osenberg@zoo.ufl.edu
1. Most required readings will be taken from the literature and will be posted on the web (download course readings -- password required).Software:
2. Supplemental readings dealing with mathematical issues will be assigned from Gotelli (1998), A Primer of Ecology, 2nd Edition (Sinauer Press). The book should be available at Goering's Bookstore on August 31st. If they run out, I suggest you order a copy directly from the publisher.
3. All students should have also had a basic course in general ecology (at the undergraduate level). For those that haven't, I strongly encourage you to read appropriate chapters from a general text (e.g., Rickleffs, Begon et al., Dodson et al., or Krebs) as a preface to the materials covered in class.
| Date | Format | Topic | Readings (and other assignments) |
| Aug 25 | Class logistics | none | |
| Aug 27 | Discussion | Experimental, non-experimental, and mathematical approaches | Diamond (1986)
Gurney and Nisbet (1998, Chapter 1) |
| Sept 1 | Lecture | The basics I: population dynamics and exponential growth | Gotelli (Ch 1 and appendix) |
| Sept 3 | Discussion | Experiments and theory: a schism? | see link under Topic |
| Sept 8 | Lecture | The basics II: density-dependence, attractors, equilibria, and stability. | May (1974)
Turchin and Taylor (1992) Gotelli (Ch 2) |
| Sept 10 | Discussion | (We'll discuss lecture and reading material from Tuesday.) | see Sept 8th |
| Sept 15 | Lecture | Making the link: age and stage structured models; physiologically structured models | McPeek and Peckarsky (1998)
Crouse et al. (1987) Gotelli (Chapter 3) |
| Sept 17 | Discussion | Stage-structure: elasticities, reproductive values, and evolution | see link under topic |
| Sept 22 | Lecture and discussion | Spatial structure: meta-population dynamics | Thomas et al. (1996)
Gotelli (Chapter 4) |
| Sept 24 | Discussion | Writing a grant I (NSF guidelines for dissertation improve. grants) | What to think about.
Readings and dowloads. |
| Sept 29 | No class | ||
| Oct 1 | Discussion | Writing a grant II | What to think about. |
| Oct 6 | Lecture | Species interactions, coexistence, invasibility; competition theory | Gotelli (Chapters 5 and 6) |
| Oct 8 | Discussion | Phase-planes; abstraction of resources | Topics handed out in lecture |
| Oct 13 | Lecture | Consumer-resource dynamics, a la Tilman | Tilman (1982), Chapter 4: handed out in class. |
| Oct 15 | Student-led discussion | Stage-structure and conservation issues | Doak (1995): available outside 620 Bartram |
| Oct 20 | Lecture | Mechanisms of coexistence; Species diversity patterns | Tilman and Pacala (1993)
Gotelli (Chapter 7) |
| Oct 22 | Student-led discussion
(Osenberg out of town) |
Diversity - productivity relationships | Mittelbach et al. (manuscript) |
| Oct 27 | Lecture | Foodwebs and foodchains; indirect effects; higher-order interactions | Billick and Case (1994) |
| Oct 29 | Discussion | Stage-structure and foodweb dynamics | Osenberg et al. (1994) |
| Nov 3 | Lecture | Stage-structure -- lessons from lakes; trophic cascades; productivity gradients; | none |
| Nov 5 | Work on grant proposals (Osenberg out of town) | ||
| Nov 10 | Lecture | Evolution and dynamics of parasite-host sytems: disease and HIV | none |
| Nov 12 | Discussion | Generality in ecology | Dunham and Beaupre (1998)
[handed out in class] |
| Nov 17 | Lecture | Complexity; hierarchy; biotic - abiotic coupling | Hartvigsen et al. (1998)
Jansssen (1998) [handed out in class] |
| Nov 19 | Discussion
[Grants due at start of class -- bring 4 copies.] |
Reviewing a grant (responsibilities, ethics, etc.) | |
| Nov 24 | Lecture | Writing grants (what have you learned in writing a grant); Reviewing grants and manuscripts | Examples of manuscript reviews, editor's letters, and authors resubmission cover letter (handed out in class); also look at the NSF reviews and panel summaries handed out in September. |
| Nov 26 | Thanksgiving (no class) | Submit reviews on grants to Osenberg via e-mail by 8am Dec 1st (for Panel 1) or 8am Dec 2nd (for Panel 2). | |
| Dec 1 | Panel meetings | Review grants (Panel 1 meets, 12:40 - 3:30 in 222 Carr Hall) | assigned grant proposals (3 / student) |
| Dec 3 | Panel meetings | Review grants (Panel 2 meets, 12:40 - 3:30 in 110 Bartram Hall) | assigned grant proposals (3 / student) |
| Dec 8 | Discussion | Where are we now? | none |
osenberg@zoo.ufl.edu