Biology 1615..........Ecology Lab..........Fall, 1996
INSTRUCTOR: Kimberly Ziance OFFICE: 151B Krebs HOURS: 9:00 - 10:30 W or by appointment PHONE: 269-2917 # DATE TOPIC 1 Sept 3&5 Intro to field biology; record keeping; field guide use; campus hike 2 Sept 10&12 Vegetational analysis 3 Sept 17&19 Importance values and diversity indices 4 Sept 24&26 Soil community: abiotic and biotic 5 Oct 1&3 QUIZ I (50 pts.). Lentic community: abiotic and biotic 6 Oct 8&10 Lotic community: abiotic and biotic Oct 15&17 Identification of organisms from #5 and #6 7 Oct 22&24 Cemetary study; life tables 8 Oct 29&31 QUIZ II (50 pts.). Begin interspecific competition. 9 Nov 5&7 Symbiosis and coevolution Nov 12&14 Finish #8 Nov 19&21 (open week, rain day) Field logs due. Lab #8 due. Nov 28&30 Holiday Dec 3&5 QUIZ III (50 pts.). The following labs can be written up for credit: Lab 2+3, Lab 4, Lab 6, Lab 7 and Lab 8. You may do three and I will take the best two grades. You must do two of the five. Lab reports are due approximately 10 days after work for that lab is done (Monday for Thursday labs and Friday for Tuesday labs), except for Lab 8 which is due two weeks after completion because of the holiday. Four points are subtracted for each day a lab is late. Grading - Best 2 out of 3 lab reports @ 50 pts. 100 pts. Best 2 out of 3 lab quizzes @ 50 pts. 100 pts. Field Log @ 25 pts. 25 pts. _______ 225 pts. Of the 225 possible points, 90-100% = A, 80-89% = B, 70-79% = C, 60-69% = D, <60% = F. Make-ups - Make-ups for lab and lab quizzes are virtually impossible. If you miss a lab, you are responsible for the material covered but you can't write the report on that lab. If you miss a lab quiz, that's the one you drop. Attendance - Lab attendance is mandatory and, as some of the labs involve leaving campus or going to other places than the lab, you must be on time. You work as a team in these labs and your absence works a hardship on others, so unexcused absence will cost you 10 pts. from your total grade. Be in lab, on time, every time. Field Logs and Lab Reports - The format and contents of these documents will be explained in lab. The work on these should be done independently of other present or past students' work. I will place some materials on reserve in the library for reports, but you will need to use your textbook and other references. You may work together to analyze data, but the reports must be your work alone. I will provide you with assistance if nececssary and will even read a draft of your first report ahead of the deadline. However, I am a strong adherent to the Academic Integrity and Student Conduct guidelines. Plagiarism, using another student's work or any other form of dishonesty will be punished by failure of the assignment or the course, depending on the severity of the offense. Two such offenses will automatically mean failure of the course.