Course Requirements.

      Attendance is required and will benefit your grade. There will be a three mid-term exams and a final exam (dates listed below), numerous in-class assignments (details TBA).


The principal text is Stiling. 1999. Ecology: Theories and Applications. Prentice-Hall. 3rd Edition. This text represents a new approach to upper level undergraduate textbooks that emphasizes the literature and includes excellent summaries of what is known in many important areas of ecology. In addition, Stiling’s book creatively weaves into the narrative important applications of ecological knowledge to real world environmental problem solving. Required readings are noted in class. However, your lecture notes are the most important text of this course and most of your time should be spent on them.


      Since this course includes an intensive writing component (essay-based exams, a major research paper, etc.), an additional text I require you to access is the Elements of Style by Strunk and White. This is one of the best books on English usage ever written, and should be one of the most important books you will buy (or bookmark) and read as a student. Note: if you want to access a web-based version of this text for free press http://www.bartleby.com/141/index.html.

Course Assessment.

      Each exam is worth 100 points , thus there is the potential for 500 points from exams. The final score is based on your total accumulated points. Up to 100 points may be added to your total score from in-class assignments. Additionally, your performance in the lab portion of the course will account for 50% of your final grade (i.e. 600 points), and a detailed breakdown of that will be discussed in lab.

Comments on the Lab Portion of the Course.

      The objective of the lab is for you to "do" ecology, i.e. understanding the process of ecological inquiry which is the scientific method. This course will improve your skills at patient and precise data collection, and expose you to new ways of looking at the natural world around you. Your new-found vision will improve your awareness of the important role YOU play in our world, and THAT is the basis of environmental literacy.

      Since ecology is an inherently field-oriented science, the lab will mostly involve field work, mostly using methods of your design, and the analysis of data you collected in the field. Additionally, you have not done science until you have presented your data and interpretations in a way that is usable by your colleagues. Thus, you will be given ample opportunity in this course to present your research results to your peers, and in turn evaluate and constructively criticize their research. The model I will use in this course to accomplish these goals is that of a “bounded open ended research inquiry.” This will involve your working in teams on a multi-week study of your design subject to the constraint that it can be done entirely during the lab period. Through this activity you will experience the process of ecological inquiry, which is critical to your constructing your own understanding of ecological inquiry.

      Since arriving at Widener University in 1993, I have been experimenting to improve my ecology course by incorporating new and innovative methods I have learned from a number of truly amazing people who are active in national science educational reform. More on this narrative can be found in my Statement of Research Interests in Ecological Education and Science Educational Reform. I have presented results of my efforts with the ecology course at several national and regional scientific meetings. The abstracts of two of these presentations are at:
 

• Abstract of oral presentation about the lab portion of this course made at the 1999 annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (formerly ASZ) at Denver, Colorado, January, 1999.
  
  
• Abstract of poster presentation about the lab portion of this course made at the 1997 annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America at Providence, RI.
  
  
• Abstract of oral presentation about the lab portion of this course made at the 1995 annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America at Snowbird, Utah.

Lecture and Lab Schedules for Fall 2000

Class Schedule (Fall 2000).

EXAM 4 and FINAL EXAM during exam week, TBA.

Previous Exams and Lecture/Lab Schedules

• FALL 1999: Lecture and Lab Schedule, Exam 1, Exam 2, Exam 3, Exam 4, Final Exam.
• Summer 1999: Lecture and Lab Schedule,

• FALL 1998: Lecture and Lab Schedule, Exam 1, Exam 2, Exam 3, Exam 4, Final Exam.
• Summer 1998: Lecture and Lab Schedule,

• FALL 1997: Lecture and Lab Schedule, Exam 1, Exam 2, Exam 3, Exam 4, Final Exam.
• FALL 1996: Lecture and Lab Schedule, Exam 1, Exam 2, Exam 3, Exam 4, Final Exam.

My Lecture and Lab Handouts Available on the Web.

• download *.pdf version of the Fall 2000 syllabus.
• Introduction to Field Ecology and the Rapid Ecological Study.
• Handout on the "Ecological Research Study". (COMING SOON!)
• Handout on how to write an ecological research paper and poster for this course. (COMING SOON!)

