AGOG 507 Biogeography & AGOG 404 Topics
in Physical Geography
Biogeography
Instructor: Dr.
M. Calef
Email: mcalef@albany.edu
Phone: 591-8563
Office: AS
208, Dept. of Geography & Planning
Class meeting time: Tu & Th 10:15-11:35 am, Fine
Arts 126
Class Website: http://www.albany.edu/~mc969295/Biogeo.html
Text book: Fundamentals of Biogeograpy
by Richard John Huggett, 2nd edition, Routledge, ISBN 0-415-32347-9. Softcover
costs $64.95 on Amazon; also available on Kindle, at the College bookstore and
Mary Jane’s.
Course Description
This course
provides an introduction to biogeography, the study of the evolution,
distribution and demise of organisms around the globe. We will cover basic biogeographical processes such as speciation,
diversification and extinction, as well as general environmental factors that
affect them. In the second part of the semester, we will talk about the history
of organisms as well as biogeography applications to species conservation
during this time of very rapid environmental change. This course is not geared
towards biology majors (no credit towards major) but towards geography and
environmental science students with some interest and background in biology or
ecology.
Course Grading
The grade consists
of 3 written exams which all count equally and are not comprehensive. Another
part of the grade is ‘participation’ which consists of class attendance, participation
and attendance of 3 seminars outside of class on relevant topics. These
seminars will provide another perspective on biogeography; examples are some of
the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology seminars on Fridays, 12:35 to 1:35 pm (Bio
148), the BRI Lecture series held on Wednesdays in October from noon to 1 pm at
the State Museum and other venues that I will advertise as soon as I hear about
them. You can choose which seminars to attend and will turn in a one page
summary of the presentation (including time, place, presenter, title etc.). Additionally,
graduate students will conduct a research projects which they present during
the last two class periods. The three exams, the ‘homework’, and the
presentations all count equally; thus each part counts towards 20% of the final
grade for graduate students and 25% for undergraduates.
Expectations
I expect you
to attend every class and to be there on time. If timeliness or attendance
becomes an issue, I will take random attendances (at 10:15 sharp). If you
cannot make class, have a friend take notes for you. I do not hand out my
slides.
Tentative Schedule
|
Month |
Date |
Topic |
Chapter |
|
|
Part
I: Introducing Biogeography |
||||
|
Sep |
1 |
Introduction
- what is biogeography |
1 |
|
|
Sep |
3 |
Speciation,
diversification, extinction |
2 |
|
|
Sep |
8 |
Speciation,
diversification, extinction continued |
2 |
|
|
Sep |
10 |
Dispersal
|
3 |
|
|
Sep |
15 |
Distributions
|
4 |
|
|
Part
II: Ecological Biogeography |
||||
|
Sep |
17 |
Habitats,
environments, and niches |
5 |
|
|
Sep |
22 |
Climate
and life |
6 |
|
|
Sep |
24 |
Substrate
and life |
7 |
|
|
Sep |
29 |
Topography
and life |
8 |
|
|
Oct |
1 |
Exam 1 |
1-8 |
|
|
Oct |
6 |
Disturbance |
9 |
|
|
Oct |
8 |
Populations |
10 |
|
|
Oct |
13 |
Interactions and populations |
11 |
|
|
Oct |
15 |
Interactions and populations cont. |
11 |
|
|
Oct |
20 |
Communities |
12 |
|
|
Oct |
22 |
Communities
cont. |
12 |
|
|
Oct |
27 |
Community
change |
13 |
|
|
Oct |
29 |
Community
change cont. |
13 |
|
|
Nov |
3 |
Exam 2 |
10-13 |
|
|
Part
III: Historical Biogeography |
||||
|
Nov |
5 |
Dispersal
and diversification |
14 |
|
|
Nov |
10 |
Vicariance |
15 |
|
|
Nov |
12 |
Past
community change |
16 |
|
|
Part
IV: Conservation Biogeography |
||||
|
Nov |
17 |
Conserving species and populations |
17 |
|
|
Nov |
19 |
Conserving
communities and ecosystems |
18 |
|
|
Nov |
24 |
To be
determined… |
|
|
|
Nov |
26 |
|
|
|
|
Dec |
1 |
Presentations |
|
|
|
Dec |
3 |
Presentations |
|
|
The final is scheduled for Friday,
Dec 11 from 10:30am to 12:30pm. Dates for individual lectures might fluctuate
but the exam and presentation dates are fixed.