GEOG696M: Geography and Dendrochronology
Dendrochronology and Forest Demography
Fall 2008
Instructor: Connie Woodhouse
Office: Harvill 412
Email: conniew1@email.arizona.edu
Office hours: by appointment (626-0235)
Weekly class
schedule: Monday3:30-p:00
Location: Harvill 402
Course web site: http://www.u.arizona.edu/~conniew1/696m/Geog696mhome.html
Schedule of readings
Links to papers (password protected)
Day 1 Powerpoint
Course Overview
This graduate level seminar will focus on a review and discussion of
the literature on various topics or subfields in dendrochronology, with
a different topic featured each semester the seminar is offered,
depending on student interests. The goal of the seminar is to
become familiar with the current body of research on the featured
topic, and to critique a set of papers that have appeared in the
peer-reviewed literature.
In fall 2008, the topic will be dendrochronology and forest
demography. The goal of the seminar is to become familiar with
the current body of research on variability in spatial patterns of tree
demography due to climate and disturbance as documented with
dendrochronology. We will explore topics related to long-term
demographic processes, shifts in treeline at upper and lower forest
borders related to both rapid and slow changes in climate, changes in
forest composition and density due to fire suppressing, grazing and
other disturbances, and patterns and process related to episodes of
recruitment and mortality over past centuries to millennia. We
will also discuss methodological approaches that have been employed to
investigate these changes, and the unanswered questions that remain in
this area of research.
Course Organization
The
format of the class will be a journal club. Under the guidance of
the instructor, students will take turns selecting papers related to
dendrochronology and the seminar topic, and be responsible for leading
class discussions. One or two peer-reviewed papers will be
assigned each week for group discussion.
Schedule
Schedule of readings will be contingent upon papers selected by students for weekly discussions.
Requirements and Grading
This is a graduate-level course open to any students with an interest
in dendrochronology and its related subfields. The course can be
taken for variable credit (1-3 credits):
1 credit – select papers for and lead 2 discussions
2 credits – select papers for and lead 4 discussions.
3 credits – select papers for and lead 6 discussions.
In addition, all students are expected to take an active part in all
discussions, and grades will be based on class participation (50% of
grade) and discussions led (50% of grade). Since this is a
graduate seminar, grades will not be a focal point, but students
interested in earning an ‘A’ will be expected fulfill the
requirements outlined for the credits for which they register.
Other general information
GENERAL COURSE POLICY
Absences: Students are required to attend all classes. All holidays or
special events observed by organized religions will be honored for
those students who show affiliation with that particular religion.
Absences pre-approved by the UA Dean of Students (or Dean's designee)
will be honored. Arrangements for these absences must be made before
the date of the class to be missed.
Policy regarding class behavior: no cell phones, pagers, and other disruptive electronic devices.
Policies apply on academic integrity (plagiarism, cheating) within
Student Code of Academic Integrity:
http://dos.web.arizona.edu/uapolicies
Policies apply against threatening behavior by students: "http://policy.web.arizona.edu/~policy/threaten.shtml.
Students with disabilities who are registered with the Disability
Resource Center must submit appropriate documentation to me if they are
requesting reasonable accommodations:
http://drc.arizona.edu/teach/syllabus-statement.html
SUBJECT TO CHANGE STATEMENT
The information contained in the course syllabus, other than the grade
and absence policies, may be subject to change with reasonable advance
notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.
