Department of Environmental Sciences
College of the Environment
Western Washington University

ESCI 325 Fundamentals of Ecology
Winter 2003
MWF 10 ES 80

Instructor: John McLaughlin
Office: ES 440
Phone: 650- 7617
E-mail:
Office Hours: MWF 11

Course Web Site: http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~jmcl/Ecology/esci325.htm
Please note: most hyperlinks will not be activated until after class.

Text: Ecology: Concepts and Applications, 2nd ed. (2002), by M. C. Molles, Jr.

Course Description:

Ecology is a diverse science that studies nature from a range of perspectives. Each perspective, or subdiscipline, emphasizes unique questions and approaches in the study of ecological structure and function. This course provides an introduction to seven basic kinds of ecology: physiological, behavioral, evolutionary, population, community, ecosystem, and landscape ecology. For each kind, the course will explore relevant ecological questions, methods of study, important results, and future directions. The course will focus on basic science, with applications where appropriate to human relationships with nature. The primary course objective is to train you to think like an ecologist. Hence, you will be evaluated largely on your abilities to explain ecological responses and to recognize ecological concepts in the field, rather than on your encyclopedic recall of ecological knowledge.

Course Evaluation:
Grades will be based on four homework assignments and two examinations. Homework assignments will comprise 40% of the course grade. The midterm exam will contribute 25% toward the course grade. The final exam will contribute the remaining 35%.

Homework Guidelines:
1. Assignments are due at the beginning of class. Meet the deadline for full credit.
2. Put your name, course name, assignment number, and date submitted somewhere at the top of the first page.
3. Except for the first assignment, please type your work.
4. Be clear, neat, complete, and concise. Your instructor will have many assignments to grade; it will be to your advantage to organize your work to make it easier to evaluate.

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