DETAIL OF GENERAL COURSES
ECOLOGY, BIODIVERSITY & EVOLUTION-I (3+0)
Course Contents:
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16.
Introduction; ecosystem and ecological pyramids;
Role of environment on phenotype of organisms;
Food chain, webs and trophic levels;
Factors influencing environment;
Impact of urbanization and industry on environment;
Population: air, water, land, thermal, radiation and noise;
Community ecology;
Atmosphere – composition and cycles;
Pollution; climate change (greenhouse effect and global warming);
Ozone layer – composition and state across the globe;
Waste and sewerage processing and disposal;
Microbes, plants and animal species;
Comparative study of life forms;
Features and characteristics of bacteria, archaea and eukaryotes;
Phylogenetic relationships between the three kingdoms;
Evolution of different members belonging to each of the three domains of life (with specific
examples);
17. Models of speciation; causes and consequences of extinction.
Plan of Work
Cover 10 modules before midterm.
Take presentation and quiz.
Recommended Books:
1. Davet P, 2004. Microbial ecology of soil and plant growth. Science Publishers. 2. Nico et al., 2006. An
Introduction to Ecological Genomics. 1 st Edition; Oxford University Press. 3. Aston et al., 2004.
Ecological Genetics: Planning and Application. Blackwell Science (UK). 4. Costa LG, and Eaton DL, 2006.
Gene-Environment Interactions: Fundamentals of Ecogenetics. 1 st Edition; John Wiley and Sons. 5.
Freeland JR, 2005. Molecular Ecology. 1 st Edition; John Wiley and Sons. 6. Wenz PS, 2001.
Environmental Ethics Today. Oxford University Press. 7. Louis P and Pojman LP, 2007. Environmental
Ethics: Readings in Theory and Application. 5 th Edition; Wadsworth Publishing. 8. Light A, and Rolston III
H, 2002. Environmental Ethics. 1 st Edition; Wiley Blacwell Publishing. 9. Raven PH, and Berg LR, 2005.
Environment. 5 th Edition; John Wiley and Sons.