DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL SCIENCES, BARUCH COLLEGE, CUNY

ENV 1020Principles of EcologySPRING 2016

Instructor: Chester B. Zarnoch, Ph.D.
Email: Chester.Zarnoch@baruch.cuny.edu
Office Phone: 646-660-6239
Office: Room 707 in 17 Lex
Office hours: Tuesdays 1-2pm.
Lecture: Tues/Thurs 2:30-3:20
Course Objectives:
1) Students will be introduced to the interactions among organisms and between
organisms and their environment.
2) Students will understand the ecological processes that influence the distribution
of plants and animals on Earth.
3) Students will explore pertinent ecological issues in New York.
4) Students will use experimental approaches to ecology in the laboratory meetings.
Required Lecture Text: Elements of Ecology 9th Ed. by T.M Smith & R.L. Smith Customized for Baruch College by Pearson Custom Publishing.
*Additional reading may include scientific articles that will be posted on
Blackboard in PDF format. These additional readings will be testable material on
lecture exams!
Required Lab Text: Elements of Ecology Lab Manual - Pearson Custom Publishing.
ISBN: 9781269272964
The MyPearsonStore for Baruch College sells a package with lecture and lab text for
$105. Free shipping.
URL: http://www.mypearsonstore.com/stores/ENV1003-ENV1020
User Name: pearson
Password: welcome
Required Field Exercise:
You will be required to complete a field exercise (e.g. visit Jamaica Bay Wildlife
Refuge) on your own time once during the semester in lieu of classroom laboratory
activities (see schedule).
Baruch College attendance policy (Undergraduate Bulletin, p. 41): All students are
required to attend every session of their courses. If a freshman or sophomore is absent
in excess of twice the number of class sessions per week, the instructor must give the
student a WU grade, which counts as an F. The instructor may give a junior or senior a

WU grade (the equivalent of an F) for excessive absences. The WU grade may be given
by the instructor at any time.
Absences should only be for illnesses and family emergencies.
Cheating and plagiarism are serious offenses. The following definitions are based on
the College's Academic Honesty website:
Cheating is the attempted or unauthorized use of materials, information, notes, study
aids, devices or communication during an academic exercise. Examples include but are
not limited to:
Copying from another student during an examination or allowing another to copy
your work
Unauthorized collaborating on a take home assignment or examination
Using unauthorized notes during a closed book examination
Using unauthorized electronic devices during an examination
Taking an examination for another student
Asking or allowing another student to take an examination for you
Changing a corrected exam and returning it for more credit
Submitting substantial portions of the same paper to two classes without
consulting the second instructor
Preparing answers or writing notes in a blue book (exam booklet) before an
examination
Allowing others to research and write assigned papers including the use of
commercial term paper services
Plagiarism is the act of presenting another person's ideas, research or writing as your
own, such as:
Copying another person's actual words without the use of quotation marks and
footnotes (a functional limit is four or more words taken from the work of another)
Presenting another person's ideas or theories in your own words without
acknowledging them
Using information that is not considered common knowledge without acknowledging
the source
Failure to acknowledge collaborators on homework and laboratory assignment
Academic sanctions in this class will range from an F on the assignment to an F in this
course. A report of suspected academic dishonesty will be sent to the Office of the
Dean of Students. Additional information and definitions can be found at:
http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/academic/academic_honesty.html

Grading for this course is determined as follows:

Online Assignments:
Lecture Exam I:
Lecture Exam II:
Final Exam:
Laboratory Exam I:
Laboratory Exam II:
Laboratory Assignments:

10%
12.5%
12.5%
15%
15%
15%
20%

TOTAL:

100%

Grading Scale (%):

