Last Updated 06 May 2007
Readings to be accessed only by students currently enrolled in the course.
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Environmental Biology Course
ECOL 206, spring 2007, University of Arizona
Kevin Bonine, Ph.D.; Anna Tyler, TA

Lectures and Readings
Reading assignments will be available here as links unless otherwise noted.
Please check back often for changes and additional readings.

Other than your weekly current events assignments (due each Friday), we have noted important dates in RED below.

DATE
LECTURE TOPIC;
READINGS;
GUEST SPEAKER?

 

WEEK 1

10 Jan
Lect. 1 (or as 6 slides/page): Introductions and Syllabus
Ishmael (15 copies on reserve in UA library; read for lab 24 or 26 January)

12 Jan
Lect. 2 (or as 6 slides/page): Intro to Environmental Science, Four Spikes
Withgott & Brennan 2007 (hardcover), Chapter 1

 

WEEK 2

15 Jan MLK HOLIDAY (no class)
continue reading Ishmael

17 Jan
Lect. 3 (or as 6 slides/page): What is Science?
Why we should understand science, a commentary (EdWeek.org Sept 2006); Onion excerpt on Japanese Monsters; Flying Spaghetti Monster website

19 Jan
Lect. 4 (or as 6 slides/page): Energy and Entropy, finish discussion of Science
Withgott & Brennan (2007 paperback) energy excerpt
Optional: 2nd law website

 

WEEK 3

22 Jan
Lect. 5 (or as 6 slides/page): Geology
Roadside Geology of Arizona: Geology Primer

24 Jan
Lect. 6 (or as 6 slides/page): Ecosystems and Nutrient Cycling
 Ricklefs (2001), Chapter 7
Anna Tyler, guest

26 Jan
Lect. 7 (or as 6 slides/page): (Anna's remaining slides: 2 slides/page or 6 slides/page )
Nutrient Cycling --> Plate Tectonics

 

WEEK 4

29 Jan
Lect. 8 (or as 6 slides/page): Ecosystems and Ecosystem Services; Weather, Climate, Biomes
Costanza et al. 1997 (Nature),
and Leopold, Aldo. 1949. Thinking like a mountain, Aldo Leopold. p. 137-141 In: A Sand County Almanac. Oxford University Press, Ballantine Books, NY.
Our Sonoran Desert Sky Islands
and El Nino, what is this meteorological phenomenon?

31 Jan
Lect. 9 (or as 6 slides/page): Ecology
 E.O. Wilson excerpt (Chapter 9 From The Diversity of Life)

02 Feb
Lect. 10 (or as or 6 slides/page) Ecology, Succession
E.O. Wilson excerpt (Chapter 9 From The Diversity of Life)



WEEK 5

05 Feb
Lect. 11 (or as 6 slides/page): Invasions
 Bio-invaders reading, published by Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
K. Gerst, guest

07 Feb
Lect. 12 (or as 6 slides/page): Ecology and Evolution
E.O. Wilson excerpt (Chapter 9 From The Diversity of Life)
Dillard, Annie. 1974. Fecundity. Ch. 10 In: Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, Annie Dillard. HarperCollins, NY.

09 Feb
Lect. 13 (or as 6 slides/page): Ecology and Evolution
Quammen, David. 1985. Is sex necessary? p. 169-174 In: Natural Acts, David Quammen. Nick Lyons Books, NY.
Optional: Ernst Mayr Interview in Campbell 1993



WEEK 6

12 Feb
Lect. 14:EXAM 1, through Invasion lecture
2005 KEY EXAM 1
EXAM 1 from 2003
EXAM 1 from 2004
EXAM 1 Study Guide 2005
EXAM 1 Study Guide 2006
EXAM 1 KEY 2006
EXAM 1 Study Guide 2007
EXAM 1 Answers (students have until 27 Feb to request point adjustments on the exam)

