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DEPARTMENTOFRENEWABLERESOURCES UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA
RENR366/761 Restoration Ecology WINTER2021Syllabus
Instructor Justine Karst Associate Professor
Email: [email protected] Office Hours: email for appointment
TA Ana Bermudez Contreras
Email: [email protected] Office hours: email for appointment
Term Winter 2021
Classes MWF 13:00 – 13:50 MST for synchronous discussions Credits *3 credits
Course Description: Principles and practices of restoring ecosystem structure, function and
biodiversity after natural or anthropogenic disturbances. The course focuses on ecological theory and how to apply it to ecological restoration. Topics include landscape processes and connectivity, soil- plant processes, techniques, philosophy and ethics and societal aspects of ecological restoration.
Course Pre-Requisite: BIOL 208. Students are responsible for ensuring they have the necessary pre-requisites and co-requisites. Students may be dropped before or after the course drop date if pre- requisites and co-requisites are not met. If the instructor agrees to waive a pre-requisite or co- requisite, students must fill out a form available from the office of Student Services (Faculty of ALES), get the form signed by the instructor and return it to the ALES office of Student Services.
Course Format: This course will be taught using a mixture of asynchronous lectures by the course instructor and directed readings followed by synchronous discussion (use the ‘lecture zoom link’).
Discussions and other activities during scheduled lecture periods will be designed to help students develop a deeper understanding of key concepts, undertake synthesis of different components of the course content, and work on building their abilities to apply knowledge to real life situations.
Course Objectives and Student Learning Outcomes and Competencies
Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to do the following:
● Define restoration ecology and explain the importance of this applied discipline in today’s world
● Explain how different types of disturbances impair ecological structure and function
● Determine when and why impairment of ecological structure and function necessitates ecological restoration
● Describe general approaches for restoration of species/populations, communities and
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ecosystems and illustrate these with specific examples
● Set objectives for restoration activities
● Create and critically evaluate approaches to define restoration success
● Evaluate restoration plans
● Summarize positions within current issues in restoration ecology
● Turn evidence into written and oral arguments
References and Readings: Will be made available through eClass. There is no required textbook.
Course Website: The course website will be available through eClass https://eclass.srv.ualberta.ca.
All course materials will be made available there including lecture powerpoints, videos, required and suggested readings, directions for assignments, and specific learning outcomes. All student
assessments (assignments, papers, and video proclamation) will be submitted to eClass. Copyrighted material contained in posted slides is reproduced under ss. 29-29.4 of the Canadian Copyright Act.
These documents are available for your individual use; further distribution may infringe copyright.
All original course materials prepared by the instructor are considered to be the intellectual property of the instructor (unless otherwise noted) and are protected by law under Canada’s Copyright Act.
“Course materials” include slides, presentations, handouts, lecture notes, recorded lectures, and any other materials distributed or made available to students by the course instructor. Permission is given for individual students to use these materials for their own study purposes in this course. Students must not publish, post on a public Internet site, sell, rent, or otherwise distribute any course materials without the instructor’s express permission.
Plagiarism and Cheating:
The University of Alberta is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and honesty.
Students are expected to be familiar with these standards regarding academic honesty and to uphold the policies of the University in this respect. Students are particularly urged to familiarize themselves with the provisions of the Code of Student Behaviour (online at www.governance.ualberta. ca) and avoid any behaviour that could potentially result in suspicions of cheating, plagiarism,
misrepresentation of facts and/or participation in an offence. Academic dishonesty is a serious offence and can result in suspension or expulsion from the University.
Code of Student Behaviour
All students at the University of Alberta are subject to the Code of Student Behaviour, as outlined at:
University Governance > Code of Student Behaviour. Please familiarize yourself with it and ensure that you do not participate in any inappropriate behavior as defined by the Code. Key components of the code include the following statements.
30.3.2(1) No Student shall submit the words, ideas, images or data of another person as the Student’s own in any academic writing, essay, thesis, project, assignment, presentation or poster in a course or program of study.
