Welcome to General Ecology Bio 4416 Instructor: Susan Schwinning

Welcome to General EcologyBio 4416

Instructor: Susan SchwinningOffice Hours: Mon, Wed 1:00 – 2:00 pm,

or by appointment312 Supple

1. How this course works.

• Lab and Lecture sections are taught independently.

• To pass the course you must pass both (>60%).

• To pass the lecture: acquire a minimum of 120 points

in 3 midterms (40pts) and 1 final (80 pts).

• To pass the lab: show up, submit assignments and

complete an independent research project.

Advice on how to handle the lab:

• The lab grade is 1/3 of the course grade

• The lab grade will often improve the course grade

• Failure to attend 3x gives you an “F” in lab, therefore

an “F” in the course

• 50% of the lab grade is tied to the independent

research project

• Partnering up in teams of two is recommended

Advice on how to do well in lecture:

• attend and review all lectures using materials posted online

• think along and ask questions

• make use of office hours/email

• read the required texts

• form study groups

• study for the midterms and final.

Grading:

Material covered Points

MIDTERM 1 1/4 40

MIDTERM 2 1/4 40

MIDTERM 3 1/4 40

FINAL all 80

WEEKLY LAB EXERCISES

Several guided field experiments or observations, writing

assignments

50

INDEPENDENT RESEARCH PROJECT

up to you 50

TOTAL 300Pass: 120(lec)+60(lab)

2. How you get information.

http://www.bio.txstate.edu/~schwinn/Ecology

(or through TRACS or the department’s faculty web pages)

3. What is ecology?

Ecology

Ernst Häckel (1866)

“Ökologie”: the comprehensive science of the relationship of the organism to the environment.

Today’s definition:

The scientific study of the distribution and abundance of organisms and of the

interactions that determine distribution and abundance.

From greek words oikos (= house/household) + logia (= study of)

The distribution and abundance of organisms is a

complicated thing.

How can we even begin to study it

scientifically?

Prairie

Coral Reef

molecular

cell

tissue

organ

organism

population

community

ecosystem

landscape

biome

ecosphere

The hierarchy of biological organization:

(Adapted from Odum & Barret, 2005)

Ecology

4. Why do we need math to do ecology?

Why Math?

Why Math?

Math is a way to express commonalityin the perplexing richness of human

observation and experience.

The richness of biological phenomena:

Let’s have a great semester!