SYLLABUS FOR ECOLOGY - BOTANY/ZOOLOGY/FORESTRY 460

Spring 2005

            The intention of this course is to get you up to speed on what ecologists do, and why they do it. There are two major sets of ideas in this course and they pertain to the two main reading assignments. First it is important that you know how ecology started as a self conscious discipline, and where it has been to arrive in its modern state. Therefore, we will have you read a large part of Real and Brown, “Foundations of Ecology.” This book is currently out of print, so readings will be posted on line. Second, you need to see where is the cutting edge of new ideas in ecology, so you will read Allen and Hoekstra, “Toward a Unified Ecology.”

            From Professor Allen: “Real and Brown (R&B) is a collection of 40 classic papers from the 1870s to 1970s. If I were choosing 40 classic papers, I would have chosen about half of the ones in this book anyway. About half the others I would probably have put in once someone reminded me they should be in there. There are about 10 papers that I think are missing from R&B. Given my approval of the inclusions stated above, it may be surprising that I do not particularly care for the way these papers have been arranged, and the rationale that this arrangement implies. While you will benefit from getting on top of my point of view, you clearly also need some moderating ideas that correspond to conventional wisdom. From Real and Brown, you will get a middle of the road view of how the mainstream leaders in the field view ecology. In my opinion, the population viewpoint is taken to the exclusion of other profitable perspectives, and animal biologists are not only ignorant of the plant scientist’s viewpoint, but they do not even know they are ignorant. Les Real and Jim Brown (Jim is a personal friend of mine) are animal population biologists, and it shows.”

            New ideas in ecology are represented by the textbook - Allen and Hoekstra, “Toward a Unified Ecology” and by additional recent papers. The book is fairly new with cutting edge ideas in it (even Allen’s 1982 book is still cutting edge, so Allen and Hoekstra is definitely ahead of the curve). Ed Rykiel, a leading systems ecologist, told Allen he thought it was the most important book in ecology for the last 50 years; that seems a bit extreme, but it is synthetic in a powerful new way. As the name suggests, it covers ecology across the discipline. Ecologists are knowledgeable and clever, but they are often not very thoughtful. Allen’s book is very thoughtful, and takes a hard look at how we know what we know. The book is very theoretical, but not particularly mathematical. While students normally resent lectures coming straight out of a book, Allen’s book is so challenging that you need the lectures to get on top of the abstractions. Read the chapter for the next day’s class. Don’t panic. Then the lecture will make sense in the light of the chapter, and the chapter makes sense in the light of the lecture.

The Teaching Assistants: Both TA’s are experienced at teaching, really enjoy teaching ecology, and are enthusiastic about the unique point of view presented by this course.

            Nikki Vullings is a graduate student of Professor Allen in the Department of Botany. She completed her bachelor degree here at Madison and, after some time away from school, is currently working on a Ph.D. Her general research interests include disturbance ecology, issues of scale and application of systems theory to ecology. Nikki’s own research focuses on scale of wind-throw disturbances in Wisconsin forests.

Office phone: 262-2279, FAX: 262-7509.

email: <nlvullings@students.wisc.edu>

Office: 347 Birge Hall. Office hours: Friday 9-10am or by appointment.

            Lucas R. Moyer-Horner is a graduate student of Professor Warren Porter in the Department of Zoology. Lucas received his undergraduate degree from UW-Madson in genetics and biological aspects of conservation. His research interests revolve around the ecology of montane systems, specifically small mammals in the Rocky Mtns.

Office phone: 262-0029, FAX: 265-6320.

email: <lrmoyerh@wisc.edu>

Office: 209 Zoology Research. Office hours: 12-1 Wednesday or by appointment.

The Laboratory Coordinator

            Susan Will-Wolf is Lecturer and Associate Scientist in the department of Botany. She is a community ecologist specializing in forest communities, lichen ecology, and biomonitoring methods, with forays into prairie and savanna ecology. She uses lichens to monitor forest ecosystem “health” across the USA (US Forest Service). Her favorite research spots are the Big Badlands of South Dakota and the Baraboo Hills of Wisconsin. She received her Ph.D. in Botany and Zoology from UW-Madison with Edward W. Beals, one of the professors who originated this course. She has taught and organized labs in Ecology 460 for several years; now most of her work is behind the scenes. She’ll be attending lectures, is the person to ask for administrative help, and loves to talk ecology. She’s a regular participant in Professor Allen’s weekly “sandbox” lunch discussions.

Office phone: 262-2754, FAX 262-7509.  

email: <swwolf@wisc.edu>

Office: 317 Birge Hall. Office hours: 1:30-2:30 W, or by appointment.

The Professors:

            Tim Allen is Professor of Botany. He has many teaching awards and deserves them (he is also a bit pompous and self-possessed). He is a theorist, but not particularly mathematical. He is known for his contributions to the theory of complex systems using hierarchy theory. His views in ecology used to be controversial, but they are now accepted as important, if peculiar, as a result of his three books on issues of scaling in ecology.

