Measuring Biological Diversity
Dr. James Danoff-Burg
Columbia University
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Introduction
Rationale
Syllabus
Lectures
Readings
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The following are the required readings that you should do for the course. Please read the materials before coming to class. Codes: M = Magurran, S&H = Southwood & Henderson, WE = Worked Examples from the appendix at the back of Magurran. Other readings will be added later and will be drawn from online sources and journal articles.

 Ecological Methods by Southwood and Henderson is available online from Columbia University through NetLibrary. Click on the link, log into the system through CU libraries, if you are off campus enter your CU user name (email address and password), then search for "Ecological Methods", and read the book online.
Week 1; 22 Jan - Intro to community diversity & biotic inventories
 M 1, 3; S&H 2.6
Week 2; 29 Jan - Richness, abundance, & generation of biodiversity
 M 2; S&H 2.1, 2.2
Week 3; 5 Feb - Evenness & broken stick diagrams
 M2; S&H 2.1, 2.2, 13.1; WE 2-5
Week 4; 12 Feb - Evenness tests
M2; S&H 2.1, 2.2, 13.1; WE 2-5  
Week 5; 19 Feb - Simple community diversity indices I
 M 4, 5; WE 9-11
Week 6; 26 Feb - Simple community diversity indices II
 M 4, 5; WE 7, 8
Week 7; 5 Mar - Choosing between & improving indices (JDB away?)
 S&H 2.3, 2.5, 13.3; WE 12, 13
Week 8; 12 Mar - Beta diversity indices
 M 5; S&H 13.2; WE 11, 14, 15
Week 9; 19 Mar - Spring Break
Week 10; 26 Mar - Community ordination techniques
 Web Based Readings TBD
Week 11; 2 Apr - Gamma diversity indices I
 Web Based Readings TBD
Week 12; 9 Apr - Gamma diversity indices II
 Web Based Readings TBD
Week 13; 16 Apr - Prioritizing areas for conservation
 M 6
Week 14; 23 Apr - Implementing conservation decisions
 M 6
Week 15; 30 Apr - Deadline for submission of term pape r
The main text that will be used is Ecological Diversity and Its Measurement, by Anne Magurran from Princeton University Press. Primary literature and online information will be used to augment the concepts and provide examples for discussion. The software packages EstimateS and SPSS will form a digital foundation of the proposed course.

Recommended reading includes the following: Ecological Methods, by T.R.E. Southwood and P.A. Henderson from Blackwell Scientific. Additional recommended websites and references will be supplied through the term.

Both books are available from Labyrinth Books, located at 536 West 112th Street, between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue, just off the Columbia University campus – phone is 212-865-1588. However, you could also purchase the books via Amazon.com or BN.com, which may have some used copies available.
Last Updated by James Danoff-Burg, 27 Jan 03