Environmental Biology
Bonine,
Cao, Epps
• Schedule of
Topics
• Lab Information
• Links to
• Important Dates
Updated 07 May 2009
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DAY |
2009 DATE |
TOPIC / LECTURE LINKS |
READINGS / ASSIGNMENTS |
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WEEK 1 |
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No Lab This Week Begin reading Ishmael – on reserve in science
library |
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1 |
WED |
14 January |
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2 |
FRI |
16 January |
E.O.
Wilson excerpt (Chapter 9 From The
Diversity of Life) |
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WEEK 2 |
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Introduction, Campus
Plant Walk |
LAB 2 Assignment (to do
before your lab) |
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MON |
19 January |
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Note that we are
about half a lecture or more behind this posted schedule: |
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3 |
WED |
21 January |
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4 |
FRI |
23 January |
Evolution con’t |
Annie
Dillard, Fecundity |
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WEEK 3 |
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Plant IDs,
Dichotomous key, Library scavenger hunt |
LAB 3 Handout (bring this
to lab!) |
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5 |
MON |
26 January |
Song of the Dodo
(excerpt) |
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6 |
WED |
28 January |
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7 |
FRI |
30 January |
Ecology & Evolution,
Extinction (symbioses, predator-prey) (pdfx2
or pdfx6) |
Optional: Pleistocene
Rewilding : Short
Nature Article (Donlan et al. 2005) |
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WEEK 4 |
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Ishmael (we are
discussing the whole book; it is a quick read); Culture & Advertising |
Lab 4
handouts (to read before lab) and assignments (to do before lab): 1. Ishmael |
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8 |
MON |
02 February |
What is Science? Evidence? (see pdf
lecture files for 04 Feb) |
Be able
to define Science and
explain the Scientific
Method |
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9 |
WED |
04 February |
How do Science, “Truth”, and
Ethics Intersect? (pdfx2 or pdfx6) (review questions #6) |
Why
we should understand science, a commentary (EdWeek.org Sept 2006); Onion
excerpt on Japanese Monsters; Flying Spaghetti Monster
website |
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10 |
FRI |
06 February |
EXAM ONE (lecture, reading, and lab material through 04 Feb
lecture and Ishmael) |
Format
will likely be T/F, fill-in-the-blank, & short answer. |
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WEEK 5 |
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Aerial View of Tucson
(be ready for the weather b/c we are going outside!) |
Lab 5 handouts to read
before lab. 1. Background I |
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11 |
MON |
09 February |
Energy, 2nd Law of
Thermodynamics |
2nd Law (be able to define this and entropy). Withgott
& Brennan (2007 paperback) energy
excerpt |
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12 |
WED |
11 February |
Food Webs & Nutrient Cycling |
Ricklefs
(2001), Chapter
7 (don’t worry about details of
all the individual cycles) |
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13 |
FRI |
13 February |
Cunningham
et al. Chap 6. Population Biology
(Environmental Science, 8th Edition) |
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WEEK 6 |
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Ecological Footprint,
Data Analysis & Graphing |
Lab
6 Assignment to do BEFORE lab. (pdfx2
or pdfx6);
Data
Analysis Sheet |
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14 |
MON |
16 February |
Population Growth con’t |
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15 |
WED |
18 February |
Ecological Footprint (Consumption v. Population Debate – Friday Lab in
charge) |
About the ecological
footprint Jared
Diamond on consumption |
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16 |
FRI |
20 February |
Debate con’t Ecological Footprint con’t |
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WEEK 7 |
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Tumamoc Hill (VAN –
meet NW corner BSE) |
Lab 7 Handout (read and
bring) Optional: Tumamoc Hill Optional: Tumamoc Hill
Research Optional: Bad
Grass! Optional: Buffel Grass Fact
Sheet |
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17 |
MON |
23 February |
Human Population Growth, IPAT |
Miller
Chapter 5. Human Population
(Sustaining the Earth, 7th Edition; LARGE |
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18 |
WED |
25 February |
Aquatic Ecosystems (pdfx2-partial or pdfx6) |
Follow
several of the links next to the red check mark at the EPA website |
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19 |
FRI |
27 February |
Threats to Aquatic Ecosystems (pdfx2-partial
or pdfx6) |
Follow
links in box on right side of EPA page about
aquatic threats |
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WEEK 8 |
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Please Bring your Laptop Computer! Lab 8 |
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20 |
MON |
02 March |
EXAM TWO (covers material since first midterm – lab, lecture
through 27 Feb, and readings are all fair game) |
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21 |
WED |
04 March |
Threats to Aquatic Ecosystems
(con’t) (pdfx2-partial or
pdfx6) |
Follow
links in box on right side of EPA page about
