Esteban Fernández-Juricic

Class announcements:

Lecture meeting time: Tuesdays 9:30-11:20AM in LA5-353

Lab meeting time: Thursdays 8:15-11:00AM in PH2-207

Prerequisites: BIOL 211A,B

Instructor: Dr. Esteban Fernández-Juricic

Phone: 562-985-7597 (but you can reach me faster by e-mail)

E-mail: efernand@csulb.edu

Instructor's website: http://www.csulb.edu/~efernand/

Ornithology course website: http://www.csulb.edu/~efernand/ornithol/

Office: PH1-226

Office hours: to be determined

Course description:

Birds have generated a great deal of interest by amateur and professional ornithologists in the last two centuries because of their widespread distribution and high diversity (about 9,600 living species). Ornithology will study the ecology, morphology, physiology, behavior and taxonomy of birds from an evolutionary perspective, but also considering the biological reasons that have influenced a recent increase in their extinction risk.

Course objectives:  

The main goal is to understand why and how birds are so diverse. To that end, students will need to learn the major aspects of bird biology and analyze them carefully and logically from different points of view. The identification of birds (and their behavior) in the lab and the field will allow students to appreciate the ecological and evolutionary basis of their diversity. Furthermore, students are expected to develop their critical and analytical skills by participating in group activities during class and by carrying out a short research project, which will also enhance their writing and oral communication skills in order to make ideas about birds accessible to others.

Teaching approach:

The best way of learning Ornithology is to think critically about the ecology and evolution of birds. Thinking critically will be promoted through deeper questioning, challenging assumptions, finding new strategies to solve problems, exploring innovative approaches, and answering thought-provoking questions. During lectures and laboratory work, I will use different teaching resources, such as group projects, student debates, classroom presentations, videos, etc. Lab and field work will allow students to integrate the theoretical and empirical aspects of Ornithology through the identification of different taxonomic groups and the development of short-term research projects. Communication skills will be improved through presentations and discussions of recent literature and original research conducted by students.

Most course activities will approached through a guided inquiry process. Guided inquiry is a multifaceted process that involves making observations; posing questions; examining the literature to determine what is already known; planning research; using tools to gather, analyze and interpret data; discussing the results of novel experimental evidence; proposing answers, explanations and predictions; and communicating the results. Guided inquiry gives equal weight to knowledge and skills through a hands-on, activity-based focus that relies on strong content. Some activities will be highly structured (considerable instructor guidance through detailed procedures, pre-made data tables and questions that call for fairly specific answers), while others will be less structured (students will have much more responsibility for collecting, recording, and analyzing data). The goals of combining both types of activities are to (a) explore concepts in real-world situations, (b) use evidence to reason through a problem, and (c) use concepts to reach independent conclusions justified by evidence. 

There is no textbook required for this course. However, for those really into birds, I recommend the following books:

Suggested field guides (but others may also be used):

Evaluation

Graduate students enrolled in Bio 524 will have an extra lab presentation that will be worth 50 points, making their total point load 850 points. This presentation will consist of a brief review of the ecology and behavior of the different Orders and Families studied in the lab. 

Grading system:

Attendance to lectures and labs

Students are expected to attend lectures and labs. It is not the instructor’s responsibility to repeat material for students who miss class or are late to class. Each student should expect to be called on by name several times during the semester. This will allow me to get to know each of you and assess your understanding of the main concepts discussed in class. Thirty points are given for class attendance (including both lectures and labs). All students start with 30 points and lose points, as determined by the instructor, for absences, late arrivals, or other failures to participate, such as newspaper reading, bubble-gum blowing, and other disruptions.

Excused absences include: (a) illness or injury to the student, (b) death, injury, or serious illness of an immediate family member, (c) religious reasons, (d) jury duty or government obligation, and (e) University sanctioned or approved activities. The instructor should be informed about excused absences within 48 hours.

