| Vegetation Ecology | Requirements | Dr. Evan Weiher |
In this course, I see course content (i.e. the ideas, concepts, and methods) as at most, 50% of what this course is intended to be about.
While I am keenly interested in Vegetation Ecology, you may or may not be.
While I expect you to learn a great deal about Vegetation Ecology, I am more interested in the broad goals of your education.
Therefore, we will place a rather large emphasis on your ability to think critically and analytically.
We will accomplish this by reading, outlining, and discussing a variety of papers from the primary and secondary literature.
I will not expect you to be able to explain every subtle detail of each paper, nor will I expect you to brilliantly discuss missed opportunities for linking concepts and mechanisms.
Instead, I will expect you to be able to explain the main points of each paper and the main points of each figure or table.
I will also expect that at first, you will find this to be quite difficult, but with practice you will improve.
As you improve, I expect that you will develop some skill at critically assessing the scientific literature.
A second broad goal is to improve your skills at reading, writing, and analyzing data.
Reading papers will allow us to talk a lot about what good scientific writing is and is not.
Two assignments will provide you practice with two kinds of scientific communication.
The first assignment is a standard scientific presentation, which will be based on the data you analyze using skills developed in lab.
While this is not a biostatistics course, we will be using some rather advanced forms of data analysis, and you will have the opportunity to develop and use your ability to analyze complex data.
The second assignment is somewhat up to you.
You may choose to write a grant proposal that describes the state of knowledge in a particular area, establishes a gap in knowledge, and then clearly outlines a set of experiments.
The grant proposal option is particularly appropriate for those of you who are interested in graduate school, and for those of you who like to dream and make plans, but perhaps have trouble following through on the plans.
You may choose to write an essay review that describes the state of knowledge in a particular area, establishes gaps in knowledge, synthesizes a new perspective, and makes a clear argument advocating this new perspective.
The essay review option is particularly appropriate for those of you who are interested in graduate school, and for those of you who are know-it-alls and like to complain.
A third broad goal is your own personal growth.
During the first part of the semester, we will visit some nice examples of native vegetation.
I hope that you will enjoy and remember these trips.
I would like to discuss the idea of a couple of optional field trips that would further enrichen the course experience.
Sometimes, these field trips can be transformative, in that the trip might change how you see the world or yourself.
Later, we will discuss a set of methods for dealing with and understanding complicated, multivariate data.
This may also provide you with a new way of looking at things.
Indeed, perhaps this course might spark a new interest. Or it might quench a passing one.
In any case, I hope that you will continue to actively think about your own growth during this semester.
Lecture attendance policy: Exams: Please don't miss an exam. Make-up exams will be given only for officially
excused absences. Make up exams will be given 12/11/2008 Lecture participation: Outlines: Writing assignments:
Late papers will be docked one letter grade per 24 hour period late (or portion thereof).
Lab::
The Final Exam is cumulative. If your score on the final exam is
greater than your average exam score, then your exam scores will be replaced by
your final exam score. This means you can fail every exam and probably earn an A by
getting an A on the final.
Academic honesty versus misconduct. In order to help ensure academic honesty, you will be asked to sign each exam and the paper to attest that you have
been academically honest and ethical.
This course helps meet goals 1,
2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8 of the baccalaureate degree.
You will then present your results to the class in an oral presentation.
100
Exam 1
100
Exam 2
50
Participation in Discussions
50
Outlines
50
Lab Presentation
100
Grant Proposal / Essay Review
50
Lab Attendance and Participation
200
Final Exam
700
total
Lecture attendance is not required, but you may lose points for missing class
because of lost participation points.
will include a mixture of short answers and longer essays
In order to pass, you must have an exam score of at least 60%.
In lecture, you will be called on repeatedly
during the semester. The questions will relate to the assigned readings
and your outline of each reading. Points will assigned using the following
scheme:
0 Absent
1 Present, but unprepared
2 Any kind of answer that shows some
thought and effort
3 An incredibly great answer
Your participation score will be based on the number of times you are called on times two, as a maximum possible score (then rescaled to 50 total points maximum).
For each paper, there will be a standing assignment to outline the paper and
answer some questions about it. At the start of class the outlines will be
quickly checked.
The writing assignments are due by 5 pm on the date posted on the main course web page.
Lab attendance and participation is required. Labs may not be made up.
If you are keeping a portfolio of your work, then you might consider including
the lab report in your portfolio.