Ecology Lab Course (PCB 3043L) for FALL 2007

TA	OFFICE	EMAIL	HOURS
Josette La Hée	OE 320	jlahe002@fiu.edu	By appointment only
Vivian Maccachero	ECS 153	vmacc001@fiu.edu	Monday/Wednesday 12 – 1 pm
Longin Kaczmarsky	HLS 427	lkacz001@fiu.edu	Monday/Wednesday 4 – 5 pm

Objectives:

This course will emphasize the integration and practical application of ideas and concepts from the Ecology lecture course. Emphasis will be placed on your ability to synthesize, articulate, and communicate concepts covered in the lab and lecture, in both written and oral form.

Course Description:

This lab is conducted in weekly four-hour meetings (be prepared to stay for the entire 4-hours each week). Most labs will involve outside work, so be prepared to get hot and sweaty, wet and muddy, rained on, and even bitten by bugs every week. Some weeks you may want to bring a change of clothes and shower at the gym after lab.
Students must be prepared to perform laboratory tasks at each meeting. Your attendance and participation in all lab exercises determine a substantial percentage of your lab grade (see below).
DO NOT BE LATE! Many of the labs will involve fieldwork away from the classroom, making it difficult or impossible for you to catch up (or even find your lab section) once lab has begun.

Required Texts:

The lab manual will be available for download (see schedule below).

Policies:

Appropriate behavior and respect for other students and the TA is expected at all times by both students and the TA.
NO CELL PHONES are to be used in class, neither in the classroom nor in the field. Any student found using their phone to make/receive calls or send/receive messages will automatically be subjected to a 10% deduction on the quiz for that day. No exceptions.
Most of the lab exercises will involve getting dirty and/or wet, so you are advised to dress accordingly. We suggest old jeans, a t-shirt and old sneakers. (If you wear “fancy clothing”, you will not be excused from field work!)
All students must e-mail the TA using their FIU e-mail address, and check their e-mail accounts on a daily basis for messages about the course. Changes to class schedule, assignments and due dates may be announced by e-mail only. Any e-mail address changes are the student’s responsibility to report to the TA. Include PCB3043L and your name in the subject line of all e-mail.

Grading:

Scale:		Breakdown:	%
90 - 100	A	Lab Worksheets (10)	60
80 - 89	B	Final Exam	40
70 - 79	C	Total	100%
60 - 69	D
Below 60	F

Reading Assignments:

You are required to read and prepare for each lab assignment prior to attending lab. Preparation for each week’s lab is essential to understanding the material that will be covered in the lab.

Lab Worksheets:

Worksheet answers must be double spaced, 12 point font, in the outline format indicated by the worksheet. Worksheets must be handed in ON TIME on the day they are due. 10% will be deducted from the worksheet grade if handed in late and for EACH ADDITONAL DAY thereafter. Your TA will describe the details of the worksheets.

Final Exam:

You will be given a final exam at the end of the course. This exam will be based on material covered during the entire lab course. The format of the exam and suggestions for preparation will be discussed with you prior to the exam.

Everglades National Park Field Trip:

An all-day (8am-6pm) field trip to Everglades National Park is mandatory of all lab participants. The field trip will be scheduled for a Friday or a Saturday. Space for each trip will be limited. Sign up for one of the available field trip dates early to ensure that you will get your first choice.

Plagiarism:

Plagiarism is a serious offence, and one that will not be taken lightly. Plagiarism can be intentional (copying another student’s work, collaborating too closely with another student) or unintentional (not citing all references, collaborating too closely with another student.) The best ways to avoid unintentional plagiarism are to reference all outside information, and to do all work on your own. If you have any questions about what is plagiarism, please consult your TA. Instructors may use detection software to determine if plagiarism has taken place. Suspected acts of plagiarism may be investigated and taken to the FIU Grievance Committee. Plagiarism will result in you receiving a 0 grade for your assignment (no exceptions) and may also result in your suspension or expulsion from the University.

Expectations and Suggestions for Success:

Student’s grades are generally reflective of the effort made to prepare for weekly labs. Prepared students have read and reflected upon the main points made in the assigned readings for each lab. Students who begin to work on their lab reports and worksheets the day that they are assigned have a greater opportunity to ask questions of the TA, are able to turn in their assignments on time, and generally get better grades. Often students that have initial difficulty with the course can still be successful. Interacting with your TA early in the semester outside of class is the best way to accomplish this.

Lab Schedule: (Subject to change so refresh your browser often for updates!)

Week	Topic	Lab Exercise	Homework	Due date
May 5^th	Introduction	Introduction to the Ecology Laboratory	Read Introduction & Syllabus Email your TA	May 12^th
May 7^th	Ecological Techniques 1	Data analysis lecture (Powerpoint file) Example data from PowerPoint	Worksheet 1 Worksheet 1 Data (Excel file)	May 14^th
May 12^th	Ecological Techniques 2	Sampling Techniques Set up of competition experiment	Worksheet 2	May 19^th
May 14^th	Population ecology 1	Life tables	Worksheet 3	May 21^st
May 19^th	Population ecology 2	Population distribution patterns	Worksheet 4	May 28^th
May 21^st	Species interactions 1 and 2	Predation	Worksheet 6	May 28^th
May 26^th	NO LAB	MEMORIAL DAY HOLIDAY	N/A	NO LAB
May 28^th	Community ecology 1	Introduction to Species diversity		June 4^th
June 2^nd	Community ecology 2	Species Diversity Crandon Park Field Trip	Worksheet 7	June 9^th
June 4^th	Ecosystem ecology Species interactions 2	Ecosystem metabolism Competition - (Harvest plants)	Worksheet 8	June 11^th
June 9^th	Species interactions 2	Competition - (Weigh plants)	Worksheet 5	June 13^th / 14^th
June 11^th	NO LAB	NO LAB	N/A	NO LAB
June 13^th / 14^th	Everglades Ecology	Everglades Field Trip Disturbance & Succession	Worksheet 9 Worksheet 10	June 13^th / 14^th
June 16^th	REVIEW LAB	REVIEW LAB	N/A	REVIEW LAB
June 18^th	FINAL EXAM	FINAL EXAM	N/A	FINAL EXAM

Other important dates:

May 12 Monday	Last day to complete late registration. Drop/Add Period ends; last day to drop courses or withdraw from the University without incurring a financial liability.
May 16 Friday	Last day to withdraw from the University with a 25% refund of tuition.
May 26 Monday	Memorial Day Holiday (University Closed).
June 2 Monday	Last day to drop a course with a DR grade. Last day to withdraw from the University with a WI grade.
June 19 Thursday	Classes end.

* Please check the FIU Academic calendar for further information* (http://www.fiu.edu/orgs/register/forms/calendar07-08.htm)

Syllabus and schedule subject to change by TA. All changes will be announced in class or via e-mail.

Webmaster: Josette La Hée Last updated: May 1^st, 2008

Section	Day & Time	TA
U01	Monday/Wednesday 8 – 11:50 am	Vivian Maccachero
U02	Monday/Wednesday 12 – 3:50 pm	Longin Kaczmarsky