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BIOLOGY 450W: FIELD ECOLOGY

-Fall 2010Biology 450: It's not just a class, it's an adventure. If you like tromping through the forest, looking under
rocks, musing about the "whys" of our existence, exploring personal power, reading great nature articles
and figuring out the answers to interesting ecological questions, this course is for you.
Instructors: Dr. Christopher Uhl; 322 Mueller Lab; cfu1@psu.edu
Teaching Assistant: Mike Avery; 320 Mueller Lab; maa292@psu.edu
Office Hours: C. Uhl: Tuesday 10:00-11:30; Friday 11:00-12:30 or just email to set up a time

M. Avery: by appointmentjust email to set up a time

Text: All course readings will be available online or be given to you for free.
Philosophy: Biology 450 is likely to be different from most classes you have taken at Penn State. We
invite you to engage with all aspects of Ecologyhuman, plant, animal, socialthrough reflection,
analysis, and action. Because we believe that people learn best when they are free to take an active role in
the learning process, we have done everything we can think of to invite your full participation--camping
trip, field studies, ecological meals, experimentation, reading discussions, provocative films.
After all is said and done, our goal is no less than this: That each of us might think thoughts
that we have never had the knowledge to think; that we might write what we have never had the
wisdom to write; that we might say what we have never had the courage to say; and that we might feel
what we have never had the awareness to feel and, in so doing, that we come to experience evermore fully what it means to be a human being.
Here is what you can expect from us:
1) We will be prepared for class.
2) We will do our best to give you honest and constructive feedback on your work.
3) We will be available to meet with you whenever the need arises.
4) We will be enthusiastically open to your ideas and questions.
5) We will present you with a challenging and broad view of ecology.
Here is what we ask of you:
1) that you attend all class meetings and that you be punctual.
2) that you come to class with an open mind, well prepared, and ready to participate.
3) that you contribute to an atmosphere of mutual respect and caring.
4) that you be willing to stretch, take risks, and unleash your natural curiosity.
Class Structure: Our meeting place/time on Tuesdays is 1:00-2:15 pm in 317 Mueller and on Thursdays
from 1:25 to 5:30 pm in 317 Mueller. Most Tuesdays we will be discussing readings and most Thursdays
we will spend in the field. We will also have two weekend field trips on September 10-12 and October
22-23 (Be assured that there are NOT home football games on these two weekends).

I. THE COURSE: Week by Week

PART 1. THE PRACTICE OF OBSERVATION
WEEK 1. INTRODUCTION
Readings:
1--What's an Education for?
D. Orr
2--Stump Sitting
L. Fergus
Class Meetings:
8/24Introduction
8/26Field trip to Sunset Park
Assignments: 1) Produce a 2 page (> 200 words hand-written reflection on Thursdays Field Trip and
place this in Section I of your course binder; 2) Offer reflections (one-page (150-word minimum) on
EACH of this weeks 2 readings and place these in Section II of course binder.
Finally, visit WALNUT SPRINGS PARK with your assigned partner between now and next
Tuesday and locate your assigned plant in several different places. Then, spend at least one hour making
observations of your study plant. Do this individually and then together with your partner. Note down all
your individual and joint observations in Section 1 of your Journal. Note: Your should have dozens of
observations. Afterwards, and before 9/10, make arrangements so that one of you spends two hours seeing
what you can learn about your plant using Internet resources while the other goes to the library and to see
what you can learn about this plant by searching various ecological data bases. Both of you should read
and make a copy of at least two articles that attract your attention, involving research on your assigned
plant.

WEEK 2. FROM OBSERVATION TO QUESTIONS

Readings:
1--Damsel flies, aphids, acorn weevils, bark beetles*
D. Stokes
2-Pollination Energetics
D. P. Abrol
3--Returning to Our Senses
D. Abrams
Class Meetings:
8/31 The Library (we will first meet first in 317 Mueller and then go to Patee)
9/2Field trip to Walnut Springs Parknote: we will meet at park entrance at 1:40 PM
Assignments: 1) Place a 2-page (200-word minimum) reflection on Thursdays Field Trip in Section 1
of your course binder; 2) Offer 3 reflections (1-page (150 word minimum) on EACH of this weeks 3
readings and place in Section II of your binder.