A
B+
C+
D+
F

93-100
87.1-89.9
77.1-79.9
65-69.9
0-59.9

AB
C
D

90-92.9
83-87
73-77
60-64.9

BC-

80-82.9
70-72.9

Note: These ranges are subject to change. The instructor reserves the right to change an
overall grade by one level based on students in-class performance/effort.
Note: Do not arrive late to the exams.
Environmental Sciences Minor and Ad Hoc Major:
The Department of Natural Sciences offers a minor in environmental studies for students that wish to
pursue general intellectual interests or specific career objectives. For example, business students may
improve their marketability with knowledge of current issues in environmental sustainability, and
public affairs or pre-law students may gain knowledge for future specialization in environmental law
or policy. For the natural sciences minor, students take two environment courses at the 3000 level or
above followed by a capstone course at the 4000 level. Several additional courses are planned for the
Environmental Studies roster, and the Dept of Natural Sciences will be happy to work with students
interested in an ad hoc major in this subject. Please inquire for more information.
Interdisciplinary Minor in Environmental Sustainability
The Department of Natural Sciences, the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences, and the Zicklin
School of Business offer a joint interdisciplinary program in Environmental Sustainability that satisfies
Baruch Colleges Tier III liberal arts requirement. The Environmental Sustainability minor is an
interdisciplinary program suitable for both business and liberal arts students who have an interest in
developing a critical understanding of interactions between human society and the broader global
ecosystem. The program emphasizes economic, legal, and philosophical issues of environmental
sustainability.

THE BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES MAJOR (code 020)

Whether youre a new student interested in exploring biology, chemistry, physics, or environmental
science, or a returning student planning a career change or preparing for graduate or professional
studies in biology, environmental studies, medicine, dentistry, or allied health fields, the Department of
Natural Sciences at Baruchs Weissman School of Arts and Sciences offers you flexible programs that
can be tailored to suit your interests and to help you achieve your career goals. The new Biological
Sciences Major (code 020) offers a rich variety of courses that allow students, in consultation with a
faculty advisor, to design programs that prepare them for careers or advanced studies in any number of
science and health-related fields.
Students may also combine courses in different disciplines and write an ad hoc Major proposal (codes
004 and 029) in consultation with faculty members in those disciplines. Combinations such as Biology
and Psychology, Environmental Chemistry, and Biophysics are examples.
Program Prerequisites
BIO 2010* & BIO 3001 Principles of Biology I & II
CHM 2003* & CHM 3001 General Chemistry I & II
CHM 3003 Principles of Organic Chemistry I
PHY 2003* General Physics I or PHY 3010 Quantitative Physics I
MTH 2003 Pre-calculus and Elements of Calculus or a more advanced calculus course
*Satisfies common core science requirement
THE MAJOR
Required Courses: 7 credits
STA 2100 Statistics for Social Sciences or STA 2000 Business Statistics
BIO 3015 Principles of Genetics
Elective Courses: 19 20.5 credits
Electives are based on students interests and future goals, and are chosen in consultation with a faculty
advisor. The major includes five elective courses, at least two of which must be at the 4000-level or
higher, chosen from the following list:
BIO 3005 Molecular and Cellular Biology
BIO 3010 Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy
BIO 3012 Endocrinology
BIO 3020 Biology of Invertebrates
BIO 3040 Plants in Action
BIO 4004 Microbiology
BIO 4010 Human Physiology
BIO 4015 Developmental Biology
BIO 5000-5004 Independent Study
BIO 6001H-6003H Honors
CHM 4010 Medicinal Chemistry
CHM 4900 Biochemistry
CHM 5000-5004 Independent Study
CHM 6001H-6003H Honors

ENV 3001 Intro. to Environmental Science

ENV 3002 Energy Conservation
ENV 3003 Human Conservation
ENV 3005 Econ. & Legal Aspects of Ecology
ENV 3006 Global Ecology
ENV 3008 Air and Water Pollution
ENV 3009 Conserv. Biol. & Sustain. Devel.
BIO/ENV 3050 Freshwater Ecology
ENV 3015 + 3015L Tropical Reef Ecology
ENV 4005 Ecosystem Sustainability
ENV 4020 Microbial Ecology
ENV 4900 Topics in Environmental Science
ENV 5000-5004 Independent Study
ENV 6001H-6003H Honors

ENV 1020 Lecture Schedule Spring 2016T, Th

T/Th

Lecture Topics

Ch.

2/2

Introduction: The Nature of Ecology?