            He was trained in the 1960's by John Harper (the Darwinian Approach .. article R&B) at University College North Wales, Bangor, when that was one of the powerhouses of ecology in Europe. His presentations are always packed at the Ecological Society of America meetings. Many people would give a lot to get the series of lectures you are about to have. In more conventional terms, he is a community ecologist, and has papers on algae, forests, prairies, simulations, data analysis and ecological management. He has worked with scientists at Oak Ridge National Lab and the International Joint Commission (they address the US/Canada border). He continues liaisons with the US Forest Service.

Office Phone: 262-2692, FAX 262-7509

Office: 326 Birge Hall. Office hours: 12-1 MW

There is nothing, and I mean NOTHING, so important for you to call me at home for administrative reasons or points of ecological information (a social call to Sunday brunch might be something else, except I have young twins now, and refuse most invitations).

            Stanley Dodson is Professor of Zoology. He regularly teaches this course in the fall semester. His area of academic research is aquatic ecology, focusing on zooplankton communities, especially predator-prey interactions, toxicology, and taxonomy. He also co-ordinates an Ecology Internship for the Zoology Department, often teaches the summer limnology course, and directs the undergraduate major Biological Aspects of Conservation. He has recently written a very nice text book “Introduction to Limnology.” He was born in Illinois, grew up in western Colorado, where he became aware that he liked trout fishing almost as well as natural history. He was an undergraduate at Yale, where he took courses with G. Evelyn Hutchinson (who invented most of modern ecology) and wrote a paper with John Brooks (who saw the implications of size-selective predation). He went to graduate school at U of Washington, Seattle, where he studied with Tommy Edmondson (a rotifer fanatic who saved Lake Washington), took courses from Bob Paine (who is responsible for the concept “Keystone Predation”). Edmondson allowed him to complete a research project on zooplankton community structure and predation in small ponds in the mountains of western Colorado. He has been in Madison since 1970. He is married to an insect ecologist who has lately become a computer programmer. His one daughter (insurance investigator) lives in Connecticut with her family. He has done research on lakes and ponds in Wisconsin, the western US, Alaska, Germany, & Mexico.

Office Phone: 262-6395, FAX 265-6320

email: <sidodson@wisc.edu>

<http://www.wisc.edu/zoology/faculty/fac/Dod/Dod.html>

Office: 444 Birge Hall. Office hours: 10-12 am Tuesdays or by appointment via email

Making Contact:

The best way to contact the TA’s or inform the staff of something important is by email. None of us wants to be called at home for administrative reasons or points of ecological information.

Class web site: <http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/courses/460/> click on Allen or Current Semester.

Course grade is: the 100% sum of all the following parts:

a)         Final Exam = 25%

b)         The better midterm = 25%. The weaker midterm = 10%.

c)         Lab/discussion (participation, 2 essay sets, etc.) vs. term paper: better grade = 20% / weaker = 15%.

d)         Classic paper review = 5%

See. We are nice guys, letting your best performance count most on b) and c)

Lab/Discussion Meets: 1:20 - 5:25 in Birge 101. Timing of the 1-hour discussion varies by week.

Course Requirements: 3 lecture exams, 1 term paper, 1 classic paper review, lead 1 paper discussion, 2 laboratory take-home essay sets, attendance and participation in laboratory and discussion section.

1)         There are three lecture exams. They are cumulative, but focused on material since the last test. We have learned over the years that exams in class, not in the evening, get the 100% attendance that we require. You have scheduled to be in this class, so you must be there.

There are no make-up exams for you to take. The only excuse that works after the fact is: "I was in a coma." In one of my courses recently someone really did have encephalitis. This class fills up and we have turned away students, so if you cannot make one of the scheduled exams, make room for someone who can. This goes for the final as well. Excuses that are inadequate are: "My sister's wedding is ..." or "My father bought me a non-refundable airline ticket" - Sorry, but tough luck, Dad.

The first two exams will include about 20 multiple choice questions and two mini-essays. The third (final) exam will have more multiple choice questions and two, more integrative essay questions. There is much foolish snobbery against multiple choice tests, but they actually do give a good measure of your understanding. The challenge is writing good questions, and we do.

2)         A seven-page term paper is required. See laboratory manual for detailed instructions.

3)         Pick one of the classic papers in R&B, and write a 2-4 page essay critiquing it - see below.

4)         The lab/discussion grade is based on attendance, discussion participation (see item 5), and preparation of two laboratory take-home essay sets. While we do not want to grade on personality, your TA will assess your contribution to discussion. We generally do not grade on effort alone, but the discussion grade is based importantly on effort. Lab and discussion participation are graded as either: minus, zero, or plus. Your turn at leading a paper discussion will be graded on a 20-point scale. The two lab take-home essay sets will each be graded on a 100-point scale. A combined letter grade will be assigned for lab and discussion based on up to 220 points. The combined grade is then adjusted based on lab and discussion participation: down half a grade for minus, up half a grade for plus, and is left alone for zero. This generates your final lab/discussion grade.

