Description|Syllabus|Laboratory|Contacts|Office hours, policies|Assignments

Biology 216, Ecology

Tentative Schedule of Topics and Readings

 Dates Readings
I. Introduction. The scope and nature of ecology 1/21, 23
 1-17
II. Basic evolutionary principles, and implications for conservation biology 1/28, 30
 19-64
III. Physical and Chemical Factors affecting distributions of organisms 2/2-9 89-107
IV. Populations

    Methods of analysis; single-population descriptions
2/11-27 66-88
V. Species interactions

    Mutualism and commensalism
3/17-19 135-149
    Competition
3/22-26 108-134
    Predation
3/29-4/5 150-169
    Herbivory
4/7 170-188
    Parasitism
4/9 189-205
    Overview of regulatory mechanisms
4/12 206-226
VI. Communities and Ecosystems

    Major types
4/14 227-248
    Species diversity
4/14,16 249-334
    Ecosystem processes and properties
4/21-26 336-371
Overview and Review 4/30

Course Web Site: http://www.clarku.edu/faculty/tlivdahl/Ecology/index.html

this will lead you to pages of information about all aspects of this course.


Text: Stiling, Peter D. 2002. Ecology: theories and applications

Note: Sections at the end of most chapters, entitled "Applied Ecology" provide useful background for the first essay assignment, and will also be drawn from in various parts of the course, where appropriate. Read these sections as soon as possible, to gain familiarity with practical issues and their relation to the basic ideas, principles and properties covered above.


Tentative Schedule of Assignments and Quizzes:

Quizzes (tentative): Feb. 16, Mar. 15, Apr. 28, 30 pts each = 90
Lab and Problem Sets (to be determined) = 90
Essays: Feb. 9, Mar. 29, May 3, 20 pts each = 60
Final Exam: Thur., May 11, 1:30-3:30, 60 points

Total = 300 points