BIOS 497/897 Macroecology syllabus 2020

Biology 497/897 – Macroecology

Tuesday and Thursday 9:30-10:45 am

Location: 409 Manter Hall

Fall 2020

Instructor:   Dr. Kate Lyons

Manter Hall Rm. 4 (basement)

katelyons@unl.edu

Zoom Office hours: M,T 10:30-11:30 AM, or by appointment

            

REQUIRED MATERIALS 

Text: Smith, F.A., Gittleman, J. L., and Brown, J. H. 2014. Foundations of Macroecology, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL

A digital copy of a pre-publication draft is available for download from dropbox https://www.dropbox.com/sh/znoyb9eqozo0601/AACXV6jJB3_8PfR-_oNBEb-ea?dl=0

Other readings will be made available on Canvas or in the dropbox folder. 

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Macroecology is the study of large-scale ecological patterns and processes. While relatively young, this field has made many important advances in the study of how species are distributed across the globe, how communities assemble and evolve, extinction dynamics, and patterns of diversity. This understanding not only benefits students of ecology and biogeography, but also informs conservation scientists about how species and communities will respond to impending global changes such as climate change. This course is designed to give the student an in-depth understanding of how communities and species interact with their environment at large spatial and temporal scales. 

General Course Structure and Expectations: This course is a mixture of lecture, class discussion of primary literature and hands-on experience focused around a class project. You are expected to come prepared to discuss the assigned papers. Failure to do so will negatively affect your grade in the course. The course assignments are designed to give active, hands-on experience with conducting scientific research in the area of macroecology. 

Course tasks:

1. Students will read a series of papers on selected topics and participate in discussions in class. 
2. Students will also be required to write a blog post summarizing the paper. All students are required to post comments on the blog after it is published and prior to class.  The blog can be found here: http://unlmacroecology.blogspot.com
3. There will be 5 class assignments designed to provide a very basic exposure to the rudiments of macroecological research.

Following successful completion of this course, students will have developed the following skills:

1. Ability to read and understand primary scientific literature
2. Experience with finding and assessing data on the internet
3. Basic training in scientific writing

Assessment/Grades: 

Graduates and Undergraduates: 30% from participation in class discussions, 20% from reading and commenting on blogs, 25% from the independent project, and 35% from blogs.

Participation: Most class periods will involve discussion of papers assigned for that topic. Every member of the class is expected to have read the paper before class and be involved in that discussion and the instructor will assign a participation grade at the end of every class. 

Class Project: Each student will also be expected to do an independent project answering an ecological question using a macroecological approach. More information about the project will be given as the course progresses.

Summary Blogs: Undergraduate students will take turns being responsible for writing a blog that summarizes the assigned reading. All students are expected to read and comment on the blogs before class Active participation in this part of the project in an integral part of the grade for this course.

Graduate students: Graduate students will take turns finding a recent paper that complements the classic paper each class period, emailing the paper to the class and writing a blog post summarizing the paper. The graduate student responsible for the recent paper will also be responsible for leading the discussion for that class period.

GRADING:

            Grades are assigned on the basis of individual student performance according to the following scale:       90-100% = A, 80-89.9% = B, 70-79.9% = C, 60-69.9% = D, Below 60% = F

ONLINE RESOURCES 

CANVAS – http://canvas.unl.edu

Postings will include course information, PowerPoint slides, assignments, and announcements. I will also send out several email announcements and reminders. 

BLOG – The blog can be found here: http://unlmacroecology.blogspot.com

Because other students are required to comments on the blogs you write, all blogs are due two days before a paper is being discussed in class. I’m the only one who can post things on the blog, so they must be emailed to me (katelyons@unl.edu) two days in advance.

IMPORTANT: You are responsible for verifying that your e-mail address on Canvas is one that you commonly check. If you chose to use a non-UNL address, be aware that your emails may end up in my SPAM folder. 

ATTENDANCE POLICY 

Attendance is mandatory. If you miss class you are responsible for informing yourself about missed announcements and material covered, and for obtaining notes from other students in the class. Late assignments may not be made up due to missing class unless there is a legitimate reason for your absence. 

Legitimate reasons for absence include: illness, bereavement, attending a professional conference, etc. The following reasons for absence are considered unacceptable: pressure of work, meetings with your advisor, other classes, vacations, etc. 

