Description:
The structure and functioning of freshwater ecosystems with an emphasis on ecological concepts needed to understand and solve practical management problems involving water pollution, wetlands, dams and reservoirs, the Great Lakes, habitat restoration, invasive species, and tropical management of water resources.

Required Text:
1.  Kalff, J. 2002.  Limnology: Inland water ecosystems.  Prentice-Hall, New Jersey: 592 pp.

Course home page:
Throughout the semester, materials and links will be made available on this Internet site.  Such links will include items specifically related to the course (example test questions, suggested literature, key terms and concepts), as well as current events in aquatic sciences, career opportunities, etc.  

Some recommended texts: (may be checked out from Carlson Library or from instructors)
Campbell, L.W. 1995.  The marshes of Southwestern Lake Erie.  Ohio University Press, Athens: 233 pp.
Dodson, S.I. 2005.  Introduction to Limnology.  McGraw-Hill, New York: 400 pp.
Horne, A.J. and C.R. Goldman. 1994.  Limnology (2^nd Ed.).  McGraw-Hill, New York: 576 pp.
Lampert, W. and U. Sommer. 1997.  Limnoecology: The ecology of lakes and streams.  Oxford University Press, New York: 382 pp.
Mitsch, W.J. and J.G. Gosselink.  2007.  Wetlands (4^th Ed.).  John Wiley & Sons, New York: 600 pp.
Moss, B. 1998. Ecology of fresh waters; Man and medium, past to future (3^rd Ed.). Blackwell Science, Oxford, U.K.: 557 pp.
Sanders, R.E.  2001. A guide to Ohio streams.  Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Columbus, Ohio: 120 pp.
Weller, M.W. 1994.  Freshwater marshes: Ecology and wildlife management.  University of Minnesota Press (3^rd Ed.), Minneapolis: 154 pp.
Wetzel, R.G. 2001. Limnology: Lake and reservoir ecosystems (3^rd Ed.). Academic Press, San Diego: 1006 pp.

Grading:
All material for the exams will come from the lectures and assigned readings.  Exams will be essay/short answer format and the final will not be comprehensive.  There are no extra credit options.

EEES 4730:  Midterms 1 and 2 (25% each), factsheet and presentation (20%), final exam (30%)

EEES 5730/7730:  Midterms 1 and 2 (25% each), analysis/critique/presentation of research topic (20%), final exam (30%)

(EEES 5730/7730 exams are different from EEES 4730 exams and will include additional questions stressing synthesis and extrapolation of principles and theory covered in class).

Early in the semester, each student will select a current topic in aquatic ecology and prepare a 15-minute oral presentation and a fact sheet on that topic.  These presentations will be interspersed throughout the semester and you will have a chance to sign up for your preferred time slots.  You need to turn in a list of your three top choices of topics from the list below by September 14^th.  Students may also suggest additional topics, but these are subject to instructor approval.  We will give the final topic assignments by the week of September 21^st.  Please take a look at the schedule of presentations.

You can use Powerpoint, transparencies, slides, chalk, or anything else you want to bring in (as long as it’s dead, caged, or on a solid leash).  The goal is to improve important skills needed for communicating essential information on a topic of general interest to a diverse audience using the two most common formats (e.g., a short oral presentation and a brief written summary).  Each presentation plus fact sheet counts for 20% of your final course grade.   The presentations should follow the following format:

1. State the objective of your talk and introduce the particular topic. Cover background information the topic and include locations and ecosystem types where this topic is relevant. Most of the topics are considered an environmental problem.
2. Outline the causes of the problem, the consequences to aquatic systems and possible solutions.  In some cases (e.g. aquaculture) there may be environmental benefits and drawbacks, when possible outline both.  Make sure that you define the concepts you will use in your presentation.
3. Highlight and discuss one recent (>2000) research publication about this topic.  Present relevant data, facts, and/or trends reported in this publication.

The fact sheet (due one week before the scheduled presentation) should be limited to one page (single-spaced, using summaries and bullet statements) and serve as a written outline of your presentation.  Make sure you list the references you used for the development of this fact sheet.

Topics

1.    Aquatic invasive species
2.    Hypoxia and dead zones
3.    Fishing advisories and fish contaminants
4.    Climate change in the Great Lakes
5.    Reservoirs and dam removal
6.    Harmful algal blooms
7.    Aquaculture
8.    Emerging contaminants
9.    Diseases harbored in aquatic systems
10.  Wetlands as water treatment systems

October 30 is the last day to withdraw from the course and receive a “W” grade.  Unless a student withdraws him/herself by this date, he/she will remain enrolled in the class and will be graded.  “I” grades are only given in extraordinary cases when unexpected conditions prevent the student from completing the requirements of the course within the term of enrollment. 

Note:  Any student who, because of a disabling condition, may require special arrangements in order to meet course requirements should contact me as soon as possible so that necessary accommodations can be made. 

Reset on August 21, 2009