Week and Date

Lecture Topic

Discussion Section

INTRODUCTION

Week 1

Wednesday, September 26

Introduction to course and Wenatchee field trip

Field trip logistics

Friday, September 28

Required field trip to Wenatchee Mountains: 07:00 Friday to 19:00 Sunday

PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT AND ECOPHYSIOLOGY

Week 2

Monday, October 1

Climate of the Pacific Northwest

Wednesday, October 3

Ecophysiology: Photosynthesis and Water Relations (P1)

Entry of field trip data Vegetation Classification

Friday, October 5

Ecophysiology: Photosynthesis and Water Relations (P2)

Field trip transect data due

Week 3

Monday, October 8

Growth and establishment in extreme environments

BIOTIC INTERACTIONS

Wednesday, October 10

Introduction to Stand Development; Cohort establishment

Discussion questions

Friday, October 12

Stand Development: Competitive Exclusion

Discussion Paper #1 Due

Week 4

Monday, October 15

Tree Recruitment in Forests

Wednesday, October 17

Stand Development: Maturation and Diversification

Describing Vegetation Patterns

Introduction to PC-ORD

Friday, October 19 

Field Trip Introduction

Background Reading

Weekend required field trip to Wind River: 17:00 Friday to 19:00 Sunday

Week 5

Monday, October 22

Guest Lecture: Janneke Hille Ris Lambers Tree recruitment in eastern forests

Wednesday, October 24

Stand Development: Revisit

Discussion questions

Friday, October 26

Stand Development: Revisit

Week 6

Monday, October 29

Guest lecture: Bob van Pelt on Canopy Ecology

Data Analysis #1 Due

Wednesday, October 31

Facilitation

Discussion questions

Friday, November 2

Mycorrhizae

Week 7

Monday, November 5

Pathogenic Fungi

Wednesday, November 7

Trophic Cascades:

Herbivores and Carnivores

Discussion questions

Friday, November 9

Direct and Indirect Effects:

Herbivores and Carnivores

Discussion Paper #2 Due

DISTURBANCE

Week 8

Monday, November 12

Holiday—no class

Wednesday, November 14

Disturbance

Discussion questions

Friday, November 16

Spatial Ecology

Data Analysis #2 Due

Week 9

Monday, November 19

Fire: The Disturbance

Wednesday, November 21

Pattern and Process in the Plant Community*

No discussion section

Friday, November 23

Holiday—no class

Week 10

Monday, November 26

Wind and Disturbance Mediated Coexistence

Wednesday, November 28

Disturbance Interactions

Discussion questions

Friday, November 30

Guest Lecture: Bob Gara on Beetles, Fire and Fungi

Discussion Paper #3 Due

Week 11

Monday, December 3

Disturbance: Agent of Stability or Change?

Wednesday, December 5

Unidirectional Vegetation Change

Discussion questions

Friday, December 7

Wrap-up

Week 12

FINAL EXAM (Three take-home discussion questions)