14 Feb
Lect. 15 (or as 6 slides/page): Evolution
Quammen, David. 1985. Is sex necessary? p. 169-174 In: Natural Acts, David Quammen. Nick Lyons Books, NY.
Optional: Ernst Mayr Interview in Campbell 1993

16 Feb
Lect. 16 (or as 6 slides/page): Biogeography
 David Quammen, 1996, Island Biogeography Excerpt from Song of the Dodo




WEEK 7

19 Feb
Lect. 17 (or as 6 slides/page): Biodiversity and Extinction
 Pimm et al. 2005 in Scientific American

21 Feb
Lect. 18 : Tortoise Population Genetics and Urbanization: Taylor Edwards Guest Speaker
 What is Conservation Genetics? (focus on parts I and III, use the glossary on the linked webpage when necessary)
Optional: Stoel, Thomas Jr. 1999. Reining in urban sprawl. Environment 41(4):6-11,29-33.

23 Feb
Lect. 19 (or as 6 slides/page): Biodiversity and Extinction
 Pleistocene Rewilding : Short Nature Article (Donlan et al. 2005), AND Related Commentary (Conservation in Practice, 2006)


 

WEEK 8

26 Feb
Creativity Project Topic Due (see syllabus for details)
Lect. 20 (or as 6 slides/page): Populations
 Cunningham et al. Chapter 6. Population Biology (Environmental Science, 8th Edition)

28 Feb
Lect. 21 (or as 6 slides/page): Human Population and Urbanization
Stoel, Thomas Jr. 1999. Reining in urban sprawl. Environment 41(4):6-11,29-33.
Miller Chapter 5. Human Population (Sustaining the Earth, 7th Edition; LARGE FILE)

02 Mar
Lect. 22 (or as 6 slides/page): Conservation
 Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan (SDCP writeup by Chuck Huckelberry in the Endangered Species Bulletin)
Pima County SDCP website (browse)
UNESCO biosphere brochure and optional in-depth discussion of ecosystem approach

 


WEEK 9

05 Mar
Lect. 23 (or as 6 slides/page) Conservation Laws and Regulations
 ESA Overview
NEPA (read through this introductory page), (Clean Water, Clean Air)

07 Mar
Lect. 24 EXAM II (covers lectures from 07 Feb - 02 Mar and assigned readings and labs)
Exam II from 2003 (PDF); 2004 Exam II Study Guide (or as PDF file)
Exam II Review Sheet 2005
Exam II Key (and with two excellent peer exams included)
EXAM 2 Study Guide for 2006
EXAM 2 Key 2006
EXAM 2 Study Guide for 2007
EXAM 2 Answer Key for 2007 (see instructors before 27 March if you have scoring questions)

09 Mar
Lect. 25 (or as 6 slides/page) : The Three Rs (or maybe 5 Rs)

 

10-18 Mar SPRING BREAK

 

WEEK 10

19 Mar
Lect. 26 (or as 6 slides/page) Energy

21 Mar
Lect. 27 (or as 6 slides/page) Energy
Coal Article (National Geographic)
Cunningham & Cunningham Text Chapter on Energy

23 Mar
Lect. 28 (or as 6 slides/page): Pollution and Human Health
(the above lecture file is quite long; we may have to finish on Monday)



WEEK 11

26 Mar
Lect. 29 (or as 6 slides/page): Air Pollution, Ozone
EPA website for Ozone information

28 Mar
Lect. 30 (or as 6 slides/page): Ozone, & Global Climate Change
Nature Paper: Ecological Effects of Climate Change
National Geographic Global Warning, Signs from Earth, Sept. 2004:
Part 1 (GeoSigns), Part 2 (EcoSigns), Optional: Part 3 (TimeSigns).

