Course Outline

WINDWARD COMMUNITY COLLEGE

OUTLINE OF COURSE OBJECTIVES

COURSE NAME: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

COURSE ALPHA: BIOL 265

CREDIT HOURS: 03

CATALOG DESCRIPTION:

Principles of ecology and evolution for life science majors stressing integrated approach and recent advance. (3 hrs. lect.)

REQUIREMENTS COURSE SATISFIES:

Partially fulfills requirements for the Academic Subject Area Certificate in Bio-Resources and Technology (Bio-Resources Development and Management track) at WCC.

At UHM, this course may satisfy baccalaureate degree requirements in specific majors (e.g., Biology and Marine Biology).

PREREQUISITES: BIOL 171/171L and 172/172L; or one year of introductory college biology plus labs; or equivalent preparation; or consent of instructor.

CO-REQUISITES: BIOL 265L; or consent of instructor.

INSTRUCTOR: David A. Krupp, Ph.D.

OFFICE: Hale ‘Imiloa 104

TELEPHONE: 236-9121

E-MAIL: krupp@hawaii.edu

COURSE HOMEPAGE: http://krupp.wcc.hawaii.edu/BIOL265/

INSTRUCTOR’S HOMEPAGE: http://krupp.wcc.hawaii.edu/

EFFECTIVE DATE: Fall 2006

COURSE GOALS

Upon completion of this course, you should:

have an appreciation and general understanding of the principles of ecology and evolution, especially how these two fields are inter-related;

be aware of the major theoretical and applied problems currently being studied by ecologists and evolutionary biologists;

understand how theories and research in ecology and evolution can be used in solving conservation problems;

appreciate the value of the Hawaiian environment in addressing questions in ecology, evolution, and conservation.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

The student will describe and integrate basic principles of ecology and evolution, defining basic terms presented in lecture and required texts, citing specific examples (especially Hawaiian examples) when asked for. These basic principles include the following areas:

the history of the fields of evolution and ecology;

definitions of evolution, evolution as the unifying principle of biological science, and microevolution versus macroevolution;

natural selection, Darwin’s theory for a mechanism of evolutionary change;

sexual selection, a special case of natural selection;

units of selection: group and kin selection, selection on species and clades;

species concepts and speciation (mechanisms and patterns);

common ancestry, the evidence of homology, and adaptive radiation;

the history of life on earth, the fossil record, patterns of evolutionary change, pace and tempo of evolutionary change, role of extinction, and patterns and causes of extinction;

human evolution;

principles of heredity as they apply to evolutionary change;

genetics systems (e.g., different genetic systems, the role of sex and genetic recombination, and the cause and maintenance of genetic diversity, etc.);

change in gene frequencies (e.g., deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, founder effect, genetic drift, etc.)

genetic and molecular evidence in the establishment of evolutionary relationships and rates of evolutionary change;

cladistics and biological classification systems;

characteristics of the abiotic environment that affect living things and the adaptations and physiological adjustments (acclimations) organisms exhibit that allow them to cope with this environment;

role of environmental factors (e.g., temperature, rainfall, etc.) in determining global patterns of species distributions and abundance, and biome classification;

organism life histories (reproductive modes and patterns, energy allocation, generalists vs. specialists, r and K selection, senescence, etc.);

characteristics of populations (e.g., models of population growth, age structure, life tables, dynamics, density-dependent vs. density-independent factors influencing population growth, human population growth, etc.);

species-to-species interactions (e.g., competition, predation, symbioses, etc.);

characteristics of communities (e.g., structure, food chains and food webs, succession, effects of disturbance, etc.);

characteristics of ecosystems (e.g., energy flow, biogeochemical cycles, biodiversity, complexity vs. stability, etc.);

island biogeography with special emphasis on Hawai‘i;

applying the concepts of evolution and ecology to conservation biology with special reference to Hawaiian flora and fauna.

In addition, the student will be introduced to contemporary issues in ecology and evolution through assigned readings from recent literature and specific writing assignments.

To help you achieve the course objectives, you may be provided with lecture outlines hat include vocabulary terms and study questions. You should use these materials as guides to help you focus on what materials to study.

MODE OF INSTRUCTION

The previously described objectives will be achieved through the aid of the following learning activities:

Assigned readings;

Lecture and demonstrations;

Multimedia presentations, including computer-assisted and internet-assisted activities;

Examinations; and

Writing assignments.

The material presented in all modes of instruction will be of an introductory nature but sufficient in content to allow continuation in higher level biological science courses required for biological science majors. Assigned readings will serve to provide background and supplemental information to provide a broad base for a basic study of biology. Class lectures will build upon this base, helping to focus the student to some of the more important details. Lecture study guides may be provided to help students focus upon the more significant details from the lecture and text. Multimedia presentations will graphically illustrate course content. Students may also be given the opportunity to access learning tools available through CD-ROM and internet technologies.

EVALUATION OF OBJECTIVE ACHIEVEMENT

EXAMINATIONS. The student will take 1 midterm examination (100 points ) and a cumulative final examination (150 points) to demonstrate understanding of information presented primarily during lectures. NO RETESTS will be given. A student missing an exam because of an illness or legitimate emergency may take a make-up exam only during the FIRST class meeting to which the student returns. In such a circumstance, the student should make every reasonable attempt to contact the instructor before the exam is administered to the class (or as soon as possible). While make-up exams will cover the same content area as a missed exam, the exam format and specific questions may be different.