5)         In Discussion, students will sign up to discuss selected R&B papers (10-15 min. each) and how they relate to A&H’s organization. In addition, students will be asked at random to relate all the papers of the week to R&B’s and A&H’s organizational schemes. This will be part of your discussion grade, so be prepared each week to do this. You get one “I pass” on a paper for the whole semester. When on number two you don’t know enough to comment, we hold that against you.

6)         Type or word-process all written assignments.

7)         Lab/Discussion attendance is mandatory. TA’s will take attendance.

Required Reading

1)         Allen & Hoekstra - Toward a Unified Ecology. This is the central course text written by Allen and Hoekstra (labeled A&H in lecture schedule).

2)         Real & Brown - Foundations of Ecology. On the lecture schedule, the numbers following "R&B" refer to the number given to the paper in their table of contents, which is included in the syllabus. R&B is, inconveniently, temporarily out of print, so we are making papers and section discussions available through “My UW/Academics/Library Reserves” (use your UW login and ID to access them) - look under Botany/460 General Ecology. Please print materials assigned for discussion and bring them to lab/discussion. We do not expect you to read all of the classic papers in great detail, but at the very least, learn how to skim a paper for what matters (Abstract or Introduction, Conclusions, Figures, and Tables). Some papers, like Bray & Curtis, you read right through. Err on the side of reading more than you think we require, and understand the graphs. You are responsible for the readings as numbered before the exam in the schedule.

3)         Additional papers to read for Ecology 460. These additional papers relate to lecture or to lab. They are listed by authors in the “READ” column when they are needed. They, also, are available through “My UW/Academics/Library Reserves.”

4)         Laboratory manual for Ecology 460. Available at ASM StudentPrint, B114 Memorial Union (near Hoofers, and the Rathskellar). Phone 262-6216, Hours Monday-Friday 9:30 am - 6:30 pm. It includes term paper guidelines, laboratory exercises, and additional support material.

Classic Paper Review

            Due Monday, March 14 at the beginning of lecture. Minimum 2 pages and maximum 4 pages. We do not wish to have you miss lecture while finishing an assignment. Therefore, we fix it so that there is no point in you finishing your assignment in lecture, because we simply do not accept any work after I start lecturing. There is a box, and it get sealed as I start the lecture. If yours is not in there, it is late, and you might as well have skipped doing it. Please don’t beg because, while we will be jerks, we don’t like doing it. Late busses, doctor’s appointment that went on too long, or traffic are not accepted as an excuse..

            This should be basically a written version of what we are doing orally in lab/discussion. Choose one of the Real & Brown papers assigned as class reading. Summarize, but also be critical. Being critical may involve telling why a paper is particularly good or historic. What happened after it was published? When and why did it gain its reputation as a classic? Criticize weak points, or explain why the ideas may be dated now. It's most important to come up with your own analysis.

            You may want to read interpretations by others and see if you agree. For example, (1) see the section essays in Real and Brown, (2) look in the authors cited section to see if Allen and Hoekstra discuss it, or (3) see how the classic work is interpreted in any other standard ecology textbook. Whichever of these or other strategies you follow, it's likely that you will need a brief list of "literature cited."

Laboratory Take-Home Essays (see laboratory manual)

First essay set due Monday, March 7 at the beginning of lecture.

Second essay set due Monday, April 18 at the beginning of lecture.

Term Paper

Due Monday, April 4 at the beginning of lecture. The lab manual has detailed instructions for the term paper.

Deadlines

            We are very firm on deadlines. The real world out there does not listen to excuses, so we view it as part of your education to be absolutely firm on deadlines. There are two sorts of people — those with reasons, and those with results. Perhaps all of you are results people; certainly most of you are. People with good reasons are more of a problem than those with bad reasons, because people with real dead grannies have not yet got as far as bad reasons. People with bad reasons can be convinced that what they really need to do is get us a copy of the paper in whatever form it is available. People with good reasons are more stubborn. Your latest rough draft is a lot better than nothing. Late assignments are not accepted. “My word processor broke down,” is no excuse. Therefore, it is smart to have a draft in your hand a week early that you could hand in if you must, because your computer broke and the dog ate your final draft (dogs really do things like that — my dog once ate my passport, and I felt like a naughty schoolboy when I had to get a new one).

BOTANY/ZOOLOGY 460 - SPRING 2005

Lecture: 11:00 am MWF in B302 Birge               Labs: 1:20-5:25 pm M,T,W or R in 101 Birge

About 2/3 of lectures are presented by Professor Allen; (SID) denotes lectures by Professor Dodson

FINAL EXAM: Thursday, May 12, 2:45 pm

#Bring a calculator to this lab.

*Outdoors labs: dress appropriately

~YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR GETTING YOURSELF TO PICNIC POINT OR TO THE ARBORETUM FOR THESE LABS.