Ecology

Paper Code: 
ZOL 611
Credits: 
3
Contact Hours: 
45.00
Max. Marks: 
100.00
Objective: 

Objectives

The course Objectives to provide students with a basic understanding of:

  1. Environment and its biotic, abiotic factors
  2. Biogeochemical cycles
  3. Characteristics of Population and Community
  4. Ecosystem: Concepts of food chain, food web. trophic structure
  5. Ecological succession
  6. Major biomes of the world

 

Learning outcomes-

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

 

1.         Describe Environment and its biotic, abiotic factors

2.         Describe the Biogeochemical cycles

3.         Understand the Characteristics of Population and Community

4.         Describe concepts of Ecosystem

5.         Describe the Types and Patterns of Ecological succession

6.         Understand the Major biomes of the world

 

 

9.00
Unit I: 
UNIT 1

Autecology & Synecology

Concepts of limiting factors

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

9.00
Unit II: 
UNIT 2

Ecosystem:

·         Composition in an ecosystem

·         Concepts of food chain, food web. trophic structure

·         Ecological pyramids.

·                  Its homeostasis.

·                   Functional aspects.

Productivity concepts and itsdetermination. 

8.00
Unit III: 
UNIT III

Community Ecology:

·                  Characteristics of natural Communities, structure,composition, stratification.

·                  Intraspecific & interspecific relationships

·                  Niche concept

Predation & parasitism- Concept, Host- parasite relationship

9.00
Unit IV: 
UNIT IV

Ecological succession:

·                  Types and Patterns, concept of climax.

·                   Details of xerosere and hydroseresuccessions

Habitat Ecology:

·         Fresh water

·         Marine

·         Terrestrial- Desert

Estuarine water

9.00
Unit V: 
UNIT V

Major biomes of the world:

·                  Desert.

·                   Grassland.

·                  Tundra.

·                  Temperate.

·                   Tropical moist Forest and Seasonal forests.

Ecology and Human Future:

·         Growth rate

Role of human kind in modifying natural communities

Essential Readings: 

Essential readings:

  • Ecology and Environment by P.D. Sharma; Rastogi Publications 
  • Fundamentals of ecology; Odum, E.P.; W.B.Saunders, New Delhi.

 

 

 

References: 

Suggested readings:

  • 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.
  • Ladern,D. Modelling in Behavioural Ecology.
  • Ecology and Field Biology, Robert L Smith, Harper CollinsPub, New York.
  • Textbook of Ecology, G.T. Miller and S. Spoolman, Brookes Cole, England.
  • The Encyclopedia of Animal Ecology, P.D. Moore (Ed), Equinox (Oxford) Ltd., England.
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Academic Year: 
2019-2020
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