Research Inquiry Projects Students Have Done. Widener University Journal of   Undergraduate Ecological Research

• Volume 7, Number 2, Biology 301, Fall 1999.
• 1. The Effects of Exotic Ornamentals on Understory Plant Biodiversity in the Duer Tract, Nether Providence Township, PA. Elaine Crescenzi, Mary Malosh, and Shannon McGlinchey.
• 2. The Search for Nothing: The Effects of Hurricane Floyd on Macroinvertebrate Species Population and Biodiversity in Crum Creek, Southeastern PA. Robert Dendall, Jennifer Fuchs, and David LeBold.
• 3. Among-site Variation in Periphyton Abundance and Biodiversity Along Crum Creek in Southeastern PA: Is "Exceptional Value" Status Justified for the Upper Crum Creek? Corinne Piotrowski, Aaron Stillwell, and Mayerling Thanis.
• Volume 7, Number 1, Biology 301, Summer 1999.
• 1. An Ecological Study on the Effects of Vernal Pond Cycles on Aquatic Biodiversity and Water Quality Compared to a Permanent Pond in Bucks County, PA. Tyesha Fuller, Tonia Mastrocola, and Melanie K. Wilcox.
• 2. Comparative Analysis of Soil Quality in Brandywine State Creek Park vs. the New Jersey Pine Barrens. Kelli Baravordeh, Kelli Hursh, and Matthew Lenhardt.
• 3. Plant Diversity and Soil Composition Along a Wet to Dry Gradient in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. Shelly Leonard and Mary Nather.
• Volume 6, Number 2, Biology 301, Fall 1998.
• 1. Effects of Old Clay vs. New Plastic Municipal Sewage Pipes on Water Quality in Little Crum Creek, Swarthmore, PA. Catherine L'Armand and Jennifer Piesvaux.
• 2. The Effects of Water Quality on Plankton Biodiversity in Areas of New vs. Old Municipal Sewage Piping in Little Crum Creek, Swarthmore, PA. Margaret M. Sadoff and Courtney Siegel.
• 3. Variations of Aquatic Microorganism Biodiversity in the Brandywine River from Surrounding Industrialization. Taryn Kindred, Tricia Kojeszewski, and Elizabeth Rhoad.
• 4. Does Bacterial Density Increase in Areas of Low Water Quality in Ridley Creek? Jason Mitchell and Karen Stauffer.
• 5. Fish - What's Wrong with Them?: Indirect Effects of Water Quality on Rates of Infection of Stream Minnows by Nematode Parasites in Ridley Creek, Southeastern PA. Jason Bottoms and John Ginis.
• 6. Urban Impacts on Water Quality and Biodversity in Darby Creek, Southeastern PA. Jeffrey Fallon, Penelope Lucky, and Bradley String.
• 7. Follow the Lead [Pb]: Effects of Campus Water Pipes on Lead Concentrations in Drinking Water at Widener University, Chester, PA. Jessica A. Addeo, Jennifer J. Noce, and Carey A. Romig.
• Volume 6, Number 1, Biology 301, Summer 1998.
• 1. Spatial Variation of Litter Micro-Arthropods in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. Christina Peklak.
• 2. Comparison of Arthropod Diversity and Abundance Between Burned and Unburned Areas in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. Chika Ando and Hitomi Nakamura.
• 3. The Effects of Urbanization on the Toxicity of Lake Bottom Sediments. Melanie Reed.
• 4. The Effects of Urban Effluence on Benthic Life in the Delaware River. Geralyn Fontaine.
• 5. The Effects of Urbanization on Bacterial Diversity in Ridley Creek in Southeastern PA. Lisa Ward.
• 6. Chemical and Biological Indicators of Wetlands Restoration in Southern New Jersey Ponds. Guy Prasalowicz.
• Volume 5, Number 2, Biology 301, Fall 1997.
• 1. The Effect of Riparian Buffers on the Ecology of Ridley Creek in Southeastern PA. Hazel Lafleur-Vetter and Julie Fekete.
• 2. Water Quality in the Chester, Ridley, and Crum Creeks. Mathew Ginalick, Richard A. Moss, and William J. Richardson.


• 3. Macroinvertebrate Biodiversity in the Chester, Crum, and Ridley Creeks. Brian Bayzick, Brian Cairy and Aaron Rospendowski.