QUIZZES. The student will take 12-14 quizzes (15 points each) administered ONLY during the first 10 minutes of the lecture meetings or through WebCT (approximately one quiz per week will be issued). These non-cumulative quizzes will cover information presented during the previous lecture sessions. Of these quizzes, only the 10 best scores will be included in the student's point total (150 points total). NO MAKE-UP QUIZZES FOR ANY ABSENCES (EVEN RESULTING FROM LEGITIMATE ILLNESS) OR LATE ARRIVALS WILL BE ADMINISTERED.

ESSAY ASSIGNMENTS. The student will write five short essays (generally 2 - 3 pages, double-spaced, typed text; 20 points each, 100 points total) during the course of semester summarizing and interpreting current issues in ecology and evolution. These essays will be based upon reading assignments from the current literature. Specific details about these writing assignments will be presented in class.

METHOD OF GRADING

The assignment of points will be according to the following protocol:

Criteria	Points
Midterm Exam	100
Final Exam	150
Quizzes	150
Essay Assignments	100
TOTAL	500

LATE ASSIGNMENTS will be PENALIZED. Assignments must be received by the assignment due date. Late assignments received during the first week after the due date may be assessed a penalty equivalent to 15% of the total points possible for that assignment. Assignments submitted more than one week following the due date will not be accepted for a score.

NO EXTRA CREDIT opportunities will be provided. The student should focus his/her attention on the information required for quizzes, examinations, and the writing assignments.

Letter grades will be assigned as follows:

A---- 90% or above in total points.

B---- 80-89.9% of total points.

C---- 65-79.9% of total points.

D---- 55-64.9% of total points.

F---- Below 55% of total points or informal or incomplete official withdrawal from course.

I---- Incomplete; given at the INSTRUCTOR'S OPTION when student is unable to complete a small part of the course because of circumstances beyond his or her control. It is the STUDENT'S responsibility to make up incomplete work. Failure to satisfactorily make up incomplete work within the appropriate time period will result in a grade change for "I" to the contingency grade identified by the instructor (see catalog).

CR--- 65% or above in total points; the student must indicate the intent to take the course as CR/NC in writing by the end of the 10th week of classes (see catalog).

NC--- Below 65% of total points; this grade only available under the CR/NC option (see above and see catalog).

N---- NOT GIVEN BY THIS INSTRUCTOR EXCEPT UNDER EXTREMELY RARE CIRCUMSTANCES (e.g., documented serious illness or emergency that prevents the student from officially withdrawing from the course); never used as an alternative for an "F" grade.

W--- Official withdrawal from the course after the third week and prior to the end of the 10th week of classes (see catalog).

Waiver of minimum requirements for specific grades will be given only in unique situations at the instructor's discretion.

Students involved in academic dishonesty will receive an "F" grade for the course. Academic dishonesty is defined in WCC's college catalog.

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES

Students are expected to participate in all lecture activities and complete all course assignments on time.

Students are expected to be prepared in advance when they arrive to class. Being prepared includes the following: having already read text materials (e.g., textbook readings, study guides and handouts) assigned for that day's activities and bringing required work materials (e.g., textbook, handouts, writing supplies, etc.).

Any changes in the course schedule, such as examination dates, deadlines, etc., will be announced ahead of time in class. It is the student's responsibility to be informed of these changes.

It is the student's responsibility to be informed about deadlines critical to making registration changes (e.g., last day of erase period and last day for making an official withdrawal.

The student should NOT assume that because the content of this class is introductory in nature the class will be easy. Students should expect a level of difficulty comparable to other 200-level science classes intended for majors in the discipline. When difficult concepts and detailed information are presented, it is the student's responsibility to take the appropriate steps to learn and understand these concepts and information.

Science courses at W.C.C. generally require two to three hours of independent private study time for each hour in class. However, because of the nature of the material presented in BIOL 265, more study time may be required (depends upon the student's science/biology background). It is the student's responsibility to allocate the appropriate time needed for study in an environment conducive to quality study. The student must budget time efficiently and be realistic about all personal and professional commitments that consume time.

HOW TO SUCCEED IN THIS CLASS

Understanding biological science involves understanding many difficult concepts and vocabulary, not just knowing facts. You should know that the details to these concepts are important. In addition, you will be introduced to hundreds of new words. In some cases, words that are familiar to you in a context other than biology will be introduced to you in the context of biology. You will need to understand and use these terms in a biological science context.

While you may refer to lecture outlines that include study guides, you will not succeed in this class unless you take your own careful lecture notes and read the corresponding material in the textbook. The lecture outlines are not to be used in place of your own note taking. As soon as possible (best if you do it the same day), copy over your lecture notes filling in gaps and missing information by referring to the lecture outlines and textbook. You should carefully review these rewritten lecture notes as often as possible. In addition to reviewing these notes before an exam, it would be useful to try to rewrite these notes from memory.

In addition to copying over your lecture notes, your study activities should include drawing your own labeled diagrams or graphs that illustrate important biological phenomena (e.g., the internal structure of the cell, the stages of cell division, or the population growth curve). These diagrams need not be works of art, but should clearly illustrate significant information. Before an exam, it would be useful to redraw these labeled diagrams and graphs from memory.

Make flashcards for each new vocabulary word you learn (refer to study guides provided for a list of terms). On one side write the word. On the other side write the appropriate biological science definition for the word. Test your ability to provide the right definition as often as possible. Practice using the word to explain biological concepts.

Write out answers to all of the study guide questions as though you were required to turn them in. Allow someone else to read your answers and give you feedback. Read someone else's answers and provide constructive feedback.

Read the textbook materials corresponding to a particular lecture before and after that lecture. Review this material before exams.

TEXTBOOK AND OTHER ASSIGNED INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS

To be Determined