Students requiring accommodations as a result of a disability must contact the Centre for Students with

Disabilities (778-782-3112 or csdo@sfu.ca).

 

 

BISC 326: Biology of Algae and Fungi

2004-1

 

Professor: James E. Rahe B-8224, e-mail <rahe@sfu.ca>, phone: 291-4801

Teaching Assistants: to be assigned

Prerequisites: BISC 101 and 102

Lectures: 8:30 - 9:20 a.m.

Lab: B-8225, 3 hr/wk

 

Course description: Algae are the primary producers of aquatic ecosystems. Fungi are the primary decomposers and recyclers of terrestrial ecosystems. Algae were responsible for the oxygenation of earth's atmosphere, and today play key roles in climatic relationships. Algae provide contemporary examples of diverse endosymbiotic relationships, including coral reefs. Algae are the basis of many kinds of aquaculture. Algae cause red tides and bioluminescence. Fungi, in addition to their role as decomposers, underlie the brewing of wines and the production of gourmet cheeses, the rising of bread, and the production of antibiotics. Fungi include edible, hallucinogenic and poisonous mushrooms. They cause plant diseases, some of which threaten world crop production and timber production in British Columbia. Fungi form symbiotic relationships with the roots of most plant species, and are keystone species of B.C.'s forest ecosystems. BISC 326 is about these things, the origins, nature, diversity, ecology, classification and systematics of these two little known but extremely important groups of organisms, the algae and the fungi.

 

The course consists of lecture and lab components, and a weekend field trip to the Bamfield Marine Station. A fee to partially offset the costs of transportation and accommodation that are associated with the field trip is included in the tuition that you pay for this course. No additional charges will be assessed.

 

Textbooks: Two texts are required: 'Algae' by Linda Graham and Lee Wilcox, and 'The Fifth Kingdom' by Bryce Kendrick. Most of the lectures and labs will have assigned reading from these texts. 'Algae' will also be useful in relation to the BMS field trip. These texts and several others will be on reserve in the library.

 

Basis for Grading:

              1st term exam, on algae (midterm, 50 minutes)                                                    29%

              2nd term exam, on fungi (50 minutes; no final exam)                                                   29%

              Bamfield field trip quiz (equivalent to 3 labs)                                                                      9%

              Lab reports (8 @ 3% each)                                                                                      24%

              Lab projects (algae; fungi @ 4.5% each)                                                                        9%

 

Grading: Breaks between letter grades of A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D, and F will be made at 95%, 90%, 85%, 80%, 75%, 70%, 65%, 60%, 55%, and 50%