Biology 31310, Biogeography, 3 credits

 

 

Tuesdays, 9:00-11:50 a.m., Room J-822

 

Instructor: Dr. Robert P. Anderson, Assistant Professor, City College of CUNY

 

Office: J-817 Marshak Science Building; Telephone: 212-650-8504

Office hours: Tuesdays, 1:30–4:30 p.m. (will be held either in J-817 or J-810)

E-mail: anderson@sci.ccny.cuny.edu (for scheduling issues)

Webpage: http://web.sci.ccny.cuny.edu/~anderson/

 

Textbook, required: Lomolino, M.V., Riddle, B.R., and Brown, J.H. 2006. Biogeography, third edition. Sinauer, Sunderland, MA. ISBN 0-87893-062-0 One copy has been placed on reserve at the City College Science Library.

Download syllabus (including schedule and list of readings)

 

Course overview and philosophy: Biogeography is the science of spatial patterns of biological diversity.  It includes study of spatial patterns of geographic variation in nature at all levels from genes to communities to ecosystems.  Biogeographic patterns vary across gradients such as area, isolation, latitude, depth, and elevation.  This course will include both lectures and computer exercises (projects, see below).

 

Prerequisites: Biology 228 (Ecology and Evolution) is a prerequisite to Biogeography and must be completed before taking Biogeography.

 

Attendance Policy: Class will begin promptly, and you are required to be on time.  Attendance is required; absence from more than two class periods can result in you being dropped from the course for excessive absences (WU).

 

Grading: Grades will be assigned based on the quizzes, exams, projects, and class participation.  If you know that you will miss an exam, contact me as soon as possible so that you can take the exam in advance.  Make-up exams will be allowed only for documented excused absences (e.g., death in the family, extreme sickness).  Plagiarism will be dealt with subject to CCNY policies.

 

Grammar, spelling, and composition: Because scientists must be able to express themselves in written prose, students must use proper spelling, grammar (including punctuation), and composition.  Minor errors in spelling and grammar will be marked 10% off, major grammatical errors will lead to a reduction of 30%, and unintelligible sentences will be given no credit.  Paragraphs must be composed of organized, coherent thoughts and include a lead sentence (proper composition).  I am available during office hours to answer questions regarding grammar and composition.

 

Weekly quizzes	10 %
Exam 1 and Exam 2 (equally weighted)	30 %
Final Exam	20 %
Projects (analyses and written results)	30 %
Class participation (including mini-lecture)	10 %

 

Lecture: We will begin class each week with a quiz, followed by a lecture.  Students will assist in lecture by presenting short sections (“mini-lecture”; assigned ahead of time).  There will be 2 examinations plus a final exam.  Exams and quizzes will test material covered in lecture, assigned readings, and projects.

Projects: After the lecture, we will move to computer projects.  As a class, we will conduct 2 projects during the semester.  Each project will span several weeks and consist of analysis of real data regarding a biogeographic problem relevant to conservation biology.  Students will work in groups to conduct analyses and write the results in the form of a scientific paper.  For each project, our goal will be to produce a manuscript suitable for submission to a peer-review scientific journal.

 

Support Facilities: The Departmental Resource Center is in Room J-502.

Schedule (may be modified if necessary):

Date	Topic: Lecture	Readings (Lomolino et al.)	Topic: Projects
5 Sept.	Climate and biomes	Ch. 3 (pp. 41–54; climate, soils), Ch. 5 (pp. 112–125; biomes)	Project 1; Introduction to ArcView; Introduction to Project 1; prepare environmental data files; import occurrence data
12 Sept.	Niche and range (distribution)	Ch. 4 (pp. 65–75, 77–84; distribution and niche)	Intro to Maxent; run preliminary models; write Introduction
19 Sept.	Speciation	Ch. 7 (pp. 177–183, 189–207; species concepts and speciation)	Run final models; evaluate models; prepare figures; write Methods 1
26 Sept.	EXAM 1		Cut models by forest cover; evaluate conservation status using IUCN criteria; prepare last figures; write Methods 2
3 Oct.	No class	None	No class
10 Oct.	Continental drift and glaciation	Ch. 8 (pp. 227–229, 244–262, 264–267; geological time scale, plate tectonics and continental drift), Ch. 9 (pp. 275–287; glaciation and its effects)	Write Discussion and prepare Bibliography; produce final manuscript
17 Oct.	Preview to historical biogeography: Guest scientist, Dr. Ana Luz Porzecanski, Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, American Museum of Natural History: Biogeography of South American birds	Ch. 12 (pp. 431–436; preview to historical biogeography and areas of endemism)	None.
24 Oct.	Island biogeography 1: Area, isolation, faunal nestedness, and body-size trends	Ch. 13 (pp. 472–482; species–area relationship, Theory of Equilibrium Island Biogeography), Ch. 14 (pp. 522–526, 546–558; faunal nestedness, evolution of body size on islands)	Field trip to AMNH: Hall of Biodiversity
31 Oct.	Island biogeography 2: Guest scientist, Dr. Juan Carlos Morales, Systematic Biology and Biodiversity Inventories, National Science Foundation: Mammalian biogeography of SE Asia		Project 2; Introduction to Project 2; prepare data files; run preliminary analyses
7 Nov.	EXAM 2		Prepare additional data files; write Introduction
14 Nov.	Gradients of diversity: Guest scientist, Dr. Christy M. McCain, National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis: Patterns of species richness along latitudinal and elevational gradients	Ch. 15 (pp. 603–628; 634–638; latitudinal and elevational gradients of diversity)	Run final analyses; write Methods
21 Nov.	Biogeographic regions and biotic interchange	Ch. 10 (pp. 336–350, 371–380; biogeographic regions and the Great American Biotic Interchange)	Prepare figures; finish Methods
28 Nov.	Biogeographic analyses using phylogenetics and phylogeography	Ch. 11 (pp. 404–408; phylogeography), Ch. 12 (pp. 422–436; historical biogeography)	Write Discussion and prepare Bibliography; produce final manuscript
5 Dec.	Extinctions	Ch. 7 (pp. 213–220; extinctions), Ch. 9 (pp. 312–323; Pleistocene extinctions), Ch. 16 (pp. 657–660, 673–689, 697–708; habitat loss, global climate change, and the geography of extinction)	Make revisions to Project 1 manuscript
12 Dec.	Synthesis		Finish revisions to Project 1 manuscript
(15–22 Dec.)	FINAL EXAM (during finals week)

 

 

 

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R. P. Anderson
Copyright © 2006.

All photographs by RPA

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Last modified: 6 September 2006 (RPA)

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