Course Offerings - Summer 2013
Undergraduate and graduate-level field courses are offered by nationally-recruited faculty. Courses count toward upper level lab credit for biology majors at the University of Virginia. Participation in MLBS courses is not limited to current college or university students.
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SUMMER SESSION I: May 20 – June 7 (3 weeks)
PLANT CONSERVATION AND DIVERSITY: Bioinformatics, Systematics, and Field Techniques
BIOL 4510/7510, Sec 1 (3cr)
Zack Murrell, Appalachian State University
The extraordinary diversity of the southern Appalachians will serve as a backdrop to explore the world of plants. We will visit unique regional mountain habitats to develop an appreciation for the different species assemblages in these ecologically wide-ranging sites. Biodiversity issues at these sites will be explored. The methodology and management activities of state and federal agencies involved in conservation will be examined to evaluate their effectiveness. Based upon our observations and analyses, we will critique contemporary views of the most effective conservation units (individual, population, species, family, habitat, etc.) and the methods used to achieve these conservation goals.
TECHNIQUES IN CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
BIOL 3510/ EVSC3559 (3cr)
Melissa Aikens, University of Virginia
Species are disappearing at unprecedented rates resulting in a global extinction crisis that has been referred to as the sixth mass extinction. This course will provide an introduction to the major threats to biodiversity and the approaches taken to mitigate these threats. Emphasis will be placed on field techniques and data analysis methods used by conservation biologists. Field exercises, group discussions, readings from the primary literature, and lectures will highlight the ecological and evolutionary principles that underlie conservation problems and solutions. Through both global and local case studies, implementation of conservation strategies will be critiqued in light of social and economic forces. This course will culminate with the presentation of conservation-oriented student research projects.
This course includes handling and manipulation vertebrate animals (mammals, birds, amphibians, fish). When you complete the Liability Waiver, please make sure you answer "Yes" to the question "Do you intend to work with (handle/come into contact with) vertebrate animals while at a UVa Field Station?"
SUMMER SESSION II: June 10 – July 5 (4 weeks)
WILDLIFE DISEASE ECOLOGY
BIOL 4510/7510, Sec 2 (4cr)
Sonia Altizer, University of Georgia & Courtney Thomason, Texas Tech University
This course will focus on the ecology and evolution of parasitic organisms in wild animal populations and is designed for advanced undergraduates and graduate students. Topics include: epidemiology and parasite diversity, population biology of micro- and macro-parasites, host immune defenses and pathogen virulence, and the role of infectious diseases in wildlife conservation. Students will obtain hands-on experience with field and laboratory techniques, including capture and examination of insects, birds, amphibians, small mammals, and other wildlife near MLBS. Students will gain experience with data analysis and quantitative methods for understanding disease processes at multiple scales.
This course includes handling and manipulation vertebrate animals (mammals, birds, amphibians, fish). When you complete the Liability Waiver, please make sure you answer "Yes" to the question "Do you intend to work with (handle/come into contact with) vertebrate animals while at a UVa Field Station?"
BEHAVIORAL ENDOCRINOLOGY
BIOL 4510/7510, Sec 3 (4cr)
Caitlin Gabor & Andrea Aspbury, Texas State University
Hormones alter the development and expression of animal behavior, while behavior in turn changes the effects of hormones. This course will examine the ultimate causation of behaviors as well as the mechanistic basis of those behaviors from a hormonal perspective. We will take an evolutionary approach by emphasizing the selective pressures that act on animals and the hormonal and behavioral responses to these pressures. Course activities will examine behavioral and hormonal variation in wild populations of animals using a range of field endocrinological techniques. The course will combine lectures, discussions of primary literature, field exercises, and a class research project. Students will help design and conduct the research project and submit a paper in journal format based on our results.
This course includes handling and manipulation vertebrate animals (mammals, birds, amphibians, fish). When you complete the Liability Waiver, please make sure you answer "Yes" to the question "Do you intend to work with (handle/come into contact with) vertebrate animals while at a UVa Field Station?"
SUMMER SESSION III: July 8 – July 26 (3 weeks)
BIOLOGY OF FUNGI
BIOL 4510/7510, Sec 4 (3cr)
Rytas Vilgalys, Duke University
The southern Appalachians provide an ideal setting to explore the natural history, evolution and ecology of an under appreciated but fascinating group of organisms. This class provides an introduction to the biology of fungi, with emphasis on field identification and current experimental methods used to study fungal genetics, ecology, and evolution. Laboratory exercises will use filamentous fungi to demonstrate methods for identification, culture techniques, breeding systems, genetic analysis, and interaction biology. Field trips will survey the taxonomic diversity of fleshy fungi from diverse local habitats.
Research / Independent Studies Credit: Offered all Sessions
BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH
BIOL [var], (1-6cr)
By special arrangement. Contact the station.
Independent research credit is available for graduate students pursuing degrees at the University of Virginia and for undergraduates who have made advance arrangements with faculty at the station. For example, REU students, and summer course students whose instructor has decided to offer research credit as an option, may register for Biological Research.
► Fees and Information / Course Application