FUNDAMENTALS OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

Paper Code: 
ENV101
Credits: 
3
Contact Hours: 
45.00
Max. Marks: 
100.00
Objective: 

To acquaint students with the subject and to make them learn the fundamentals of ecology and environmental science

8.00
Unit I: 
Introduction to Environmental Science
  • Definition, Scope and Importance of Environmental Science
  • Multidisciplinary nature of Environmental Science
  • Origin and Evolution of Biosphere: Atmosphere of the Primitive Earth. Early Life forms, Origin of Life- Chemical basis, Evolution of Life forms through ages
  • Environmentally significant dates and abbreviations

 

10.00
Unit II: 
Physical and Chemical Environment
  • Ecosphere and its components: Atmosphere, Hydrosphere,            Lithosphere and Biosphere
  • Interaction of all the components(Atmosphere, Hydrosphere,            Lithosphere and Biosphere)
10.00
Unit III: 
Ecological Concepts
  • Concept of Ecosystems
  • Types of Ecosystems
  • Ecosystem structure and functioning
  • Energy flow
  • Food chains and food webs
  • Ecological pyramids
10.00
Unit IV: 
Ecological Principles
  • Liebig’s Law of Minimum
  • Shelford’s Law of Tolerance
  • Combined Concept of Limiting Factors
7.00
Unit V: 
Biogeochemical cycles
  • Definition and importance
  • Hydrological
  • Carbon
  • Oxygen
  • Nitrogen
  • Phosphorus
  • Sulphur
Essential Readings: 
  • Agrawal,K.C.: Fundamentals of Environmental Biology,2001, Bikaner (India): Nidhi Publishers
  • Odum, E.P. 1971. Fundamentals of Ecology. W.B. Saunders Co. USA
  • Odum E.P.: Fundamentals of Ecology,1996, Dehradun: Natraj Publisher
  • Chapman,J.L. & Reiss, M.J.: Ecology: Principles and Applications, 1995, Cambridge University Press
  • Cunningham, W.P. Cooper, T.H. Gorhani, E & Hepworth, M.T. 2001, Environmental Encyclopedia, Jaico Publ. House, Mumbai,
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