Lessons from the Biosphere

Transcription

1 Lessons from the Biosphere CORE-UA.311 (Nat Sc II): Spring 2014 Tyler Volk Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies 1157 Brown Building (OFFICE HOURS: Mon. & Wed., 11:00 AM 12:15, usually) take Waverly Building elevators to 11th floor, turn left; also meetings by appointment; or just drop by) Mailbox: Biology Department, 1009 Silver PHONE: (212) TEACHING ASSISTANTS: Giana Columbia-Rose D'Aleo [Th 9 & 11] Ana Galesic ag4310@nyu.edu [Th 1 & F 9] Sidak Kaur Singh sks517@nyu.edu [Th 3 & 5] Biosphere Syllabus 1

2 Biosphere Syllabus 2 (Blank page)

3 SYLLABUS The course is in 3 sections: 1. Evolution January 27 March 3 2. Biodiversity of Life March 5 April CO 2 Rising (Global Cycles) April 16 May 14 Exam dates to note: Monday March 3: Midterm Exam # 1 Evolution (regular time) Wednesday April 9: Midterm Exam #2 Biodiversity (regular time) Wednesday May 14: Final Exam (NOTE: 12:00 noon 1:50 PM) (Final Exam content is cumulative: CO 2 Rising 70%, plus Evolution & Biodiversity at 15% each) 1. Monday January 27: Introduction to course. What is the biosphere? The ladder of creation from quarks to culture. Steps of combination and integration within 3 great dynamical realms EVOLUTION The history of cosmos and life, from quarks to culture 2. Wednesday January 29: From the Big Bang to the formation of Earth. Readings from Wikipedia; handouts in lecture: the things and relations of the Standard Model, the immortal proton and effervescent neutron, the nuclei, the atoms. No lab meeting this first week of January 28. Lab sessions start the following week. Labs listed below refer to the week starting with the previously listed Monday. For example, Lab 1 will take place during the second week of Monday, February 4 (labs that week are on Wed., February 6 and Thurs., February 7). 3. Monday February 3: The origin of life and prokaryotic cells; start of the realm of biological evolution. Benton, chapter 1 (The origin of life). 4. Wednesday February 5: The tree of life, origin of the eukaryotic cell, rise of oxygen, multicellularity, and sex. Benton, chapter 2 (The origin of sex). Biosphere Syllabus 3

4 W & Th, LAB 1: Introduction to Lessons from the Biosphere. 5. Monday February 10: Multicellularity and the Cambrian Explosion. Benton, chapter 3 (The origin of skeletons). 6. Wednesday February 12: Life comes ashore. Benton, chapters 4 & 5 (The origin of life on land; Forests and flight). W & Th, LAB 2: Evidence for Evolution. 7. Monday February 17: NO CLASS PRESIDENT S DAY 8. Wednesday February 20: Benton, Mass extinctions: Permian and K/T. Benton, chapters 6 & 7 (The biggest mass extinction; The origin of modern ecosystems). W & Th, LAB 3: American Museum of Natural History trip 9. Monday February 24: Step 10. Primate evolution, human brain evolution, Paleolithic bands in social networks, the origin of culture and the realm of cultural evolution. Benton, chapter 8 (The origin of humans). 9. Wednesday February 26: Steps 11 & 12. Origin of agriculture and the state. Readings from Wikipedia and handouts. W & Th, LAB 4: Student Presentations on AMNH trip. 10. Monday March 3: Midterm Exam # 1 Evolution -----BIODIVERSITY OF LIFE Wednesday March 5: The great wealth of life: biodiversity. (Bush, chapter 1) W & Th, LAB Week 5: Techniques of microscopy. 12. Monday March 10: Who needs sex anyway? (Bush, chapter 2) 13. Wednesday March 12: to be determined. Biosphere Syllabus 4