• 4. Plankton Biodiversity In and Around the Bald Cypress Pond: Taylor Arboretum. Alvin Chung and Ashima Jaiswal.
• Volume 5, Number 1, Biology 301, Summer 1997.
• 1. A Study of the Biodiversity of Insect Populations at Rural, Suburban, and Urban Settings. Alexander Kobb, Joseph Jenkins, and Kelly Sweeney.
• 2. Bacterial Biodiversity on Maple Leaves from Urban and Suburban Environments. Melanie Gleave, Kruti Patel, and Selina Taylor.
• 3. Ecology of the Eastern Fence Lizard, Sceloporus undulatus, from the New Jersey Pine Barrens: Assessing Thermal Environment and Body Temperature Preferences. Robert Hopkins.
• 4. Ecology of the Eastern Fence Lizard, Sceloporus undulatus, from the New Jersey Pine Barrens: Are Growth Rate Differences Between Males and Females Due to their Behavior? Stephanie Skelly.
• 5. Effects of Structural Habitat Type on Insect Diversity in an Intertidal Marsh. Ilona Burykovski.
• Volume 4, Number 1, Biology 301, Fall 1996.
• 1. Effects of Water Quality Upon Aquatic Metazoans and Diatoms in Chester Creek (Del. Co., PA) at Urban, Suburban, and Rural Sites. Greg White, Gina Barletta, and Nirav Patel.
• 2. A Comparison of Exotic Versus Native Plant Diversity At Four Sites in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Henry Angelopulos, and James Bellenbaum.
• 3. Plankton Biodiversity in Running Water vs. Still Water. Careema Yusuf, Christina Howland, and Ruth Myers.
• 4. Effects of Pollution on the Plankton Biodiversity of Two Aquatic Environments. Erin McGlinchey & Diego Lombardo.
• 5. Effect of Ecological Awareness on Ecological Attitudes A Survey of Undergraduates at Widener University. Joseph Duong and Aaron Kozak.
• 6. Effect of Human Impact on Soil Invertebrate Population and Diversity: A Comparsion of Urban, Suburban, and Rural Environments. Vikki Heverly, Kate Meakim, and Alexis Szathmary.
• 7. Morphological Differences Among Individual Polygonum sp. in Reference to Their Locations. James Carl and Louis Hayner.
• 8. Effects of Pollution on Insect Biodiversity in Urban, Suburban and Rural Areas Located in the Philadelphia Region. Andrew Plantz, Charles Butz, Glen Fiorenza.
• 9. Effects of the Ventilation System in Kirkbride Hall on the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). Mario Cifolelli and James Flear.
• 10. Results of Chemical Pollution on Biodiversity in Ridley Creek. Lori Manley and James MacCarthy.
• 11. A Study of the Effects of an Abandoned Steel Mill (Phoenix Iron Works) on Algal Growth and Benthic Macro-Invertebrates in French Creek. Mike Malmstrom.
• Volume 3, Number 2, Biology 301, Fall 1995.
• 1. Effects of Management on Plant Diversity on Three Natural Lands Trust Properties in Southeastern PA. Carolina Nolano and Brian Tapley.
• 2. Population Density of Aquatic Bacteria Near a Municipal Wastewater Treatment Outflow along Chester Creek. Emmett Dempsey and Mike Gibbons.
• 3. Relative Bactrial Biodiversity at Three Water Sites Associated with Chester Creek. Edward Kaercher and Erik Ney.
• 4. Effects of Human Disturbance on Terrestrial Invertebrate Biodiversity in Open Fields in Southeastern, PA. Jeff Burdick, Katherine Dugan, and Jennifer Tevanian.
• 5. Effects of Water Quality on Aquatic Animal Biodiversity at Urban, Suburban, and Rural Sites in Chester Creek Along the ‘Rails to Trails’ Route. Joseph Gillespie, Kevin Morelock, and Jung Yi.
• 6. Effects of Urbanization on Ecophysiological Variation in Stomate Density in Woody Plants in Southeastern PA. Mitchel Jolles, Leonard Katerynczuk, and Sajnu Thomas.
• 7. Covariation Between Soil Quality and Microinvertebrate Biodiversity that May Reflect Levels of Human Impact. Wayne Moore and Robert Saunders.
• 8. Plant Diversity Along the ‘Rails to Trails’ Route. Jacqueline Nguyen, Maureen Scull, and Maria Theiss.
• 9. Impact of Human Population Flux on Bacterial Populations in Kirkbride Hall. Mark Adamese, Laureen Gallagher, and William Ryan.
• Volume 3, Number 1, Biology 301, Summer 1995.
