Instructor: Craig Sargent, Office: 115-116, MDR#3, Office Hours: Tuesdays 2-3pm, Wednesdays 2-3pm, or by appointment.

Telephone: 257-8742, e-mail: csargent@email.uky.edu, www: http://darwin.uky.edu/~sargent/

Teaching Assistant: Madhu Srinivasan, madu@uky.edu

Recommended Textbook(s): The Economy of Nature, 6th Edition, by Robert E. Ricklefs, WH Freeman and Comany. Other basic ecology textbooks are also useful. If you happen to own one, show it to me, and I'll point out which chapters to read. Another book that you may find helpful is, Basic Populus Models of Ecology, by Don Altad, Pearson, ISBN 0-13-021289-X. This second book is totally optional, and it accompanies the free population biology simulation software package, Populus. We will be learning several of the mathematical models in Populus during this course, both in lecture and in recitation.

World Wide Web: http://darwin.uky.edu/~sargent/teaching.htm. Check the course website for various course postings, which include this syllabus, assigned readings online, and thought problems/answers. 

Course Description: (The first day of Lecture is Wednesday, August 26) Introductory ecology (BIO 325) investigates the interactions between organisms and their environment. We will study these interactions from an evolutionary perspective at the level of organism, population, community, and ecosystem. Understanding ecology requires one to understand underlying processes rather than simply learning facts. Some of these processes are described with simple mathematical models. Thus this course emphasizes critical thinking and the scientific process. Students will be encouraged to read outside material, to think carefully, logically and critically about ideas and to ask questions and defend their views. Clear writing is very important, and students are encouraged to seek help from the UK Writing Center or me if necessary. Also, students are encouraged to speak up in class and express their questions, opinions, and concerns.

Recitation: (Recitation Will Begin Meeting the Week of August 31) In this class, recitation is presented as a two-hour, mini laboratory, and typically consists of lab exercises, field exercises, group discussions, and individual presentations. Recitation is worth 25% of your total grade; weekly attendance and participation are required. A copy of the recitation syllabus is here.

Instructor Grading Policy: (See Table Below for Exam Schedule) Grades will be based on an absolute scale, with 90% an A, 80% a B, 70% a C, 60% a D, and less than 60% an E; however, I reserve the right to make these cutoffs more lenient. There will be three examinations, two midterms and one final, each worth 25% of your final grade. The final exam will cover the last third of the course, and will not be comprehensive. Each exam will consist of a mixture of thought-provoking short-essay questions and short answer questions (e.g. T/F, fill in the blank, multiple choice). The remaining 25% of your grade will be based on recitation (the recitation syllabus will be handed out next week). If a student misses an exam and has an excused absence, she/he is entitled to a make up exam. If she/he informs me before a missed exam, very often she/he will be given the same exam as the rest of the class. If she/he informs me after a missed exam, she/he will be given a different exam from the rest of the class. Students who miss exams with un-excused absences will incur a 10% penalty for missing the original exam. All missed exams must be made up within one week of the originally scheduled exam date, unless extreme circumstances (e.g. medical or family emergencies) prevent this.

Thought Problems: Several times during the semester I will pose questions to the class during lecture. You will break up into small groups to discuss them, and then be called on to share your group's consensus. 

Cheating and Plagiarism: Cheating and Plagiarism: Cheating and plagiarism are serious academic offenses, and are taken seriously in this class. Please consult your student code of conduct, or the ombud, for definitions of cheating and plagiarism, and for the penalties they incur.