BIO 307: FIELD NATURAL HISTORY

Catalog Description: BIO 307: FIELD NATURAL HISTORY (F) Natural history of plants and animals with emphasis on ecosystems of New York State. Collections of flora and fauna required. Two lectures, one three-hour field trip. Not open to Biology majors. Prerequisites: None. (3 cr. hr.)

Additional Information: This course is intended for adventurous individuals who are eager to learn more about nature. Course information is taught at a level suitable for most individuals with a limited background in biology. Students should come prepared to enjoy weekly field trips and in a wide variety of habitats and weather conditions. Course grades are assigned from several lecture exams, identification quizzes, educational projects, and herbarium collections. This course is taught by a passionate naturalist, Dr. Steve Broyles .
Spring 2004 Syllabus

Lectures: Lectures focus on the unique ecosystems, organisms, and various forms of organismal adaptation found in central New York. Lecture topics include ecological succession, migration and navigation, dendrochronology, wetlands, and introductions to birds, amphibians, flowering plants, and fungi of central New York. Lectures are supplemented with student centered discussions and presentations.

Field Trips: Weekly field trips are designed to augment topics covered in recent lectures. We explore ecological succession and dendrochronology at the Hoxie Gorge property, explore a kettle bog, visit Montezuma N.W.R., examine amphibian diversity at Lime Hollow, and observe American Woodcock mating displays.