WEEK 3. A WEEKEND IN THE FOREST

Readings:
1--A Windstorm in the Forest
J. Muir
2--A Study in Stumps*
T. Wessels
3--Telling Stories: Science and Musings
C. Raymo
4--Seeing Ourselves as Part of Earths Metabolism
C. Uhl
Class Meetings:
9/7Discuss readings 1& 2 and prepare for Greenwood Furnace Camping Trip
9/9No Class today because of upcoming Weekend Field Trip
9/10-9/12Greenwood Furnace State Park camping trip. Leave Friday at 4:30 PM; return
to campus by Sunday, 4:30 PM

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Assignments: 1) Produce a hand-written reflection on this weekend camping trip (200-word minimum)
and place this in Section 1 of your binder; 2) Offer 4 reflections (150-word minimum) on EACH of this
weeks 4 readings and place these in Section II of your binder; 3) work with group members to analyze
Mountain Transect data and then work individually to create Mountain Survey Report (due September
21st).

WEEK 4. FROM FIELD OBSERVATIONSQUESTIONS EXPERIMENTS

Readings:
1--Special Delivery*
R. Finch
2--What are the Squirrels Hiding?*
M. Steele & P. Smallwood
3Wind Stress: An Experimental Investigation
S. Vogel
Note: You will also be given some excerpts on bees to read
Class Meetings
9/14Preparing for Bee Lab
9/16Field experiments with bees
Assignments: 1) Produce a hand-written reflection (200-word minimum) on Thursdays field lab and
place this in Section 1 of your binder; 2) Offer a reflection (150-word minimum) on each this weeks
three readings and place these in Section II of your binder.

WEEK 5. A WALK UP SPRING CREEK

Readings:
1--The Power of Questions
C. Uhl
2--Living Water*
D. Quammen
3--A Walk up Hidden Creek
J. Harte
4--Assessment of Biotic Integrity Using Fish Communities.
J. R. Karr
Class Meetings:
9/21--Discuss Harte reading [NOTE: Mountain Transect Study Due Today]
9/23--Spring Creek: Aquatic ecology field methods [NOTE: Journal Collection Today]
Assignments: 1) Provide a reflection (200-word minimum on our Thursday field trip in Section I of
binder; 2) Offer reflections (150-word minimum) on each of this weeks 4 readings in Section II of your
binder; 3) Prepare your Natural History Proposal. This report should include: 1) description of your
study organism or system, 2) summary of your observations to date, 3) data collected to date (organized
in table(s)), and 4) your research plan, including a description of field methods to be used. This report
(4 pages, typed, double-spaced) should be placed in Section III of your journal; report due 9/30.

PART 2. ASKING QUESTIONS IN THE FIELD

Week 6: SPATIAL SCALING IN ECOLOGY [NOTE: NHP PROPOSAL DUE]
Readings:
1Are Invasive Species Drivers of Ecological Change
R. Didham
Class Meetings:
9/28Discussion of Readings
9/30Field Problem on Spatial Scaling led by Dr. Tomas Carlo
Assignments: 1) Produce a reflection200-word minimumon Thursdays lab and place this in Section
1 of your binder; 2) Offer a reflection (150-word minimum) on this weeks reading and place this in
Section 2 of your binder.

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WEEK 7: ECOLOGICAL ENERGETICS
Readings:
1-A Lesson in Earth Civics
C. Glendinning
2-Comparing the Energetics of.*
D. Aubert (sample NHP)
3-Reading related to your NHP --You Pick one!
Class Meetings:
10/5The role of creativity in science
10/7Ecological Energetics Field Problem
Assignment: 1) Provide a reflection (200-word minimum) on our Thursday field study in Section I of
your binder; 2) Offer a reflection on this weeks 3 readings (i.e., including the reading that you choose!)
in Section II of binder; 3) Begin, if you havent already, the experimental phase of your NHP.

WEEK 8. QUESTIONS IN THE FIELD: SEED ECOLOGY AND DATA ANALYSIS

Readings:
1--Colonizing Abilities of Biennials
K. Gross & P. Werner
2--Fruit for all Seasons*
E. W. Stiles
3Seed Preferences of Lumbricus terristris
10/12--Dissecting a journal article(critical reading of Gross and Werner)
10/14--Seed ecology investigation
Assignments: 1) Offer a reflection (200-word minimum) on our Thursday field exercise in Section I of
your binder; 2) offer reflections (150 words minimum) on each of this weeks 3 readings in Section 2 of
your binder; 3) Analyze data from Seed Ecology experiments and prepare short lab write-up (due October
21).