30 Mar
Lect. 31 (or as 6 slides/page): Fire Ecology and Global Climate Change
Swetnam Essay on Fire in the West
Nature Paper: Ecological Effects of Climate Change
Thomas Swetnam, guest


 

WEEK 12

02 Apr
Lect. 32 (or as 6 slides/page) Global Climate Change
 see readings from last week

04 Apr
Lect. 33 (or as 6 slides/page) Food Production
Levidow, Les. 1999. Regulating Bt maize in the United States and Europe. Environment 41(10):10-22.
Rifkin, Jeremy. 1992. Ecological colonialism Ch. 27 In: Beyond Beef: The Rise and Fall of the Cattle Culture, Jeremy Rifkin. Plume, Penguin Books, NY.
Burgers and Flies. Natural History Magazine 2006
Optional: Excerpts from some great reading:
Sinclair 1906 (The Jungle); Robbins 2001 (The Food Revolution); Schlosser 2001 (Fast Food Nation); Levidow and Carr 2000.

06 Apr
Lect. 34 (or as 6 slides/page) Food Production, Pesticides and Pseudoestrogens
Gore, Al. 1994. Introduction, In: Silent Spring, Rachel Carson. 1962. Houghton Mifflin, Boston.
Colborn, Theo, Dianne Dumanski, and John Peterson Myers. 1997. Flying blind. CH. 14 In: Our Stolen Future, Colborn, Dumanski, and Myers. Plume, Penguin Books, NY.
 

 

WEEK 13

09 Apr
Lect. 35 (or as 6 slides/page) Pseudoestrogens, (Begin Water after your Friday exam)
 Gore, Al. 1994. Introduction, In: Silent Spring, Rachel Carson. 1962. Houghton Mifflin, Boston.
Colborn, Theo, Dianne Dumanski, and John Peterson Myers. 1997. Flying blind. CH. 14 In: Our Stolen Future, Colborn, Dumanski, and Myers. Plume, Penguin Books, NY.

11 Apr
Lect. 36 : Preparing for Loihi (Silverswords in Hawaii)
 Rob Robichaux, Guest

13 Apr
Lect. 37 EXAM III [05 March (Laws and Regulations) --> 09 April (Pseudoestrogens)]
2007 Exam 3 KEY (missing the first page)
2007 Exam 3 Study Guide or as a PDF file
2006 EXAM3 Study Guide
EXAM3 KEY 2006 EXAM3 KEY 2005 (includes scan of top student exam)
2005 EXAM3 Study Guide
2004 3rd Exam
Exam III from 2003 (PDF); 2004 Exam III Study Guide (or as PDF file)



WEEK 14

16 Apr
Lect. 38 Marine Conservation, Katrina Mangin, guest speaker

18 Apr
Lect. 39 Water
Water readings:
Postel 2001 Troubled Waters
EPA Water Quality Report (Chapter 2, 2000)
Three-Gorges Dam (BBC News Story 2006)

20 Apr
Lect. 40 Deforestation



WEEK 15

23 Apr
Lect. 41 Earth Day and Water

25 Apr
Lect. 42, or as 6 slides/page Water & Environmental Justice
 Optional: Mohai, Paul and Bunyan Bryant. 1992. Demographic studies reveal a pattern of environmental injustice. p. 10-23 In: Race and the Incidence of Environmental Hazards, Bunyan Bryant and Paul Mohai, eds., Westview Press, Boulder, CO.

27 Apr
Lect. 43 Creativity Exhibit
 Student Creativity Exhibit - Meet in Lobby of FORBES BUILDING
Set up before 9am and take down after 10am



WEEK 16+

30 Apr
Lect. 44 Economics & Sustainability (or as 6 slides/page)
Economics and the Environment: New York Times Editorial; please be able to define Peak Oil and it implications

02 May
Lect. 45 (or as 6 slides/page)
Wrap Up; Evaluations
 Washington Post Article about Science Education Funding; please look over this website: www.world.org/weo/environment



11 May (Fri) FINAL EXAM in same lecture room (8-10am; cumulative)
2007 Final Exam Review Suggestions
2006 Final Exam Review Suggestions
2005 Final Exam Review Suggestions
2004 4th Review Sheet Study Guide (or as PDF file)



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