For more information, please read the CSULB attendance policy carefully at: http://www.csulb.edu/divisions/aa/grad_undergrad/senate/documents/policy/2001/01/

Individual Presentations

Students will be asked to give a 5-min presentation (with Power Point) on a bird species present in Southern California (you are free to choose the one you like). This presentation is worth 20 points. If students go over the 5 min., points will be deducted. The presentation should include: Order and Family, abundance and distribution in Southern California, distinguishing ID characteristics, vocalizations, habitat, behaviors that you consider interesting to share with the class, and conservation and management.

Please, use as your source of information Birds of North America online, which you can access through the CSULB Library: http://www.csulb.edu/library/eref/biology.html

For abundance maps, use this resource: http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/infocenter.html

For vocalizations, try these two sources:

http://sirismm.si.edu/testperl/nasongkey.pl

http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/songlist.html

Make up exams

Make-up exams will ONLY be allowed for justified absences (see above). I must be informed within 24 hours of missing the exam due date. All make-up exams will be oral exams.

Late work

Students will be penalized for late work by deducting 7% per day of the total point load of that activity for three days. Afterwards, the work will not be graded, and students will not earn credits for that activity (= 0 points).  

Policy on Withdrawals

It is the student’s responsibility to withdraw from classes.  Instructors have no obligation to withdraw students who do not attend courses, and may choose not to do so.  Please, check the Bio Department office for the latest version of the withdrawing from classes form.

Accommodation

It is the student’s responsibility to notify the instructor in advance of the need for accommodation of a disability.

Cheating and Plagiarism 

Written work that you hand in is assumed to be original unless your source material is documented appropriately. Using the ideas or words of another person, even a peer, or a web site, as if it were your own, is plagiarism.

Cheating and plagiarism are serious academic offenses. Students should read the section on cheating and plagiarism in the CSULB catalog.  

Furthermore, students should be aware that faculty members have a range of academic actions available to them in cases of cheating and plagiarism from arranging a conference, to failing a student on that particular work, to failing a student in a course, to referring the case to judicial affairs.

The use of computers.  Announcements and messages from me to the class may come by e-mail through BeachBoard.  If you do not check your CSULB e-mail account regularly, but use another account instead, please set your CSULB account so that it will forward messages to your other account.

Computer Help! The CSULB Technology Help Desk is now available for students. You may check the Help Desk at: http://www.csulb.edu/divisions/aa/academic_technology/thd/ or call 985-4959.

Final exam (= research project):

Topics

Students have to conduct a study and write a paper to demonstrate their ability to combine their knowledge of Ornithology with the use of the scientific method. Five options may be available: (a) a study suggested by the Instructor, (b) a review paper with a comprehensive summary of a sub-discipline stressing research needs (following Trends in Ecology and Evolution format), (c) a lab research project with the specimens available at the museum and complemented by literature search (e.g., using the comparative method), (d) a research project suggested by students (requires Instructor's approval), and (e) the development of an education website for the Ornithology Museum.

Some available topics:

• Inter-specific variation in escape tactics from predators: is wing shape a good predictor?
• Do species living in urban areas modify their vocal communication system to adapt to high noise levels?
• What factors explain the distribution and abundance of threatened and vulnerable species in the United States?
• Patterns of bird species distribution in protected and unprotected areas in California.
• Do birds exploits resources based on their abundance or the levels of predation risk?

The Instructor will supervise these projects closely. Students are expected to discuss their projects at length with the Instructor, work in groups, review the scientific literature, and gather data in the field or lab. Students are also expected to update the Instructor once per week (deadlines Wednesdays 1 PM) by sending an e-mail (one per group) or stopping by my office during office hours. If any of these requirements are not met, points will be deducted from the group research project point load.

General instructions

• Your paper should include the following sections: Title, Authors (along with their e-mails, phone numbers, and the sections each author wrote), Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Acknowledgements, Literature Cited, Tables (with captions explaining their content), and Figures (with captions explaining their content). 
• Each research group will have four students. Within the group, each student is expected to write a specific section of the research paper (Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion) due at the end of the semester (see below). Pay as much attention to the sections you write as to the whole paper. Please, note that each of you will get individual and  group grades. That means that you have to collaborate with the other group members so that the whole paper makes sense, not only your section. The Abstract and the Literature Cited sections should be written by all group members.
• Before writing the paper, seek the Instructor’s approval as to which section each group member will write.
• Write clearly and concisely.
• Use double space (not 1.5 spacing) text and 12pt font size, and number pages (page 1 is the Title Page).

