Fundamentals of Ecology (BIO/ESS 148) :: Schedule, Spring 2025
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Please note that the schedule is subject to change at any time. Check back frequently for updates!
M = Monday
W = Wednesday
L = Lecture
D = Discussion
| Date | Lect/Disc_# | Lecture_Topic | Description | Required Readings | Homework |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/22 | W-L1 | Introduction | Levels of organization | Bowman Ch. 1 | |
| Disc – | No Discussion Section | ||||
| 1/27 | M-L2 | Biomes | Distinguishing among Earth’s biomes | Bowman Ch. 3 | |
| 1/29 | W-L3 | Energy 1 | Variation in temperature and water | Bowman Ch. 4 | |
| D1 | Disc 1 | Investigating ecological problems with R | What does ecology have to do with me? | ||
| 2/3 | M-L4 | Energy 2 | Energetic pathways in ecology | Bowman Ch. 5 | |
| 2/5 | W-L5 | Allometry 1 | Allometry & Macroecology 1 | West & Brown | |
| D2 | Disc 2 | Temperature as an ecological constraint | Gunderson & Leal 2015 | H1 | |
| 2/10 | M-L6 | Allometry 2 | Allometry & Macroecology 2 | ||
| 2/12 | W | Exam I | (Covers up through L6) | ||
| D3 | Disc 3 | Allometry and metabolic scaling | |||
| 2/17 | M | President’s Day – No Class | |||
| 2/19 | W-L7 | Evolution 1 | Ecology as the driver of natural selection | Bowman Ch. 6 | |
| Disc – | No Discussion Section | ||||
| 2/24 | M-L8 | Evolution 2 | Evolutionary change | Bowman Ch. 6 | |
| 2/26 | W-L9 | Life History | Life history diversity & tradeoffs | ||
| D4 | Disc 4 | Evolution by Natural Selection | H2 | ||
| 3/3 | M-L10 | Behavior | Behavioral ecology | Bowman Ch. 8, Sinervo | |
| 3/5 | W-L11 | Behavior | Fitness of Interactions | Demo: Game Theory | |
| D5 | Disc 5 | Life Histories | H3 | ||
| 3/10 | M-L12 | Populations 1 | Density dependence and population dynamics | Bowman Ch. 10 | |
| 3/12 | W-L13 | Populations 2 | Logistic growth & discrete dynamics | ||
| D6 | Disc 6 | Exponential and Logistic Growth | H4 | ||
| 3/17 | M-L14 | Competition | Intro to competition | Bowman Ch. 14 | |
| 3/19 | W | Exam II | |||
| D7 | Disc 7 | Exponential and Logistic Growth 2 | |||
| 3/24 | M | Spring Break – No Class | |||
| 3/26 | W | Spring Break – No Class | |||
| Disc – | No Discussion Section | ||||
| 3/31 | M-L15 | Competition 2 | Competition dynamics | ||
| 4/2 | W-L16 | Predation 1 | Herbivory and predation | Bowman Ch. 12 | |
| D8 | Disc 8 | Lotka–Volterra competition dynamics | |||
| 4/7 | M-L17 | Predation 2 | Predation dynamics | ||
| 4/9 | W-L18 | Disease 1 | The dynamics of disease | Bowman 13.4–end, Blackwood to 2.2.2, R0 is just an average | |
| D9 | Disc 9 | Lotka–Volterra predation dynamics | |||
| 4/14 | M-L19 | Disease 2 | Disease modeling & applications | (continuation/readings as desired) | |
| 4/16 | W-L20 | Parasitism | Parasites and parasitoids | Bowman Ch. 13 | |
| D10 | Disc 10 | Dynamics of disease | H5 | ||
| 4/21 | M-L21 | Exam III | |||
| 4/23 | W-L22 | Interactions 1 | Mutualisms | Bowman Ch. 15 | |
| D11 | Disc 11 | Species interaction networks | H6 | ||
| 4/28 | M-L23 | Interactions 2 | Food webs | Bowman Ch. 21 | |
| 4/30 | W-L24 | Communities 1 | Island biogeography | Bowman Ch. 18.3 | |
| D12 | Disc 12 | Island biogeography | |||
| 5/5 | M-L25 | Communities 2 | Ecological communities | Bowman Ch. 16.2–16.3 | |
| 5/7 | W-L25 | Final Exam | Ecological communities | Bowman Ch. 16.2–16.3 |