COURSE ANNOUNCEMENT 2009
A
Course on the Biology & Evolutionary Ecology of Invasive Weeds
Agron 517.
Evolutionary Ecology of Weeds.
(3-0). Cr. 3. S. Prereq: 317. Dekker. Ecology
and evolution of invasive plants and weeds in habitats disturbed by humans.
Life history trait evolution and adaptation to agricultural opportunities
and the consequent processes of invasion, colonization, enduring occupation and
population shifts. Roles played by
mating systems and biodiversity, soil seed pools and community assembly,
competitive interactions with neighbors and fitness.
COURSE
CONTENT. The course is founded on
understanding the invasion biology of plants and weeds, the evolution of life
histories, the trait basis of invasive plant evolution and success, and
trade-offs among these invasive traits within specific weed species.
Featured also are the role of selection by humans and disturbance;
opportunities thus created in agricultural and natural habitats; the consequent
processes of invasion, colonization, enduring occupation and range expansion;
community assembly and plant population shifts.
The course utilizes two textbooks (Dekker,
The Evolutionary Ecology of Weeds and Invasive Plants, 2008 (downloadable .pdf);
Silvertown & Charlesworth, Introduction to Plant Population Biology
(2001), 4th Ed., Blackwell Science), and weekly dialogue on the
web and in the classroom among all students and the instructor.
THE
E-CLASSROOM. The 517 classroom
consists of a combination of local graduate students (on-campus; Iowa State
University; USA) and remote WWW-Long Distance (US, Europe) students joined
together in the classroom by means of weekly internet discussion (Skype) and
questions, exams and a Weed Species Guild Project.
At the same time bi-weekly, on-campus, classroom discussions were
available by audio-streaming technology on the 517 web site.
STUDENTS.
The diversity of the outstanding graduate students that take this course
spans a broad disciplinary, cultural and geographic range.
This diversity in students provides a rich basis for understanding and
discussion. Particular invasive and
weed species in each student's geographic and ecological areas of interest are
featured.
ENROLLMENT.
517 is offered every Spring semester (January-April) for 3 credits.
The course is taught in English, and written skills are essential.
Due to the content and rigorous approach to invasion biology, and the
interactive dialogue nature of the course, enrollment is limited to 12 students
per year; all with approval of the instructor.
Off-campus students should contact ISU Continuing Education Office (www.lifelearner.iastate.edu)
to enroll and arrange credit transfer to other universities.
COURSE
URL: www.agron.iastate.edu/~weeds/AG517/AG517HP.html
Jack
Dekker, Agronomy, ISU (jdekker@iastate.edu)
(www.public.iastate.edu/~jdekker/homepage.html)