• Handwritten work will not be accepted.

• Avoid slang and jargon.
• Avoid passive verbs. Use the active voice when possible.
• Define abbreviations the first time that you use them.
• Include headings for each component of your paper.
• You must cite your references following the stylistic format (see below).
• Do not quote from your sources. You should paraphrase and cite.
• You must provide the Instructor with a hard and electronic copy of your paper, an electronic copy of your data sheets (in Excel), the output of the statistical analysis including figures (in Excel), and the sources of information in case you got any data online. 
• Pay attention to your writing (use the grammatical tool provided by Word).
• A minimum of 10 references (all primary literature, not review papers or textbooks) should be read and cited at the end of the paper.

Specific instructions

To learn how to write a scientific paper, please visit and read thoroughly the following online resource:

If you have questions after reading this resource, please do not hesitate to ask me.

Some sections of your research paper require special attention. Here are some tips:

• Before turning in your work, include the name as well as e-mail of the authors.
• If you measured something, it should be clear exactly how you measured it and to what accuracy.
• Use the metric system, please.
• In the Results, you ought to provide the results of the statistical tests.
• Careful consideration should be made regarding the most effective way to show your results. For instance, you may use a graph with means and standard errors instead of a Table. However, if you have a lot of means and standard errors to present (or results from statistical tests) then you should use a Table.
• Please, do not repeat the same results in both a table and a figure.
• Never use the raw output of your statistical software in your Results. Each table of test results needs to be redrawn so that it is clear what exactly is being displayed. Each test should include the p-value and the test statistic.
• Make sure that your data satisfy the assumptions of any statistical test that you wish to perform BEFORE you run the test.
• For all parametric tests (e.g. t-test, ANOVA), your data must be normally distributed and the variances must be equal among treatments. If these assumptions are not met, you may have to transform the data.
• The final paragraph of the Discussion should have the take-home message of your paper (what have we learned with your study?) and how will that affect future research.

Checklist before turning your research paper in:

• Do the Title and Abstract accurately describe the contents of the article?
• Does the Introduction clearly state how the study is novel and set out the reasons for, and context of, the study?
• Is the purpose/goal of the study made clear in the Introduction?
• Are the hypotheses/predictions being tested clearly stated in the Introduction?
• Are the methods and experimental design described in sufficient detail for the study to be repeated?
• Are the results correctly presented?
• Are the tables and figures in poor format or crowed? Do they show what they purport to show?
• Are there errors of fact or interpretation?
• Have any ideas been over- or under- emphasized?
• Do you find any content repeated or duplicated?  A common fault is repetition in the text of data in tables or figures.
• Are the authors’ statements clear?
• Have the authors cited the pertinent literature?
• Is the overall presentation clear and accurate, without wordy or tangential passages?
• Is the paper formatted correctly? 

Please, note that these will be the evaluation criteria.

Examples

The assignment was to study the effects of human disturbance (namely, visitors to protected areas) on the population density, habitat use, and tolerance of an endemic species (in this case, an amphibian). You may download examples of this project written by different students that got different grades to have an idea of the requirements of the research project. Grades: F, D, C, B, A. 

Selection of papers (primary literature) for the term project

You should select papers from primary literature (try to balance classic and recent papers). Many journals include ecological articles. You can search for these papers in databases (MY RECOMMENDATION: Web of Science). Otherwise, you can browse the journals listed in the following website: http://www.csulb.edu/~efernand/links.htm

IMPORTANT: If you do not find a copy of a paper at the Library, you could request it from the Library (free service for CSULB students, but it takes about 10 days to get the papers) or directly from the author through e-mail (stop by my office, and I will explain how to do it). 

