Course info
MERU UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
UNIT: AAA 3154 ECOLOGY, ENVIRONMENTAL PHYSIOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
LECTURER: THAMBURA J.M
COURSE PURPOSE
To enable learners to gain knowledge on the concepts and principles governing the environment and the ecosystems and climate change issues.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of the course, the learner will be able to:
i. Describe plant and animal ecology systems.
ii. Explain food and energy chains in ecosystems.
iii. Describe types of natural resources, their utilization and conservation.
iv. Explain climate change and international efforts to mitigate.
v. Enumerate laws governing environmental protection.
vi. Evaluate plants and animals adaptation factors
vii. Do environmental assessment and audit.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
SEMESTER WEEK LECTURE TOPIC
1 Introduction to plant and animal ecology: ecosystems; concept, types and dynamics.
2 Populations interactions: food chains, food levels, primary productivity, biomass, habitat, ecological niche and trophic levels.
3 Energy flow in an ecosystem.
4 Material transfer in nature: biogeochemical cycles.
5 Natural resources management and conservation.
6 CAT 1
Climate change and agriculture: Global warming, protocols and international efforts to mitigate climate change.
7 The effects of Development on the environment.
8 Environmental pollution.
9 Environmental disasters
10 & 11 Environmental influence on plant and animal physiology
12 Law and the environment
CAT 2
13 Agrometeorological elements and equipments.
14 & 15 University Examinations
INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS/EQUIPMENT
• LCD projector, computer, Internet, photo copier and scanner.
ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING
CATs: 30 %: (Assignment (5%); Tests (10%); Practicals and tour reports (15%))
Exam: 70 %
COURSE TEXTBOOKS
1. McKinney M. L et al (2007). Environmental Sciences – Systems and Solutions, 4th Edition, Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Boston.
2. Willmer P. ,Stone G., and Johnston I. (2005) Environmental Physiology of Animals, 2nd Edition, Blackwell Publishing, Victoria.
3. Ding, Y. H., Ren, G. Y., Shi, G. Y., Gong, P., Zheng, X. H., Zhai, P. M., and Dai, X. S. (2006). National assessment report of climate change (I): climate change in China and its future trend. Advances in Climate Change Research, 2(1), 3-8.
4. Salinger, M. J., Stigter, C. J., and Das, H. P. (2000). Agrometeorological adaptation strategies to increasing climate variability and climate change. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 103(1), 167-184.UNEP 1992. Chemical Pollution: Global Status
5. Turner, D.B. 1994. Workbook of atmospheric dispersion estimates: an introduction to dispersion modeling (2nd Edition ed.). CRC Press. ISBN 1-56670-023-X.
COURSE JOURNALS
1. African Journal of Environmental Science and Technology
2. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology.
3. Journal of Meteorological Research and Application, 1, 001
REFERENCE TEXTBOOKS
1. Pieri, C., Dumanski, J., Hamblin, A. and Young, A. (1996). Land Quality Indicators. The World Bank, Washington D. C.
2. Smyth, A. J and Dumanski, J. (1993). FESLM: An International Framework for Sustainable Land Management. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Rome.
3. UNEP (1992) Agenda 21.
REFERENCE JOURNALS
1. Journal of Environmental Quality
2. The Journal of Environmental Science and Health
3. Advances in Environmental Research and Development
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
UNIT: AAA 3154 ECOLOGY, ENVIRONMENTAL PHYSIOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
LECTURER: THAMBURA J.M
COURSE PURPOSE
To enable learners to gain knowledge on the concepts and principles governing the environment and the ecosystems and climate change issues.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of the course, the learner will be able to:
i. Describe plant and animal ecology systems.
ii. Explain food and energy chains in ecosystems.
iii. Describe types of natural resources, their utilization and conservation.
iv. Explain climate change and international efforts to mitigate.
v. Enumerate laws governing environmental protection.
vi. Evaluate plants and animals adaptation factors
vii. Do environmental assessment and audit.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
SEMESTER WEEK LECTURE TOPIC
1 Introduction to plant and animal ecology: ecosystems; concept, types and dynamics.
2 Populations interactions: food chains, food levels, primary productivity, biomass, habitat, ecological niche and trophic levels.
3 Energy flow in an ecosystem.
4 Material transfer in nature: biogeochemical cycles.
5 Natural resources management and conservation.
6 CAT 1
Climate change and agriculture: Global warming, protocols and international efforts to mitigate climate change.
7 The effects of Development on the environment.
8 Environmental pollution.
9 Environmental disasters
10 & 11 Environmental influence on plant and animal physiology
12 Law and the environment
CAT 2
13 Agrometeorological elements and equipments.
14 & 15 University Examinations
INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS/EQUIPMENT
• LCD projector, computer, Internet, photo copier and scanner.
ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING
CATs: 30 %: (Assignment (5%); Tests (10%); Practicals and tour reports (15%))
Exam: 70 %
COURSE TEXTBOOKS
1. McKinney M. L et al (2007). Environmental Sciences – Systems and Solutions, 4th Edition, Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Boston.
2. Willmer P. ,Stone G., and Johnston I. (2005) Environmental Physiology of Animals, 2nd Edition, Blackwell Publishing, Victoria.
3. Ding, Y. H., Ren, G. Y., Shi, G. Y., Gong, P., Zheng, X. H., Zhai, P. M., and Dai, X. S. (2006). National assessment report of climate change (I): climate change in China and its future trend. Advances in Climate Change Research, 2(1), 3-8.
4. Salinger, M. J., Stigter, C. J., and Das, H. P. (2000). Agrometeorological adaptation strategies to increasing climate variability and climate change. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 103(1), 167-184.UNEP 1992. Chemical Pollution: Global Status
5. Turner, D.B. 1994. Workbook of atmospheric dispersion estimates: an introduction to dispersion modeling (2nd Edition ed.). CRC Press. ISBN 1-56670-023-X.
COURSE JOURNALS
1. African Journal of Environmental Science and Technology
2. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology.
3. Journal of Meteorological Research and Application, 1, 001
REFERENCE TEXTBOOKS
1. Pieri, C., Dumanski, J., Hamblin, A. and Young, A. (1996). Land Quality Indicators. The World Bank, Washington D. C.
2. Smyth, A. J and Dumanski, J. (1993). FESLM: An International Framework for Sustainable Land Management. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Rome.
3. UNEP (1992) Agenda 21.
REFERENCE JOURNALS
1. Journal of Environmental Quality
2. The Journal of Environmental Science and Health
3. Advances in Environmental Research and Development