30.3.2(2)c. No Student shall represent another’s substantial editorial or compositional assistance on an assignment as the Student’s own work.
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Professionalism and Classroom Rules of Engagement: Synchronous discussions during scheduled lecture periods are designed to optimize students’ learning opportunities. Regular attendance and active participation in class is encouraged. Please join the on-line discussions with your microphone muted. Feel free to use the chat box or turn on your microphone to ask questions. While on-line, please be respectful. There are students from many different backgrounds participating in the course.
Respectful disagreement is fine and encouraged. Sexist, racist, homophobic comments and other inflammatory remarks are not conducive to learning in our course, and absolutely are not permitted.
As this is a University of Alberta course, all participants are governed by the Code of Student
Behaviour. If you are put into a student group — a breakout room on Zoom, a group project, a forum conversation — that leaves you feeling highly uncomfortable or unsafe, request a change from your instructor. If you are witness to or the target of abusive or offensive behaviour in our course, please inform your instructor immediately. If you don’t feel comfortable reaching out to your instructor, you do have other options. You could contact your department’s Undergraduate/Graduate Advisors, Associate Chairs, or Chair.
Course Requirements, Marking and Grading
Component Weight toward final grade Assignments(9; each 5%, lowest grade will be dropped) 40
Short Paper (2; each 10%) 20
Video Proclamation 20
Term paper 20
Course total 100
Student’s grades on each component of the course will be weighted and then combined to calculate a final % grade. This % grade will be converted to a letter grade which reflects the student’s level of achievement with respect to the course learning outcomes. Grade distribution will not be based on a curve; however, an overall course mark of 50% or more guarantees a passing grade of at least D while an overall course mark of 90% or more guarantees a grade of at least A. Grades are unofficial until approved by the Department.
Missed Assignments: Due dates and times for assignments are as described in this syllabus and are also posted in eClass. Late assignments will be penalized 10% for every 24 hours (or part thereof) that it is late (e.g., a “perfect” paper received five days late would receive at most a grade of 50%).
Assignments are considered handed in when uploaded to eClass.
Contesting Marks
For reconsideration of marks, students must submit their assignment for re-grading within three days of its return, together with a written statement explaining why they think the mark should be adjusted.
The mark may be adjusted upward or downward as a result of re-grading. The instructor will provide a written response and explanation. These responses will not be debated.
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Policy about course outlines can be found in Course Requirements, Evaluation Procedures and Grading of the University Calendar.
Audio or video recording, digital or otherwise, of lectures, labs, seminars or any other teaching environment by students is allowed only with the prior written consent of the instructor or as a part of an approved accommodation plan. Student or instructor content, digital or otherwise, created and/or used within the context of the course is to be used solely for personal study, and is not to be used or distributed for any other purpose without prior written consent from the content author(s).
Tentative Schedule
Week Topic Due dates
Jan 11-16 Introduction to restoration ecology
Jan 17-23 Restoring species and populations Assignment 1 due Jan 22 Jan 24-30 Restoring species and populations
Jan 31-Feb. 6 Restoring species and populations Assignment 2 due Feb 5 Feb 7-Feb. 13 Restoring species and populations Short Paper 1 due Feb 12
Feb14-20 READING WEEK
Feb 21-27 Restoring communities and ecosystems Assignment 3 due Feb 26 Feb 28-March 6 Restoring communities and ecosystems
Video proclamation due March 5
Mar 7-13 Restoring communities and ecosystems
Proposed title and annotated bibliography for Term paper, and Assignment 4 due March 12
Mar 14-20 Restoring communities and ecosystems Short Paper 2 due March 19
Mar 21-27 Restoring disturbances Assignment 5 due March 26
Mar 28-April 3 Current issues in restoration
Outline for Term Paper, and Assignment 6 due April 2 April 4-10 Current issues in restoration Assignment 7 due April 9 April 11-16 Restoration planning
Term paper, Assignments 8&9 due April 16
Disclaimer: Any typographical errors in this Course Outline are subject to change and will be announced in eClass.