Reading primary literature: general guidelines

While reading papers (quizzes, research project) please, try to connect the ideas to the broader context of ecology. Focus on how the paper solves a problem/answers a question/tests a hypothesis.

General assessment of a paper:

• Identify the novelty of the paper.

• Identify the hypothesis/es and prediction/s.

• Identify a flaw in its design or in the analyses or in the interpretation of data.

• Identify the relevance of the study to other areas.

Some specific questions you are expected to ask/answer:

What are the assumptions of the hypotheses being tested? Do the results support the hypotheses or more work is necessary? Are the results consistent with the conclusions of the paper? Are the experimental and statistical methods appropriate? Are there alternative ways of testing the same hypotheses using different methodologies and data? Does the paper provide a novel insight? Why? What are the theoretical and practical implications? Is the paper difficult to understand because it is poorly presented or because you lack sufficient background in the topic area?

Oral presentation of your research project

I would strongly encourage you to read thoroughly this online resource (Oral Presentation by Jeff Radel) in order to prepare a successful presentation.

You presentation should contain the following sections:

1) Descriptive title (be as descriptive as possible).

2) Introduction – Your presentation should begin with an introductory statement about the topic and its evolutionary/ecological/conservation significance.  This can be broad at first, but narrow down towards a specific question or hypothesis.  It should include the development or rationale for your hypothesis(es) and a clear statement of your predictions.

3) Methods – you should give a brief description of your methods.  This is where diagrams, flow charts, or cartoons of your experimental design can be really helpful in illustrating what your dependent and independent variables or factors were and how your compared them. Please, present the GLM models that you used as studied in class.

4) Results – Your results should be displayed using your graphs and tables that summarize your findings.  Do not show raw data.  As scientists, you have all been trained on how to interpret graphical data.  This is the language we used to see patterns.  You can put your statistical results right on your graphs (namely, p-values, sample sizes, df, t or F –statistics…).  Always ask yourself what type of graph best illustrates your data.

5) Discussion – Here is where you tell us what your results mean.  This can be bulleted text that can step through your explanations of your findings.  You should also be using other studies to back up or support what you found.  Be sure to give credit to other authors. End with a take-home message of your talk.

Finally, practice your talk for time.  Remember, you will only have 15 min. to give your talk.  The more your practice, the more comfortable you will become with the presentation and you will make fewer mistakes. 

Assessment criteria for the oral presentation of your research project:

Use of specimens and equipment

You will be allowed to use Museum specimens, books, and some pieces of equipment (bird recording package, calipers, range-finder, binoculars, GPS unit, etc.). We ask you to be EXTREMELY CAREFUL with all materials, as they will be the tools you will need to complete a successful research project. 

How should you study Ornithology to get good grades?  

It is very important that you attend all lectures and labs to understand and apply the general concepts, clarify ideas, and learn examples. While studying, try to apply the concepts you learn to different contexts (imagine habitats with different environmental conditions and predict the consequences of changing certain conditions). Working in groups will enhance your learning abilities, particularly during the research project. Critical thinking (rather than memorizing) will be an important component in the lecture exams.

Finally, do take advantage of your instructor and ask as many questions as necessary. If there is not enough time during lectures, drop by during Office Hours or arrange an appointment (e-mail is the best way of reaching me). 

Fall 2008: Class schedule 

Please, note that occasionally adjustments in the course schedule or the course assignments may be necessary. Students will be notified about changes, if any, and, whenever possible, students will be consulted in advance about any changes.

Research projects: groups

Topics included in the lecture exams:

Exam 1:

• Origins and evolution of birds

• Bird flight: from structural to behavioral patterns

• Avian physiology: energetic demands, metabolism, and thermoregulation

• Statistics applied to Ornithology

Exam 2:

• Reproduction

• Nervous system

• Visual and vocal communication

• The evolutionary ecology of bird migration

• Statistics applied to Ornithology

Exam 3:

• Social interactions in birds

• Avian reproduction

• Diversity in life histories

• Variation in extinction risk and species richness

• Statistics applied to Ornithology

Topics included in the mid-term lab exam: