BIOLOGY 375 Limnology Investigations of the physical, chemical, and biological processes in lakes

Dr. Evan Weiher
353 Phillips
weiher@uwec.edu
office hours: Friday 9 -10 a.m. and 11 - 12 a.m.

Lecture: MWF 10-11 a.m., Phillips 267
Lab A01: Monday 2-5, Phillips 379

Requirements

Textbooks:

Wetzel, R.G. 2001. Limnology. Academic Press.
Wetzel, R.G. and G.E. Likens. 2001. Limnological Analysis. Springer.

Additional readings from the primary literature will be posted on D2L and the DeptDir drive under /biology/weiher/375Limnol/papers/

Course Objectives

(1) Gain foundational knowledge on the natural history of lakes, the abiotic and biotic processes that influence the distribution of organisms in lakes, and the functioning of lake ecosystems
(2) Develop scientific habits of mind for approaching the world around you
(3) Collect and analyze scientific data, formulate plausible explanations for the data, troubleshoot questionable data
(4) Analyze environmental issues and use scientific rationale to formulate your opinions about such issues
(5) Improve skills in reading the primary literature, problem solving, and communication

Note: The following schedule is tentative.

date	topic	readings	supplemental/lab
W 9/7	hello, field trip news, lake origins
F 9/9	introduction to hydrology	textbook
-
M 9/12	sampling methods		Pine Lake Field Trip
W 9/14	hydrology continued	textbook
F 9/16	Overnight Field Trip 7:30 a.m. - 6 p.m. S 9/18		Burnett Co. Lakes
-
M 9/19	thermal and optical properties	textbook	Halfmoon Lake Field Trip
W 9/21	water movement	textbook
F 9/23	no class - EW will be on a Field Trip with Biol 338
-
M 9/26	carbonate chemistry	textbook	pH and Alkalinity by Gran Titration
W 9/28	Papers 1 and 2	tba	Problem Set 1 assigned
F 9/30	Question Period
-
M 10/3	Problem Set Review		no lab
W 10/5	review
F 10/7	Exam 1
-
M 10/10	Phosphorus	textbook	no lab
W 10/12	Primary Productivity
F 10/14	Papers 3 and 4	tba
-
M 10/17	Miscellaneous Water Chemistry	textbook	Chlorophyll
W 10/19	Nitrogen	textbook
F 10/21	Natural History of Algae	textbook
-
M 10/24	Algal Ecology and Dynamics	textbook	Phytoplankton
W 10/26	Zooplankton Natural History	textbook
F 10/28	Zooplankton Ecology and Dynamics	textbook
-
M 10/31	Plankton Interactions	textbook	Zooplankton
W 11/2	Papers 5 and 6	tba	Problem Set 2 assigned
F 11/4	Question Period
-
M 11/7	Problem Set Review		no lab
W 11/9	Review
F 11/11	Exam 2
-
M 11/14	Aquatic Macrophyte Natural History and Ecology	textbook	Aquatic Macrophytes
W 11/16	Lake Invertebrate Natural History and Ecology	textbook
F 11/18	Fish Natural History
-
M 11/21	Fish Ecology	textbook	Fish
W 11/23	Papers 7 and 8	tba
F 11/25	T day
-
M 11/28	Trophic Cascade	textbook
W 11/31	Hysteresis in Lakes	tba
F 12/2	Review
-
M 12/5	Question Period	textbook	Final Exam
W 12/7	Lake Restoration and Management 1	tba
F 12/9	Lake Restoration and Management 2

Final Exam: Recitation

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Dr. Kristina Beuning for sharing her course materials with me for the Spring Semester 2009. Much of this course, including the outline, lab exercises, homework problems, and readings were originally developed my Dr. Beuning. - E.W.