aquatic threats |
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22 |
FRI |
06 March |
Water (pdfx2 or pdfx6; lecture to be continued 03 April) Creativity Project: Title & Description
Due (10 points) |
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WEEK 9 |
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Roger Road Sewage
Plant (VAN – meet NW corner BSE) |
Websites: 1. Sewage Treatment L9
Homework to complete and bring to lab. |
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23 |
MON |
09 March |
GM Foods Debate –
Wed Lab in charge |
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24 |
WED |
11 March |
Food
Production Pollution,
Pests, Pesticides |
Optional: Excerpts from
some great reading: |
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25 |
FRI |
13 March |
Disease Transmission &
Evolution (Michael Worobey, Guest) |
No readings |
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14-22 March |
SPRING BREAK |
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WEEK 10 |
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Los Reales Landfill
(VAN – meet NW corner BSE) |
L10
Homework to complete and bring to lab. |
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26 |
MON |
23 March |
No Class Meeting. Work
on Creativity Project |
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27 |
WED |
25 March |
Invasives,
Hawaii, Adaptive Radiation (Rob
Robixhaux, Guest) |
No readings |
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28 |
FRI |
27 March |
(same
lecture as posted for 06 March) |
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WEEK 11 |
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Energy Lab Please bring your LAPTOP. |
Reading: Three Gorges
Dam (watch the video at this link too: Living With the Dam) Food
Footprint (NPR) |
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29 |
MON |
30 March |
Power Consumption and Sources,
Peak Oil |
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30 |
WED |
01 April |
Power Alternatives & Energy
Conservation |
Coal (National Geographic 2006) Peak Oil (Wikipedia) Amory Lovins (WorldChanging Article, March
2009) Optional: Cunningham Energy Chapter |
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31 |
FRI |
03 April |
Urbanization & Human Quality
of Life |
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WEEK 12 |
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32 |
MON |
06 April |
Oil Drilling Debate
– Thurs Lab in charge |
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33 |
WED |
08 April |
Oil Drilling & Debate
Discussion Creativity Project
Narrative & Evidence Due (25 points) |
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34 |
FRI |
10 April |
Urbanization |
Optional: IPCC (see 2007 Report Summary) Optional: NG
Videos |
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WEEK 13 |
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No Lab this week |
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35 |
MON |
13 April |
Climate Change Debate
– Tues Lab in charge |
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36 |
WED |
15 April |
Climate Change |
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37 |
FRI |
17 April |
EXAM THREE (Review Questions) |
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SATURDAY |
18 April |
OPTIONAL: Mt. Lemmon
field trip. Sign up in Feb/Mar. Leave campus (W-side BSE) 0700h, return to
campus 1800h Optional Whittaker and Niering 1965 (excerpts; discussion of life zones and
vegetation on Cruising
for Timber! (details on how to quickly calculate
standing biomass) Backer,
Jensen, McPherson 2004 (article on fire suppression and fire effects) Kauffman
2004 (perceptions of fire, restoration) Article on Rattlesnake
Fire (1994) in Chiricahuas Article on erosion
post fire in Chiricahuas LTRR
Big Arizona Fires with links to newspaper articles etc. Fire
and Erosion in AZ (Nature) |
Sonorensis
Publication 1989 (great overview of Mt. Lemmon & SkyIslands)
Guide to Mt. Lemmon
Highway (with mileage, elevation, and checklists) Miscellaneous Mt. Lemmon-related information (including a map) |
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WEEK 14 |
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Meat Production (VAN –
meet NW corner BSE) |
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38 |
MON |
20 April |
Economics |
Hill et al. 2009,
PNAS |
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39 |
WED |
22 April Earth Day |
Economics |
EPA Earth Day Website |
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40 |
FRI |
24 April |
Tragedy of the Commons Economic Growth Steady State Economics |
Hardin 1968, Science Optional: Daly 1991 |
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WEEK 15 |
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Cane Toads etc. |
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41 |
MON |
27 April |
More Economics |
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42 |
WED |
29 April |
Risk & Choices |
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43 |
FRI |
01 May |
CREATIVITY EXHIBIT
(9-noon; 70 points) |
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WEEK 16 |
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No Lab This Week |
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44 |
MON |
04 May |
Reactive vs. Proactive; Think
Globally, Act Locally? |
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45 |
WED |
06 May |
Wrap Up |
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FRI |
15 May (8 – 10 am) |
CUMULATIVE FINAL EXAM (held in regular lecture room) [Last set of review questions] |
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Evolution
& Ecology • Evidence • Energy • Ethics & Equality • Economics
