Biology 321 -- Introduction to Aquatic Biology -- Fall 2009

Dr. Stephen Threlkeld, Professor of Biology; 328 Shoemaker; 662-915-5803; stt@olemiss.edu; Office hours: M 10 am-12 pm, W 1-4 pm, F 8-10:00 am, or by appointment.

Catalog Description of Course Objectives Principles of freshwater biology with emphasis on factors affecting ecology and populations in diverse aquatic environments.

Teaching assistant Jim Weston, 320 Shoemaker; jweston@olemiss.edu; Office hours: M 11 am - 12 pm, Tu,Th 10 am - 12 pm, or by appointment.

Required course readings Moss, Brian. 1998. Ecology of Fresh Waters: Man & medium, past to future. 3rd edition. Blackwell Scientific; McPhee, John. 2002. The Founding Fish. Farrar, Straus, and Giroux; and other readings as assigned.

Course grading Grades will be based on up to chapter quizzes (10%), a glossary (10%), a midterm exam (20%), laboratory participation and reports (25%), and a final comprehensive examination (35%). Your grade will be the better of two grades determined on the following scales: Scale 1: A, > 90%; B, 80-89%; C, 70-79%; D, 60-69%; F, < 60%; Scale 2: A, > 1.5 standard deviations above the mean; B, from 0.5 to 1.5 standard deviations above the mean; C, +/- 0.5 standard deviations from the mean; D, from 0.5 to 1.5 standard deviations below the mean; F, > 1.5 standard deviations below the mean.

Make-up exams A single comprehensive make-up essay exam will be given immediately after the final exam for anyone who missed the midterm exam for any reason. None of the laboratories can be made up, and there will be no make-ups given for missed chapter quizzes).

Schedule of lectures (MW, 9-9:50 am, 323 Shoemaker) and laboratories (Tu or Th, 1-3:50 pm, 429 Shoemaker or at other designated locations); lecture and lab notes and handouts are available on blackboard

• 24 Aug Introduction; course objectives and requirements
• 25/27 Aug Lab 1: Hypothesis testing -- thermal stratification in standing waters
  
• 26 Aug Physical characteristics of water and constraints on life (Ch.2)
  
  
• 31 Aug Chemisty of upland streams and origins of water quality (Ch.3)
  
• 1/3 Sep Lab 2: Scientific report writing
• 2 Sep Chemisty of upland streams and origins of water quality
  
  
• 7 Sep Labor Day Holiday
• 8/10 Sep Lab 3: Stream environments
  
• 9 Sep Chemisty of upland streams and origins of water quality (continued)
  
  
• 14 Sep Human activity and water quality (Ch. 4)
• 15/17 Sep Lab 4: Data analysis -- hydrological variation from cypress tree rings
• 16 Sep Streams and rivers -- a physical description
  
  
• 21 Sep Biota of upland and lowland rivers, floodplains, swamps and wetlands (Ch. 5)
• 22/24 Sep Lab 5: Reservoirs
  
• 23 Sep Reservoirs: upstream and downstream effects
  
  
• 28 Sep Reservoirs: life in river-lake hybrids
• 29 Sep/1 Oct Lab 6: Newspaper reports on reservoirs
• 30 Sep Productivity in standing waters (Ch. 6)
  
  
• 5 Oct Productivity in standing waters, continued
• 6/8 Oct Lab 7: Discussion of John McPhee's book The Founding Fish
• 7 Oct Grazing and nutrient regeneration
  
  
• 12 Oct Eutrophication
• 13/15 Oct Lab 8: Setup of food web experiment
• 14 Oct Eutrophication, continued
  
  
• 19 Oct Acidification
• 20/22 Oct Lab 9: Fish-Benthos-Plankton
• 21 Oct Midterm exam
  
  
• 26 Oct Community structure: body-size mediated interactions (Ch. 7)
• 27/29 Oct Lab 10: Fish-Benthos-Plankton
• 28 Oct Community structure: species diversity and food webs
  
  
• 2 Nov Community structure, continued
• 3/5 Nov Lab 11: Completion of Food web experiment
• 4 Nov Benthic-pelagic interactions
  
  
• 9 Nov Freshwater fishes(Chs. 8 & 9)
• 10/12 Nov Lab 12: Water and Sewage Treatment
• 11 Nov Fish production and freshwater fisheries
  
  
• 16 Nov Biomanipulation for fisheries and water quality
• 17/19 Nov Lab 13: Newspaper accounts of water or sewage treatment
• 18 Nov Paleolimnology and the history of lakes (Ch. 10)
  
  
• 23-27 Nov Thanksgiving holidays
  
  
• 30 Nov Aquatic biogeography and exotic species
• 1/3 Dec Lab 14: Debate on Issues in Aquatic Ecology
• 2 Dec Climate change and the future of aquatic habitats (Ch. 11)
  
  
• 9 Dec Final examination, 8 a.m., Wednesday