Syllabus
Plant Ecology
Course Number: ENS 511
Term: Fall 2018
Meeting Day and time: Wednesday 4:35 PM - 7:35 PM
Location: Pleasantville Campus
Credits: 3
Professor: Dr. Matthew Aiello-Lammens
Contact information: maiellolammens@pace.edu
Phone: (914) 773-3110
Office hours: Mon 12:30 - 2:00; Tue 4:30 – 5:30; Wed 1:30 – 3:00
Course Information
Course website: https://mlammens.github.io/ENS-511-Plant-Ecology/
Description
Plants are a major component of nearly all terrestrial ecosystems, as well as most aquatic ecosystems. Understanding the patterns and processes of plant distributions, evolutionary development, and taxonomy is necessary to understand our environment more generally. In this course, the interrelationships of plant lineages will be discussed, the methods of plant identification will be learned, the multiple processes that result in the patterns of plant distributions will be examined, and the knowledge of botany and plant ecology will be used to carryout original research in a collaborative atmosphere. Specific topics covered will include photosynthesis and respiration, plant physiology and morphology as they relate to function and taxonomic classification, and the economic importance of plants from an ecological and environmental impact perspective.
Course goals
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To acquire important knowledge of plant ecology.
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To gain an understanding of the important role plants play in ecosystem function and maintenance of life on earth.
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To gain experience applying the scientific method to carryout original research.
Learning objectives
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Learn and master basic concepts of ecology.
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Learn and master concepts of plant population biology.
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Learn plant physiology and morphology, and understand how these characteristics are related to taxonomy.
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Learn the common flora of the Hudson Valley region.
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Learn and practice plant identification.
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Be able to identify major vegetation types in the Hudson Valley region.
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Understand how plants interact with each other and other organisms in the community to form the foundation of most ecosystems.
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Learn and practice the scientific method via group and individual projects.
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Learn and practice how to collaboratively investigate unanswered questions in science.
Required materials
Peer-reviewed articles will also be assigned throughout the semester. These will be provided as the course progresses.
Recommended materials
Gurevitch, J, Scheiner, SM, and Fox, GA. 2006. The Ecology of Plants: 2nd Ed. Sinauer Associates, Inc. Sutherland, MA.
Wessels, T. 2010. Forest Forensics: A field Guide to Reading the Forested Landscape. Countryman Press. Woodstock, VT.
Pre-requisites
Ecology, Environmental Science, or permission of instructor.
Assignments, assessments, and evaluations
Weekly assignments (20%)
There will be an assignment each week, due by the start of class the following week.
iNaturalist contributions (20%)
You are required to contribute at least 50 entries to iNaturalist. Further details will be provided in class.
Course project (60%)
We will be working on a collaborative project during the course of the semester, which will cullminate in a single document - a forest inventory analysis and needs assessment for the Pace University Pleasantville Campus. This project will require extensive field work, literature research, and data analysis. Each student is expected to lead one section/ chapter of the final report, while Prof. Aiello-Lammens will serve as editor.
Field sampling
We will establish between 4 and 8 vegetation survey plots on the Pace campus during this class. Our sampling scheme is outlined here.
Components of project
- Works cited list (10%)
- First draft (10%)
- Peer review (10% each, 2 total)
- Final draft (20%)
Potential chapters
- Historical land use and information
- Inventory of land types and vegetation
- Risks and threats - invasive species
- Risks and threats - pollution
- Risks and threats - land use changes and deer abundance
- Species of Greatest Conservation Need in the region
- Long-term monitoring
- Abiotic conditions - soil, weather, etc.
Course schedule
This is a guide for the material we will cover during the course, however it may be amended during the semester as needed. Note that the Reading column indicates chapters in which material relevant to our topic can be found. The specific sections / pages will be determined by Prof. Aiello-Lammens on a week-to-week basis.
| Meeting | Date | Topic | Reading and assignments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9/5 | Quercus rubra field experiment setup | Blossey et al. |
| 2 | 9/12 | Plant identification and transect setup | Assignment 1 Due |
| 9/19 | NO CLASS | ||
| 3 | 9/26 | Quadrat establishment | Assignment 2 |
| 4 | 10/3 | Quadrat establishment and sampling | None |
| 5 | 10/10 | Quadrat sampling - leaf measurements | Assignment 3 Due |
| 6 | 10/17 | Quadrat sampling - leaf measurements and light levels | Assignment 4 Due |
| 7 | 10/24 | Quadrat sampling - demographic parameters | Complete Data Entry |
| 8 | 10/31 | Quadrat sampling - soil and other abiotic conditions; Sampling on your time, lab work coordinated with Prof A-L | Assignment 5 Due |
| 11/7 | NO CLASS | ||
| 9 | 11/14 | Quadrat sampling (before class) - photosynthesis; Analysis planning | Assignment 6 Due |
| 11/21 | NO CLASS – Thanks Giving | ||
| 10 | 11/28 | Chapter 1 and 2 Discussion | Assignment 7 Due |
| 11 | 12/5 | Chapter 3 and 4 Discussion | Assignment 8 Due |
| 12 | 12/12 | Chapter 5 and 6 Discussion | First Draft Due |
| 13 | 12/19 | Chapter 7 and 8 Discussion | Peer Evaluations Due |
| 14 | 12/21 | Course synthesis and wrap-up | Final Draft Due |
Course Policies
Attendance
Attendance and punctuality are required. Excused absences will be considered, but must be discussed with Prof. Aiello-Lammens. Unexcused absences and/or consistent lateness will negatively impact a student’s final assessment and could result in failure.
Technology in the Classroom
Use of computers and tablets may be necessary to complete some in-class assignments. However, I expect you to respectful and professional, and not to be “surfing the internet” during class. If I witness this activity, you will not be allowed to use technology in the classroom thereafter.
Academic integrity
All members of the Pace community are expected to behave with honesty and integrity, as outlined in the student handbook. The following statement is from the Student Handbook:
Students are required to be honest and ethical in satisfying their academic assignments and requirements. Academic integrity requires that, except as may be authorized by the instructor, a student must demonstrate independent intellectual and academic achievements. Therefore, when a student uses or relies upon an idea or material obtained from another source, proper credit or attribution must be given. A failure to give credit or attribution to ideas or material obtained from an outside source is plagiarism. Plagiarism is strictly forbidden. Every student is responsible for giving the proper credit or attribution for any quotation, idea, data, or other material obtained from another source that is presented (whether orally or in writing) in the student’s papers, reports, submissions, examinations, presentations and the like.
Individual schools and programs may have adopted additional standards of academic integrity. Therefore, students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the academic integrity policies of the University as well as of the individual schools and programs in which they are enrolled. A student who fails to comply with the standards of academic integrity is subject to disciplinary actions such as, but not limited to, a reduction in the grade for the assignment or the course, a failing grade in the assignment or the course, suspension and/or dismissal from the University.
Accommodations for students with disabilities
The University’s commitment to equal educational opportunities for students with disabilities includes providing reasonable accommodations for the needs of students with disabilities. To request an accommodation for a qualifying disability, a student must self-identify and register with the Coordinator of Disability Services for his or her campus. No one, including faculty, is authorized to evaluate the need and arrange for an accommodation except the Coordinator of Disability Services. Moreover, no one, including faculty, is authorized to contact the Coordinator of Disability Services on behalf of a student. For further information, please see Information for Students with Disabilities on the University’s web site.\ To receive accommodation for any disability, students must contact the campus Counseling Center (Pace Plaza, 212-346-1526; Westchester, 914-773-3710).