Tips to study for Exam IV
1. Understand the concepts and ideas discussed in the lectures. Use the tables, diagrams and charts to reinforce the concepts learned in class. Certainly you need to understand well the context on which ALL the visual material was used to reinforce a point made during the lectures. I expect you to know well the table on specific interactions, the diagrams used for food webs (learn that there can be different types of food webs and how species diversity changes the structure of food webs), understand the different pyramids of trophic efficiency (how efficiency varies with throphic levels), learn the general key aspects of the diagrams for the water, carbon, phosphorus and nitrogen cycles and study in more detail the diagram portraying the general model of nutrient cycling. I want you to understand the major types reservoirs and processes implicated in the transport of nutrients from one reservoir to the next. Do realize that emphasizing the above aspects of the lecture material does not mean that you only need to study those aspects to be ready for the exam. You need to understand well all the material discussed in the lectures to do well in the exam.
2. There will be 40 questions in the exam. All questions will be multiple choice or True/False. In general, there will be 8 questions per lecture. Since we spent 2 days in lecture 19 (species interactions) expect to find ~ 16 questions about this lecture on the exam.
3. As usual you are required to study your lecture notes and the presentation notes. The exam will not include any material from your discussion articles.
4. If you did not understand a concept, idea, or did not catch all the info in class, do read your book to get a better hold of the material. However, only the material given during lecture will be included in the exam. In general, the information on Ecology found in your book is limited, thus most of my lectures have been reinforced from other books. Hence, studying your notes and presentations will be the best strategy for success. If you still have questions about the lecture material after reading your book or even before reading your book, do come to my office hours next T or send me an e-mail with your questions by T.
6. The exam will only cover material from lectures 19-23. Lecture 23 will be uploaded on T after class. It will be mainly based on chapter 55 of your book, you can get a head start by studying this chapter before class.
7. NEW: Lecture 23 is now uploaded. Study only up to slide 12 for the exam. The rest of the material will not be included in the exam as we did not have time to finish the lecture in class.
Good luck in the exam! See you next Thursday May 6th, at our usual meeting place: Taylor Hall 2.006. Remember there will be no make up exams. Only if you are extremely sick you will be given the opportunity to do the exam no later than F (May 7th) morning (official doctor's excuse will be required). This exam will be a harder essay question exam than the usual multiple choice one.
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