SOE-464-daniel.thornton-2026-02-09-03-05-46
Below is a syllabus template that includes WSU's required syllabus elements. Please complete all items highlighted in yellow.
Title of Course [Landscape Ecology]
Prefix and Number [SoE 464]
Semester and Year [tbd]
Number of Credit Hours [4]
Prerequisites [junior/senior standing]
Course Details
Day and Time: [tbd]
Meeting Location: [tbd]
Instructor Contact Information
Instructor Name: [tbd]
Instructor Contact Information: [office location, phone, email] [tbd]
Instructor Office Hours: [click here for best practices] [tbd]
TA Name: [tbd]
TA Contact Information: [office location, phone, email]: [tbd]
TA Office Hours: [click here for best practices] [tbd]
Course Description
Spatial pattern and ecological process influence each other in a reciprocal manner, and this relationship is the foundation of the discipline of landscape ecology. Modern scientists and resource managers must incorporate spatial relationships and patterns into research and management endeavors in order to fulfill many stated objectives for natural resource management. This course intends to complement the current curriculum in the School of the Environment by providing the student with a background in conceptual and applied landscape ecology, from basic definitions and concepts to the application of landscape metrics to natural resource management issues.
Course Materials
No required materials - all reading material will be based on peer-reviewed literature and assigned in canvas
|
Course Learning Outcomes (students will be able to:) |
Activities Supporting the Learning Outcomes | Assessment of the Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|
| Define concepts related to spatial scale, and how scale influences understanding in landscape ecology | Readings, group assignments, lecture | Exams, reading assessments, small group assignments |
| Identify the drivers of landscape heterogeneity and pattern | Readings, lectures, labs | Exams, labs, reading assessments |
| Understand basic types of landscape metrics/indices |
Readings, lectures, group assignments, labs |
Exams, labs, reading assessments |
| Understand impacts of habitat fragmentation, edge effects, patch dynamics, and landscape pattern on organisms and ecosystems |
Readings, group assignments, lecture, labs |
Exams, labs, reading assessments, small group assignments |
| Describe and understand disturbance regimes and the landscape patterns they create |
Readings, group assignments, lecture, labs |
Exams, labs, reading assessments, small group assignments |
| Develop a basic understanding of connectivity, the impacts of connectivity on ecological processes, and how connectivity may be enhanced |
Group assignments, lecture, labs |
Exams, labs, small group assignments |
| Dates | Lesson Topic | Assignment | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Week 1 |
Introduction to landscape ecology | none | none |
| Week 2 [dates] |
Scale in landscape ecology |
Reading 1 |
Reading quiz Lab 1-Intro GIS |
| Week 3 [dates] |
Spatial pattern: metrics and indices |
Reading 2
|
Reading quiz Lab 2 - landscape metrics 1 small group work |
| Week 4 [dates] |
Spatial pattern: causes | none |
Lab 3 - landscape metrics 2 small group work |
| Week 5 [dates] |
Spatial pattern: causes | Reading 3 |
Reading quiz Lab 4 - landscape metrics 3 |
| Week 6 [dates] |
Organism response to landscape pattern | Reading 4 |
Lab 5 - landscape models small group work |
| Week 7 [dates] |
Organism response to landscape pattern | Reading 5 |
Reading quiz Lab 6 - habitat loss vs fragmentation debate small group work |
| Week 8 [dates] |
Exam week with review | none |
mid-term exam Redo missing or incorrect lab! |
| Week 9 [dates] |
Connectivity | Reading 6 |
Lab 7 - connectivity modeling 1 small group work |
| Week 10 [dates] |
Connectivity | Reading 7 |
Reading quiz Lab 8 - connectivity modeling 2 |
| Week 11 [dates] |
Behavioral landscape ecology | none |
Lab 9 - BHE debate small group work |
| Week 12 [dates] |
Landscape disturbance dynamics | Reading 8 |
Reading quiz Lab 10 - landscape harvest models small group work |
| Week 13 [dates] |
Landscape disturbance dynamics | none | Lab 11 - carbon storage and habitat fragmentation |
| Week 14 [dates] |
Human impacts on landscapes | Reading 9 |
Reading quiz Lab 12 - landscape scenario planning 1 small group work |
| Week 15 [dates] |
Future directions and final review | Reading 10 |
Reading quiz Lab 13 - landscape scenario planning 2 |
Expectations for Student Effort
Time expectations: This is a 4-credit class - Students should expect to spend 2.5 hrs in lecture per week plus 3 hours working on a weekly lab assignment. For each hour of lecture equivalent students should expect to have a minimum of two hours of outside work related to lecture material.
Grading [add more lines if necessary]
| Type of Assignment (tests, papers, etc) | Points | Percent of Overall Grade |
|---|---|---|
|
Lab assignments
|
80 | 26 |
| Reading assessments | 60 | 20 |
| In class small group assignments | 60 | 20 |
| Midterm | 50 | 17 |
| Final | 50 | 17 |
| Grade | Percent | Grade | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| A |
94-100 |
C | 74-76 |
| A- | 90-93 | C- | 70-73 |
| B+ | 87-89 | D+ | 67-69 |
| B | 84-86 | D | 60-66 |
| B- | 80-83 | F | <60 |
| C+ | 77-79 |
Grading Scale (Grades will be rounded to the nearest full percentage following standard rounding guidelines– i.e., 93.5% = 94%, 93.4 = 93%) :
94-100% = A 80-83% = B- 67-69% = D+
90-93% = A- 77-79% = C+ 60-66% = D
87-89% = B+ 74-76% = C < 60% = F
84-86% = B 70-73% = C-
Attendance and Make-Up Policy
Please note that in-class participation in small group activities is part of the grade in this class. You can’t participate if you aren’t present, so please make every effort to attend class regularly. However, in the event a student is unable to attend a class, it is the responsibility of the student to inform the instructor as soon as possible, explain the reason for the absence (and provide documentation, if appropriate), and make up class work missed within a reasonable amount of time, if allowed. Missing class meetings may result in reducing the overall grade in the class
Late assignments may be accepted dependent upon extenuating circumstances (do not delay in contacting the instructor if this is the case!), but 25% of the value of the assignment is lost in the first day following the due date, unless there is an excused absence. After 2 days late, the assignment will not be accepted for any reason. Make-ups to exams will only be offered under exceptional circumstances.
Academic Integrity Statement
You are responsible for reading WSU's Academic Integrity Policy, which is based on Washington State law. If you cheat in your work in this class you will:
- Fail the assignment
-Be reported to the Center for Community Standards
-Have the right to appeal my decision
-Not be able to drop the course of withdraw from the course until the appeals process is finished
If you have any questions about what you can and cannot do in this course, ask me.
If you want to ask for a change in my decision about academic integrity, use the form at the Center for Community Standards website. You must submit this request within 21 calendar days of the decision.