BIOS 615: ECOLOGY

Spring 2005 Schedule

Dr Stephen B. Malcolm

Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University.

3151 Wood Hall, tel.: 387-5604, fax: 387-5609, E-mail: steve.malcolm@wmich.edu

http://homepages.wmich.edu/~malcolm/BIOS615-Ecology/615index.html

 

 

Room 1106 Wood Hall, Tuesday, Thursday, 2:00 Ð 3:15 p.m.

Office hours: Tuesday, Thursday: 10:00-12:00 noon, or by appointment

 

Week

Date

Topic

Text

I.           INTRODUCTION

1.

Jan. 4/6

Introduction to Ecology

Ch 1-3

II.         SINGLE-SPECIES POPULATIONS

2.

Jan. 11/13

Defining populations: Birth, Death & Movement

Ch 4 & 5

3.

Jan. 18/20

Intraspecific Competition & Populus Introduction

Ch 6

4.

Jan. 25/27

The Logistic Equation and Population Modelling

Ch 6

III.      INTERSPECIFIC INTERACTIONS

5.

Feb. 1/3

Interspecific Competition

Ch 7

6.

Feb. 8/10

Predation and Predatory Behavior

Ch 8 & 9

7.

Feb. 15/17

Dynamics of Predation

Ch 10

(Take-home mid-term exam available 15 February)

8.

Feb. 22/24

Parasitism and Herbivory

Ch 12

(Take-home exam due 2:00 p.m., 24 February)              [SPRING BREAK]

9.

Mar. 8/10

Decomposers, Detritivores & Mutualists

Ch 11&13

IV.     SYNTHESES & APPLICATIONS OF ECOLOGY

10.

Mar. 15/17

Life History Variation

Ch 14

11.

Mar. 22/24

Abundance & Metapopulations

Ch 15&25

12.

Mar. 29/31

Manipulating Abundance & Risk Assessment

Ch 16

13.

Apr. 5/7

Community Structure (term paper due 7 April)

Ch 17&24

14.

Apr. 12/14

Roles of Competition, Predation & Disturbance

Ch 20-22

(Take-home final exam available 12 April)

15.

Apr. 18

Take-home Final Exam due at 2:45-4:45 p.m.