ACCOMMODATIONS FOR COVID-19:

Because this class is small, we are going to try to have an in person class this semester. Unfortunately, our room can only fit 4 students, but there are 5 in the class. Therefore, one student will have to zoom in each class period. We will rotate which student attends through zoom. Zoom links will be provided in Canvas. A mask is required for in person attendance. You will also be required to space yourselves throughout the room in order to maintain 6 feet of distance between you. If you do not feel comfortable attending class in person, you may attend all class through zoom. 

REQUIRED USE OF FACE COVERINGS FOR ON-CAMPUS SHARED LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS:

As of July 17, 2020 and until further notice, all University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) faculty, staff, students, and visitors (including contractors, service providers, and others) are required to use a facial covering at all times when indoors except under specific conditions outlined in the COVID 19 face covering policy found at: https://covid19.unl.edu/face-covering-policy. This statement is meant to clarify classroom policies for face coverings: 

To protect the health and well-being of the University and wider community, UNL has implemented a policy requiring all people, including students, faculty, and staff, to wear a face covering that covers the mouth and nose while on campus. The classroom is a community, and as a community, we seek to maintain the health and safety of all members by wearing face coverings when in the classroom. Failure to comply with this policy is interpreted as a disruption of the classroom and may be a violation of UNL’s Student Code of Conduct. 

Individuals who have health or medical reasons for not wearing face coverings should work with the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities (for students) or the Office of Faculty/Staff Disability Services (for faculty and staff) to establish accommodations to address the health concern. Students who prefer not to wear a face covering should work with their advisor to arrange a fully online course schedule that does not require their presence on campus. 

Students in the classroom: 

1.        If a student is not properly wearing a face covering, the instructor will remind the student of the policy and ask them to comply with it. 

2.        If the student will not comply with the face covering policy, the instructor will ask the student to leave the classroom, and the student may only return when they
are properly wearing a face covering. 

3.        If the student refuses to properly wear a face covering or leave the classroom, the instructor will dismiss the class and will report the student to Student Conduct & Community Standards for misconduct, where the student will be subject to disciplinary action. 

Instructors in the classroom: 

1.        If an instructor is not properly wearing a face covering, students will remind the instructor of the policy and ask them to comply with it. 

2.     If an instructor will not properly wear a face covering, students may leave the classroom and should report the misconduct to the department chair or via the TIPS system for disciplinary action through faculty governance processes. 

POLICY ON LATE ASSIGNMENTS 

Because of the set up of the class, blogs cannot be delivered late. Other students depend on your writing and posting your blogs in a timely manner so they can read and comment on them prior to class. Therefore, late blogs will not be accepted under any circumstances. If there are extenuating circumstances and you cannot do a blog when it is assigned to you, talk to me and I’ll help negotiate a trade with another student. 

Late assignments will not be accepted except under unusual circumstances and/or will be subject to a grade deduction as determined by the instructor (generally on the order of 10% per day). Requests to submit late work must be made before the date on which the assignment is due. Generally, permission to submit late work is only granted in extreme family or personal circumstances, and not because of time management issues. A heavy course load is not an acceptable excuse for late assignments. 

SPECIAL PROBLEMS 

Please let me know if major personal, family, health, disability, or similar problems are affecting your attendance or performance. There are many options available for genuine cases of serious problems, ranging from alternative assignments to incomplete grades to university services. 

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: 

Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact the instructor for a confidential discussion of their individual needs for academic accommodation. The University strives to make all learning experiences as accessible as possible. If you anticipate or experience barriers based on your disability (including mental health, chronic or temporary medical conditions), please let me know immediately so that we can discuss options privately. To establish reasonable accommodations, I may request that you register with Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD). If you are eligible for services and register with their office, make arrangements with me as soon as possible to discuss your accommodations so they can be implemented in a timely manner. SSD contact information: 117 Louise Pound Hall; 402-472-3787.

COUNSELING AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES: 

UNL offers a variety of options to students to aid them in dealing with stress and adversity. Counseling and Psychological & Services (CAPS). is a multidisciplinary team of psychologists and counselors that works collaboratively with Nebraska students to help them explore their feelings and thoughts and learn helpful ways to improve their mental, psychological and emotional well-being when issues arise. CAPS can be reached by calling 402-472-7450. Big Red Resilience & Well-Being. (BRRWB) provides one-on-one well-being coaching to any student who wants to enhance their well-being. Trained well-being coaches help students create and be grateful for positive experiences, practice resilience and self-compassion, and find support as they need it. BRRWB can be reached by calling 402-472-8770.

ACADEMIC HONESTY

Academic honesty is essential to the existence and integrity of an academic institution. The responsibility for maintaining that integrity is shared by all members of the academic community. The University's Student Code of Conduct. addresses academic dishonesty. Students who commit acts of academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary action and are granted due process and the right to appeal any decision.