• 1. Effects of a Recent Fire on Soil Quality and Biodiversity in a New Jersey Pine Barrens Ecosystem. Joe DeRosa and Greg Potteiger.
• 2. Effects of pH on Plankton Biodiversity in Still Water Ponds. Hillary Archard, Keia Mapp, and Deborah Simpson.
• 3. Effects of Interstate 695, “the Blue Route,” on Water Quality and Aquatic Life in a Surburban Philadelphia Creek. Eileen Dillin and Mike Opet.
• Volume 2, Number 2, Biology 301, Fall 1994.
• 1. Tree biodiversity along an elevational gradient. Chris Barr, Mark Bersheim, and Scott Emuryan.
• 2. Covariation between water quality and aquatic life along the length of Chester Creek, PA. Kelly DeArros, Wade Godfrey, Naomi Ishiwata, and Jeff LaPerle.
• 3. Covariation in water quality and plankton communities in Ridley Creek, PA. Mark Chomow, Susan Foertsch, Jennifer Hurlbert, and Cheryl Korver.
• 4. The effects of management on vascular plant diversity at three sites in southeastern Pennsylvania. Kristen Anderson, Carrie Bassett, Jon Ludwig, and Mike Zambon.
• 5. Soil quality and tree biodiversity in a southeastern Pennsylvania woodland. Mike Garrison, James Mastroddi, and Dave Stoenbenau.
• 6. Biodiversity of terrestrial invertebrates in three different habitats using three sampling techniques. Dave Barclift, Dan Stuart, and Marco Ucciferri.
• Volume 2, Number 1, Biology 301, Summer 1994 .
• 1. Plankton Biodiversity Along a Single Waterway. Karen O'Donnell, Lorraine Sowinski, and Melissa Thomas.
• 2. Effects of pH on the Growth of Freshwater Algae. Steve Maiale, Tom Parisi, and Chris Simione.
• 3. A Comparative Study of Insect Biodiversity in Two Wetlands. Steve Eigenrauch, John Lee, and David Lindsay.
• 4. Variation in Invertebrate Biodiversity Along a Moisture Gradient. Kim Chladek and Sue North.
• 5. Biodiversity Among Three Habitat Types: Coverboard Surveys. Marcus Marston, Ryan Reynolds, and Jeff Warmkessel.
• Volume 1, Number 2, Biology 301, Fall 1993 .
• 1. Invertebrate Biodiversity and Human Disturbance: A Comparison of Urban, Suburban and Rural Landscapes.  Kris Butler, Joan Nowak and Carole Sperone.
• 2. Environmental Correlates with Leaf Stomate Density in Three Species of Small Herbaceous Plants. Christine Connelly, Maria D'Orsaneo, and Noelle Woodrow.
• 3. Correlates of Water Quality with Coliform Bacterial Counts in Southeastern Pennsylvania Aquatic Environments. Joanne Mullen, Pamela Vance, and Paula Vinson.
• 4. Ecology of a Native Pennsylvania Plant (Aristida purpurescens): Carbon Allocation and Root/Shoot Ratios from Burned and Unburned Serpentine Barrens. Jennifer Carl and Gina Gonzalez.
• 5. Effects of Acid pH on Ammonifying Bacteria: Implications of Acid Rain on Ecosystem Nitrogen Cycling. Joshua Schier, Shah Soghomonian, and John Somner.
• 6. Effects of pH Levels on Two Populations of Duckweed, Lemna minor. Cheryl Hilton, Coleen Milliken, and Amy Morrone.
• 7. Can Crayfish, Cambarus bartonii, Behaviorally Orient to Environmental Variation in pH? Keith DeAngelis and Justin Flemming.
• 8. Soil Preference of Worms.  Mike Cleveland, Chris Davis, and Eric Downs.
• 9. Effects of Acid pH on Food Passage Rate in the Earthworm, Lumbricus terrestris. Holly Hopey and Heather McClintock.
• 10. Effects of Different Insect Prey Types on the Digestive Efficiency of Anolis lizards. Kevin Harvilla and Mike Widmer.
• 11. Effect of Community Patterns of Survivorship on Ethnic Group Migration: Greeks in Suburban Philadelphia. Barbara Mylonas.

Please Read This Comment.

      You are welcome to download some or all of the material I have posted at this site for your use in your ecology course. This does not include commercial uses for profit. If you do use any lengthy exerpts (more than 2 lines) of the material above, I request that you formally acknowledge this site and/or sites I have acknowledged as the source(s). I also request that you reciprocate and send me a copy of your ecology materials so that I may see what you have put together.

Please send comments to me: grant@pop1.science.widener.edu.

Copyright - Bruce W. Grant, 2000.