Ecology Lab Course (PCB 3043L) for FALL 2008

Ecology Lab Course (PCB 3043L)

Fall 2009

Department of Biological Sciences - Florida International University - Miami , FL

Ecology Lab Website: http://bioserv.fiu.edu/~biolab/labs/PCB3043L/

Lab Location: HLS270

Section	Day & Time	TA
U01	Mondays 9:00 am - 12:50 pm	Emily Nodine
U03	Tuesdays 8:00 am - 11:50 am	Vivian Maccachero

OFFICE

E-MAIL

HOURS

Emily Nodine

OE 320

enodi001@fiu.edu

Tuesdays 9:30-11:30 am

Vivian Maccachero

ECS 153

vmacc001@fiu.edu

Mondays 11:30 am-1:30 pm

Fridays 12:00-2:00 pm

Ecology Lecture Professor: Dr. Suzanne Koptur

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.

· Three-ring binder to keep lab manual exercises.

· Field notebook.

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 from the grade 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)	50
80 - 89	B	Quizzes (10)	10
70 - 79	C	Formal Lab Report	10
60 - 69	D	Final Exam	30
Below 60	F	Total	100

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.

Quizzes:

A quiz will be given during the first 10 minutes of each class. Quizzes are based on the reading assignments for that week. If you are late you will not be allowed to take the quiz. The lowest quiz grade will be dropped.

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. You will collect data for most worksheets as a group. However, all other worksheet work will be done by you ALONE, NOT AS A GROUP. Students found to be working with other students will be penalized for plagiarism.

Formal Lab Report:
You will have to write a formal lab report based on an ecological experiment which will be conducted during the course. Instructions for the experiment as well as details of the format for the lab report will be given by your instructor.

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.

Participation:
This lab requires working in groups. Each group member must participate during lab in order to make it a rewarding experience for all involved. You may also be asked to assist other groups when you have finished your assignment. Equal participation of all members in each group during lab is expected. A 5% penalty may be applied to a student's worksheet grade if the TA feels that the student did not adequately participate during class.

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, Saturday, or Sunday. 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.

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
August 24^th/25^th	Introduction	Introduction to the Ecology Laboratory	Read Introduction & Syllabus Go to ecology website; Email TA
August 31^st/ September 1^st	Ecological Techniques 1	Data analysis lecture (Powepoint 2003 file) Data analysis lecture (Powerpoint 2007 file) Example data from Powerpoint 2003 Example data from Powerpoint 2007	Worksheet 1 / gradesheet Worksheet 1 Data (Excel file)	September 14^th/15^th
September 7^th/8^th	NO LAB	LABOR DAY	NO LAB	N/A
September 14^th/15^th	Ecological Techniques 2	Sampling Techniques Set up of competition experiment	Compile data and complete Worksheet 2 / gradesheet	September 21^st/22^nd
September 21^st/22^nd	Population ecology 1	Life tables	Worksheet 3 / example_data / gradesheet	September 28^th/29^th
September 28^th/29^th	Population ecology 2	Population distribution patterns	Worksheet 4 / example_data / gradesheet	October 5^th/6^th
October 5^th/6^th	Species interactions 1	Herbivory	Worksheet 5 / gradesheet / Project Proposal Guidelines	October 12^th/13^th
October 12^th/13^th	Species interactions 2	Competition - (Harvest plants) PROJECT PROPOSAL DUE	Worksheet 7 / gradesheet	October 19^th/20^th
October 19^th/20^th	Species interactions 3	Predation	Worksheet 6 / gradesheet	October 26^th/27^th
October 26^th/27^th	Ecosystem ecology	Ecosystem metabolism	Worksheet 10/ gradesheet/data table/ Project Presentation Guidelines PowerPoint Presentation Tips	November 2^nd/3^rd
November 2^nd/3^rd	Community ecology 1	Microbial Species diversity / diatoms Introduction to Disturbance & Succession	Worksheet 8 / example_data / gradesheet	November 9^th/10^th
November 9^th/10^th	Community ecology 2	Disturbance & Succession	Worksheet 9 / example_data / gradesheet	November 30^th/ December 1^st
November 16^th/17^th	NO LAB Everglades Ecology	DUE TO WEEKEND FIELD TRIP Everglades Field Trip	NO LAB Worksheet 11 Ecosystems of the Everglades Everglades National Park Map	N/A
November 23^rd/24^th	NO LAB	THANKSGIVING	NO LAB	N/A
November 30^th/ December 1^st	PRESENTATIONS & STUDY SESSION	Student Project Presentations & Final Review: Bring your questions!	PRESENTATIONS & STUDY SESSION	N/A
December 7^th/8^th	FINAL EXAM	FINAL EXAM	FINAL EXAM

Other important dates:

Saturday 29 August	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 16 October	Last day to drop a course with a DR grade. Last day to withdraw from the University with a WI grade.

* Please check the FIU Academic calendar for further information* (http://fiustudentrecords.org/downloads/FIU_2009-2010.pdf)

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

Webmaster: Vivian Maccachero Last updated: August 22^th, 2009 11:00 am