Environmental Ecology

Paper Code: 
ENV 102
Credits: 
3
Contact Hours: 
45.00
Max. Marks: 
100.00
Objective: 

To understand the structure, function, and integration of the Ecosystem and its inhabitants and its four major spheres: land, water, living things, and air. To illustrate the interdisciplinary nature and complexity of environmental problems in our local communities

10.00
Unit I: 
Community Ecology
  • The Biotic community concept
  • Community structure and the concept of Ecological Dominance
  • Ecotone and Edge Effect
  • Habitat and Ecological Niche
9.00
Unit II: 
Habitat Ecology

  Structure of the following ecosystems:

  • Aquatic ecosystem

- Freshwater

     - Marine

     - Estuarine

  • Terrestrial ecosystem

      - Desert

    - Grassland

    - Forest

10.00
Unit III: 
Population Ecology

 

  • Density
  • Natality
  • Mortality
  • Biotic potential
  • Fluctuations
  • Dispersal and growth rate
  • Growth forms (J and S-shaped) and Carrying Capacity
  • Regulatory factors of population growth-density dependent and independent factors
10.00
Unit IV: 
Concept of Productivity
  • Primary productivity
  • Secondary productivity
  • Significance of productivity
  • Methods of measurement of productivity: Harvest method, Oxygen Measurement, Carbon dioxide method, The pH method, Disappearance of raw material, chlorophyll method
6.00
Unit V: 
Ecological Succession

 

  • General process
  • Basic types
  • Patterns of Succession-Xerosere, Mesosere and Hydrosere
  • Causes and trends
  • Concept of Climax( Monoclimax and polyclimax)
Essential Readings: 
  1. Chapman,J.L. & Reiss, M.J.: Ecology: Principles and Applications, 1995 Cambridge University Press
  2. Sharma, P.D. : Ecology and Environment,2008, Meerut : Rastogi Publications
  3. Kormondy: Concepts of Ecology, Prentice Hall
  4. Cunningham, W.P.& Saigo, B.W.: Environmental Science, 1999, Mc- Graw Hill Book Company
  5. Townsend C., Harper J, and Michael Begon, Essentials of Ecology, Blackwell Science
  6. Miller T.G. Jr. Environmental Science, Wadsworth Publishing Co. (TB)
  7. Odum, E.P. 1971. Fundamentals of Ecology. W.B. Saunders Co. USA,
  8. Odum, E.P. 1983.  Basic Ecology, Saunders, Philadelphia.
  9. Smith, R.L. 1996. Ecology and Field Biology, Harper Collins, New York.
  10. Kumar H.D et. al: General Ecology -, Vikas publishing house Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi (1995)
  11. Ecology - Culvinvux P, John Wiley and Sons, (1986)
  12. Ecology - Krebs J, II ed, Harper international
     
Academic Year: 
2018-2019
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