Topics AGOG 404, AGOG 530; Will be AGOG 507
Instructor: Dr. M. Calef
Phone: 591-8563
Office: AS 208
Email: mcalef@albany.edu
Scope of the Course
Biogeography is the science of the distribution of plants and animals and the patterns and processes responsible for these distributions. Organisms and biological communities vary in a highly regular fashion along geographic gradients such as elevation or latitude, and different regions of the globe are inhabited by different assemblages of plants and animals. This course introduces students to the discipline of biogeography and its major topics such as island biogeography, speciation and extinction, diversification, and conservation from a more geographical perspective emphasizing large scale patterns through space and time.
Class meeting time: Tu & Th 4:15-5:35 pm, room Humanities 128
Course Grade: Midterm (30 points), final (30 points), a research paper and presentation* (30 points total) and ten random attendance checks (1 point each) resulting in a total of 100 points.
Text book: Lomolino, Riddle and Brown: Biogeography, 3rd edition 2006 by Sinauer Associates, Inc. ISBN 0-87893-062-0
Approximate Syllabus
|
Month |
Date |
Topic |
Chapt. |
|
September |
5 |
The science of biogeography |
1 |
|
September |
7 |
The history of biogeography |
2 |
|
September |
12 |
Physical setting: the geographical template Papers |
3 |
|
September |
14 |
Distributions of species: ecological foundations |
4 |
|
September |
19 |
The geography of communities |
5 |
|
September |
21 |
Dispersal and immigration |
6 |
|
September |
26 |
Speciation and extinction |
7 |
|
September |
28 |
The changing earth PlateTectonics.pdf |
8 |
|
October |
3 |
Glaciation and biogeographic dynamics of the Pleistocene |
9 |
|
October |
5 |
Glaciation and biogeographic dynamics of the Pleistocene |
9 |
|
October |
10 |
The geography of diversification |
10 |
|
October |
12 |
The geography of diversification |
10 |
|
October |
17 |
NO CLASS -- Human Ecology Conference |
|
|
October |
19 |
NO CLASS -- Human Ecology Conference |
|
|
October |
24 |
NO CLASS -- Eid ul Fitr Break |
|
|
October |
26 |
MIDTERM |
|
|
October |
31 |
Reconstructing the history of lineages |
11 |
|
November |
2 |
Reconstructing the history of biotas |
12 |
|
November |
7 |
Island biogeography: patterns in species richness |
13 |
|
November |
9 |
Island biogeography: assembly and evolution of insular communities |
14 |
|
November |
14 |
Areography, ecogeographic rules and diversity gradients |
15 |
|
November |
16 |
Areography, ecogeographic rules and diversity gradients |
15 |
|
November |
21 |
Biodiversity and the geography of extinctions |
16 |
|
November |
23 |
NO CLASS -- Thanksgiving Break |
|
|
November |
28 |
Biodiversity and the geography of extinctions |
16 |
|
November |
30 |
Conservation biogeography and the biogeography of humanity |
17 |
|
December |
5 |
The frontiers of biogeography & review |
18 |
|
December |
7 |
Grad student Presentations |
|
|
December |
12 |
Grad student Presentations |
|
|
December |
19 |
3:30-5:30 pm Final |
|
* Note on the Research paper:
- graduate students work in a team of two students and write a 15-20 page double-space paper (worth 15 points) and give a 15 minute presentation in class (worth 15 points).
- Undergraduate students write an individual paper 10-15 pages long (worth 30 points).