NRES 429

NRES 429

aquatic ecosystem conservation

Course Description

This course will provide an overview to the structure and functioning of freshwater and marine aquatic ecosystems. In addition, this course will expose students to a number of challenges facing aquatic ecosystems, and will provide an opportunity to discuss activities, approaches and strategies that can be used to solve these challenges. While many examples and scenarios discussed will be based on local/regional issues, the course will emphasize a global perspective to aquatic conservation issues and how regional differences in problems & solutions exist. Emphasis will be placed on the importance of using sound science to generate successful management strategies. The class will consist of both lectures & discussion groups.

Click here for a copy of the class syllabus.

Class Location & Times

Location - ROOM 223 Gregory Hall

Date & Time - Monday, Wednesday & Friday 11 am-noon

Tentative 2008 Lecture Schedule

Month	Date	Topic	Readings
Jan	14	Introduction & Course Overview	None
Jan	16	Water & Aquatic Ecosystems	Dodds pg.4-11
Jan	18	Properties of Water	Dodds Ch. 2 & 3
Jan	21	Martin Luther King Day – No Class	No Class
Jan	23	Movement of Water	Dodds 47-56 & 76-89
Jan	25	Discussion Period	Papers 1 & 2
Jan	28	Oxygen & Primary Production	Dodds pg. 212-228
Jan	30	Carbon	Dodds pg. 231-235
Feb	1	Nutrients	Dodds Chapter 13
Feb	4	Trophic State and Eutrophication	Dodds Chapter 17
Feb	6	Biodiversity (3 per page or 6 per page)	Dodds Chapter 10
Feb	8	Discussion Period & Chat about Exam	Papers 1, 2 & 3
Feb	11	Behavior (3 per page or 6 per page)
Feb	13	Community Ecology (3/pg. or 6/pg.)	Dodds Chapter 20
Feb	15	Midterm Exam # 1	Answer Key
Feb	18	Guest Lecture - Habitat (3/pg. or 6/pg.)
Feb	20	Invertebrates (3/pg. or 6/pg.) & Exam Answers	Dodds 166-174
Feb	22	Guest Lecture - Microbes	Bacteria
Feb	25	Rivers and Streams (3/pg. or 6/pg.)	Dodds Chapter 5
Feb	27	Guest Lecture - Habitat Connectivity
Feb	29	Discussion Period	Follow This Link
Mar	3	Riparian Zones and Wetlands (3/pg. or 6/pg.)	Dodds Pg. 57-65
Mar	5	Lakes and Reservoirs (3/pg. or 6/pg.)	Dodds Chapter 6
Mar	7	Trends in Stressed Ecosystems	Supplementary Papers
Mar	10	Arctic Ecosystems (3/pg. or 6/pg.)
Mar	12	Discussion Period	Discussion Paper
Mar	14	Marine Ecosystems (3/pg. or 6/pg.)
Mar	17	Spring Break – No Class	No Class
Mar	19	Spring Break – No Class	No Class
Mar	21	Spring Break – No Class	No Class
Mar	24	Fisheries & Chat about Exam (3/pg. or 6/pg.)	Dodds Chapter 21
Mar	26	Evolutionary/Ecosystem Impacts of Fishing (3/pg. or 6/pg.)	Dodds pg. 438
Mar	28	Midterm Exam # 2	Exam # 2
Mar	31	Management (3/pg. or 6/pg.)
Apr	2	Pollution (3/pg. or 6/pg.)	Dodds Chapter 14
Apr	4	Discussion Period	Discussion Guide
Apr	7	Dams and Barriers (3/pg. or 6/pg.)
Apr	9	Climate Change (3/pg. or 6/pg.)	Follow This Link
Apr	11	Exotic Species (3/pg. or 6/pg.)
Apr	14	Agricultural Impacts (3/pg. or 6/pg.)
Apr	16	Rarity and Overabundance (3/pg. or 6/pg.)
Apr	18	Discussion Period	Discussion Guide
Apr	21	Restoration (3/pg. or 6/pg.)	Society for Ecological Restoration
Apr	23	Protected Areas (3/pg. or 6/pg.)
Apr	25	Aquaculture (3/pg. or 6/pg.)
Apr	28	Discussion Period
Apr	30	Exam Review

Final Exam

Saturday May 3rd at 8:00 am

Important Dates

Midterm # 1 – February 15th

Midterm # 2 – March 28th

Paper # 1 Due Date – February 1st, 11 am (at beginning of class or by email)

Paper # 2 Due Date – February 27th, 11 am (beginning of class or by email at any time)

Paper # 3 Due Date – April 30th at noon (at the conclusion of the final class)

Final Exam Date – Saturday May 3rd, 8:00 am – 11:00 am