SFR 100 - Introduction to Forest Biology: Introduction. page1
SFR 100 - Introduction to Forest Biology
Syllabus–January 10, 2015
Spring 2015
9-9:50 am; Mon., Wed., Fri.; Nutting 100
I.Course Information
SFR 100 - Introduction to Forest Biology
Introductory concepts related to forest plants, animals, environment and ecology. Lec 3.
Satisfies the General Education Lab in the Basic or Applied Sciences Requirement when taken with SFR 102.
Credits: 3
II.Instructor Information.
Faculty: William H. Livingston, School of Forest Resources.
Office: 201B Nutting Hall
Phone: 581-2990
E-mail:
Dept. office: 201 Nutting Hall
Office hours: By appointment
TA: Kara Lorion Costanza, School of Forest Resources.
Office: 251 Nutting Hall
E-mail:
Dept. office: 201 Nutting Hall
Office hours: By appointment
III.References - Required.
Reece, Jane B., and others. 2011. Campbell Biology, 9th Edition. Benjamin Cummings, New York.
IV.BlackBoard
Blackboard is a web based course management system that makes the creation, organization, and management of course content on the web relatively simple.
The content page on the SFR 100 Blackboard site is where you can find assignments, links to lecture recordings, and links to download lecture outlines. You will also need BlackBoard to access Wiki pages and Assignment submission pages.
Computer Software: BlackBoard is accessed through browsers. On Windows, Firefox and Chrome work well, Internet Explorer 10 works on Windows 7 and 8. On Max OSX, Safari and Firefox work.
Smart phones and Tablets: BlackBoard is accessed through Bb Mobile. To access the Blackboard Mobile Learn, you will need to install the app for your device and search for the institution, University of Maine System, regardless of which campus you are located at. University of Maine System has institutional licensing for Blackboard Mobile Learn, and Blackboard Mobile apps are now available for Android, iOS, Blackberry and WebOS devices.The applications are free on all platforms. If you are having trouble with the app itself, please visit
How to log into Blackboard: Login with your MaineStreet user ID, the portion of your ‘@maine.edu’ email address to the left of the ‘@’ sign, at your current MaineStreet password as your Blackboard password. You must activate your MaineStreet email account before you can login to Blackboard.
V.OtherTechnical Requirements
- Use of a computer is required. Students must be proficient in using internet browsers and downloading files. The computer must also be capable of playing videos with sound.
- Documents are in MS-Word. To view them, you need a copy of MS-Word or Word Viewer on your computer. You can download a copy from:
- Recordings require a high speed internet connection for viewing. A high speed internet connection can be a DSL connection, a cable connection, or a T-line connection such as that found on the UMaine campus. Warning: Without a high speed internet connection, you will not be able to view the recordings; please make sure you have access to high speed internet before registering for the course.
- FlashPlayer is required for viewing recordings. Download Flash Player at:
- E-mail address. You will be receiving E-mail messages through your MaineStreet E-mail address (@maine.edu). If you want the messages forwarded to another e-mail address, be sure to configure your MaineStreet account so that the messages will be forwarded. E-mail will be used for sending questions to and messages between the instructor and students.
VI.Student Learning Outcomes
After successfully completing the class, a student will be able to:
- Explain basic concepts of science, molecular biology, cells, organisms, populations, species, communities, and ecosystems.
- Describe how energy use, reproduction, and natural selection affect change in forests and organisms over time.
- Explain concepts in tree biology including molecular components of wood, life cycles, photosynthesis and respiration, water relations, nutrition, and plant hormones.
VII.Course Grading.
Lecture questions / 20%Exam #1 / 20%
Exam #2 / 20%
Exam #3 / 20%
Final Exam / 20%
OR if the Final exam grade is lower than the calculated course grade
Final Exam / 100%
VIII.Answering Questions for Lectures
A.Lecture recordings and readings
1.Students are expected to view assigned lecture recordings and read assigned material prior to the class period.
2.An assigned question or list of questions must be answered and submitted to a wiki page on BlackBoard prior to the assigned class period. Written answers should typically be at least 200 words. If you make sketches as part of your answer, bring the sketches with you to class.
3.Wiki’s must be submitted by 8:30 am on the assigned day.
4.Students need to bring a complete set of notes on the topic to the class as well.
