Syllabus BIOL 4305 – AQUATIC BIOLOGY Spring 2018

Professor: Marsha G. Williams, HPR 129, Ph. – 565-5878, Email – mwilliams@uttyler.eduOffice Hours: M, W, and F 11:05-12:05 p.m., or by appointment

Catalog Description: Ecology and general biology of freshwater ecosystems. Emphasis on the interrelationships of biological, chemical, and physical factors.

Course Objectives/Student Learning Outcomes1) Describe the physical and chemical conditions of freshwater ecosystems. 2) Describe the biota of freshwater ecosystems.3) Understand the interrelationships of biological, chemical, and physical factors in aquatic

systems. 4) Critically read, analyze, and interpret research findings.

Required Texts:Allan, J. D. and M. M. Castillo. 2007. Stream Ecology: Structure and Function of Running Waters. 2nd Edition. Springer, The Netherlands.

I will assign primary literature for you to read throughout the semester. I will provide the readings on Canvas.

Evaluation: Students will be evaluated based on the following work:Examinations. Two midterms and a final exam will be given. The lowest exam score will be dropped. Each will be worth 45% of the final grade. Attendance will be 10% of your final grade. In the event you wish to dispute an exam question, an essay outlining your argument must be submitted within one week of the exam being handed back to you. No make-up exams will be giving. If you miss an exam, it will count as your dropped exam.

We will follow a 10-point scale for grading:90-100% = A, 80-89% = B, 70-79 = C, 60-69% = D, 0-59% = F

Academic Misconduct: Submitting plagiarized work to meet academic requirements including the representation of another’s work or ideas as one’s own; the unacknowledged word for word use of another person’s ideas; and/or the falsification, fabrication, or dishonesty in reporting research results shall be grounds for charges of academic misconduct. Any cheating or other type of academic misconduct will be reported to university administration and at minimum will result in automatic failure of the course.

TENTATIVE CLASS SCHEDULE

Week Lecture Topics Jan 15 NO Class on 15th (MLK holiday), Introduction (Ch. 1); Properties of H2O

and Stream Flow (Ch. 2)Jan 22 Stream flow and Hydraulics (Ch. 2 and 5); Water Chemistry (Ch. 4)Jan 29 Water Chemistry (Ch. 4), Physical Conditions (Ch. 3 and 5)Feb 5 Physical Conditions (Ch. 3 and Ch. 5)Feb 12 Midterm 1 Feb 12; Aquatic OrganismsFeb 19 Aquatic Organisms Feb 26 Aquatic Organisms Mar 5 Nutrients (Ch. 11), Production and Decomposition (Ch. 6 and 7)Mar 12 SPRING BREAKMar 19 Stream Metabolism (Ch. 12); Midterm 2 Mar 23Mar 26 Trophic Structure (Ch. 8), Landscape Ecology (Ch. 14)Apr 2 Landscape Ecology (Ch. 14)Apr 9 Behavior and Ecology (Ch. 9-10)Apr 16 Behavior and Ecology (Ch. 9-10)Apr 23 Human Impacts (Ch. 13)Apr 30 Study Day (Apr 30), Final Exam (May 2nd)

April 2nd – Last day for WFinal Exam – Wednesday, May 2nd, 10:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.