Pictures from previous classes (click to enlarge)

Surveying vegetation at the Lehigh experimental forest plantation 2011 (Photo: Douglas Benedict)

River structure and ecology 2011

Sampling river macroinvertebrates 2011

Identifying river macroinvertebrates 2011

Island Beach in 2010

2009 Class at Mariton Wildlife Sanctuary

2009 class quantifying forest vegetation at South Mountain.

2009 class studying dune ecology at Island Beach State Park, NJ

2009 class hiking ridge over the Delaware River at Mariton Wildlife Sanctuary.

 

2009 Class in Hellertown "Swamp."

 

2008 class identifying trees in preparation for forest ecology lab.

 

2008 class studying dune ecology at Island Beach, NJ

2007 class celebrating with their TA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ecology, EES-152, 4 credits

**Offered Every Fall Semester**

Course description

Basic principles and applications of ecological interrelationships. Examination of ecological phenomena at the individual, population, community, and ecosystem levels. Impact of human activities on global ecosystems.

Course objectives

    1. Gain an appreciation of relationships between organisms and their environment at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere levels.
    2. Understand the various approaches and methods that ecologists use to study these relationships.
    3. Become familiar with how ecological principles are applied to the management of ecosystems

Instructor

Bob Booth, 244 STEPS

Schedule

Three 50-min lectures and one 3 hour lab per week.

Text

Molles, M.C. 2008. Ecology: Concepts and Applications. 4th Edition. McGraw Hill Publishers.

Example schedule (Fall 2010)

8/29 M

Course overview and introduction to ecology
8/29 M LAB- Overview of lab expectations. Topographic map interpretation, use of GPS, and tree identification.
8/31 W Introduction to ecology
9/02 F Life, species, and the physical environment
9/05 M Intro to lab project and more on physical environment
9/05 M LAB - Forest Ecology in the Lehigh Forest Plantation: a century of vegetation change
9/07 W Global climate patterns & processes
9/09 F Life on land – soils & terrestrial biomes
9/12 M Life in water – lakes & wetlands
9/12 M LAB - Forest Ecology in the Lehigh Forest Plantation: a century of vegetation change
9/14 W Life in water – oceans and rivers
9/16 F Activity/Discussion 1: Introduced species
9/19 M Ecology and evolution
9/19 M LAB - Forest Ecology in the Lehigh Forest Plantation: a century of vegetation change
9/21 W Social relations and behavioral ecology
9/23 F Cooperative breeding and intro to organism ecology
9/26 M Autecology: temperature relations
9/26 M LAB - Forest Ecology in the Lehigh Forest Plantation: a century of vegetation change
9/28 W Autecology: water relations
9/30 F Autecology: energy & nutrient relations I
10/03 M Activity/Discussion 2: Deer populations and hemlock recruitment
10/03 M ***EXAM 1***
10/05 W Autecology: energy & nutrient relations II
10/07 F Population structure and distribution
10/10 M Pacing break - no class
10/10 M Pacing break - no lab
10/12 W Population genetics
10/14 F Activity/Discussion 3: Lyme disease, acorn production, and gypsy moths.
10/16 (Sun) *All-day field trip: Dune Ecology at Island Beach State Park, NJ*
10/17 M Population dynamics
10/17 M LAB - River ecology
10/19 W Population growth
10/21 F Life histories
10/24 M Intra and interspecific competition
10/24 M LAB - River ecology
10/26 M Interspecific competition and intro to exploitation
10/28 F Exploitation and predator satiation
10/31 M University closed
10/31 M University closed
11/02 W University closed
11/04 F Mutualisms
11/07 M Community structure and concepts
11/07 M **Exam II (Rescheduled)**
11/09 W Community dynamics
11/11 F Ecosystems: Energy flow
11/14 M Ecosystems: Nutrient cycling
11/14 M LAB – Design competition and predation experiments
11/16 W Activity/Discussion 4 - The mystery of the patterns in the tree canopies.
11/18 F Ecosystems: Nutrient cycling II
11/21 M Activity/Discussion 5 - Disturbance and the nitrogen cycle
11/21 M LAB – Competition and predation experiments
11/23 W Thanksgiving Break - No Class
11/25 F Thanksgiving Break - No Class
11/28 M Ecosystem and community development
11/28 M LAB - Competition and predation experiments
11/30 W Ecosystem development and paleoecology
12/02 F Paleoecology
12/05 M Landscape ecology and biogeography
12/05 M LAB - Growth and Competition group presentations
12/07 W Global ecology and human impacts
12/09 F Conservation and restoration ecology
12/13-12/21 FINAL EXAM

 

Image from 2011 article describing forest ecology work on South Mountain. From Lehigh's alumni bulletin (Fall 2011). Click image to download article.