Houghton College

Biol 103 Fundamentals of Biology

This course, linked to Principles of Writing - Environmental Emphasis, is a science option for non-science majors. Course objectives go beyond learning basic principles of conservation ecology, and include gaining an appreciation for the diversity and interdependence of living organisms, examining current environmental problems and developing a sense of responsibility as stewards of the environment. Cox's Conservation Ecology: Biosphere and Biosurvival is the text, moving from the history of conservation to examining ecosystems, starting with aquatic ecosystems, and progressing to looking at the oceans., The concept of environmental ethics is then introduced and the various world biomes are presented, with a focus on global stewardship. Following a section on wildlife (birds, large animals and predators), management problems such as the ecology of extinction, exotic species, conserving genetic diversity, and endangered species are discussed. The course lectures finish with endangered species preservation, the design of natural preserves, global conservation programs, and the development of a personal stewardship ethic. The labs have a strong field component, including a canoe trip to a local wildlife management area, a tour of a local Nature Conservancy preserve, stream and forest surveys, and animal telemetry techniques. Other labs include computer simulation of predator-prey interactions, playing the Extinction game, designing a preserve, and a tour of the local sewage treatment plant. A highlight of the lab experience is an extended field trip to Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania to study tracts of old-growth forest ta Heart's Content and Tionesta Scenic Area. Interest in this course as well as General Ecology has resulted in a new campus Environmental Club.

Biol 152 General Biology

The second semester of General Biology includes a section on principles of ecology. Topics such as population growth, carrying capacity, human perturbations of global biogeochemical cycles, conservation of species diversity and tropical forests, and characteristics of world biomes are covered in class and supplemented by discussions of popular articles on the environment.

Biol 322 General Ecology

One of the course objectives of Generl Ecology is to develop a global perspective on ecology and to be equipped to make intelligent decisions on environmental issues as our lives as Christians and members of the global community are impacted by such issues. Starting with the basic principles of ecology, the course enables students to confront current environmental issues building upon skills and techniques in ecology and field natural history. Brewer's The Science of Ecology is supplemented by Scientific American's Managing Planet Earth. Labs are primarily field oriented, including a canoe trip to a local wildlife management area, a forest and lake study of Spring lake (a wildlife preserve managed by Houghton College), a lake study of Conesus Lake (one of the smaller Finger lakes), animal telemetry, and an environmental assessment of a premier trout stream. Following computer simulations of predator-prey interactions and community diversity and similarity, the final lab includes a discussion of conservation biology and the concept of species preservation. A highlight of the General Ecology course is the September weekend field trip to the Adirondack state park to study the complex balance between wildlife preservation and management in this unique park which includes 120,000 humans. Sites visited include old growth forest, alpine tundra on the summit of Whiteface Mountain, and the Environmental Center at Newcomb.