Biology 280 or 380  Seminar

Biomes of the World  

Professor Dennis Taylor

4 semester hours

 

Southeastern Alaskan Coastline
Photo: Troy A. Hottle

I.  Course Description:

This course is a seminar taught at two different levels, with majors who have met the prerequisites of the two introductory Biology course and 4 hours of one advanced course taken at the 300 level.  Other students will take the course at the 200 level and must have completed one course of the introductory biology sequence.   All students must have completed a one credit hour seminar introducing the concept of biomes prior to travel. 

The seminar is a study of the biomes of the world, examining the history of the biome concept and classification of climates, biogeography and the major terrestrial, freshwater, marine and human dominated biomes of the world today.  We will examine biomes one by one constructing an overview of what makes each one distinct, followed by an analysis of the climate, vegetation, soils, animal life, origin, human impacts and major regional expressions. 

II.  Goals and Objectives

        1)    To examine the concept of biomes as it is understood by biologists.    We expect students to compare schools of thoughts looking at communities, ecosystems and biomes and to critically analyze the strengths and weaknesses of these models in understanding major regions of the world. 

        2)  To compare biomes looking at major regional expressions as well as comparing differences and similarities between biomes.  We expect students to see the similarities that brought about the field of plant geography thorough Alexander von Humboldt.

        3)  To develop an understanding of observation and the natural history approach to the study of biomes and ecology and to use these approaches in our own analysis of major biomes of the world.

Students will write essays on selected topics, keep a field notebook with observations for each biome visited, and submit reflections on comparisons between biomes that integrate what they have read with multiple examples of what they have observed.  

Biomes to be examined include:
Terrestrial - Tropical Rainforests, Tropical Dry Forests, Tropical Savannas, Deserts, Temperate Grasslands, Mediterranean Woodland and Scrub, Temperate Broadleaf Deciduous and Evergreen Forests, Boreal Forests, Tundra, Alpine, Alpine Desert, Heather-Heath,  Island Ecosystems

Freshwater - Primary Headwater Habitats, Rivers and Streams, Wetlands, Riparian Zones

Marine - Costal Biomes, the Continental Shelf, Rocky Coast and Sandy Shores, Coral Reef Systems, Mangroves, Polar Oceans

Human Dominated Biomes - Agro Ecosystems, Urban Ecosystems. 

III.  Course Expectations

A.  Texts and background readings.

  • Woodward, Susan L.  2003.  Biomes of Earth. 435pp.  Greenwood Press. Westport
  • The Scientific Method – Platt, J.R.  1964.  Strong Inference.  Science 146:347-353.
  • History of Biology and Experimentation – Andean biology in Peru: scientific styles on the periphery.  Isis 80:640-659.
  • Adaptation – General Primary Science Examples – Brandon, R.N.  1990.  Adaptation and  Environment. Princeton University Press: pp 214; Jones, J.S. 1989.  Responses to  chemical warfare.  Nature 337: 690.
  • Guides and literature related to each biome, an excellent example being the Peterson's  Field Guide to the California and Pacific Northwest Forests.  

 B.  Required Work: 

    Each Student will produce:

  • A Comprehensive  field  journal
  • Collaborative spreadsheet summary comparing all aspects of the biomes  visited
  • Individual presentation of an assigned biome
  • Essays on assigned topics

  C.  Expectations

  • We expect all students to attend all classes, produce work on time, participate at all times and adhere to the College policy on academic honesty as stated in the Academic Procedures section of the Hiram College Catalog.

 IV.  Course Structure

                Class will meet on an irregular schedule determined by travel and time.  Students must be prepared for classes in irregular settings. 

V. Assessment.

                Work will need to be submitted on time.  The course follows a collaborative model with students producing group work with individual analysis of particular sections of the overall work, much as in an integrated scientific investigation.

The class in Maui in front of a large Ficus with aerial prop roots
Photo: Sigrid Anderson.

Troy A. Hottle, Dennis J. Taylor
hottleta at hiram.edu
last updated 4 May 2008