Monday: 12:05pm – 4:10pm, Wednesday: 3:20pm – 4:10pm

Dr. Randy Mitchell Instructor. ASEC E508

Office Hours: T/W 11-12.  Email: rjm2@uakron.edu.

Office Phone: 330-972-5122.

Prerequisite: General Ecology (3100:217).

Required Text:  Kircher, John C, G. Morrison. 1988. A Field Guide to Eastern Forests. Peterson Field Guide Series. Houghton Mifflin Co. NY.

Optional: Karban, R, and Huntzinger, M. 2007. How to do Ecology. A concise handbook. Princeton University Press. Princeton New Jersey.

Course Description: Introduction to the methodology of modern ecology, and to the natural history of Ohio’s ecological communities. In this course you will learn to identify many common Ohio plants and animals, learn about their ecological roles and requirements, and will design and conduct experiments and observations to better understand their ecology. This course emphasizes fieldwork and hands-on experience. You will also learn to read (and write) scientific papers concerning field biology, and use basic statistical analysis to evaluate research results.

 

Tentative Schedule

Week	Topic	Tentative Reading Schedule
Aug 22	Field Trip: Cascade Park Oxbox	Chapter 1
Aug 29	Project 1: Nectar	Zimmerman et al
Sept 5	NO SCHOOL: Labor Day	Chapter 2
Sept 12	Project 2: Mark-Recapture Waterstriders	Chapter 3
Sept 19	Project 2: Mark-Recapture	Chapter 4
Sept 26	Project 3: Forest Succession/survey	Chapter 5
Oct 3	Project 3:Forest Succession / Survey	Chapter 7
Oct 10	Project 4: Goldenrod Enemies
Oct 17	Project 4: Goldenrod Enemies
Oct 24	Analyze and Catch Up	Chapter 8
Oct 31	Project 5: Bird Mobbing	Mobbing Reading
Nov 7	Project 6: Wetland Invasives	Wetland Reading
Nov 14	Project 6: Wetland Invasives
Nov 21	Project 7: Bird Communities in Fragments	Chapter 6
Nov 28	Finish Project 7 or Non-BNP Field Trip
Dec 5	Final Exam Period: Wednesday, Dec 7 4:00pm-5:55pm

 

Scoring

Item	%
Conduct an independent research project (individual or small group) and summarize it with a poster or paper	20
Write up one or more course exercises as a scientific paper (number to be determined	20
Attend, participate, & contribute to group on all projects	15
Exercises (e.g. reports, takehomes, quizzes)	15
TWO ‘Natural History Summaries’	10
Generate field notes (as described in the handout) for at least two separate field trips.	10
Present an individual poster during the final exam period.	5
Subjective	5

Attendance and participation will be scored as follows:

0: Not present, no excuse

1: Present but NOT attentive, helpful, engaged

2: Ok: Present, attentive, helpful, engaged (or excused)

3: Wow! Present, attentive, helpful, engaged, makes special contributions to the project (ideas, insight, leadership, extra effort, etc.)

If you will be absent, please let me know ahead of time. This lets us plan, and will help your score (up to a reasonable limit, you will not be penalized for missing classes if you notify me ahead of time).

Extra credit is available for attending field-biology seminars. More information later.

FIELD NOTEBOOK: Each student should also have a dedicated field notebook. I suggest something like the 4 x 7″ ‘Rite in the Rain” notebooks available in the bookstore. They are weather-resistant and fit nicely in a pocket or bag.

Policy on Academic Dishonesty

Diana Hacker writes, “To borrow another writer’s language or ideas without proper acknowledgment is a form of dishonesty known as plagiarism” (1997. A Pocket Style Manual, 2nd Edition.  Bedford Books, Boston, p. 91).  The University of Akron regards plagiarism as a grave academic offense, and it will not be tolerated.  You will be guilty of committing plagiarism if you use, without proper acknowledgment, paragraphs, single sentences, clauses, or ideas of others, regardless of the source (scientific publications, books, pamphlets, newspapers or newsletters, commercial “term paper” services, electronic media [such as information on the Internet, CD-ROM’s, etc.], papers previous students have submitted for this or other courses, and the like).  If you have any questions about what constitutes plagiarism, be sure to inquire before submitting your papers!

If you are found to have committed plagiarism or are caught cheating on any graded portion of this class, you will be reprimanded to the full extent outlined in the student handbook.  This includes one of the following actions: reduction of course grade, disciplinary probation, suspension, or outright dismissal from the University

Field Trips

For your safety and comfort, it is important that you are properly dressed and prepared for our field trips.  We may get hot, cold, wet, muddy, or dirty, so dress accordingly.

Getting wet. On some days we may wade through water, get rained on, or encounter wet vegetation. I’ll warn you ahead of time as possible, so that you may bring rubber boots, or water shoes, and have a change of clothes ready. You are welcome to stash a set of field clothes in the lab or at the field station or lab (see me about how to do so securely) so that your good clothes won’t be ruined, and so that you don’t have to traipse around campus in dirty field clothes, even when we don’t get really wet.

SAFETY:

We will spend a lot of time outdoors in nature, which can provide surprises. We will not do anything more dangerous than you would during a normal hiking trip. If you are an experienced hiker, you are probably well prepared for this. If you are not an experienced hiker, please contact the instructor and we will go over a few safety tips.

Other: Many find that alcohol wipes can ease encounters with Poison Ivy.

Please let me know of any relevant medical issues ahead of time.

You will need to decide for yourself what you�ll need with you in the field. Some general suggestions and possibilities include:

• Long pants
• Boots or shoes
• Hat
• Sunscreen
• Mosquito repellent
• Pack
• Coat/ rainshell / umbrella
• Rain pants
• Medications (e.g., epi-pen for those allergic to bee stings, allergy medication)
• Water
• Field notebook and pencils
• Clipboard
• Binoculars
• Field Guide(s)
• Sealable plastic bags (for specimens, data sheets, etc.)
• Camera
• GPS receiver
• Cell Phone
• First aid
• Permits or other documents
• Gear specific to the project (e.g., tape measures, insect net, etc.)

 

Much of our field work will be at the University of Akron Field Station, about 25 minutes from campus. The address is 4240 Ira Rd. Bath, Ohio, 44333-1140. The phone number at the station is 330-668-2919. Driving directions and other information is at: http://www3.uakron.edu/biology/fieldstation/contacts.htm