Still trying to get in?

Still trying to get in?

1. Make sure you’re on the Banner waiting list.

2. If you think you might drop, please do so soon.

3. For general registration questions, contact:

Kim Kolb

Biology Office (Rm. 315)

kim.kolb@wwu.edu

David HooperDept. of Biology

Rm. 307, Bio. Buildinghooper@biol.wwu.edu

650-3649

See webpage for syllabus

Why am I here? Biology is so cool!

Why am I here?

Sustainability?

Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning: The context

(Chapin et al. 2000)

California Serpentine Grassland

What factors allow for successful

invasion of exotic species?

Toolik Lake

Effects of temperature and vegetation on ecosystem carbon

balance in Arctic tundra

Terry picture

Riparian restoration

Well, how do I get there?

And, is it enough?

?

Students involved

Goals of this course

1. Content: Introduce the diversity of life, ecology and evolutionary biology in an integrated way;

2. Content/Skills: Introduce and practice scientific methods (by doing);

3. Content/Skills: Introduce some basic tools of biology (lab);

4. Skills: Scientific communication – writing and presentations (lab).

5. Skills: Quantitative reasoning = use math to answer biological questions

Bloom’s taxonomy of learning1. Basic knowledge memorizing facts, processes

6CO2 + 6H2O +light C6H12O6 + O2

2. Secondary comprehension understanding & illustrating facts

3. Application generalizing to other situations

4. Analysis understanding why, breaking the problem down

5. Synthesis making connections

6. Evaluation use knowledge critically to assess information

Bloom’s taxonomy of learning1. Basic knowledge memorizing facts, processes2. Secondary comprehension understanding &

illustrating facts- Light and dark reactions lead to CO2 conversion to

sugar- Most plant biomass comes from CO2 in the air!

3. Application generalizing to other situations4. Analysis understanding why, breaking the

problem down5. Synthesis making connections6. Evaluation use knowledge critically to assess

information

Bloom’s taxonomy of learning1. Basic knowledge memorizing facts, processes

2. Secondary comprehension understanding & illustrating facts

3. Application generalizing to other situationsPhotosynthesis at the whole ecosystem level – can we

calculate the total CO2 uptake from an area of forest?

4. Analysis understanding why, breaking the problem down

5. Synthesis making connections

6. Evaluation use knowledge critically to assess information

Bloom’s taxonomy of learning1. Basic knowledge memorizing facts, processes2. Secondary comprehension understanding &

illustrating facts3. Application generalizing to other situations4. Analysis understanding why, breaking the

problem downWhat do we need to know to make that calculation? Rates of

growth per tree, number of trees per area, amount of C per tree, etc.

What factors control rates of forest growth, and do how they vary across landscapes?

5. Synthesis making connections6. Evaluation use knowledge critically to assess

information

Bloom’s taxonomy of learning1. Basic knowledge memorizing facts, processes2. Secondary comprehension understanding &

illustrating facts3. Application generalizing to other situations4. Analysis understanding why, breaking the

problem down5. Synthesis making connections

Elevated CO2 causes global warming; humans are releasing CO2 with fossil fuel combustion.

How do rates of CO2 uptake from forests compare to human release of CO2 from fossil fuel burning? Enough to decrease warming?

6. Evaluation use knowledge critically to assess information

Bloom’s taxonomy of learning1. Basic knowledge memorizing facts, processes

2. Secondary comprehension understanding & illustrating facts

3. Application generalizing to other situations

4. Analysis understanding why, breaking the problem down

5. Synthesis making connections

6. Evaluation use knowledge critically to assess information

Will cutting down old growth forests help suck fossil fuel CO2 out of the atmosphere?

Expectations

1. You will all get A’s.2. You want to learn.

- Transition to upper-level courses: you will build on these skills throughout school – and career.

- I’m here to help – as a facilitator, not “the sage on the stage”

3. You will be active learners.- Same approach doesn’t work for everyone. Don’t understand? Come ask!- Reciprocal effort.- Learn from mistakes.

4. Expect excellence, but not perfection. Something you like or don’t like? Please tell me!

Ecology and Evolution

Ecological interactions determine the fitness of organisms in an evolutionary context.

Evolution of organisms influence the ecological interactions in which they partake.

Biodiversity

The different forms of life on Earth, in terms of genetic diversity within species, species diversity in communities (and globally), and diversity of ecosystems across landscapes.

AssessmentA - Strongly agree B – somewhat agree C - don’t know D – somewhat

disagree E – strongly disagree1. While there is some evidence for evolution, it is just a theory that has not been

well proven.2. Intelligent design provides a scientifically credible alternative to evolution.3. Evolution cannot explain the presence of complex structures in organisms,

such as eyes or flagella, that must operate as a unit.4. While it is clear that evolution can explain changes within species, it cannot

explain how new species or groups of species may have arisen.5. While Darwin proposed natural selection as the mechanism of evolution, he

didn’t know how heritability occurred.6. Natural selection is the only mechanism by which evolution occurs.7. Dolphins are better adapted to their environment than are alligators because

the former are more recently evolved.8. Evolution favors the development of more complex organisms over simpler

organisms.9. Scientists continue to debate details of evolution, but there’s no scientific

controversy about whether or not it occurs.10. A scientific concept, such as evolution, does not become a “theory” until it is

supported by an overwhelming body of evidence.

Intro to the biology series: What’s covered in 204, 205,

206?

Population

Ecosystem

Community

EvolutionBI 204

BI 206

BI 205

Fig 1.2

Biological Hierarchy BI 204

Ecology

The study of interactions between organisms and their environment, both abiotic and biotic.

What adaptations allow organisms to survive and reproduce in a complex world?

Physiological ecology (e.g., temp., moisture)

Population ecology:Abundance, distribution, and reproduction

mutualism

predation, herbivory, parasitism

Community composition and

diversity

Community ecology(species interactions) Competition

Ecosystem ecology: element cycles

How many species?Global diversity – total number of species of different taxa in

the whole world. About 1.65 million identified. Estimates range up to about 30 million species.

Global Biodiversity Assessment 1995

How are they related?

http://cyberpingui.free.fr/humour/evolution-white.jpg

How are they related?