2/4

Climate

2/11

The Aquatic & Terrestrial

Environment

2/16

Ecological Genetics

2/18

Ecological Genetics

2/23

Plant Adaptations to the Environment

2/25

Animal Adaptations to the

Environment

3/1

Lecture Exam 1

1-7

3/3

Life History Patterns

10

3/8

Properties of Populations

3/10

Population Growth/ Metapopulations

9&
12

3/15

Population Growth/ Metapopulations

9&
12

3/17

Intraspecific Population Regulation

11

3/22

Interspecific Competition

13

3/24

Predation

14

3/29

Parasitism and Mutualism

15

3/31

Community Structure

16

4/5

Lecture Exam 2*

8-15

4/7

Factors Influencing the Structure of

Communities

18

4/12

Community Dynamics

19

4/14

Landscape Dynamics

20

4/19

Ecosystem Energetics

21

4/21

Decomposition and Nutrient Cycling

22

5/3

Biogeochemical Cycles

23

5/5

Biogeochemical Cycles

23

5/10

Large Scale Patterns of Biological

Diversity

27

5/12

Population Growth, Resource Use,

and Conservation

28

5/17

Habitat Loss, Biodiversity, and

Conservation, Global Climate Change

2930

Final Exam

1629

3-4

Note: Please bring a #2 pencil and a good eraser to all exams.

ENV 1020 Lab Schedule Spring 2016T, Th

T/Th

Laboratory Topics

Pp.

2/2

The Microscope

1-12

2/4

The Metric System

13-19

2/11

Environmental Chemistry

49-56

2/16

Diffusion and Osmosis

2/18

Population Genetics; 21-42

34-42

2/23

Population Genetics; 21-42

34-42

2/25

Photosynthesis

57-64

3/1

Describing a Population: 65-85

74-75,7884

3/3

Estimating Pop. Size: 131-135

136-137,
143

3/8

Population Growth: 105-114

123-130

3/10

No lab - complete field assignment

3/15

Laboratory Exam 1

3/17

Competition I: 167-183

186-188

3/22

Aquatic Env/ LD50 145-152

162-166

3/24

No lab - complete field assignment

3/29

Spatial Distributions: 87-92

98-103

3/31

Spatial Distributions: 87-92

98-103

4/5

Predation : 217-231

241-245

4/7

Mutualism : 191-198

203-207

4/12

Competition II: 167-183

186-188

4/14

Experimental Design (Set-up)

4/19

Spider Biodiversity

Handout

4/21

Spider Biodiversity

Handout

5/3

Island Biogeography: 265-273

274-284

5/5
5/10

Experimental Design
Soils: 293-302

Handout
313-315

5/12

Student Presentations

5/17

Laboratory Exam 2

Handout

Handout

ENV 1020 Lab Schedule Spring 2016T, F

T/Th

Laboratory Topics

Pp.

1/29

The Microscope

1-12

2/2

The Metric System

13-19

2/5

Environmental Chemistry

49-56

2/9

No lab - complete field assignment

2/16

Diffusion and Osmosis

2/19

Population Genetics; 21-42

34-42

2/23

Population Genetics; 21-42

34-42

2/26

Photosynthesis

57-64

3/1

Describing a Population: 65-85

74-75,7884

3/4

Estimating Pop. Size: 131-135

136-137,
143

3/8

Population Growth: 105-114

123-130

3/11

Laboratory Exam 1

3/15

Competition I: 167-183

3/18

No lab - complete field assignment

3/22

Aquatic Env/ LD50 145-152

162-166

3/23

Spider Biodiversity

Handout

3/29

Spatial Distributions: 87-92

98-103

4/1

Spatial Distributions: 87-92

98-103

4/5

Predation : 217-231

241-245

4/8

Mutualism : 191-198

203-207

4/12

Competition II: 167-183

186-188

4/15

Experimental Design (Set-up)

4/19

Spider Biodiversity

Handout

5/3

Island Biogeography: 265-273

274-284

5/6
5/10

Experimental Design
Soils: 293-302

Handout
313-315

5/13

Student Presentations

5/17

Laboratory Exam 2

eBook Option:

Handout

186-188

Handout

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