University of South Carolina        Department of Biological Sciences 
Biology 570 --- Principles of Ecology --- Fall 2008
Time: Tuesday/Thursday 12:30 - 1:45 -- 202 Coker Life Science
Dr. David Wethey -- Office: 704 EWS -- Phone: 777-3936  Email: wethey at biol.sc.edu
Dr. Sarah Woodin -- Office: 406 CLS -- Phone: 777-4254 Email: woodin at biol.sc.edu

Date Topic Readings 
Off Campus Access		 Homework  
Aug 21 Introduction / The Art of Experimental Ecology Exp Ecol Refs
DS
Aug 26 The Art of Theoretical Ecology - Guest Lecture by Dr. Kevin Higgins Lecture Notes
KH
Aug 28 Describing Populations / Life Tables

D
Sep 02 LC Birch Discussion "The intrinsic rate of increase of an insect population" J Anim Ecol 17:15-26 Questions
Sep 04 Models for Single Species

D
Sep 09 RM May Discussion "Biological populations with non-overlapping generations" Science 186: 645-647 Questions
Sep 11 Population Regulation - Extrinsic Factors

S
Sep 16 Andrewartha and Davidson Discussion "Influence of  rainfall etc on fluctuations in thrips" J Anim Ecol 17:200-222 Questions
Sep 18  How Many People Can the Earth Support ?

S
Sep 23 Discussion Science 269: 341-346 Questions
Sep 25 MIDTERM TEST

 
Sep 30 Interspecific Competition Experiments

Oct 02 Return Tests / Park Discussion "Experimental studies of interspecies competition"
DROP DATE		 Ecol. Monogr. 18: 267-307 Questions
Oct 07 Predator-Prey Theory  
D
Oct 09 FALL BREAK  
 
Oct 14 Krebs Discussion: "Impact of food and predation on the snowshoe hare cycle" Science 269: 1112-1115. Questions
Oct 16 Disturbance

S
Oct 21 Discussion: Sousa - The nonequilibrium maintenance of species diversity Ecology 60: 1225-1239 Questions
Oct 23 Climate Change - See also 730 pm lecture by Dr. James Hansen in Law School Auditorium Hansen 730 Law Sch Aud
D
Oct 28 Discussion: Hansen et al- Global Temperature Change PNAS 103: 14288-14293 Questions
Oct 30 Community Structure

S
Nov 04 ELECTION DAY
 
Nov 06 Discussion: Buss and Jackson - Competitive networks in cryptic coral reef assemblages Am. Nat. 113: 223-234 Questions
Nov 11 Biophysical Ecology:  Drag, Lift and Cinema     D
Nov 13 Porter Discussion "Mechanistic Ecology" Paper
 Questions
Nov 18 Biogeography
D
Nov 20 Discussion: Parmesan and Yohe - Climate change impacts across natural systems Nature 421: 37-42
 Questions
  
Nov 25 Millenium Report
S
Nov 27 THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY

Dec 02 Population Harvesting

D
Dec 04 Jackson Discussion "Historical overfishing and the recent collapse of coastal ecosystems" Science 293:  629-637 Questions
Dec 11 FINAL EXAM 2:00 pm  TAKE HOME

UPLOAD YOUR ANSWERS TO BLACKBOARD BEFORE 2pm DEC 11 (BEGINNING OF EXAM PERIOD)

 

Grading:
100 pts - Midterm Test
100 pts - Final Exam
204 pts - Written Answers to Questions / Discussion Participation (17 pts each)
404 pts - Total
Academic integrity: read the English Department Guide to Academic Responsibility. We take the issue of plagiarism very seriously and will refer cases to the office of the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. This means you must cite your sources, and you must turn in your own work, not someone else's.
Learning Outcomes: Students will learn how to evaluate the experimental and theoretical methods and data reported by environmental scientists in their published papers. Students will learn how to design experiments to test ecological hypotheses. See Biology Dept Curriculum Goals.

This page last modified August 20, 2008 URL: http://www.biol.sc.edu/~wethey/570/index.html