Dr. T. Tomasi
CAR 306 836-5169
tomtomasi@mail.missouristate.edu
Dr. F. Einhellig
CAR 306 836-5335
frankeinhellig@mail.missouristate.edu
SYLLABUS for BIO 567
PHYSIOLOGICAL ECOLOGY
Spring 2009:
T/Th 3:00-4:50 TEM 105
Welcome to "Physiological Ecology". This is a fairly new area of scientific study which deals with physiological adaptations that improve the species' survival. Both plants and animals will be covered: some topics more heavily in animals and others in plants. By necessity, physiology, anatomy, and biochemistry are interrelated such that one can not be taught isolated from the others. Therefore, some discussion of anatomical and biochemical adaptations will be included in this course where they are critical to understanding the function of the organism.
As you might surmise, the orientation will be one of ecological needs/limitations, environmental stresses, and the evolutionary adaptations to meet/surmount them. The overall theme will be: How has "mother nature" altered the basic physiology, ie. modified it to improve survivorship in a particular niche? It is assumed that you have a basic knowledge of animal physiology and ecology: because few students have had a previous class in plant physiology, more basic information will be included for plants. Some knowledge of biochemistry and anatomy might also be helpful at times.
I. Adaptation to abiotic conditions
(50%)
II. Adaptations to particular lifestyles
(25%)
III. Adaptations for biotic (ecological) relationships (25%)
GOALS: Our primary goal is to appreciate the flexibility of physiological systems and the powers of natural selection to shape the physiology of an organism. Secondarily, you should improve your understanding of methodologies and research tools, and your skills in the integration of information, critical evaluation, and oral presentations.
TEXTS: Because there is no text which covers this class the way we think it should be presented, no text book is required. Instead, short readings or book chapters and abstracts for discussion on each topic (approximately weekly) will be made available. Plan on using the money you save on a textbook for photocopying these (~$10.00). For further information, you are encouraged to consult the following texts as needed, but the lecture material will not follow any text closely.
New Directions in Ecological Physiology (M.E. Feder et al. eds., 1990)
Vertebrate Ecophysiology (D. Bradshaw, 2003)
The Physiological Ecology
of Vertebrates: A View from Energetics (B.K. McNab, 2002)
Physiological Animal Ecology (G. Louw, 1993)
Physiological Ecology of Animals (R.M. Sibly & P. Calow. 1986)
Physiological Plant Ecology (3rd)(W. Larcher, 1995)
Plant Physiological Ecology (H.Lambers; F.S.Chapin; T.L.Pons, 1998)
Environmental Physiology of Plants (A.H. Fitter & R.K.M. Hay, 1987)
Plant Ecophysiology (M.N.V. Prasad {ed.}, 1997)
The Physiogy of Plants Under Stress: Vol 1 & 2 (
Allelopathy: Organisms, Processes, and Applications (Inderjit, Dakshini, and Einhellig, eds., 1995)
Plant-Animal Interaction: Evolutionary Ecology in Tropical and Temperate Regions (P. Price et al.. eds., 1991)
Responses of Plants to Multiple Stresses (W. Winner et al. eds., 1991)
FORMAT: Recent literature will be discussed in two 2-hour lectures/discussions per week (T/Th). Outside reading will be required for this. To make this easier, below is a list of some of the journals available to you at the library:
Advances in insect physiology American journal of botany American zoologist
American midland naturalist Annual review of physiology Bioscience
Canadian journal of botany Canadian journal of zoology Ecology
Functional Ecology Journal of ecology Oecologia
Physiological zoology Comparative biochem. & physiol. Physiological plantarium
Physiological reviews Journal of chemical ecology Journal of general physiology
Plant and cell physiology Plant physiology Weed Science
Zoophysiology
Oral presentations (2 per student) will be made about current journal articles (1995-present) on topics of your choice (one on plants: one on animals) within "physiological ecology". These 15 minute presentations will be scheduled by the instructor to coincide as closely as possible with lecture topics. You have one week to select your first article, and two weeks for both. These must be submitted to an instructor for approval. You must distribute title/abstract pages to the class on the day of your presentations. See separate handout for more guidance on these presentations.
GRADING: Exams - essay (3)
300 points
- Oral Presentations 50 or 100 points
- Final Exam 100 or 200 points
As indicated above, some flexibility will be allowed
for the calculation of grades. At the end of the
semester, students will indicate how they would like the oral presentations
and final exam to be weighted.
The final exam will be comprehensive and is optional; if you
have taken all 3 exams and are satisfied
with your scores to that point, you need not take it. If you do
take the final, the score is averaged
(weighted) with those from the exams and presentations. Exams may or
may not be "curved". Grades will
be calculated on the basis of overall percentage of points:
90%=A, 80%=B, 70%=C, 60%=D. In addition,
your final score can be adjusted by up to + 5 percentage points based on a
subjective evaluation of your
class participation, and under rare circumstances: extenuating factors,
extra-ordinary conduct, etc.
While you are expected to attend all class periods, there is no additional
penalty for attendance:
absences in themselves create a sufficient handicap in class participation
and exam scores.
Any student detected participating in any form of academic dishonesty will
be subject to sanctions as described in the Student Academic Integrity
Policies & Procedures, including an XF for the course (http://www.missouristate.edu/provost/academicintegrity.htm
Students with disabilities who may require accommodations should contact
Katheryne Staeger-Wilson, Coordinator of Disability Services, 836-4192 or
TTY 836-6792 (http://www.missouristate.edu/disability
.Disability Services refers some types of accommodation requests to the
Learning Diagnostic Clinic (LDC) (http://www.missouristate.edu/contrib/ldc
If you have emergency medical information to share with me, or if you need
special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated during an
emergency, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible. For
further information on Missouri State University Emergency Response Plan,
please refer to the following web site:
http://www.missouristate.edu/safetran/erp.htm.
SCHEDULE FOR PHYSIOLOGICAL ECOLOGY
WEEK OF
TUESDAYS
THURSDAYS
READINGS
Jan. 12
Intro/Light/Photodetection
Photosynthesis
[find 2 articles to present]
19
Energy balance
Effects of Temperature
#1 ch 3&1 or #2 p 1-16;
#3 p 21-29
26
Thermoregulation
Thermoregulation
#1 ch 2, 4, 7, 7.1-7.3
or #2 p16-33
Feb 2
Water balance/Plant adaptations
Plant water stress
#3 p 30-37
9
Water balance/Anim adaptations
Osmoregulation
#2 p 80-97
16
EXAM I
Hypoxia
23
Low/high pressure adapt.
Life style adaptations
#3 p 38-48, 49-57;
#4 p 29-36
Mar 2
----------------------- Photoperiod ------------------------------
9
------------------------ Dormancy --------------------------------
#1 ch 7.4; #5 ch 9
16
Life cycle adaptations
EXAM II
23
-------------- SPRING BREAK VACATION --------------
30
Plant defenses
open (?)
Apr 6
Predator / prey adaptations
SPRING HOLIDAY #3 p 58-67
13
Competition
Allelopathy
#6 p 757-768; #7 p 1-24
20
Symbiosis, parasitism, and other ecological relationships
27
---------------------- Communication -----------------------
May 4
EXAM III
[open]
11
FINAL EXAM: Tue. 5/12 3:30 5:30 pm
Books/articles for reading assignments:
#1 Temperature and Animal Life
#2 Physiological
Animal Ecology
#3 Bioscience
Vol. 37 (1987)
#4 Bioscience
Vol. 41 (1991)
#5 Environmental Physiology
#6 Science Vol. 171 (1971)
#7 Allelopathy: Organisms, processes & applications