Biology 204 – Evolution, Ecology and Biodiversity – Winter 2016
Instructor: Eric DeChaine
Phone: 650-6575
Office Hours: T 11-12 or by appointment in BI 237
Email: Eric.DeChaine@wwu.edu
Lecture meets: 12-1:20 TR in BI 234 Labs meet: W 2-5; F 8-11, F 2-5 in BI 249
Web site: see Canvas for posting of all class materials
Texts. 1) Sadava, Hillis, Heller & Berenbaum, LIFE: The Science of Biology, 10th ed (with access to
Launchpad, REQUIRED). 2) Biology 204 Lab Manual (REQUIRED). 3) Knisely, K. (2005) A Student
Handbook for Writing in Biology, 3rd or 4th Edition (REQUIRED), 4) Van De Graaf, K.M. and J.L. Crawley,
A Photographic Atlas for the Biology Laboratory, 5th or 6th Edition (optional). Keeping up with the reading
assignments will be critical to your success in this class. You are expected to read the assigned chapters, and
do associated quizzes in Launchpad, prior to lecture. I highly recommend that you also use other web
activities in Launchpad, and study the relevant Recap, Chapter Summary, and Chapter Review questions in
the text.
COURSE GOALS
1. Content: Introduce the diversity of life, ecology, and evolutionary biology in an integrated way;
2. Content and Skills: Introduce and practice the scientific method (by doing);
3. Skills: Introduce some basic tools of biology (lab);
4. Skills: Communicating science in written and oral forms (writing scientific papers, giving
presentations; lab)
5. Skills: Quantitative reasoning (i.e., using math to answer biological questions).
COURSE GRADE
1. Your grade will be based on a total of approximately 660 possible points, of which the lab is 1/3:
Lecture (440 points)
2 midterms - 60 points each
120 points
Reading quizzes
(Launchpad)
40 points
Class activities, assignments, quizzes 180 points
Final exam (comprehensive, required) 100 points
Lab (266 points, scaled to 220 points)
Lab assignments
155 points
Lab quizzes
30 points
Lab reports (Sehome Hill, mycorrhizae) 40 points
Lab practical
31 points
Lab participation
10 points
660 points total
2. Active learning. Extensive education research shows that students learn best when they learn actively.
a. You will be responsible for doing the reading, reviewing any on-line lectures, and taking a short quiz
before class. Material from reading WILL be built upon, but NOT repeated in lecture.
b. Classes will typically consist of questions to assess student understanding, short lectures, and group
activities and assignments. The goal is to make sure that, in addition to knowing terms and
understanding concepts, you are comfortable applying these ideas to new situations, using them to
analyze problems, synthesizing multiple ideas, and critically evaluating a variety of scientific evidence.
That’s what doing science is really all about!
3. Exams, quizzes, reading quizzes, & in-class assignments.
Midterm I – T, 2/2; Midterm II – T, 3/1; Final – M, 3/14, 1-3 pm
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2
Exams will be multiple choice. The final exam is comprehensive. Make-up exams are allowed only with
a valid, pre-approved excuse and will have different questions from the original exam. Regrades: If you
feel I have made an error in grading your test, please bring it to my attention. Regrades must be brought
to me no later than one week after the test is returned.
Quizzes will take place in class. If you have a pre-excused absence, you should make prior arrangements
with me to take a quiz on-line.
Reading quizzes will take place on-line, and must be completed prior to all “RQ” classroom days (see
syllabus).
In-class assignments are required. I will grade a subset of these (at my discretion), and will drop the
lowest score. You are allowed one missed in-class assignment; if you miss an assignment, this 0 will be
the low score that is dropped. However, material from all in-class assignments is relevant for quizzes,
midterms, and the final.
4. Late Assignments will lose 5% of the possible points per day late.
5. Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Assignments with plagiarism problems can result in no
credit, failing the class, or expulsion from Western. It is against the academic honesty policy to obtain tests,
quizzes or other assignments from previous students in the class. Remember - it is YOUR
RESPONSIBILITY to know about the issues involved. Questions about plagiarism? Ask me, your TA,
and/or see the following excellent resources: http://www.libguides.wwu.edu/plagiarism and
http://www.wwu.edu/soc/docs/plagiarism.pdf.
6. How to succeed in this class: Suggestions a-e are a MINIMUM. If you don’t do them, it’s unlikely that
you will get a good grade in Biology 204. Suggestions f-h are strategies that have helped many students in
the past.
a) Come to class and take notes: If I say it in class, or draw it on the board, I expect you to understand that
material (unless I explicitly state otherwise). Good note taking skills are essential. If you have to miss a
class, make sure you have someone who can take good notes for you.
b) Powerpoint files. I provide Powerpoint files to help with note taking, so you don’t have to struggle to
copy figures and listen to what they mean at the same time. I recommend that you print out the
Powerpoint files BEFORE class and use them for taking notes.
c) Keep up with the reading. The textbook is very good and serves as an important resource. Much
required material is ONLY presented in the textbook. Read the assigned chapters before lecture and lab,
then reread them afterwards.
d) Ask questions: If you don’t understand something, others may not either.
e) Start early on the study guides. We cover too much material to learn by cramming the night before an
exam. Study guides will be updated ~1 week before the tests, but you can start working on them
immediately, as I expect only minor changes.
f) Do the review questions interspersed within and at the back of the chapter. Do additional activities (e.g.,
Launchpad exercises) to help you solidify your learning.
g) If you really don’t understand something, come to office hours (preferably BEFORE you get your test
back). Office hours are a good time to explore questions for which there may not be time in class. If you
can’t make the regular time, drop me an email to schedule a time that will work for both of us.
h) Study in groups: work with people who have similar high standards to your own, and force each other to
give clear, complete, and concise answers to study guide and text book questions. The best way to show
that you know something well is being able to explain it to someone else.