5.If you do NOT submit the questions as a wiki page on BlackBoard by the assigned class period, you will receive an unexcused absence for the day.
B.Scheduled class periods
1.Bring an electronic device that has access to BlackBoard (laptop, tablet, smartphone)
2.Students will work in groups of 2 (3 if needed). Partners will be assigned based on the order that the wiki pages were submitted.
3.You will review the answer to the topic questions that your partner wrote.
4.A class discussion of the questions will occur after groups havereviewed the wiki statements.
5.You need to make comments on your partner’s wiki.
a)Click the “Edit Wiki Content” tab in the upper right corner, and make Edits to the partner’s answer.
b)If sketches were brought to class, make remarks about the sketch on the student’s wiki entry.
c)NOTE: Do NOT use the “Comment” tab – text written here will NOT appear for viewing.
C.For grading, copy your revised answer from the wiki page and submit the text to the corresponding assignment number on the Assignments module in BlackBoard. This needs to be done before the next class. If you have a sketch, you can submit a scan or picture of the sketch using the Assignment module, or you can submit the sketch at the next class period. You must submit answers for all assignment before you can receive a grade for the class.
1.Answers and comments will be graded: 10 points for full participation, 5 points for partial participation.
2.There will be automatically 0 points if:
a)You did not submit a wiki entry before the start of class.
b)The wiki you submitted does not contain significant content (5 points) from the recording.
c)Wiki edits on your partner’s wikiuses no useful information.
d)Even if you will get a 0 on an assignment, you must still submit an acceptable assignment answer (worth at least 5 points) in order to receive a grade for the class.
IX.Lecture Exams.
- There will be three lecture exams, one at approximately each third of the semester. The exams will cover all the material on the topic outlines, even if the topics weren’t discussed during the lecture periods. Exam format will use short answer questions.
- The first exam will cover topics 1-7, the second exam will cover topics 8-13, and the third exam will cover topics 14-20.
- Make-up exams will be available for excused absences only.
- You can use YOUR notes for exams. Photocopies of web pages, text book pages, figures, etc. are NOT acceptable and can’t be used.
- You will turn-in your notes after taking the exam. Points can be added or subtracted from your exam based on the quality of the notes:
1.Add points (up to 10): Text and sketches in notes go beyond what is shown in the recording.
2.Subtract points (up to 10): Text in notes is limited to that on the recordings (or less).
X.Final Exam.
A.The final exam will be comprehensive in that questions can cover any topic from the course.
B.You can NOT bring notes to the exam.
C.The exam’s questions will be based on previous lecture questions and lecture exam questions.
D.The final exam grade will be compared to the average of all the course grades – the lowest grade will be used for the course grade.
XI.Missed Assignments and Incomplete Work
All missed assignments must be completed or excused in order to receive credit for the class. This includes all lecture work, lecture notes (if needed), and exams. Work not completed by the end of the semester will result in an “F” for the class, or a student can request an “I”, an incomplete grade. If the work is not completed within the first 10 weeks of the next semester, the “I” grade is automatically changed to a failure.
XII.Attendance
"Every student is to accept responsibility for satisfactory attendance in courses," UMaine Student Handbook.
- Every student is expected to be in class. If you miss a scheduled class period, this will be considered an absence.
- Excused absences will be accepted under special circumstances such as: Participation in an official University function, illness, poor travel conditions, and family needs.
- Where possible, such as in University functions or family needs, you must notify the instructor of your planned absence.
- In case of all planned and unexpected absences, you need the following:
- For University functions, you will need a written notice from the University office indicating the activity and its date.
- For all other absences, you will need to provide the name of a person or office who can be contacted to confirm the need for you being absent. The one exception to this is poor travel conditions due to weather.
E.Unexcused absences will affect your grade as follows:
1.1 absence: 0% reduction in your final grade.
2.2 absences: 5% reduction in your final grade.
3.3 absences: 10% reduction in your final grade.
4.4 absences: 20% reduction in your final grade.
5.5 absences: 40% reduction in your final grade.
6.6 absences: automatic class withdraw or class failure.
