BIO 245 – Conservation Biology

Gustavus Adolphus College - Fall 2004

Instructor: Dr. Cindy Johnson-Groh

Office: Nobel 332

X7043, cjgroh@Gustavus.edu

Office Hours: 2:30 - 3:30 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday or by appointment.

Textbooks: ·Primack, Richard. 2002. Essentials of Conservation Biology, 3^rd ed. Sinauer

Associates, Sunderland, MA.

·Course Pack, 2004

Grading:

Three exams – short answer and essay: 75 points each 225

Species summaries – extinct, invasive, managed

3 summaries @ 25 pts. each 75

Species presentation 10

Ecological Site Assessment (ESA, lab) 75

ESA Peer Review 10

Roadless Letter 5

Eliason Seminar – Summary 5

Service (2 visits @ 10 pts each) 20

Participation 20

Total 445

·Projects, papers or exams submitted or taken late will be worth 10% less each day delayed (including weekends).

·Participation in discussions, field trips and projects is essential. Degree of participation (engagement in discussion, preparation, questions, etc.) will determine the participation grade. Though the readings and class materials, you should be able to formulate your own thoughts on the topics discussed and verbally defend your ideas. Many of the issues that we will be covering are controversial for which there is no right or wrong answer. Be prepared to express your thoughts, listen to others and debate the issues.

·Each student is required to participate in a conservation community service project. The Nature Conservancy offers several workdays focusing on seed collecting and brush removal at Ottawa Prairie.

·Students are encouraged to work together on the ecological site assessment, however each student must submit an independent report.

· All students must submit the summarized data from the Ecological Site Assessment (ESA) Project as noted on the schedule. Failure to submit your data (adequately summarized as specified in class) will result in a lost of 5 points on the final ESA project grade.

· Exams are unit exams including the final exam. These are short answer, essay exams designed to assess application of learned material. Grading rubrics will be given for each of the written assignments.

· Email will be used to communicate last minute assignments, reminders or other announcements. Assignments must be submitted as hard copy and not electronic versions.

· If you have a specific physical, psychiatric or learning disability and require accommodation, please let me know during the first week of class. All discussions remain confidential.

Course Objectives:

The course is designed to give students a broad overview of conservation biology and is organized starting with species-level considerations followed by population-level issues and ecosystem issues and concludes with management. Lectures and discussions will focus on conservation issues such as biodiversity, extinction, management, sustained yield, invasive species and preserve design. Labs will focus on community assessment and conservation issues in southern Minnesota.

