Freshwater Ecology - PCB 4301

First Problem Set

Due: 5:00 PM, Thursday 2 September

The primary means by which ecologists communicate new and interesting research is through publication of peer-reviewed papers in scientific journals. A familiarity with these journals is essential for students in ecology (and all other branches of science, for that matter!). During the course of this semester, you will be asked to read and critique 3 recent papers from the scientific literature. In preparation for these exercises, this first problem set will get you familiar with assets available at FIU.

Each of you will independently go to the library and make a list of the scientific journals that FIU receives in which work on aquatic ecology is published. You will compile this list in a spreadsheet format (XL, QuattroPro, Lotus), with the following columns:

Column 1. Full name of journal

Column 2. Call Number

Column 3. 2 to 4 word description of the scope of the journal (e.g. General Ecology; aquatic plants, physics of aquatic environments, etc)

Column 4. First year that FIU began receiving the journal

Column 5. Where the journal is published (City, country)

In addition to this table, you will also each identify the most important journal for Freshwater ecologists that the FIU library does not receive, with a brief explanation of why the chosen journal is important.

You will email your responses to Dr. Fourqurean at fourqure@fiu.edu; in the body of the email answer the question about the missing resource, and attach the spreadsheet as a file to your email. The name of the spreadsheet file should be: YOURNAMEprob1.xxx. For example, Ralph Saporito, if he were submitting an Excel file to me, would attach a file called Saporitoprob1.xls.