8. Your final grade will be determined as a percentage of the point total:
A
A-
93-100
90-92.9
B+
B
B-
87-89.9
83-86.9
80-82.9
C+
C
C-
77-79.9
73-76.9
70-72.9
D+
D
D-
67-69.9
63-66.9
60-62.9
F
0-59.9
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Lecture schedule
Readings listed are chapters in the 10th edition of the textbook, with selected pages following the
colon. Other editions will vary. Lab exercises are numbered as in the 204 Lab Manual. NOTE: labs
are due to your TA on your assigned lab day. Some assignments are done in class and others
outside of class.
Dates
Week 1
1/5
1/7
Lecture Topics
Reading
Lab exercises
Introduction to the course
Process of Science
1
No lab
Week 2
1/12
1/14
RQ, “What is life?”, The basis for evolution
RQ, Mechanisms of heredity
1; 21.1
11: pp. 205-8 (incl.
Fig. 11.3), 211-225
Week 3
1/19
1/21
RQ, Inheritance & Mendel
RQ, Evolutionary processes I
Ch. 12: 232-249
21.2-21.5
Week 4
1/26
1/28
Evolutionary processes II
RQ, Phylogenies
21.2-21.5
22
Week 5
2/2
2/4
Midterm #1 (Intro – Evolutionary processes)
RQ, Speciation I
23
Week 6
2/9
2/11
Speciation II
RQ (Bacteria & Archaea), Biodiversity & the ToL
23
26
Week 7
2/16
2/18
RQ (Protists), Phylogenetic constraints & opportunities
RQ (Plants), Scales of Biodiversity
27
28, 29
Week 8
2/23
2/25
RQ (Fungi), Compositional diversity I
RQ (Animals), Compositional diversity II
30
31 (32, 33 opt)
Week 9
3/1
3/3
Midterm #2 (Phylogenies – Compositional diversity)
Functional diversity I
Week 10
3/8
RQ, Functional diversity II
3/10
RQ, Ecosystem ecology and the carbon cycle
Week 11
M 3/14 Final Exam, 1-3 pm (Comprehensive)
Lab 1 – PoS
Due: Excel, 1.1
Lab 2 – Sehome I
Due 2.1
Lab 3 – Sehome II
Due: 2.2, 3.1
Lab 4 - NatSel
Due: 3.2, 4.1
Lab 5 - BAP
Due: 5.1, 5.2, 5.3
Lab 6 - Plants
Due: 6.1, 6.2
Lab 7 - Fungi
Due: 7.1, 7.2, 7.3
Lab 8 – Animals
Due: 8.1, 8.2
57.1, 57.4, 58.1
58.2, 1216-19, 58.458.5
Lab practical
Due: 7.4
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Laboratory Schedule
The laboratory section of this course complements the lecture and is intended to give you
hands on experience learning about organismal diversity, evolutionary trends, and ecological
concepts. You are expected to have reviewed the material in the lab manual and textbook before
lab, as well as doing pre-lab assignments where applicable. This is critical for you to both
understand the lab material and to get through the labs in an efficient manner. Bring your lab
manual to every lab; bring the lab photo atlas (if you have it) and textbook to all biodiversity labs.
Readings listed are related chapters in the Sadava et al. textbook and are in addition to the Exercise
sections listed from the lab manual.
Dates
Week of Jan. 4 (1)
Laboratory Topics
No Lab the first week of classes; Excel Tutorial assigned in lecture
Reading
Week of Jan. 11 (2)
Ex. 1.1: Process of Science
Ex. 1.2: Mycorrhizae Experiment setup
Due: Excel Tutorial; Due in class: Assignment 1.1
1
30.1, 30.2
Week of Jan. 18 (3)
Ex. 2: Sehome Hill Forest Study – gather data
Due in class: 2.1
57.1, 57.4, 58.158.3
Week of Jan. 25 (4)
Ex. 3: Sehome Hill Forest Study – analyze data
Due: 2.2-Scientific Paper Reading; Due in class: 3.1
57.1, 57.4, 58.158.3, Knisely,
Journal article
Week of Feb. 1 (5)
Ex. 4: Natural Selection and Genetic Drift; Microscopes
Due: 3.2-Sehome Hill Results Section; Due in class: 4.1
21
Week of Feb. 8 (6)
Ex. 5: Biodiversity I – Bacteria, Archaea, & Protists
Due: 5.1; Due in class: 5.2
11.4, 26, 27
Week of Feb. 15 (7)
Ex. 6: Biodiversity II – Plants
Due: 6.1; Due in class: 6.2
28, 29
Week of Feb. 22 (8)
Ex. 7: Biodiversity III - Fungi
Due: 7.1; Due in class: 7.2, 7.3
30
Week of Feb. 29 (9)
Exercise 8: Biodiversity IV - Animals
Due 8.1; Due in class: 8.2
31 (32-33 opt)
Week of Mar. 7 (10)
Lab practical
Due: 7.4