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

 

 

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: 
  • Chapman,J.L. & Reiss, M.J.: Ecology: Principles and Applications, 1995, Cambridge University Press
  • Sharma, P.D. : Ecology and Environment,2008, Meerut : Rastogi Publications
  • Kormondy: Concepts of Ecology, Prentice Hall
  • Cunningham, W.P.& Saigo, B.W.: Environmental Science, 1999, Mc- Graw Hill Book Company
  • Townsend C., Harper J, and Michael Begon, Essentials of Ecology, Blackwell Science
  • Miller T.G. Jr. Environmental Science, Wadsworth Publishing Co. (TB)
  • Odum, E.P. 1971. Fundamentals of Ecology. W.B. Saunders Co. USA,
  • Odum, E.P. 1983.  Basic Ecology, Saunders, Philadelphia.
  • Smith, R.L. 1996. Ecology and Field Biology, Harper Collins, New York.
  •  Kumar H.D et. al: General Ecology -, Vikas publishing house Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi (1995)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Academic Year: 
2014-2015
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