Field Biology: 303-27500

1. demonstrate an understanding of the fundamental concepts and principles in biology, specifically learning field methods used to census plant and animal populations, developing skills in identification and observation of species, becoming familiar with the common species of the Finger Lakes habitats, and recognizing the underlying principles of experimental design for ecological research.

2. demonstrate an understanding of the application of biological concepts to everyday life, specifically in the context of using field research to inform conservation and management.

4. critically analyze biological information, including analysis of the effectiveness of methods, the meaning of observational and experimental data, and the appropriateness of conclusions, specifically practicing interpretation of ecological primary literature.

5. carry out scientific investigations to answer questions about the natural world, specifically designing and implementing an original field research project.

Required Text:

Petrides, G.A. and J. Wehr. 1998. Eastern Trees. Peterson Field Guide Series. Houghton Mifflin, New York.

Binoculars:

These are available on loan for the term. If you sign one out, you are responsible for returning it in correct working order, or paying $85 for its replacement. A course grade will not be assigned (or will be left at failure!) if binoculars are not returned or replaced. You are welcome to use your own pair if you prefer.

Field Notebook:

Please bring $6.50 to the first lab for your notebook (these are outdoor specialty notebooks, that we have ordered in advance). You will need a pencil or a waterproof ink pen for writing in the book.

Labs:

Please note that the Tuesday standard “lecture” and “lab” times are merged for a continuous lab. Bring a bag lunch; we will eat in the field. I also recommend always bringing water.

The labs for this course involve easy to moderate hiking and moving across uneven natural terrain. Please wear appropriate clothing, particularly shoes! Flip-flops are NOT safe footwear for the field. Poison ivy, and thorny plants such as multiflora rose are also common and not fun against bare skin.

Lyme disease is now in Ithaca, so I strongly recommend wearing pants in the field no matter how warm it is, and doing a tick-check when you get home. Also, mosquito-borne illnesses are on the rise again. Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) and West Nile virus are known diseases carried by mosquitoes in this area. I have DEET-free insect repellant that will be available to all, or you may use your own. All three of these diseases can be very serious. Lyme disease is often (but not always) signalled with a "bulls-eye" rash around the tick bite. All these diseases cause symptoms similar to a bad flu, including fever, headaches, stiff neck, and fatigue. If you get sick, consult your doctor and inform your doctor of your increased exposure risk.

Labs are held outside regardless of weather; watch the forecast and plan accordingly. Students with any physical condition that may affect their participation in lab should discuss this with me at the start of the term and we will work out an accommodation. If you have any known medical condition that may arise in the field (for example, bee allergies), please let me know at the start of term. Expect the unexpected!

Attendance:

Attendance is extremely important. Students are expected to participate in all classes with the exception of health emergencies, religious holidays, court appearances, or college-authorized extracurricular events. If one of these cases arises, it is the student’s responsibility to contact me before the class. Lab practicals cannot be made up unless they have been missed for one of these legitimate reasons and I know about it beforehand. Attendance at the Arnot Weekend trip is mandatory. Because Tuesday labs are often off-campus, you must be prompt or we may leave without you. Each unexcused absence from a lab will reduce your total course grade by 5%.

Behavior:

My general attitude is that we are all adults and you are responsible for yourself. However, reckless behavior while in the field can be dangerous as well as disruptive. If need be, I reserve the right to ban anyone from the field who deliberately fails to follow safe and responsible conduct.

Cell phones:

Cell phones are to be turned off during lecture periods. However, they can be useful during labs for keeping in touch with other members of the class in the field. During labs, they are to be used only for class-related purposes.

Late Policy:

Assignments will be marked down 5% from the total points possible for every day they are late (weekend days included). The final project will not be accepted late.

Academic Honesty:

Scientific fraud: Integrity in scientific research is essential. Scientific fraud (fabrication or falsifying data) is a serious ethical misconduct. In the professional world, it ends one’s career. It is also a breach of the Academic Honesty Policy, and will absolutely not be tolerated.

Plagiarism: As is stated in the Student Handbook “Academic honesty is a cornerstone of the mission of the College. Unless it is otherwise stipulated, students may submit for evaluation only that work that is their own and that is submitted originally for a specific course.” Please make yourself familiar with plagiarism as it is defined in the Student Handbook. Note that using someone else’s ideas in your writing, either copied or paraphrased without appropriate citation, is plagiarism.

