Course Description
Course provides training in field-based animal ecology, introducing students to field techniques, and generating meaning from field collected data to address scientific questions. Course emphasizes the scientific process: making observations, asking questions, proposing hypotheses, designing fieldwork, data collection and analysis, and oral and written communication.
Athena Title
Field Ecology
Non-Traditional Format
A field-focused course with on-campus lectures on Mondays (1 hour) followed by a mixture of trips to nearby field sites to facilitate hands-on learning, or analysis and interpretation focused class time on Wednesdays.
Prerequisite
(BIOL 1108 and BIOL 1108L) or permission of department
Pre or Corequisite
ECOL 2550
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student Learning Outcomes
- Students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of a range of concepts in ecology.
- Students will be able to design field studies to address scientific questions and hypotheses.
- Students will be able to effectively collect, record, analyze, and interpret scientific evidence and experimental data.
- Students will be able to solve practical problems in field settings.
- Students will be able to communicate effectively using a range of formats relevant to professional scientists.
Topical Outline
- Week 1: An introduction to field ecology and the scientific method
- Week 2: Field survey and sampling strategies; data collection and record keeping
- Week 3: Use of R for analysis of field collected data
- Week 4: Resource availability: size frequency analysis
- Week 5: Minimal disturbance wildlife surveying 1; camera trapping
- Week 6: Minimal disturbance wildlife surveying 2; correlation and regression-based models
- Week 7: Community ecology 1; pitfall trapping
- Week 8: Community ecology 2; diversity indices and ordination
- Week 9: Size and recruitment; distribution analysis; information theory
- Week 10: Wildlife trapping and handling 1; capture-mark-recapture
- Week 11: Wildlife trapping and handling 2; capture-mark-recapture
- Week 12: Wildlife trapping and handling 3; population estimation
- Week 13: Population estimation and projections
- Week 14: Experimental field ecology: giving up density
- Week 15: Ecological applications
Institutional Competencies
Analytical Thinking
The ability to reason, interpret, analyze, and solve problems from a wide array of authentic contexts.
Critical Thinking
The ability to pursue and comprehensively evaluate information before accepting or establishing a conclusion, decision, or action.
