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Conservation Ecology BIO 310, Fall 2006
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Instructor: Dr. Roarke Donnelly
Office: Goslin Hall 222 or by appointment e-mail: rdonnelly@oglethorpe.edu Lecture: Goslin 215, T Th Lab: Goslin 215, Th |
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Overview "Conservation ecology is a mission-oriented science that focuses on how to protect and restore biodiversity, or the diversity of life on Earth. Like medical research, conservation biology deals with issues where quick action is critical and the consequences of failure are great. To preserve biodiversity, scientists must answer three general questions. First, how is the diversity of life distributed around the planet? Second, what threats does this diversity face? Third, what can people do to reduce or eliminate these threats and, when possible, restore biological diversity and ecosystem health?"* This course investigates all aspects of conservation
ecology during two lectures and one lab per week. Lectures and labs include guest
speakers, discussions of text and non-text readings, case studies, simulation
exercises, and field exercises. Several lab exercises will involve travel around
the Atlanta metropolitan area and the state. *from the media
FAQ sheet prepared by the Society for Conservation
Biology Prerequisite To enroll in Biology 310, you must have a
grade of "C-" or higher in BIO 102 and permission of the instructor. Objectives: After completing this course, you
will:
Attendance You are required to attend
all scheduled events for this class (i.e., lecture periods, lab periods, guest
speakers). You are permitted four abences from lecture or lab without explanation.
This total includes any lectures to which you are more than 10 minutes late. If
you accumulate a fifth absence, I will give you the option of voluntary withdrawal
(W or WF depends on time of the semester) or a grade of "FA" regardless
of why you were absent. If you miss a lab, I will provide you with any written
material from the lab, but you will receive a zero for any assignment related
to that lab. I will provide due dates for the next week's readings on each Thursday in lecture or lab. Course
text: Groom, M.J., G.K. Meffe, C.R. Carroll, and
contributors. 2006. Principles of Conservation Biology, third edition. Sinauer
Associates, Sunderland. Tentative list of additional sources: Soule, M. and S. Mills. 1998. No need to
isolate genetics. Science 282:1658-1659. Quizzes and Exams I will provide an example
quiz and example exam prior to you first quiz and exam, so that you can familiarize
yourself with typical question formats. Quizzes
may occur on any day on which there is a reading due; they will not be announced.
Unless otherwise warned, these quizzes will cover only the reading due on the
day of the quiz. Exam dates are noted in the tentative schedule above. Should
the dates change, you will be given ample warning. Exam 1 covers all lecture,
reading, and lab
material presented before the date of that exam. Exam 2 is cummulative, but emphasizes
lecture and lab material covered since Exam 1. I do not offer makeup tests. Exercise Writeups Related to Lecture and
Lab I will assign short, medium,
and long writeups related to lecture and lab topics. The due date will be noted
at the top of each assignment sheet. The lagtime between assignment and due date
will not be less than 4 days and will increase with the point value/length of
the assignment. Writeups must be submitted within
10 minutes of the beginning of the scheduled lecture or lab on the due date in
order to be deemed "on time". I will deduct 15% of the writeup grade
You must include an affirmation of the honor code (see the O Book) to receive credit for documents related to all course activities. If you have any questions about the honor code, I strongly encourage you reread the code and ask me questions. Be aware that the code defines cheating and plagirism as follows. Cheating is (a) the unauthorized possession or use of notes, texts, or other such materials during an examination; (b), the copying of another person's work or participation in such an effort; and (c) the attempt or participation in an attempt to fulfill the requirements of a course with work other than one's original work for that course. Plagirism includes representing someone else's words, ideas, data, or original research as one's own, and in general failing to footnote or otherwise acknowledge the source of such work. One has the responsibility of avoiding plagirism by taking adequate notes on reference materials, including material taken off the internet or other electronic sources, used in the preparation of reports, papers, and other coursework. The final day to withdraw from this course with a "W" is 11/3/06. You must earn a C- or better for this course to count toward a biology major. For information on “Incomplete” grades, please refer to the most recent Bulletin. I do not provide opportunities for extra credit. I will evaluate your quizzes, exams, and
writeups based on two criteria. The first criterion, scientific merit, is the
most important. You must recall, explain, critique, apply, and synthesize scientific
principles and related material presented in lab, lecture, readings, discussions
as directed. The second criterion is format. You must write in
complete sentences, make logical arguments, and use clear and concise English
grammar. I
award points for activities
as follows:
From
the Professor If you have a disability and need
accomodations or if I can help with anythings else, please talk with
me after class, during office hours, schedule an
appiontment, or catch me in my office. From Other Students Ask your peers if they would like
to form a study group that meets regularly. From University Services If you need assistance with your internet
account, please contact Network
Services ([404] 364-8518) |
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Last Updated: |
Contact the instructor at: rdonnelly@oglethorpe.edu |