WEEK 9. LARGE SCALE FIELD EXPERIMENTS: "MANAGING" PA FORESTS

Readings:
1--Trees as Individuals
B. Heinrich
2--Whitetails are Changing our Woodlands
S. B. Jones et al.
3--Beech
J. Maloof
Class Meetings:
10/19Work with minitab to analyze seed dispersal data
10/21--Help with NHP (todays class will be only 2 hours long)
10/22-23--Overnight field trip to Allegheny; Leave Friday, 4:00 PM; return home 10 PM, Saturday.
Assignments: 1) Produce a 2-page (typed and single-spaced) report on your observations, questions, and
insights emerging from the Allegheny trip (due Oct. 28); 2). Offer reflections (150-word minimum) on
EACH of this weeks 3 readings in Section II of binder.

WEEK 10: NHP CONSULTATIONS

Readings:
1--How to write a scientific paper
2--Plea to a symposium goer
D. Janzen
Class Meetings:
10/26Connecting Course Dots
10/28Visits by Uhl and/or Avery to your NHP sites if you request this
Assignment: Write Natural History Project paper and prepare your NHP oral presentation

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WEEK 11. NATURAL HISTORY FINALE
Readings: Optional--related to your NHP
Class Meetings:
11/2--open
11/4--Mini-symposium: Presentations of Natural History Projects
Note: Hand in Natural History Project paper today!

PART 3. SUSTAINABILITY: ECOLOGY'S BIGGEST CHALLENGE

WEEK 12: SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS: FARMING AND ECOLOGY
Readings:
1--Hamburger and a Coke*
Ryan & Durning
3--Unhappy Meals
M. Polan
Class Meeting:
11/9Discuss readings
11/11Sustainable Food Production Field Trip
Assignments: 1) Produce a reflection (200-word minimum) on this weeks field trip and place in Section
I of your binder; 2) Offer reflections (minimum 150 words) on this weeks 2readings in Section II of your
binder.
WEEK 13: The Future in a World of Limits
Readings:
1--Life After the Oil Crash
Class Meetings:
11/16Footprint discussion
11/18Ecological Footprinting Field Exercise
Assignment: 1) Make a reflection (200-word minimum) on Thursdays lab exercise and place in Section
1 of binder; 2) Make a reflection (150-word minimum) on this weeks reading in Section II of your
binder; 3) Carry out Footprint-Reduction Exercise (report due 12/1).
THANKSGIVING

WEEK 14: DESIGNING A SUSTAINABLE WORLD: ECOLOGY AND AGENCY

Readings:
1--Story: Creating Meaning in a Time of Crisis*
C. Uhl
2--Strategic Questioning
F. Peavy
Class Meetings:
12/1Discuss Story reading
12/3Carry out Strategic Questioning Field Study
Assignments: 1) Produce a reflection (200-word minimum) on this weeks field activity in Section 1 of
your journal; 2) offer a reflection (300-word minimum) on the Story reading

WEEK 15: ECOLOGY OF THE HUMAN MIND

Readings:
1--Relationship with Soul: The Heroes Journey
Class Meetings:
12/7: Discuss reading
12/9: Course Finale

C. Uhl

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Assignments: 1) Offer reflection (300-word minimum) on this weeks reading in Section 2 of your
binder; 2) Give presentation of your Ecological Identity; 3) Prepare Final Course Essay--due, Tuesday,
December 14th.

II. GRADING
A grade, in our view, should be a symbol of your level of engagement with the subject.
If you have worked hard to understand, think about, and interact with the subject matter of a
course, you deserve a good grade. If, on the other hand, you have expended little effort on a
course, your grade should reflect this.
So it is that engagement will be the focal point for assigning your grade in Bio 450.
With this in mind, your course grade will be based on the following:
i. Course Binder (30 points)
-Binder Content (e.g., reflections on field exercises and readings (Binder Sections I & II)

30 points

ii. Special write-ups (20 points)

-Greenwood mountain exercise
-Seed dispersal exercise
-Allegheny Field Trip observations/reflections
-Eco-footprint/fast exercise

5 points
5 points
5 points
5 points

iii. Natural History Project (35 points)

-Proposal
-Record of your NHP research process (place in Section 3 of your binder
-Final paper
-Oral presentation

5 points
5 points
20 points
5 points

iv. Ecological Identity Project

v. Synthesis essay
TOTAL

5 points
10 points
100 pts

Letter grades will be assigned as follows: A: 94-100 points; A-: 90-93.9 points; B+: 87-89.9; B:
83-86.9; B-: 80-82.9; C+76-79.9; C: 70-75.9; D: 60-69.9; F: below 59.9.

i--Course Binder (30 points)

Thursday Field Trip Reflections (Section 1 of Binder): We expect you to
make a journal entry each week reflecting on Thursdays field trips. The intent of these
weekly journal entries is for you to make sense of what you/we did in the course that
week. In your writeups, consider questions such as: How have I been affected by what I
experienced this week? What leaves me confused? What questions still linger for me?
What connections do I see between what happened this week and in previous weeks, as
well as in my life, in general?
Reading Reflections (Section 2 of Binder): There are reading assignments for
each week of this course (30-40 pages of reading per week). These readings are
provocative and merit your careful study.

