Requirements: College level reading and math skills (a minimum of 5 on the ACC reading and writing tests), or passing the reading and writing TASP test, or an exemption from TASP is required. You must also fill out the mandatory online orientation form. If you do not, you may be dropped from this course (see syllabus for more details).. YOU MUST SUBMIT THE FORM IN BLACKBOARD SO I CAN KEEP THEM ALL TOGETHER. Since this is a major’s course, the material will cover the mathematical equations that form the basis for many ecological models. You as a student will be expected to apply these formulas in homework assignments and on tests. Thus a high school level of algebra skills math is necessary for the successful completion of this course. This course will be divided into 4 fundamental units. You are responsible to obtain all information such as study guide and SimUText readings for each unit.

GRADING POLICY:
There will be 4 unit lecture exams, to correspond to the study guide/ SimuText Chapter material, and a comprehensive multiple choice final that may replace one unit exam. Thus if you wish to replace one unit exam grade, you may do so by taking the comprehensive final which is available at the end of the semester (see complete syllabus for more details). If you miss a unit exam you may not take a makeup exam, Instead you must take the comprehensive final to replace that grade. If you miss 2 exams, you need to withdraw from the course. Each exam will be 70% objective, (multiple choice) and 30% essay. You may take exams before the date listed, but you must complete the unit exam by the date listed or receive a 0 for that unit exam. EACH STUDENT HAS A ONE TIME /ONE DAY EXTENSION ON EXAMS 1-4 .YOU DO NOT NEED TO ASK FOR PERMISSION TO TAKE THIS ONE TIME EXTENSION. There is no extension for the 5th exam. Note: If you are having academic problems, you are responsible to withdraw yourself from the course. I will go over the topics on exams during office hours,, but you cannot obtain a copy of the exam itself.

SimUText Chapters. I am now using an online custom series of chapters from Simbio- the same publisher as the labs. You will answer questions as you go through the labs and they will be graded. More information will be available in the actual course syllabus

Lab Assignments: Bio 2406 has a lab component. You will be responsible to complete 8 Simbio labs: Labs will vary in the amount of time it takes to complete them. Some labs may be finished in a day- others may take several days. You will need to have access to a computer to run the lab simulations. If you do not have a computer at home, you may come into ACC and use one of the computers on campus. Please contact me early so that we can make arrangements. It is your responsibility to read through each lab and make sure you leave your self plenty of time to complete the lab in a timely fashion. In other words- you must budget your time in this course wisely. Labs must be turned in by the deadline date. Each day a lab is turned in after the deadline, will lost points.  The labs are is self-explanatory and designed to be used by students on their own. Each lab contains an introduction to the material and a step by step set of instructions to run through the exercise. To complete each lab you will follow the exercise instructions, and turn in the original labs with the questions typed or neatly printed on the original lab exercise sheets.

REQUIRED Materials- Online Ecology and Evolutionary Chapters called SimUText from Simbio. Both the lecture readings and labs will be available when you buy them online. Most information can be found in the course syllabus, but my plan is to keep the Required Materials to around $90.

Here is a brief list of the topics covered in each unit of the course. For a complete list, please see the full syllabus or the study guide for this course.

 UNIT TOPICS - Note these are in approximate order only
Unit 1 Scientific Inquiry, DNA & Reproduction and Physical Biogeography

Introduction to Evolution, Variation, Selection, Population Genetics, Speciation, Extinction, and Historical Biogeography

Unit 2 Population Characteristics, Population Growth, Population Regulation,

Unit 3 Community Interactions, Community Structure Disturbance & Nonequilibrium Trophic

Unit 4- Dynamics of Ecosystems: EnergyFlow,  Nutrient Cycles, Trophic Levels, Biomes

Course Description:
Biology 2406, Ecology and Evolution is a major’s level course for students with a strong background in biology. The purpose of the course is to investigate how fundamental biological forces, such as evolution, affect the lives of organisms. You will study the environment’s impact on organisms, and the effect organisms can have on one other. You will also look at the impact humans have on ecosystem. Instructional Methodology: This is a conputer based distance learning section of Biology 2406.