Summer Ecology Class - Bio 373

Welcome to Biology 373, the summer ecology class.
The lecture aims to cover class mechanics, the grading scheme, and guiding questions for the semester.

Biology 355 is a general ecology class offered during the fall and spring semesters.
Biology 373 is a similar general ecology class offered only in the summer. Unlike 355, 373 includes a lab component.
Students cannot receive credit for both 355 and 373 due to overlapping lecture content.

Students registered for both 355 (for the fall semester) and 373 must choose one, dropping the other to avoid duplicate credit.
If 373 is being taken to fulfill the upper-level lab requirement for a biology major, email Dr. Armstrong to discuss alternatives.
Students who have already taken 355 cannot receive credit for 373 if they're taking it for the four-credit upper-level biology elective.

Instructor: Michael Armstrong
Preferred titles: Dr. Armstrong, Professor Armstrong, or Mr. Armstrong
Ph.D. from the Department of Biology in the summer of 2002.
Studied behavioral and evolutionary ecology, focusing on red-winged blackbirds.
Research focus: origin of defensive behaviors in red-winged blackbirds against brood parasites and predators.
Behaviors are a mix of innate and learned defenses.
Currently assisting people with science education research.
Teaches introductory biology (BIOL 114), a prerequisite for Bio 373, which consumes most of his time. Many students may recognize him from that class.

Office: Science Two Tower, Room 337. Science Three is under construction, so moved from the old Science Three location.
Office hours: Tuesdays from 11 AM to 1 PM. Offered in person and via Zoom simultaneously.
Seeing only one student at a time, first come, first served unless students want to come in groups.
Zoom address is available in the syllabus on Brightspace.

No required textbook for the class.
Required lab manual to purchase from the bookstore.
No hard copy or PDF of the lab manual is provided directly.
Lab exercises will be provided upfront so the students can work on them from day one.
Students are paying for the opportunity to have the lab exercises graded.
Students will get zeros for lab exercises if they have not paid for the manual.
Purchase can be made at the bookstore or on the bookstore's website.
No receipt is needed after purchase unless the purchase is made after June 8th deadline.
Students who cannot purchase by this date should contact the instructor to discuss alternative options.

Course is divided into three units:
- The physical environment and adaptations
It's an online asynchronous class but is not entirely self-paced.
Each unit includes pre-lecture exercises, lecture videos, lecture topics, and post-lecture exercises.
Pre- and post-lecture exercises are equivalent to labs.
Lecture topics and videos provide the lecture material.
Unit one materials are available from day one.
Suggested workflow: pre-lecture exercise -> lecture video -> post-lecture exercise.
Example: Sampling exercise (pre-lecture) -> lecture video on answering ecological questions -> marking recapture analysis (post-lecture).
All pre-lecture exercises and lecture videos must be completed before the unit one exam on June 5th.
After the exam, unit two becomes available, followed by unit three after the unit two exam.

Pre-lecture exercises are due by the day before the unit exam (e.g., for unit one, due by June 4th at 11:59 PM).
Post-lecture exercises have varying due dates, typically at or just beyond the unit exam.
Due dates are listed in the assignment descriptions on Brightspace.
Students must manage their time to complete tasks by the deadlines.
Completing pre-lecture exercises before watching lecture videos is recommended to effectively study for exams.

Divide the time before the first exam into segments.
For example, complete the first set of activities (sampling exercise, lecture video, mark and recapture) within the first few days.
The Home Range Analysis may take several days, so plan accordingly.

Students will be assigned to groups of 3-4 individuals.
Group assignments will be emailed on the first or second day of class (May 27th).
Students are expected to work responsibly with their groups.
Contact the instructor if there are any issues with groupmates.
Groups should work together a minimum of two hours per week.
Activities include helping each other with course content, understanding concepts, and brainstorming ideas.
Pre- and post-lecture assignments should be done individually, with the analysis and write-up being your own work.
Group work is primarily for understanding, analysis, and creative brainstorming.
Group exams will also be conducted, so experience working with the group beforehand is essential.

Each unit ends with an individual and a group exam.
Individual exams are worth 10% of the course grade, and group exams are worth 5%, totaling 15% per unit.
The exam questions and instructions will appear on Brightspace.
Both exams must be completed by 11:59 PM on exam day (June 5th).
Individual Exam:
- Has a time limit (approximately two hours).
- Must be completed before downloading/starting the group exam.
Group Exam:
- Collaborative effort to answer exam questions.
- The group exam questions are different from the individual exam questions, though they cover the same content.

Brightspace activity is monitored (access times, downloads, uploads).
Completing the individual exam before starting the group exam is mandatory.
Violating this rule will result in a zero on the individual exam.
Planning is essential to ensure everyone has adequate time to complete both exams, while not hindering the group.

Grading is based on exams, group work, pre/post-lecture assignments, and self-evaluations.
Stay organized and pay attention to announcements because the course is fast-paced.

Overall guiding question: "What do we need to know to create and maintain a healthy ecosystem?"
This requires understanding how to maintain a healthy community and population.
The ecological hierarchy (from organism to biosphere) emphasizes that actions at one level affect others.
Consider how each activity contributes to understanding and maintaining a healthy ecosystem.

The ecosystem level is unique as it integrates both biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) factors (sunlight, temperature, soil composition).
It serves as a pivotal point for considering both biotic and abiotic components.