XIII.Policies
- Academic Honesty: Academic honesty is very important. It is dishonest to cheat on exams, to copy term papers, to submit papers written by another person, to fake experimental results, or to copy or reword parts of books or articles into your own papers without appropriately citing the source. Students committing or aiding in any of these violations may be given failing grades for an assignment or for an entire course, at the discretion of the instructor. In addition to any academic action taken by an instructor, these violations are also subject to action under the University of Maine Student Conduct Code. The maximum possible sanction under the student conduct code is dismissal from the University.
- Students with Disabilities: If you have a disability for which you may be requesting an accommodation, please contact Ann Smith, Director of Disabilities Services, 121 East Annex, 581-2319, as early as possible in the term.
- Sexual Discrimination Reporting: The University of Maine is committed to making campus a safe place for students. Because of this commitment, if you tell a teacher about an experience of sexual assault, sexual harassment, stalking, relationship abuse (dating violence and domestic violence), sexual misconduct or any form of gender discrimination involving members of the campus, your teacher is required to report this information to the campus Office of Sexual Assault & Violence Prevention or the Office of Equal Opportunity.
If you want to talk in confidence to someone about an experience of sexual discrimination, please contact these resources:
For confidential resources on campus:
Counseling Center: 207-581-1392 or Cutler Health Center: at 207-581-4000.
For confidential resources off campus:
Rape Response Services: 1-800-310-0000 or Spruce Run: 1-800-863-9909.
Other resources: The resources listed below can offer support but may have to report the incident to others who can help:
For support services on campus: Office of Sexual Assault & Violence Prevention: 207-581-1406, Office of Community Standards: 207-581-1409, University of Maine Police: 207-581-4040 or 911. Or see the OSAVP website for a complete list of services at
- Extended Disruption: In the event of an extended disruption of normal classroom activities, the format for this course may be modified to enable its completion within its programmed time frame. In that event, you will be provided an addendum to the syllabus that will supersede this version.
- Student Behavior: Every student in the class is expected to be familiar with the University's Student Handbook ( and Student Conduct Code part of which states, "It is expected that students will conduct their affairs with proper regard for the rights of others and of the University. All members of the University community share a responsibility for maintaining an environment where actions are guided by mutual respect, integrity, and reason." If the instructor believes that a student's behavior is violating this code or other codes in the Handbook, the instructor has the option to ask that the behavior cease and will seek advice from the appropriate office on campus on how to deal with the student's behavior. If you have questions about this policy or want examples on what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior, please speak with the instructor.
Use of cell phones and other electronic devices during class for non-class related purposes is not permitted. A student will be asked to leave the class if a device is being used for non-class purposes and will receive an unexcused absence for the day.
SFR 100 - Introduction to Forest Biology: Introduction. page1
XIV.Lecture Topics.
Topic / Assigned Reading 9th EditionIntroduction
Introduction to course (class 1, Jan 12)
How we learn (2, Jan 14) / 1067-1079
Principles
- Principles science, biology, evolution (3&4, Jan 1621)
- Forest Ecosystems and Energy (5, Jan 23)
Basis for evolution and energy processes in forests
- Chemistry for Biology (6, Jan 26)
- Water Properties – A Basis for Life (7, Jan 28)
- Molecules of Life (8, Jan 30)
- Cells, Membranes, and Structure (9, Feb 2)
- Energy, Metabolism, and Life (1011, Feb 46)
Review (12, Feb 9)
Exam 1 (13, Feb 11)
- Photosynthesis. (14 & 15, Feb 1316)
- Respiration. (16, Feb 18)
- Genes, DNA, and Replication (17, Feb 20)
- From Gene to Protein (1819, Feb 2325)
- Meiosis and Genetics (20 &21, Feb 27 & Mar 18)
Components of a forest
- Viruses, bacteria, protista. (22, Mar 20)
Review (23, Mar 23)
Exam 2 (24, Mar 25)
- Plants (25-27, Mar 27-April 1)
- Plant Structure and Growth. (28, Apr 3)
- Transport in Plants (2930, Apr 68)
- Plant Nutrition (31, Apr 10)
- Plant Reproduction (32, Apr 13)
- Plant Responses to Signals (33, Apr 15)
- Fungi. (34, Apr 17)
Review (Apr 20)
Exam 3 (35, Apr 22)
- Animals. (36 & 37, Apr 20 27)
- Biomes and Cycles (38, May 1)
Comprehensive Final:. Wed., May 6, 8 am 100 N