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Course Overview
The purpose of this course is to provide a strong theoretical foundation for understanding the ecology and evolution of natural populations. Approximately two-thirds of the class meetings will involve lectures. In general, you will be given a brief historical perspective, followed by a theoretical, and not uncommonly, mathematical treatment of each topic. You will also be presented with current landmark examples of studies that have either tested these theories or used them in applied situations. The remaining third of the classes will be devoted to discussing some of these landmark papers that you will be assigned to read. The main subjects that we will deal with in this class include population growth and demography, population dynamics, spatial/landscape ecology, and behavioral ecology. Below is a tentative outline of specific lecture topics and group discussion dates. Grading Your grade for the course will be based on your performance in the following five areas: (1) Midterm exam, (2) Comprehensive final exam, (3) A one-hour presentation with follow-up group discussion, (4) A literature review paper, and (5) Participation in class discussions. Each of the five components will be weighted equally in the determination of your grade. The midterm and final will be administered in class, with the former closed-book and the latter open-book. For the one-hour presentation, you will choose a lecture topic below (I will tell you later which ones). It will be your job to thoroughly research the subject and give to the class a PowerPoint presentation. You will also be responsible for assigning readings and leading the discussion in the following class. Corresponding with the lecture, you will submit a report that summarizes the literature on your given lecture topic (details will be given at a later date). Participation in group discussions is a very important part of this class (20% of your grade). You will need to read the assigned papers critically; i.e., not 20 minutes before the class meets, and come prepared to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the papers. If you do not understand the reading material, the onus is on you to figure it out before coming to class. Group discussions will not center around me explaining the readings. Reading materials
There are no options for a first-rate textbook that provides an advanced and current treatment of population biology. We will delve extensively into the primary literature (mainly Nature, Science, Ecology, Ecological Monographs, Trends in Ecology and Evolution, and Evolution). Furthermore, you must have had at least one course in ecology during your recent past and not be afraid of a little math. You may find it useful to have access to a general ecology text. Although there are many good choices, my favorite would be either: Krebs, Charles, J. 2001. Ecology: the experimental analysis of distribution and abundance, 5th edition. Benjamin Cummings, San Francisco, CA, USA. Begon, M., C. R. Townsend, and J. L. Harper. 2005. Ecology: from individuals to ecosystems. 4th edition. Blackwell, Malden, MA, USA. |