MACROECOLOGY (Bios 497/897) --  Fall 2020

Course Calendar v1.0

Week	Date	Project	Topic (N)	Primary Reading	Undergrad Blog author	Grad blog author	Companion paper due date	Blog due date
1	Aug 18		Course Overview, What is Macroecology?	Syllabus	NA	NA	NA	NA
	Aug 20		The Macro of Macroecology	1, Lyons et al. 2019	NA	NA	NA	NA
2	Aug 25		Species-area relationships	2	Abdul	Craffey	Aug 20	Aug 23
	Aug 27		Species-area relationships	43	Sum	Jordan	Aug 20	Aug 25
3	Sept 1		Richness gradients	28	Abdul	Craffey	Aug 25	Aug 30
	Sept 3		Richness gradients	37	Sum	Jordan	Aug 27	Sept 1
4	Sept 8		Richness gradients	40	Abdul	Craffey	Sept 1	Sept 6
	Sept 10		Abundance	29	Sum	Jordan	Sept 3	Sept. 8
5	Sept 15	Independent project	Abundance	31	Abdul	Craffey	Sept 8	Sept 13
	Sept 17		Body size	5	Sum	Jordan	Sept 10	Sept 15
6	Sept 22	Topic idea & Questions due	Body size	18	Abdul	Craffey	Sept 15	Sept 20
	Sept 24		Body size	38	Sum	Jordan	Sept 17	Sept 22
7	Sept 29	Data sets identified	Body size	16	Abdul	Craffey	Sept 22	Sept 27
	Oct 1		Community assembly	25	Sum	Jordan	Sept 24	Sept 29
8	Oct 6	Hypotheses, methods due	Community assembly	30	Abdul	Craffey	Sept 29	Oct 4
	Oct 8		Community assembly	8	Sum	Jordan	Oct 1	Oct 6
9	Oct 13		Community assembly	21	Abdul	Craffey	Oct 5	Oct 11
	Oct 15		Community assembly	27	Sum	Jordan	Oct 8	Oct 13
10	Oct 20	Analyses, figures due	Evolutionary dynamics	35	Abdul	Craffey	Oct 13	Oct 18
	Oct 22		Evolutionary dynamics	39	Sum	Jordan	Oct 15	Oct 20
11	Oct 27	Rough draft due	Evolutionary dynamics	22	Abdul	Craffey	Oct 20	Oct 25
	Oct 29		Evolutionary dynamics	19	Sum	Jordan	Oct 22	Oct 27
12	Nov 3	Rough draft returned	Evolutionary dynamics	32	Abdul	Craffey	Oct 27	Nov 1
	Nov 5		Evolutionary dynamics	23 (or 34)	Sum	Jordan	Oct 29	Nov 3
13	Nov 10		Ecology of the Anthropocene	Mann et al. 1998	Abdul	Craffey	Nov 3	Nov 8
	Nov 12	Final paper due	Ecology of the Anthropocene	Barnosky et al. 2001	Sum	Jordan	Nov 5	Nov 10
14	Nov 17		Ecology of the Anthropocene	Dornelas et al 2014	Abdul	Craffey	Nov 10	Nov 12
	Nov 19		Ecology of the Anthropocene	Lyons et al. 2016	Sum	Jordan	Nov 12	Nov 17
15	Nov 21		NO FINAL EXAM

Notes:

1.     Readings include the chapter introductions, and especially, the ‘blurbs’ written by invited specialists in the field. I don’t expect you to understand everything within each paper – identify what you don’t ‘get’, and bring it up for general discussion. Identifying at least one question for each paper will really help the group have lively and fruitful discussions. Ask yourself why this paper was chosen for the volume (many debates ensued about the choices!). The blurb writers were tasked with addressing this and did so with varying levels of success.

2.     Students will take turns leading discussions for each section; they will provide a context for the discussion by reviewing the section introduction, googling the scientists responsible for the section introduction and the blurbs (so they can gain a perspective on the writers) and doing a brief literature search to see where the field has gone using key words they identify. These ‘resident experts’ will then summarize their findings for the rest of us and lead the discussion of the papers within their section. They will post this information prior to class on the course blog (macroecology.blogspot.com). And, the blog is where you will post comments as well. Doing so will help the discussion leader since they can direct their comments towards issues multiple students had. We can discuss the timing of these posts/comments in class.

3.     Please note that this schedule is really more of a guideline; I fully expect that it will change as our discussions evolve.