BIOGEOGRAPHY& MACROECOLOGY

BDC322

Frans M Weitz, Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, UWCTel: 021 959 2284. Email: fweitz@uwc.ac.za

MODULE CONTENT

Continental drift and glaciations

Theories of biogeography

Origin of flowering plants vs. mammals

Cladistic biogeography

Macroecology

BIOGEOGRAPHY AND

MACROECOLOGY

BCB 322

Week Day Date Type Topic Practicals

1 Mon 06-Sep L Introduction CFNR Survey

1 Tues 07-Sep L Continental Drift and Glaciations  

1 Wed 08-Sep L Origin of the Angiosperms  

1 Thur 09-Sep P Report on CFNR Report writing

2 Mon 13-Sep L Mammalian vs flowering plant geography CFNR & Lab (C4)

2 Tues 14-Sep L Origin of the Cape flora  

2 Wed 15-Sep L Endemism and Vicariance  

2 Thur 16-Sep P Project CFNR

3 Mon 20-Sep L Paper discussion Project CFNR

3 Tues 21-Sep L Paper discussion  

3 Wed 22-Sep L Tracking Family histories (1)  

3 Thur 23-Sep P Survey Sir Lowry's Pass

4 Mon 27-Sep L Tracking Family histories (2) CFNR

4 Tues 28-Sep L Molecular Methods and Biogeography (1)  

4 Wed 29-Sep L Molecular Methods and Biogeography (2)  

4 Thur 30-Sep P Project CFNR

5 Mon 04-Oct L TEST ARC Worcester

5 Tues 05-Oct L Origin of Dinosaurs and mammals  

5 Wed 06-Oct L Hominid evolution (1)  

5 Thur 07-Oct P Progress Report on Project Report

6 Mon 11-Oct L Hominid evolution (2) CFNR

6 Tues 12-Oct L Island biogeography  

6 Wed 13-Oct L Latitudinal gradients in diversity ALL

6 Thur 14-Oct P Project CFNR

7 Mon 18-Oct L Body Size and abundance  

7 Mon 18-Oct L Project Presentations Presentations

7 Tues 19-Oct L Body Size and extinction rates  

7 Wed 20-Oct L Body Size and extinction rates  

THEORYTHEORY

2. CONTINENTAL DRIFT AND GLACIATIONS:

1. INTRODUCTION: Overview; course specifics

Plate tectonics; Geographical and climatic timelines

3. THE AGE OF THE ANGIOSPERMS Geological and, paleo-ecological evidence, Gondwanan families

Theories on origin of Angiosperms 4. ORIGIN OF THE ANGIOSPERMS:

5. ORIGIN OF THE CAPE FLORA: Origin of the Cape flora using track analysis; Gondwanan, African and Boreal tracks.

6. PAPER DISCUSSION Plant diversity of the Cape Region of Southen Africa (Goldblatt & Manning (1997)

7. TRACKING FAMILY HISTORIES (1): Plants, insects and Tetrapods a comparison

Track analysis of Weevils8. TRACKING FAMILY HISTORIES (2):

9. TRACKING FAMILY HISTORIES (3): : Track analysis of Hominids

10. MOLECULAR METHODS AND BIOGEOGRAPHY: Dating floras using molecular methods: Phylica

11. ORIGIN OF DINOSAURS AND MAMMALS: Different phases in the origin and diversification

12. ENDEMISM: Factors driving endemism with examples

13. ISLAND BIOGEOGRAPHY: Equilibrium theory, immigration and extinction

14. PAPER DISCUSSION ON ISLAND BIOGEOGRAPHY

Anagenetic evolution in island plants

15. LATITUDINAL GRADIENTS AND DIVERSITY: Quadrupedal animal diversity and plant productivity

16. GLOBAL PATTERNS AND SEED SIZE: Paper discussion

17. BODY SIZE AND ABUNDANCE RELATIONSHIPS: Relationship between body size and population abundance (size)

18. BODY SIZE AND EXTINCTION RATES: Relationship between body size and extinction rates

PRACTICAL REPORTSPRACTICAL REPORTS

Cape Flats Nature Reserve, 9 September 2010, 5.30pm. (e-copy + hardcopy, 10 September 2010)Sir Lowry’s Pass, 27 September 2010Karoo Botanical Garden, 7 October 2010

PRACTICAL PROJECT SYSTEMATIC STUDIES OF A SELECTED PLANT SPECIES FROM THE CAPE

FLATS NATURE RESERVE:Select a plant species from the list provided and confirm your choice with me Then:•Map the plant’s distribution in the Reserve using a GPS and a suitable application for mapping.

•Describe the plant’s habit, distribution, classification, habitat, morphology, reproductive biology (this may be from the literature), and anything else that you think is relevant. Literature consulted must be recent.

•Study the leaf epidermis focussing particularly on any special structural/functional features and illustrate these with suitable photographs. Also include measurements of epidermal structures, frequencies of stomata or any other structures.

•The final results to be presented as a full report + presentation under the following headings:

•Aims, Introduction and overview of literature (literature survey) •Materials and methods•Results, Discussion, Conclusion and references•GPS co-ordinates (in decimal degrees) must be in Excel format and included as an appendage.

COURSE EVALUATION

SKILLSSKILLS

1. ACCESS INFORMATION

2. READ SCIENTIFIC PAPERS

5. SCIENTIFIC METHOD

6. SCIENTIFIC REPORT WRITING

3. FIELD TECHNIQUES

4. LAB TECHNIQUES