to the extent that the work reflects the ideas of the party consulted rather than those of the person
whose name in on the work submitted.
3. Duplicity: Duplicity is defined as offering for credit identical or substantially unchanged work in two or more courses, without specific
advanced approval of the instructors involved.
4. Plagiarism: Plagiarism is defined as adopting and reproducing as one’s own, to appropriate to one’s use, and to incorporate in one’s own
work without acknowledgement the ideas or passages from the writings or works of others.
For any instance of academic dishonesty that is discovered by the instructor, whether the dishonesty is found to be cheating, collusion, duplicity,
or plagiarism, the result for the student(s) involved will be given a failing grade (F) in the course.
Course Study Guidelines:
Plan a schedule of balanced activities. College life has many aspects which are very important to success. Some have fixed time requirements and
some are flexible. Some of the most common which you must consider are:
Fixed: eating, organization, classes, work, spirituality
Flexible: sleeping, recreation, study, relaxation, socializing
Study at a regular time and in a regular place. Establishing habits of study is
extremely important. Knowing what you are going to study and when saves a lot of time in making decisions and retracing your steps to get
necessary materials, etc. Avoid generalizations in your schedule such as “study”. Commit yourself more definitely to “study history” or “study
chemistry” at certain regular hours.
Study as soon after lecture class as possible. One hour spent soon after class will do as much as several hours a few days later. Review lecture notes
while they are still fresh in your mind. Start assignments while your memory of the assignment is still accurate.
Use odd hours during the day for studying. Scattered 1-2 hour free periods between classes are easily wasted. Planning and establishing habits of
using them for studying for the class just finished will result in free time for recreation at other times in the week.
Limit your blocks of study time to no more than 2 hours on any one course at a time.
After 1 1/2 to 2 hours of study you begin to tire rapidly and your ability to
concentrate decreases rapidly. Taking a break and then studying another course will provide the change necessary to keep up your efficiency.
Provide for spaced review. That is, a regular weekly period when you will review the work in each of your courses and be sure you are up to date.
This review should be cumulative, covering briefly all the work done thus far in the semester.
List according to priorities. By putting first things first, you are sure to get the most important things done on time.
Eat well-balanced meals and get regular exercise. Take time for good meals and exercise. Healthy eating and exercise can dramatically improve
your concentration, mood, and increase your energy level.
Double your time estimates. Most people tend to underestimate how much time a
particular activity / assignment will take. A good rule of thumb is to estimate how much time you realistically think something will take and then
double it. More often than not, this doubled estimate is accurate.