Conservation Biology – Bio 245

Course Schedule - 2004

Date Lecture Lab Reading

Sept. 8 Introduction – Roadless Rule Internet; Meffe; Williams; Raven

9 Prairie – GAC Arboretum

10 Roadless Rule / Biodiversity 3-25

13 Biodiversity – Species, Measures of Diversity Roadless Letter Due 27-39

15 Biodiversity – Ecosystems 42-83; Kearns and Inouye

16 Prairie – Kasota

17 Biodiversity – Genetics 39-42

20 Biodiversity – Genetics 39-42

22 Discussion: Genetics / Species Ashley

23 Prairie – Ottawa

27 Extinction – Mass Extinctions 157-188

29 Extinction – Vulnerability, Island Biogeography 189-212

30 Wetland – Swan Lake

Oct. 1 Extinction – Island Biogeography 189-212

4 Discussion: Bird extinction EXTINCTION SPECIES PRESENTATIONS / PAPER DUE Steadman

6 Nobel Conference

7 Minnesota River – 7 Mile Park

8 EXAM I

11 Ecological Site Assessment (ESA) Project

13 Habitat – Degradation, Fragmentation 213-264

14 Forest – Gluek Woods

15 Species Overexploitation 265-276

18 Discussion: Roads, Preserve Design Trombulak

20 Invasive Species 276-294

21 Community Service Project: no class

22 Video: Deep Sea Invasion

25 Reading Break – No Class

27 Discussion: Invasive Species Vitousek

28 Forest – Chamberlain Woods

29 Population – Characteristics of Small Populations

Nov. 1 Population – PVA, Metapopulations 295-328

3 Discussion: PVA Florida Scrub Jay Smith

4 INVASIVE SPECIES PRESENTATIONS – PAPERS DUE / Ecological Site Assessment (ESA) Data Analysis

5 Population – Management 329-356

8 Population – Management 329-356

10 Population – Ex Situ, Zoos 377-412

11 Create a zoo / ESA DATA DUE Designing a Zoo

12 Discussion: Relocation, Reintroduction 357-376 Allen; Biggins

15 EXAM II

17 Endangered Species Act 173-180

18 Forest Harvesting /ESA Peer Review Shafer

19 Management – Forests ESA DUE

22 Management – Forests 525-546

23 Special Biology Lecture – Bonita Eliason, Minnesota DNR, 4:30

24 Preserves – SLOSS, Connectivity, GAP 415- 471

25 Thanksgiving – No class

26 Thanksgiving – No class

29 Discussion: Biodiversity Hot Spots Myers et al.

Dec. 1 Video: Yellowstone Wolves

2 Yellowstone Management

3 Management – Restoration 525-546

6 Sustainable development – Ecotourism, Ecoprospecting

8 Discussion: Ecotourism – Gorillas McNeilage

9 International Debate: Galagapos

10 Community-Based Conservation

13 MANAGEMENT SPECIES PRESENTATIONS / PAPERS DUE

15 Discussion: Sustainable Development Hackel

18 FINAL EXAM Sat 8-10 p.m.

Academic Honesty and Honor Code

Conservation Biology – Bio 245

Dr. C. Johnson-Groh

As a Gustavus Adolphus College student you were required to sign the following statement before final admittance into the College and/or registration for fall courses:

As a community of scholars, the faculty and students of Gustavus Adolphus College have formulated an academic honesty policy and honor code system, which is printed in the Academic Bulletin and in the Gustavus Guide. As a student at Gustavus Adolphus College, I agree to uphold the honor code. This means that I will abide by the academic honesty policy, and abide by decisions of the joint student/faculty Honor Board.

In keeping the honor code, I ask you to read this document and sign below. Your signature below indicates that you understand this pledge. This statement must be signed and dated before I will grade any of your assignments. This pledge applies to ALL the assignments in conservation biology (tests, papers, other assignments and therefore I will not ask you to sign for each test or assignment. Your signature here confers agreement that you pledge academic honesty on ALL Conservation Biology assignments.

I have read and understand the Academic Honesty Policy for Conservation Biology. On my honor, I pledge that I will not give, receive, nor tolerate others’ use of unauthorized aid in completing any of my assignments for Conservation Biology (Bio 245).

All assignments are independent works and reflect your effort. Only when expressly announced in class do I encourage you to work with others to collect, discuss and summarize data. In this case summary of the raw data collected in lab is an acceptable group activity including discussions of what the data means. However, each student is expected to independently formulate conclusions based on the summarized data. For example, though students may discuss the data collected by the class, each individual must summarize their own conclusions based on the data. To reiterate:

·Summarizing data may be an analytical / mathematical group activity if expressly approved in class.

·Interpretation of the data should reflect independent thought, unless exceptions are made in class for group analysis.

·Drawing conclusions from the analysis is an independent activity and should reflect your ideas, arguments

and analysis.

Presenting work, even group work, as your own constitutes plagiarism. Academic honesty includes plagiarism. Plagiarism of peers, Internet sources, library sources or other sources will not be tolerated. Students are expected to credit sources and properly cite information on all papers. If you are uncertain about what constitutes plagiarism, speak to me or visit any of the following websites : http://sja.ucdavis.edu/avoid.htm, http://www.indiana.edu/%7Ewts/wts/plagiarism.html, http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_plagiar.html.

An integral part of the honor code is non-tolerance of violations. Under the Gustavus Academic Honesty Code, students are not expected to police others’ actions. However, you have agreed to report violations of which you become aware. Failure to do so will constitute an honor code violation in this class.

Any student found in violation of the academic honesty policy and honor code will receive a grade of 0 for that particular exam, activity, or paper. In addition, the office of the Dean of the Faculty will be notified. A second violation will result in an F for the course. Please see either Dr. Johnson-Groh if you have any questions about these policies.

Sign, detach and submit to Dr. Johnson-Groh

Conservation Biology (Bio 245) – Academic Honor Compliance – Fall 2004

Print Name ____________________________________ Student ID # _______________

Signature ____________________________________ Date _____________