Familiarize yourself with the college's policies on academic conduct (visit the Judicial Affairs Office Web Site (http://www.ithaca.edu/judicialaffairs/). I take academic dishonesty seriously and will pursue full measures. Confirmed cases of fraud or rampant plagiarism are an automatic failure of the course and referral to judicial affairs.

Students with Disabilities:

Students that need special accommodations should contact the Office of Academic Support Services for Students with Disabilities, 322A Smiddy Hall (274-1005, TDD 274-7319).

Grading:

Field Notebook Midterm 20

Field Notebook Final 20

Lab Practical 1 60

Lab Practical 2 60

Lab Assignments

Succession 20

Lick Brook 20

Wildlife Figures 20

Population 30

Invasives 20

Landscapes 10

Project

Proposal Idea 5

Proposal 20

Project Update 10

Intro/Method draft 20

Final 100

Presentation 25

Participation 20

Total 480

Grading scale:

Careful observation and the note-keeping habit are important skills. Every time you go into the field, you should make an entry in the notebook. There should be an entry for every lab, noting the method as well as the collected data. If one person is designated as recorder for a particular exercise, others should note who has the detailed data. Do not scatter data among people for a lab - either put it all in one book, or copy parts so that the complete record is present in each book. I strongly suggest that these notes include notes on what species you have seen, under what circumstances, and how you identify them. These are your class notes; they are supposed to be useful!

All fieldbook entries should begin with Date and Time (24 hr), Location, and Weather (temperature, wind, sun). Complete sentences are not necessary (these are field notes!) but they should be legible (to me as well as to you) and interpretable.

These in-lecture practicals will test your skills in identifying species and using research equipment. As we progress through the term, we will identify species to add to a Master List. For these species you should know both the common and scientific names and be able to recognize them without aid.

For most labs, there will be an associated analysis of the collected data. You MAY work together on these analyses. Graphs and tables may be produced as a single product from multiple people. You MAY work together to discuss interpretations of analyses. For write-up, I will specify for each assignment whether you may or may not submit shared writing. Assume for default that anything longer than a figure or table legend must be written individually in your own words.

Course Schedule:
This is a tentative schedule; the vagaries of nature may cause us to rearrange as we go.

Leann Kanda l kanda@ithaca.edu	(CNS 159)
(office) 274-3986	(cell) 379-1165
Office Hours:	Monday 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., or by appointment. I am also often in at other times. I keep an open-door policy, feel free to stop in. Email is also generally a good way to reach me.
Times:	Tuesday lab 10:50 – 3:50, CNS 202
	Thursday lecture 10:50 - 12:05, CNS 202

Percentage	Grade
93-100%	A
90-92%	A-
87-89%	B+
83-86%	B
80-82%	B-
77-79%	C+
73-76%	C
70-72%	C-
67-69%	D+
63-66%	D
60-62%	D-
59 or below	F

	Tuesday		Thursday	Other
		9/1	Orientation
9/6	South Hill: Orientation	9/8	Sampling design
9/13	McGowan: Tree succession	9/15	Background Proposal Idea
9/20	Lick Brook: Vegetative Community	9/22	Animal Research Succession Results
9/27	South Hill: Wildlife community	9/29	(NO CLASS: FIELD) Proposal	Trap checks Oct 1-2 Arnot
10/4	South Hill: Telemetry and focal observation	10/6	Visualization (I) Lick Brook Methods&Results
10/11	Six Mile Creek: Invertebrates	10/13	Practical 1
10/18	Newfield: Amphibians Field Book Wildlife Figures	10/20	FALL BREAK
10/25	Newfield: Amphibians Project Update	10/27	Mark-Recapture Analysis
11/1	McLean Bog	11/3	Mark-Recapture Analysis
11/8	Newfield IRR: Invasives Population Lab	11/10	Visualization (II)
11/15	Lindsay-Parsons: Ecosystem Engineers Invasives Report	11/17	Field Forensics
11/22	TURKEY WEEK	11/24	TURKEY WEEK
11/29	Smith Woods: Old Growth Intro/Methods Draft	12/1	Practical 2
12/6	South Hill: Snow tracking	12/8	Landscape Discussion
12/13	Lab of O: Bird watching	12/15		Final: Project Paper and Presentation