Welcome to General Ecology Bio 4416 Instructor: Susan Schwinning
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Transcript of Welcome to General Ecology Bio 4416 Instructor: Susan Schwinning
Welcome to General EcologyBio 4416
Instructor: Susan SchwinningOffice Hours: Mon, Wed 1:00 – 2:00 pm,
or by appointment312 Supple
1. How this course works.
• Lab and Lecture sections are taught independently.
• To pass the course you must pass both (>60%).
• To pass the lecture: acquire a minimum of 120 points
in 3 midterms (40pts) and 1 final (80 pts).
• To pass the lab: show up, submit assignments and
complete an independent research project.
Advice on how to handle the lab:
• The lab grade is 1/3 of the course grade
• The lab grade will often improve the course grade
• Failure to attend 3x gives you an “F” in lab, therefore
an “F” in the course
• 50% of the lab grade is tied to the independent
research project
• Partnering up in teams of two is recommended
Advice on how to do well in lecture:
• attend and review all lectures using materials posted online
• think along and ask questions
• make use of office hours/email
• read the required texts
• form study groups
• study for the midterms and final.
Grading:
Material covered Points
MIDTERM 1 1/4 40
MIDTERM 2 1/4 40
MIDTERM 3 1/4 40
FINAL all 80
WEEKLY LAB EXERCISES
Several guided field experiments or observations, writing
assignments
50
INDEPENDENT RESEARCH PROJECT
up to you 50
TOTAL 300Pass: 120(lec)+60(lab)
2. How you get information.
http://www.bio.txstate.edu/~schwinn/Ecology
(or through TRACS or the department’s faculty web pages)
3. What is ecology?
Ecology
Ernst Häckel (1866)
“Ökologie”: the comprehensive science of the relationship of the organism to the environment.
Today’s definition:
The scientific study of the distribution and abundance of organisms and of the
interactions that determine distribution and abundance.
From greek words oikos (= house/household) + logia (= study of)
The distribution and abundance of organisms is a
complicated thing.
How can we even begin to study it
scientifically?
Prairie
Coral Reef
molecular
cell
tissue
organ
organism
population
community
ecosystem
landscape
biome
ecosphere
The hierarchy of biological organization:
(Adapted from Odum & Barret, 2005)
Ecology
4. Why do we need math to do ecology?
Why Math?
Why Math?
Math is a way to express commonalityin the perplexing richness of human
observation and experience.
The richness of biological phenomena:
Let’s have a great semester!