Ecology Lab Course (PCB 3043L) for FALL 2008

TA	OFFICE	E-MAIL	HOURS
Amanda Quillen	HLS417	amanda.quillen@fiu.edu	by appointment only
Lonnie Kaczmarsky	HLS427	longin.kaczmarsky@fiu.edu	by appointment only
Elizabeth Lacey	ECS114	elizabeth.lacey@fiu.edu	by appointment only

Ecology Lecture Professor: Dr. Evelyn Gaiser

Ecology Lecture Website: http://www.fiu.edu/~gaisere/PCB3043

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 outdoor 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 consists of exercises and worksheets that will be available for download in the schedule below. Print them out each week and bring them to class. The manual is subject to change. Changes will be noted on the schedule or sent via e-mail.
OPTIONAL: Any ecology textbook (such as those required for the lecture class) may be helpful for understanding background information.

Policies:

ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY! If you do not attend class, you will not be allowed to turn in the associated worksheet for that week, resulting in a grade of zero. Excused absences are at the discretion of the head TA, who will call to confirm your excuse. Each false document or excuse will result in a 10% reduction in your final grade in addition to the zero you receive on the worksheet.
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 tasks 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 ADDITIONAL DAY thereafter. Your TA will describe the details of the worksheets. The lowest worksheet grade will be dropped.

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 plagiarism detection software (such as turnitin.com) 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!)

Date	Topic	Lab Exercise	Homework	Due date
25 August	Introduction	Introduction to the Ecology Laboratory	Read Introduction & Syllabus E-mail your TA	8 September
1 September	NO LAB	LABOR DAY HOLIDAY
8 September	Ecological Techniques 1	Data analysis lecture (Powerpoint file) Example data from PowerPoint (Excel file)	Worksheet 1 Worksheet 1 Data (Excel) Gradesheet 1 (Excel)	15 September
15 September	Ecological Techniques 2	Sampling Techniques	Worksheet 2 Gradesheet 2 (Excel)	22 September
22 September	Population ecology 1	Life tables	Worksheet 3 Example data (Excel) Gradesheet 3 (Excel)	29 September
29 September	Population ecology 2	Population distribution patterns	Worksheet 4 Example data (Excel) Gradesheet 4 (Excel)	6 October
6 October	Species interactions 1	Herbivory	Worksheet 5 Gradesheet 5 (Excel)	13 October
13 October	Species interactions 2	Predation	Worksheet 6 Gradesheet 6 (Excel)	20 October
20 October	Community ecology 1 Species interactions 3	Microbial Species Diversity Set up of competition experiment	Worksheet 8 Example data (Excel) Gradesheet 8 (Excel)	27 October
25/26 October	Everglades Ecology	Everglades Field Trip	Worksheet 11	7/8 November
27 October	Community ecology 2	Community ecology (Crandon Park Field Trip)	Worksheet 9 Example data (Excel) (Gradesheet 9)	3 November
3 November	Ecosystem ecology	Ecosystem metabolism	Worksheet 10	10 November
10 November	Species interactions 3	Competition - (Harvest plants, discuss topic)	(Worksheet 7) (Gradesheet 7)	17 November
17 November	REVIEW LAB	REVIEW LAB	Study for exam!
24 November	FINAL EXAM	FINAL EXAM
1 December	TBA	TBA	TBA	TBA
8 December (Finals Week) U01 0945-1145 U02 1200-1400	TBA	TBA	TBA	TBA

We do not anticipate having class on dates marked "TBA" unless we need to make up lab exercises that must be postponed earlier in the semester (for example, due to weather or campus shut down). These are official class days, so do not plan on being off those days.

Other important dates:

Tuesday 2 September	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.
Friday 19 September	Last day to withdraw from the University with a 25% refund of tuition.
Friday 17 October	Last day to drop a course with a DR grade. Last day to withdraw from the University with a WI grade.
8-13 December	Finals Week

* Please check the FIU Academic calendar for further information* (http://www.fiu.edu/orgs/register/forms/calendar08-09.htm)

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

Webmaster: Amanda Quillen Last updated: Fri, Sep 5, 2008, 1:27 PM

Section	Day & Time	TA
U01	Mondays 9:00 am - 12:50 pm	Elizabeth Lacey
U02	Mondays 1:00 pm - 4:50 pm	Lonnie Kaczmarsky