Tentative Schedule

Date Topic Reading Assignment
Jan. 10 Course Introduction  Ch 1-3
15 MLK Holiday Ch 3-4
17 Terrestrial Environment Ch 2
22 Aquatic Environment Ch 3
24 Temperature Relations Ch 4
29 Water Relations Ch 5
31 Energy and Nutrient relations Ch 6
Feb. 5 Populations: Genetics and natural selection Ch 8
7 Exam One
12 Populations: distribution and Abundance Ch 9
14 Population Dynamics and Life tables Ch 10
19-21 Mardi Gras Break Ch 10
26 Population Growth Ch 11
28 Life histories Ch 12
Mar. 5 Competition Ch 13
7 Competition in theory and in nature Ch 13
12 Exploitation Ch 14
14 Exploitation Ch 14
19 Mutualism  Ch 15
21 communities: Species abundance and diversity Ch 16
26 Species interactions: Food webs and Keystone species Ch 17
28 Exam Two
Apr. 2-9 Spring Break and Easter Holiday
11 Primary production: Energy flow and trophic dynamics Ch 18
16 Nutrient cycling and retention Ch 19
18 Succession and stability Ch 20
23 Landscape and geographic ecology: Habitat fragmentation, and island biogeography Ch 21-22
25 COOL Day
30  Global ecology: El Nino and deforestation  Ch 23
May 2 Review and Wrap-up
5 (Sat) Final Exam (9-11 am)