5 W & Th, LAB 6: Biodiversity of Microscopic Life Monday March 17 SPRING RECESS Wednesday March 19 SPRING RECESS 14. Monday March 24: Wednesday March 7: The power of predators. (Bush, chapter 3) 15. Wednesday March 26: Biomes. (Bush, chapter 4) W & Th, LAB 7: Biodiversity in the marketplace. 16. Monday March 31: Making connections: fisheries. (Bush, chapter 5) 17. Wednesday April 2: Habitat fragmentation and extinction (Bush, chapter 6) W & Th, LAB 8: Student Presentations on Endangered Species. 18. Monday April 7: Working to save biodiversity. (Bush, chapter 7) 19. Wednesday April 9: Midterm Exam #2 Biodiversity W & Th, LAB 9: Respiration CO 2 RISING (GLOBAL CYCLES) Monday April 14: Introducing the CO 2 molecule, the greenhouse effect, and the great cycle of carbon (Volk, chapters 1 & 2). 21. Wednesday April 16: The worldwide increase of CO 2 (Volk, chapter 3). W & Th, LAB 10: Photosynthesis. 22. Monday April 21: Fossil-fuel carbon. (Volk, chapter 4) 23. Wednesday April 23: Carbon s fluxes and the carbon cycle (Volk, chapter 5). W & Th, LAB 11: Part 1 of Student Presentations on Helping the Biosphere. Biosphere Syllabus 5

6 24. Monday April 28: Ice-age CO 2 (Volk, chapter 6). 25. Wednesday April 30: Wealth, energy, and CO 2 (Volk, chapter 7). W & Th, LAB 12: Part 2 of Student Presentations on Helping the Biosphere. 26. Monday May 5: The future of atmospheric CO 2. (Volk, chapter 8). 27. Wednesday May 7: Options for future energy systems. (Volk, chapters 9 & 10). W & Th, LAB 13: Wrap-up, plus video on energy and CO Monday May 12: Conclusion and Open Review (last class session before final exam). FINAL EXAM Wednesday May 14 Noon 1:50 (Final Exam content is cumulative: CO 2 Rising 70%, plus Evolution & Biodiversity at 15% each) Biosphere Syllabus 6

7 Readings: 1. For the " Evolution" section of the course The History of Life: A Very Short Introduction, by Michael J. Benton. This section of the course will be supplemented by handouts, and by websites, particularly for the first lectures on cosmology but throughout the section. 2. For the "Biodiversity of Life" section of the course Ecology of a Changing Planet, by Mark B. Bush. (This is a custom printing of 7 chapters from a larger text, specially chosen for this course, and very relevant basic information about biodiversity and ecology, as I note weekly in the major scientific journals). IMPORTANT: The publisher only shipped all the remaining 30+ copies to the bookstore. You can also go online to purchase the 3 rd edition very cheaply (which is the edition the readings are drawn from). Also, I have permission from the author, who now has rights to the book, to create a pdf of the chapters, which I will do and post on the Classes website for you. 3. For the "CO 2 Rising (Global Cycles)" section of the course CO 2 Rising: The World s Greatest Environmental Challenge, by Tyler Volk I wrote this book to bring the established facts of the global carbon cycle to all interested and concerned global citizens. Biosphere Syllabus 7

8 GRADING: Labs, 35% Midterm #1, 20% Midterm #2, 20% Final Exam, 25% (Final Exam content is cumulative: CO 2 Rising 70%, plus Evolution & Biodiversity at 15% each) Labs are important; unexcused labs receive 0, a total of three unexcused labs results in F for the course. Excused absences from Exams: Unfortunately I cannot give make-ups. (The exams take me many hours to prepare.) If you are excused (by me, not your TA), say, for medical reasons, we will simply count the midterm you do take and the final exam as larger percentages. You will also be responsible for any questions/topics from the excused exam that might appear on the final exam, and of course we will be happy to provide you with a copy of the excused exam (but not the answers). NYU Classes: I will use the Classes site for the course to post this syllabus, exams and answers from the previous year (which you can use as a study guide before your midterms and final, and to see the style of questions), as well other information about the course during the semester, usually in folders (I will announce the names of the folders when important posting take place). You will be expected to look at your regularly, as the instructor (or your TAs) will send out a variety of matters pertinent to the course through . Biosphere Syllabus 8