Wetland Ecosystem Management (WFSC-428)

Lectures TR 9:35-10:50 in Nagle 213

Lab TBA

 

instructor:     Steve Davis; 110E Old Heep Building; office hours TBA

                           e-mail: sedavis@tamu.edu; phone: 979.458.3475

 

textS (required):

                                   

 

prerequisites:

This course is designed for advanced undergraduate students who have some familiarity with ecological principles as they may apply to wetland ecosystems. Having taken WFSC 414 (Limnology), RLEM 316 (Rangeland Communities and Ecosystems) or a similar course will suffice. Please see me if you have any questions concerning this.

 

 

course policy & expectations:

Attendance to class is required due to the volume of material covered each week and the importance of your feedback each day. I expect each of you to be present and prepared for each class. This will involve turning in assignments ON TIME, having read the assigned material before each class, and being prepared to contribute to class discussion. Successful completion of this course for everyone will require a substantial amount of participation, library research, reading, writing, and oral communication.

 

Absences will be handled in accordance with TAMU policies.

 

 

assignments and grading:

Your grade in this class (out of a possible 400 points) will be a result of your performance in the areas listed below. Note that different categories may apply to one or both groups. I reserve the right to change this with unanimous approval by the class. The grading scale will be a standard 90% to 100% = A; 80% to 89% = BÉscale. NO CURVES.

 

á       Participation in lecture and lab (100 points):

1.     leading weekly paper discussions (20%)

2.     contributions to weekly paper discussions (30%)

3.     attendance in lecture (20%)

4.     attendance and participation in lab exercises (30%)

 

Each student will lead discussion of a journal article selected by the instructor. Papers will be made available no later than the Friday before article discussion. Discussion leaders should be prepared to give a Å5 minute overview of the paper, with a number of questions to spark discussion. Discussion may involve criticism of the research questions, methods, conclusions, writing style or any other aspect of the paper. Paper discussion does not necessarily need to be negative. Attendance and participation in lecture and lab will comprise the other 50% of this total.

 

á       Exams (200 points):

1.     mid-term (50%)

2.     final exam (50%)

 

A mid-term exam will be administered on March 7, covering all of the material from lecture and lab to that point. The final will be given on May 3 and will NOT be comprehensive. It will include only the material covered in lecture and lab after the mid-term. Both exams will include a combination of long and short essays, multiple choice questions, and short answer questions. Make-up exams will be composed of two long essays.

 

 

á       Lab Reports (2 @ 25 points each)

1.     reports (100%)

 

Labs will involve work conducted in the field at a few wetland sites. Multiple lab periods will be compressed into a few field trips to maximize our time at a given wetland site and minimize travel time.  Trips will be scheduled over weekends and students will be involved with scheduling.  Over the course of the semester, students will complete two projects. Projects will be assigned by the instructor and will be will be scaled to fit within the time constraints of our trips. Additional time can be made available if needed. Examples of projects may include, but are not limited to, wetland vegetation or animal surveys, soil characterization, quantification of water column or macrophyte primary productivity, water quality assessments, etc. At the conclusion of each project, students must write a report (no more than 6 pages with at least 4 pages of text; NO TITLE PAGES, PLEASE), citing pertinent studies in the literature. Please use the format given in the journal Wetlands for your lab reports.

 

á       Pop Quizzes (approximately 10 @ around 5 points each)

1.     quiz (100%)

 

At any time during the semester, I will administer a short answer pop quiz.  Quiz questions will relate to the previous lecture or discussion.

 

 

I recommend the following journals as sources of material for your lab reports. Of course there are numerous others that may also contain articles dealing with issues of Wetland Ecology. Wetlands; Wetlands Ecology and Management; Aquatic Botany; Aquatic Ecology; Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences; Hydrobiologia; Limnology and Oceanography; Ecology; Estuaries; Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science; Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology

 

 

ADA statement: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statue that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring accommodation, please contact the Department of Student Life, Services for Students with Disabilities in Room 126 of the Koldus Building. The phone number is 845-1637.