Curriculum Development for Ecology, Evolution, & Conservation Biology

夏威夷与世隔绝的简化生态系统既为生态和进化研究提供了自然实验室，也为保护这一独特的生物群带来了挑战。在过去的几十年里，为了应对这些机会和保护责任，研究和培训得到了广泛的发展。密歇根大学希洛分校的生态、进化和保护生物学(EECB)项目首次将这些跨部门活动和任务整合到一个综合的本科生课程中。夏威夷大岛在温度和降雨量方面提供了极端的当地气候多样性，为实地实验室体验提供了绝佳的机会。此外，夏威夷独特的生物群提供了大量的动植物资源，可以在本科实验室课程中进行研究。EECB项目通过采用美国国家科学基金会资助的夏威夷热带雨林生态系统研究的强大研究设计，教授基本和高级的生态学和进化论概念，该研究利用从密歇根州立大学校园附近开始的海拔梯度。实地实验室班级访问这些既定地点，并利用保护生物学秘书处编制的植被监测培训材料进行类似的实地工作，这是一个机构间伞式组织。EECB计划还改编了NSF赞助的本科生教师强化研讨会的课程，该研讨会的主题是“应用于进化、生态学和系统生物学的分子遗传分析：扩展实验室课程”。此外，几个计算机模拟程序正在被纳入本科课程。其中一些计划已经在以前的NSF赞助的项目中开发出来了，包括进化遗传计划--“杨树”。拟议课程中的动物生理生态学部分改编自康奈尔大学、加州大学洛杉矶分校、加州大学欧文分校和西华盛顿大学的课程和课程。大多数这样的课程侧重于动物对气候多样性的适应，并提供当地生态系统的实地经验。

The isolated and simplified ecosystems of Hawaii offer both natural laboratories for ecological and evolutionary research and challenges for the conservation of this unique biota. The last few decades have seen a broad-front development of research and training in response to these opportunities and conservation responsibilities. The Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology (EECB) program at UH Hilo melds these interagency activities and mandates into a integrated undergraduate curriculum for the first time in the state. The Big Island of Hawaii offers extreme local climatic diversity in temperature and rainfall with exceptional opportunities for field laboratory experiences. In addition, the unique biota of Hawaii provides a tremendous resource of plants and animals to investigate in undergraduate laboratory courses. The EECB program teaches basic and advanced concepts of ecology and evolution by adapting the powerful research design of an NSF-funded Hawaiian rain forest ecosystem study that utilizes an elevation gradient that begins near the UHH campus. Field laboratory classes visit these established sites and conduct similar fieldwork, using vegetation monitoring training material developed by the Secretariat for Conservation Biology, an interagency umbrella organization. The EECB program also adapts curriculum from the NSF-sponsored Undergraduate Faculty Enhancement Workshop on "Molecular Genetic Analysis Applied to Evolution, Ecology, and Systematic Biology: An Extended Laboratory Course." In addition, several computer simulation programs are being incorporated into the undergraduate courses. Some of these programs have been developed in previous NSF-sponsored projects, including "Populus"--an evolutionary genetic program. Animal physiological ecology components of the proposed curriculum are adapted from courses and curricula at Cornell University, UCLA, UC-Irvine, and Western Washington University. Most such curricula focus on animal adaptation to climatic diversity and offer field experience with their local ecosystems.