Ecology & Biostatistics

Paper Code: 
ZOL-602
Credits: 
3
Contact Hours: 
45.00
Max. Marks: 
100.00
Objective: 
Course Objectives: 
 
This course will enable the students to 
1. Develop basic understanding of environment and its biotic and abiotic factors 
2. Perceive knowledge about ecosystem: Concepts of food chain, food web. trophic  
structure 
3. Describe the types and patterns of ecological succession 
4. Compare major biomes of the world 
5. Link scope and application of Biostatistics and Use of data analysis methods 
6. Facilitate use of data analysis methods including graphing and statistical analysis. 
 
 
 

Course

Learning outcomes

(at  course level)

Learning 

and teaching 

strategies

Assessment  Strategies

Paper

Code

Paper 

Title

ZOL 

602

Ecology & 

Biostatistics

The students will -

CO-68 Review the importance  of environment and

its biotic and abiotic factors. CO-69 Explain the stages of  different biogeochemical cycles.

CO-70 Explain Types and patterns of ecological succession

CO-71 Compare the major biomes of the world.

CO-72 Adapt scope and

application of Biostatistics and  Use of data analysis methods

Approach in teaching:

Interactive Lectures,Discussion, Tutorials, Reading assignments, Demonstration, Team  teaching

Learning activities for the students: Self-learning assignments,Effective questions, Simulation, Seminar presentation, giving  tasks, field practicals

Class test  Semester end  examinations  Quiz Solving problems in tutorials 

Assignments  Presentation  Individual and group projects
 
 
10.00
Unit I: 
Unit I
● Autecology & Synecology 
● Abiotic Factors of Environment—Temperature, light , Pressure 
● Substratum-Soil as a substratum 
● Biogeochemical cycles-Nitrogen, Carbon, Water &Sulphur 
● Populations- Characteristics, Regulation of densities, growth curves 
 
8.00
Unit II: 
Unit-II
● Intraspecific & interspecific relationships 
● Niche concept 
● Predation & parasitism- Concept, Host- parasite relationship 
● Communities – Succession, Biome, Ecotone, Edge effect 
 
10.00
Unit III: 
Unit III
● Ecosystem- Components of ecosystem, energy flow, ecological pyramids, Food chain, Food  web 
● Habitat Ecology-Aquatic, Marine, Terrestrial-Desert, Forest 
● Wildlife management, conservation of renewable resources 
● Environmental pollution – Air & water pollutants, Global warming, Pollution control  strategies 
 
8.00
Unit IV: 
IV
● Introduction, scope and application of Biostatistics 
● Frequency distribution 
● Graphical presentation of data (bar diagram, frequency polygon, histogram, pie chart) 
10.00
Unit V: 
Unit V
● Mean, mode, median and their significance 
● Standard deviation, variance and coefficient of variance
 
Essential Readings: 
ESSENTIAL READINGS:
● P.D. Sharma, Ecology & Environment Rastogi Publications. 
● Biostatistics; Gupta, S.P. Sultan Chand &Co. 
● Fundamentals of ecology; Odum, E.P.; W.B.Saunders, New Delhi. 
● Ecology. Gary Miller, Robert, E. Riclefs. W.H. Freeman, USA. 
● Elements of Ecology, 5 Ed Robert Leo Smith et al. Harper Collins. 
● Environmental Biology (Cambridge Advanced Sciences) Michael Reiss.
 
SUGGESTED READINGS:
● Ladern,D. Modelling in Behavioural Ecology. 
● The Encyclopedia of Animal Ecology, P.D. Moore (Ed), Equinox (Oxford) Ltd., England. 
● Ecology and Field Biology, Robert L Smith, Harper CollinsPub, New York. 
● Textbook of Ecology, G.T. Miller and S. Spoolman, Brookes Cole, England. 
● Bencroft, H. Introduction to Biostatistics Harper and Row. New York, 1957. 
● Bailey, N.T.J. Statistical method in Biology Low Priced Text Book English Language  Society, London, 1959. 
● Dunn. O J., Basic Statistics: A Primer for Biomedical Science John Wiley & Sons. Inc.  New York, 1964.
 
e-RESOURCES:
 
e-JOURNALS: 
ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY
Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment
International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology
Academic Year: 
2022-2023
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