ENVS 554: Environmental Ecology
INSTRUCTOR:
DR. ASSAD A. AL-THUKAIR
Course description:
This course will provide comprehensive understanding to the complex
interrelationships in nature and mechanisms of interaction among living
organisms and their environments. It will introduce the ecosystem concept,
interactions between organisms and the biotic environment; and investigates
the structure and functioning of ecological systems and balance between
terrestrial and marine/aquatic systems. In addition it t examines response of
ecological systems to changes of environmental conditions caused by human
activities.
OFFICE:
#
(Building 4, Office 140, Tel. # 3827)
Office Hours could be scheduled by appointment
TEXTBOOK:
Ecology, Concepts and applications. Manuel C. Molles ,
Jr. McGraw-Hill, ISBN 0-07-042716-xHandout and
references from various sources (Text books, technical
publications, documents and tools from credible internet
sites).
Course objectives:
 Give students introductory prospective on basic components of
ecology and appreciate its importance.
 Identify various concepts of life on land and water and adaptations of
organisms to live in various environments.
 Understand major relationships in ecology and effect of physical
conditions in environments, water relations, energy and nutrients.
 Learn the importance of population dynamics, population growth,
population distribution and abundance on ecology and resources.
 Identify various types of interactions between individuals in a
populations including; competition, exploitation and mutualism.
 Recognize the concepts of communities and ecosystems where species
abundance and diversity will be explained.
 Understand the basic concepts of nutrient cycling, succession, and
food webs.
 Recognize various types of ecology including; landscape ecology,
geographic ecology and global ecology.
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SCHEDULE OF LECTURES
Lecture title
Lecture
Number
Outline
Course Outline
Introduction
 Chapter 1: What is ecology?
1
Natural History
 Chapter 2:
 Chapter 3:
2
Life on Land
Life in Water
3
Individuals
 Chapter 4: Temperature relations
 Chapter 5: Water Relations
 Chapter 6: Energy and nutrient relations
5
6
Chapter 9: Population Growth
7
Interactions
 Chapter 10: Competition
 Chapter 11: Exploitation
 Chapter 12: Mutualism
8
Exam 2

Recent Scientific
paper
4
Exam 1
Populations
 Chapter 7: Population Distribution and abundance
 Chapter 8: Population Dynamics

Submission
Assignment
Communities and Ecosystems
 Chapter 13: Species abundance and diversity
 Chapter 14: Food webs
9
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Chapter 15: Primary production and energy flow
Chapter 16: Nutrient cycling and retention
10
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Chapter 17:
Chapter 18:
Succession and stability
Landscape Ecology
11

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Chapter 19:
Chapter 20:
Geographic Ecology
Global Ecology
12

Final Exam
2
Recent Scientific
paper
Course Grading:
Activities
Points
Attendance and Participation in class discussions
10
Exam 1
20
Exam 2
20
Final
30
2 Assignment & Presentation
20
On the Net:
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Ocean Planet –Smithsonian (http://seawifs.gsfe.nasa.gov/ocean_planet.html).
Monterey Bay Aquarium on. Line (http://www.mbayaq.org/)
Australian Institute of Marine science, Coral Reefs and Mangroves
(http://ibm590.aims.gov.au/ )
Coral Reef Research Institute (http://www.bio.usyd.edu.au/CRRI/crri-ind.html)
Cairns On Line Environment Guide: Mangroves
(http://www.cairns.aust.com/environ/mangroves.htm)
GCC Report in Protecting the Environment and Preserving their Natural
Resources.2004. Secretariat General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab
States of the Gulf.
http://library.gcc-sg.org/Arabic/APicshow.asp?mycover=31
The World Conservation Union (IUCN) www.IUCN.org .
National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). www.noaa.gov
Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management.
www.mass.gov/czm/czm.htm.
National Protection Area www.mpa.gov
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