Course Syllabus

Fall 2024 | BIO-1240-VU01 - Forest Ecology

In Person Class

Standard courses meet in person at CCV centers, typically once each week for the duration of the semester.

Faculty

Matthew Davis
View Faculty Credentials
View Faculty Statement
Hiring Coordinator for this course: Jen Guarino

General Education Requirements

VSCS Natural Science

Note

Many degree programs have specific general education recommendations. In order to avoid taking unnecessary classes, please consult with additional resources like your program evaluation, your academic program catalog year page, and your academic advisor.

Courses may only be used to meet one General Education Requirement.

Course Description

Through field trips and/or individual field work, students examine the structure and dynamics of forest communities. Consideration is given to geographic and ecologic factors shaping forest communities, to biological and chemical interactions among forest species, and to the human impact on forest stability. All forest types are discussed with an emphasis on temperate deciduous and northern coniferous forests.

Essential Objectives

1. Demonstrate understanding of the methods of scientific investigation in forest ecology including observation and hypothesis testing.
2. Define energy and trace the energy flow in a forest, including the grazing and detritus food chain.
3. Describe the stages of forest succession.
4. Discuss the impact soil type, moisture, light, and temperature have on the forest ecosystem.
5. Analyze how forestry practices impact forest ecosystems, local economies, and local cultures.
6. Using a global scale of analysis, examine the impact of human behavior on forest ecosystems and discuss the role that forests play in the biosphere.
7. Identify common trees and the major forest types in Vermont.
8. Demonstrate proficiency in understanding, interpreting, applying, and evaluating the accuracy of data and information sources.
9. Discuss how laws and politics prevent or promote human access to healthy forests, including the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Wilderness Act, and Vermont’s Act 250.
10. Explain how knowledge created in the natural sciences has contributed to the creation, maintenance and dismantling of social inequalities and discuss the impacts of diversity and inclusion on scientific research and practice.

Required Technology

More information on general computer and internet recommendations is available on the CCV IT Support page. https://support.ccv.edu/general/computer-recommendations/

Please see CCV's Digital Equity Statement (pg. 45) to learn more about CCV's commitment to supporting all students access the technology they need to successfully finish their courses.

Required Textbooks and Resources

*** This is a no cost textbook or resource class. ***

This course only uses free Open Educational Resources (OER) and/or library materials. For details, see the Canvas Site for this class.

Methods

This course is intended to introduce students to the fundamentals of Forest Ecology. Therefore, the teaching methods employed will provide opportunities for students to experience this discipline first hand.

Learning activities will include but are not limited to the following:

• Discussions
• Field Observations
• Field Journal
• Mapping Projects
• Simulations
• Required readings
• Current issue analysis
• Scientific research project

Evaluation Criteria

Class participation and preparation - 25%: You will be expected to contribute to our course "community" as every student has the capability to bring their knowledge to the group. As residents of the natural world we all have some experience with the environment, and this experience is very relevant to the topic. Your participation grade will be based upon the frequency in which you participate in discussions and the frequency in which you complete various activities in person and in Canvas. Your preparation grade will be based upon how well you prepare yourself for participation and how well you use the resources provided to do so.

Weekly Assignments - 25%: There are several weekly assignments/projects you will be asked to complete in this course. You will be assessed based upon your timely completion and overall quality of your work. The following criteria will be considered in assessing your assignments.

• Demonstrating critical thinking.
• Referencing readings and/or other resources provided.
• Referencing your own experience and observations.
• Crafting questions that inspire others to think.
• Good grammar and use of proper English.

Field observations and Field Journal - 25%: Because Forest Ecology is an observation based discipline, I will be asking you to spend time outdoors making observations. I will expect you to keep a journal of these experiences and attempt to relate your observations to topics discussed in the course. There will also be a "mapping" component of the field experience though this will fall under the "project" umbrella.

Scientific research project - 25%: I will be ask you to complete a research project on some aspect of Forest Ecology. You will arrive at a specific question related to a topic in the discipline and will use this question to direct your research. You have the option of creating an 8-10 slide Powerpoint type presentation, or writing a 5-6 page research paper.

Grading Criteria

CCV Letter Grades as outlined in the Evaluation System Policy are assigned according to the following chart:

	High	Low
A+	100	98
A	Less than 98	93
A-	Less than 93	90
B+	Less than 90	88
B	Less than 88	83
B-	Less than 83	80
C+	Less than 80	78
C	Less than 78	73
C-	Less than 73	70
D+	Less than 70	68
D	Less than 68	63
D-	Less than 63	60
F	Less than 60
P	100	60
NP	Less than 60	0

Weekly Schedule

Attendance Policy

Regular attendance and participation in classes are essential for success in and are completion requirements for courses at CCV. A student's failure to meet attendance requirements as specified in course descriptions will normally result in a non-satisfactory grade.

• In general, missing more than 20% of a course due to absences, lateness or early departures may jeopardize a student's ability to earn a satisfactory final grade.
• Attending an on-ground or synchronous course means a student appeared in the live classroom for at least a meaningful portion of a given class meeting. Attending an online course means a student posted a discussion forum response, completed a quiz or attempted some other academically required activity. Simply viewing a course item or module does not count as attendance.
• Meeting the minimum attendance requirement for a course does not mean a student has satisfied the academic requirements for participation, which require students to go above and beyond simply attending a portion of the class. Faculty members will individually determine what constitutes participation in each course they teach and explain in their course descriptions how participation factors into a student's final grade.

Participation Expectations

Full participation requires active and thoughtful engagement in class each week. The following habits and skills are important. You'll have the opportunity to self-assess and receive instructor feedback on each of these areas at the mid-point and the end of the semester.

• Attend class regularly, on-time and for the full session
• Complete all of the week's reading and assignments before the start of class
• Listen to others attentively and with an open mind
• Positively contribute to class discussions and activities
• Ask questions and seek help when you need it
• Challenge yourself to do your best work

Missing & Late Work Policy

Late assignments can be submitted up to one week past the deadline. You will lose 10% each day that an assignment is late. After a week, it will no longer be accepted for credit.

It is the student's responsibility to communicate with the instructor regarding late assignments or to request some accommodation or extension.

Accessibility Services for Students with Disabilities:

1. Provide disability documentation to the Accessibility Coordinator at your academic center. https://ccv.edu/discover-resources/students-with-disabilities/
2. Request an appointment to meet with accessibility coordinator to discuss your request and create an accommodation plan.
3. Once created, students will share the accommodation plan with faculty. Please note, faculty cannot make disability accommodations outside of this process.

Academic Integrity