University of South Carolina        Department of Biological Sciences 
Biology 570 --- Principles of Ecology --- Fall 2011
Time: Tuesday/Thursday 12:30 - 1:45 -- 305 Sumwalt
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 18 Introduction / The Art of Experimental Ecology Exp Ecol Refs
Aug 23 The Art of Theoretical Ecology
Aug 25 Describing Populations / Life Tables

Aug 30 LC Birch Discussion "The intrinsic rate of increase of an insect population" J Anim Ecol 17:15-26 Questions on blackboard
Sep 01 Models for SingleSpecies

Sep 06 RM May Discussion "Biological populations with non-overlapping generations" Science 186: 645-647 Questions on blackboard
Sep 08 Population Regulation - Extrinsic Factors

Sep 13 Andrewartha and Davidson Discussion "Influence of rainfall etc on fluctuations in thrips" J Anim Ecol 17:200-222 Questions on blackboard
Sep 15  How Many People Can the Earth Support ?

Sep 20 Cohen Discussion - "How Many People Can the Earth Support? Science 269: 341-346 Questions posted on blackboard
Sep 22 Interspecific Competition Experiments

 
Sep 27 Connell Discussion "The influence of interspecific competition and other factors on the distribution of the barnacle Chthamalus stellatus Ecology 42: 710-723 Questions on blackboard
Sept 29 Predator-Prey Theory  
Oct 04 Krebs Discussion: "Impact of food and predation on the snowshoe hare cycle" Science 269: 1112-1115. Questions on blackboard
  
Oct 06 MIDTERM TEST
Oct 11 Disturbance
Oct 13 Discussion: W Sousa - The nonequilibrium maintenance of species diversity Ecology 60: 1225-1239 Questions on blackboard
Oct 19 Community Structure

Oct 20 FALL BREAK

Oct 25 Discussion: R T Paine: "Resource Partitioning in a New Zealand Rocky Intertidal Habitat" Ecology 52: 1096-1106 Questions on blackboard
Oct 27 Climate History

Nov 01 Climate Models and Forecasts
Nov 03 Discussion: Hansen et al- Global Temperature Change PNAS 103, 14288-14293. Questions on blackboard
Nov 08 Biophysical Ecology:  Drag, Lift and Cinema    
Nov 10 Discussion: Huey et al. "Hot rocks and not-so-hot rocks: retreat site selection by garter snakes" Ecology 70: 931-944
 Questions on blackboard
Nov 15 Biogeography
Nov 17 Discussion: Parmesan and Yohe - Climate change impacts across natural systems Nature 421: 37-42
 Questions on blackboard
  
Nov 22 Millenium Report
Nov 24 THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY

Nov 29 Population Harvesting

Dec 01 "Worm et al discussion: Rebuilding Global Fisheries" Science 325:  578-585 Questions on blackboard
Dec 9 <>FINAL EXAM 2:00 pm  TAKE HOME

UPLOAD YOUR ANSWERS TO BLACKBOARD BEFORE 5pm DEC 10 (END 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 section on plagiarism and the USC Policy on 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 Aug 17, 2011 URL: http://www.biol.sc.edu/~wethey/570/index.html