What This Document Is
This document outlines the learning goals for a Biogeography unit within a Genetics (BIO 310) course at Mercer University. It’s designed to clarify expectations for student understanding of the factors influencing the distribution of species across space and time. It’s structured around three main sections: Species Richness and the Extinction Crisis, Ecological Biogeography, and Historical Biogeography.
Why This Document Matters
This guide is essential for students enrolled in BIO 310 to understand the scope of the Biogeography module. It helps students prioritize their study efforts by highlighting key concepts assessed at different cognitive levels – from basic understanding to evaluation and application. Instructors use this to align coursework with measurable learning outcomes. It’s most useful at the beginning of the unit to map out a study plan, and during review to ensure all core areas have been addressed.
Common Limitations or Challenges
This document is a *guide* to learning goals, not a substitute for the full course materials. It doesn’t provide the content itself – the explanations, data, or analyses needed to achieve those goals. Students will still need to engage with lectures, readings, and SimUText Ecology™ exercises to fully grasp the concepts. It also doesn’t include the detailed spreadsheet (LO_Biogeography.xlsx) referenced, which provides more granular definitions of the learning outcomes.
What This Document Provides
The full document details learning goals categorized by section, and indicates the Bloom’s level of cognitive skill required for each (Understand, Evaluate, Analyze, Apply). Specifically, it covers:
* Evidence for ecological and historical drivers of biogeographical patterns.
* Patterns of species richness, including latitudinal gradients and the current extinction crisis.
* Key theories like MacArthur and Wilson’s island biogeography.
* Dispersal mechanisms and barriers.
* Hypotheses explaining the latitudinal gradient in species richness.
* The application of biogeographic principles to conservation.
This preview *does not* include the detailed learning outcome spreadsheet, the SimUText Ecology™ exercises, or the full explanations and supporting data for each concept. It only provides a high-level overview of the topics and skills covered in the Biogeography unit.
