Section
1: 7:40-9:00
a.m., T Th
100 Dodson Hall
Cronin Office: A306 Life Sciences, phone: 8-7218, e-mail: jcronin@lsu.edu;
The purpose of this course is to provide a strong foundation in population and community ecology. As our world's natural resources become degraded and altered (think about genetically engineered animals and crops), perhaps irrevocably, the understanding of this subject has become imperative. Ecology as a field of study is unlike most natural sciences (e.g., cell biology, physiology, evolution) in that it is not as strongly rooted in axioms and paradigms. Controversy surrounds many of the ideas in ecology, but we are rapidly converging upon a strong theoretical framework upon which to base our ideas about the distribution and abundance of organisms. For each topic, we will provide examples outlining the patterns seen in nature, theoretical explanations for these patterns, and classic experiments used to test and modify the theory. This will be followed by a description of the philosophies and approaches currently being employed. Because ecological patterns and processes are subject to evolutionary forces and constraints, all topics will be developed with an evolutionary perspective.
The first section of the course will focus on single populations.
We will examine how an organism’s life history attributes (patterns of survivorship, reproduction and migration) influence population change through
time. We will conclude this section by examining the evolutionary significance
of differences in these attributes among species. During the second and third
sections we will broaden our scope to include an examination of pair-wise interactions
among species: competition and predation. These interactions are considered
to be the major biological forces affecting community structure. The final section
of the course will be devoted to the study of entire communities of organisms
(and including their physical environment; the ecosystem). By the end of the
course we will have addressed whether any true patterns (emergent properties)
exist in the organization of natural ecosystems and how we can apply ecological
principles to issues and problems facing our world today (such as biological
conservation, global warming, etc.). My simple goal is to stimulate your interest
in this exciting and important field and provide you with a solid background
that will enable you to understand the problems facing our natural resources.
Required Text: Molles, Manuel C., Jr. (2004). Ecology: Concepts and Applications, 3rd Edition. McGraw-Hill. Please note that lectures will not necessarily be given directly from the textbook. Instead, your text will serve as supplementary and complementary material. To encourage you to read, several questions from each exam will be drawn from the text.
Attendance: Because much of the material that we will present derives from sources other than your textbook, I think you will find the lectures indispensable to earning a satisfactory grade. Furthermore, we would ask that, you arrive on time – tardiness is disruptive. If you do miss a class, it will be your responsibility to obtain lecture notes from one of your fellow classmates, not from me.
Grading: Your final grade in the course will be based on a total of 400 points (A = 450-500, B = 400-449, C = 350-399, D = 300-349, F < 300). Three exams and a comprehensive final will be given throughout the semester. Multiple choice, short answers, essays and problems to be solved will comprise the format of these exams. Each exam will be worth 100 points. The final exam will focus on a synthesis of material learned throughout the course, and will count the same as the first three exams (100 pts). As a rule, make-up exams will be essay in form and will be only available to those persons who have obtained prior approval or have a valid written excuse. I reserve the right to verify any excuse.
Ecology Web Page: The address for the class web page is www.biology.lsu.edu/webfac/jcronin/ecology. The page will serve as a source for the following: 1) class syllabus, 2) class handouts, 3) study guides, 4) practice exam questions, and 5) a variety of other supplemental materials.
