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TERM:2021-22 Fall
COURSE NUMBER: BIOL 330
COURSE TITLE: Ecology
NAME OF INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Vern Peters
CREDIT WEIGHT AND WEEKLY TIME DISTRIBUTION: credits 3(hrs lect 3 - hrs sem 0 - hrs lab 3)
CALENDAR DESCRIPTION: Relationships among animals, plants and the non-living environment, energy flow, nutrient cycles, ecological succession, communities, populations; application of ecological principles to the modern world. Laboratory work focuses on using basic techniques of ecological investigation. Participation in a three-day, overnight field trip on Thursday, Friday and Saturday of the last weekend of September is required.

Prerequisites: BIOL 210, 211
REQUIRED TEXTS:

  • Smith, T. M., Smith, R. Ll, Watters, I,, Elements of Ecology, First Canadian Edition. Information to purchase digital edition provided in class. Canadian Edition ISBN: 9780321512017, Mandatory, Essential to Pass the Course

  •  Peters, VP, Wood, J. R.  2021.  Ecology Laboratory and Field Manual.
MARK DISTRIBUTION IN PERCENT:
Quizzes15%
Mid-term Exam20%
Final Exam35%
Assignments5%
Laboratory & Field Exercises25%
100%
COURSE OBJECTIVES: The study of ecology is somewhat different from other courses in biology. It is one of the few disciplines that attempts to see nature as a whole, with all of its interconnections. The course integrates knowledge from a variety of other disciplines. The scale of investigation ranges from observing microscopic organisms to global processes. Then too, ecology is a field oriented course. The objectives of this course are:

  • To investigate the interrelationships among plants, animals and the physical environment.
  • To review the quantitative tools appropriate for the analysis of these interrelationships.
  • To learn to critically appreciate our role as stewards of the creation.
    		•
    COURSE OUTLINE:
      • The ecological crisis
      • The Nature of Ecology
    • PART 1 THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
      • Climate
      • The Terrestrial Environment
    • PART 2 The ORGANISM and the ENVIRONMENT
      • Ecological Genetics
      • Plant Adaptations to the Environment
      • Animal Adaptations to the Environment
      • Life History Patterns
    • PART 3 POPULATIONS
      • Properties of Populations
      • Population Growth
      • Intraspecific Populations Regulation
    • PART 4 SPECIES INTERACTIONS
      • Interspecific Competition
      • Predation
      • Parasitism & Mutations
    • PART 5 COMMUNITY ECOLOGY
      • Community Structure
      • Community Dynamics
    • PART 6 ECOSYSTEMS
      • Systems Ecology
      • Decomposition and Nutrient Cycling
    • PART 7 ECOLOGICAL BIOGEOGRAPHY
      • Terrestrial Ecosystems
    • PART 8 HUMAN ECOLOGY
      • Conservation Ecology
      • Global Climate Change
      • Think Little - Wendell Berry
    LAB OUTLINE:
    • Lab 1: Population Growth
    • Lab 2: Bird Identification
    • Lab 3: Vegetation Community Analysis
    • Lab 4: Grassland Biomass
    • Lab 5: Species Diversity
    • Lab 6: Biodiversity & Conservation
    • Field Trip
    • Drive Guide


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