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Natural History Project observations, field sketches, and raw data (Section 3 of Binder): In
Section 3 of your binder, place all the notes, sketches, raw data, observations linked to your Natural
History Project.
Note: We will collect your journal and review it three times during the course.

ii-Special Write-ups/Reports (20 points).

We require lab reports for: 1) Greenwood Furnace mountain survey, 2) seed ecology
exercise, 3) Allegheny field trip, and 4) footprint reduction initiative. Details on report format
will be provided.

iii-Natural History Project (NHP) (35 points).

We learn by doing. So it is that an important part of Bio 450 is the Natural
History Project. This project provides an opportunity to become an expert on a species or
habitat or ecological question that intrigues you. To do this requires that you:
--Spend lots of time in the field
--Cultivate your powers of observation.
--Craft a NHP proposal
--Seek to understand how your organism/community/subject responds to different
environmental conditions.
--Conduct experiment(s) to help gain a fuller understanding of your subject.
--Read extensively on your subject--both books and research papers (at least 4 library
journal sources in addition to internet sources).
--Maintain a special Natural History Project section in Binder (Section 3).
--Write a formal paper (12-16 typed, double-spaced pages) on your natural history work.
--Present the results of your work orally to the class.
Note: More guidance on how to proceed with Natural History Project will be given in class.

iv-Ecological Identity Project (5 points)

The Ecological Identity Project is the culminating project of the semester. It will entail
expressing your understanding of yourself as an ecological being. This Project is grounded in
the knowledge that not all of what we know can be expressed in words. By restricting our
learning and striving for understanding to the printed word and verbal exchange, we foreclose a
potentially rich realm of knowing. Indeed, for tens of thousands of years humans have engaged
in artful acts (painting, dance, ritual, drama) to express intuitions and truths that often lie
beyond words. It is in this spirit that we invite you to explore and express your ecological self-your ecological identity--through an artistic creation.

v-Synthesis Essay (10 points)

At the end of the semester we will ask you to tie all the themes and discoveries of
this course together in an essay. Your Binder (e.g., notes on readings and field exercises)
will be an essential resource on crafting your essay.

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ATTENDANCE POLICY
Learning in this course involves, first and foremost, your bodily presence. So it is that we
grant you ONLY ONE unexcused absence. You will be penalized two points for each
UNEXCUSED absence beyond one.
IMPORTANT FIELD TRIP DATES:
1. Week 2 (September 10-12). Greenwood Furnace Camping Trip.
2. Week 6 (October 22-23). Allegheny Trip
FIELD TRIP FEE
A fee of $50.00 will be assessed to cover the cost of van rental for the field trips.

ASSIGNMENT DUE DATES

WEEK
Week 1 (8/23)

TUESDAY

THURSDAY

-Mountain Survey Report

-Binder Collection I

Week 2 (8/30)
Week 3 (9/6)
Week 4 (9/13)
Week 5 (9/20)
Week 6 (9/27)

Natural History Proposal

Week 7 (10/4)
Week 8 (10/11)
Week 9 (10/18)
Week 10 (10/25)

-Seed Experiment Report

-Binder Collection II

Week 11 (11/1)

-Allegheny Trip Report

-Natural History Project Paper
-NHP Oral Presentation

Week 12 (11/8)
Week 13 (11/15)
Week 14 (11/29)

Footprint Reduction Report

Week 15 (12/6)
Week 16 (Exams)

-Binder Collection III

-Ecological Identity Creation
-Synthesis Essay (12/14)

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ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
All University policies regarding academic integrity apply to this course. Academic dishonesty includes, but is
not limited to, cheating, plagiarizing, fabricating of information or citations, facilitating acts of academic
dishonesty by others, having unauthorized possession of examinations, submitting work of another person or work
previously used without informing the instructor, or tampering with the academic work of other students. For any
material or ideas obtained from other sources, such as the text or things you see on the web, in the library, etc., a
source reference must be given. Direct quotes from any source must be identified as such. All test answers must be
your own, and you must not provide any assistance to other students during tests. Any instances of academic
dishonesty WILL be pursued under the University and Eberly College of Science regulations concerning academic
integrity.
In sum, all assignments must be your own work. Consequences for cheating will be in accord with
Penn State policy. We value honesty and believe that no one else's work can compare to what you alone
can accomplish.