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Stable Isotopes in Ecology Laboratory (3 credit hours) 12:55 - 5:00 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday Not offered in Fall 2006 |
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Prerequisite: Instructor's consent and current enrollment in Biology 5470.
Second-half semester laboratory. An undergraduate class with 1-hr lecture and two 3-hr laboratory sessions per week. Two manditory field trips are part of the class (first is a 1-afternoon trip along the Weber River and the second is a weekend trip to the Entrada Ranch).
A laboratory course incorporating technical training, laboratory experiments, and field observations associated with ecological and environmental research. Technical experiences will include training on isotope ratio mass spectrometers, elemental analyzers, GCs, infrared gas analyzers, and vacuum systems. The primary focus of the lab will be to provide students with a range of laboratory and field experiences focusing on experimental design, methodology, data acquisition, data analysis, and proposal preparation. Students will work both in teams on laboratory and field projects. Because of limited space availability, students will require instructor's consent before enrollment.
| Stable Isotopes in Ecology Lab - 1 hour lab lecture, 3 hours lab experience | ||
| Introduction to isotope mass spectrometry | ||
| Basic lab techniques and data handling | ||
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Introduction to vacuum lines | |
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Introduction to sample preparation and loading | |
| How to write up research results - a primer | ||
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Food for thought: detecting adulteration | |
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Life in the greenhouse: photosynthetic pathway variations | |
| Techniques for properly collecting, cataloging, and storing field samples | ||
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Field trip - the entire Weber River transect |
Report Due
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Isotope analysis of water along the Uinta - Great Salt Lake transect | |
| Isotope analysis of water along the Uinta - Great Salt Lake transect | ||
| Deciphering the urbanization signal in aquatic organisms | ||
| Deciphering the urbanization signal in aquatic organisms |
Report Due
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| Field trip - the Entrada Ranch and Dolores River | ||
| Isotope analyses of Entrada Ranch samples | ||
| Assessing terrestrial data from the Entrada Ranch | ||
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Assessing aquatic data along the Dolores River |
Report Due
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| How to write a research proposal - a primer | ||
| Proposal consulting and preparation time | ||
| Proposal presentations (oral and written) |
Report Due
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