PERSPECTIVES IN ECOLOGY

Paper Code: 
24CZOL113
Credits: 
4
Contact Hours: 
60.00
Max. Marks: 
100.00
Objective: 
Course objectives: 
This course will enable the students to  
1. Examine ecological history and limiting factors, population dynamics, community characteristics, and ecosystem dynamics.
2. Analyze population attributes, growth models, and regulatory mechanisms.
3. Investigate community characteristics, ecological succession, and intra- and interspecific relationships.
 
Course Outcomes: 

Course

Learning outcomes

(at course level)

Learning and 

teaching strategies

Assessment

Strategies

 Course Code

Course Title

24CZOL 113

Perspectives in  Ecology

THEORY

 

CO:13 Examine the history of ecology, autecology, synecology, and levels of organization, including the laws and concepts of limiting factors in ecosystems.

CO:14 Analyze the attributes of populations, including density, natality, mortality, life tables, and dispersal patterns, and evaluate population growth models and regulation mechanisms.

CO:15 Investigate community characteristics like species richness, diversity, and dominance, along with ecological succession and the concept of niches, focusing on intra- and interspecific relationships.

CO:16 Explore ecosystem types, food chains, food webs, and energy flow dynamics, including ecological pyramids and nutrient cycles like nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and carbon.

CO:17 Evaluate applied ecology in wildlife conservation and habitat management across various ecosystems, including freshwater, marine, desert, and estuarine environments.

CO:18 Contribute effectively in course-specific interaction

The 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

Assessment 

Strategies

Class test, Semester  end examinations,  Quiz, Solving 

problems in 

tutorials, 

Assignments, 

Presentation

 

12.00
Unit I: 
Introduction to Ecology
History of ecology, Autecology and synecology, Levels of organization, 
Laws of limiting factors,  
Concepts of limiting factors 
Abiotic Factors of Environment—temperature, light, pressure 
Substratum-Soil as a substratum 
12.00
Unit II: 
Population
Unitary and Modular populations 
Unique and group attributes of population: Density, natality, mortality, life tables,
fecundity tables, survivorship curves, age ratio, sex ratio, dispersal and dispersion Exponential and logistic growth, equation and patterns, r and K strategies Population regulation - density-dependent and independent factors 
Population interactions, Gause‘s Principle with laboratory and field examples, 
 
12.00
Unit III: 
Community Ecology
Community characteristics: species richness, dominance, diversity, abundance, vertical  stratification, 
Ecotone and edge effect; 
Ecological succession 
Intraspecific & interspecific relationships 
Niche concept 
Predation & parasitism- Concept, Host- parasite relationship 
 
 
 
12.00
Unit IV: 
Ecosystem
Types of ecosystems with one example in detail, Food chain: Detritus and grazing food  chains, Linear and Y-shaped food chains, Food web, Energy flow through the ecosystem,  Ecological pyramids and Ecological efficiencies 
Nutrient and biogeochemical cycles: Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Sulphur, Carbon cycle 
 
12.00
Unit V: 
Applied Ecology
 
Ecology in Wildlife Conservation and Management 
Habitat Ecology: Fresh water, Marine, Terrestrial- Desert, Estuarine water 
 
Essential Readings: 
ESSENTIAL READINGS: 
● P.D. Sharma, Ecology & Environment Rastogi Publications. 
● 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: 
● Ecology and Field Biology, Robert L Smith, Harper CollinsPub, New York.
● Textbook of Ecology, G.T. Miller and S. Spoolman, Brookes Cole, England. 
 
e-RESOURCES: 
 
e-JOURNALS: 
∙ ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY 
∙ Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 
∙ International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology
Academic Year: 
2024-2025
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