• BIOLOGY 215 PRINCIPLES OF ECOLOGY• BIOLOGY 215 PRINCIPLES OF ECOLOGY • Jan 2012

• INSTRUCTOR: Dr. T. E. ReimchenOffi C 056 Ph 721 7101• Office: Cunn 056, Ph 721-7101

• SENIOR LAB COORDINATOR: Dr. Neville Winchester • Office : Cun 232b Ph. 721-7099, winchest@uvic.ca

• Lectures MR: 1130-1300 :Ocean, Earth & Atmospheric Sc. B150• Labs: Cunn 245

Course OutlineCourse OutlineIntroduction Ecological genetics –genetic variability, natural selection, evolutionBehavioral ecology- optimal foraging, territoriality, sex & mating systems, group living, life historiesPopulation ecology- dispersion, movement, estimating population size, life tables, mortality and survivorship curves, population growth, population regulation –intrinsic vs extrinsic, bottom-up vs top-down effects Interactions- competition, niche concepts, predation, defenses against carnivores and herbivoresC it l i t hi l l t i t li k t iCommunity ecology- succession, trophic levels, nutrient cycling, keystone speciesMajor communities- estuaries, intertidal, kelp forests, pelagic, deep sea, coral reefs, lakes, tundra, taiga, temperate rainforests, temperate deciduous forests, grasslands, deserts, tropical forests Biodiversity- global patterns in species abundance, causes for global trends- evapotranspiration, spatial heterogeneity geological history complexity stabilityspatial heterogeneity, geological history, complexity, stabilityIsland biogeography – island size, distance to source, species turnover, equilibrium & tripartite theoryHuman impact on ecosystems – population growth, habitat loss, fragmentation, atmospheric contaminants, global temperature changes, aquatic pollution, ocean acidification, terrestrial and

i h t i t d d ti i ti timarine harvest, introduced exotic species, extinctionsConservation ecology- history, ecological footprint, International categories of protection on the land and sea, benefits and limitations of protected areas, SLOSS, minimum viable population (MVP), critical habitats, hotspots, endemic species, park design, restoration The future?The future?

• Text: recommended - any recent (>1980) secondhand text in Ecology

• alternative: new text: Molles and Cahill 2008- Ecology (Canadian Edition) – limited quantity

• Texts In Reserve Reading Room, McPherson Libraryg , y• Stiles, 2002. Ecology; Molles, 1999 or newer. Ecology:

Concepts and Applications, Ricklefs, R.E. 1996. The Economy of Nature; Smith, R.L. 1980. Ecology and Field Biology,

O f f (C )Wilson, E.O. 1992. The Diversity of Life (Chap 12). • Additional readings to supplement lecture topics (E-

journals: examples: New Scientist, Science, Nature, C ti Bi l E l T d i E l dConservation Biology, Ecology, Trends in Ecology and Evolution, Scientific American

• Interesting DVD’s – David Attenborough, BBC (i.e. Planet E th Bl Pl t t )Earth, Blue Planet, etc)

• Moodle Website – pdfs of most lecture slides and lab modules• Access to 215 website is limited to registered students with a

UVi il tUVic email account.

• Labs: modules supplied on course website*• download module from the website the week• download module from the website the week

prior to the lab • bring a memory stick to the first lab• bring a memory stick to the first lab• first lab will have an outdoor component so

students should dress appropriatelystudents should dress appropriately

• Grading* Lectures-60%Grading Lectures 60%• Midterm-25% Feb 9**• Final 35% Date: TBA***• Final-35% Date: TBA• Labs-40 % • *marks will be posted using last 5 digits of ID#• *marks will be posted using last 5 digits of ID# • **deferred midterm possible only for medical

conditioncondition• ***a supplementary exam is not permitted for

those who get grade F in the course