Syllabus
|
Course Code: BOT-104 Course Name: Ecology |
||
| MODULE NO / UNIT | COURSE SYLLABUS CONTENTS OF MODULE | NOTES |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1. The Environment: Physical environment, biotic environment, biotic and abiotic interactions; Tolerance range and limiting factors, ecotypes 2. Habitat and niche: Concept of habitat and niche; niche width and overlap; fundamental and realized niche; resource partitioning; character displacement. 3. Population ecology: Concept, characteristics, population growth and regulation, species interactions—mutualism, competition, allelopathy, predation, parasitism, Life-history strategies and r-and K selection, concept of metapopulation – demes and dispersal, interdemic extinctions, age structured populations |
|
| 2 | 4. Community structure and organization; Nature of communities, community structure and its attributes; species diversity, Edges and ecotones, vegetation characteristics (analytical and synthetic characters, methods of analysis. 5. Ecological Succession: Types; mechanisms; changes involved in succession; concept of climax. |
|
| 3 | 6. Ecosystem organization: structure and functions; primary production (global pattern and controlling factors); energy dynamics—trophic levels, energy flow pathways and ecological efficiencies. 7. Decomposition (mechanism, substrate quality and climatic factors); global biogeochemical cycles of C, N, P, & S, ecosystem stability (resistance and resilience). |
|
| 4 | 8. Biogeography: Major terrestrial biomes; theory of island biogeography; biogeographical zones of India, speciation and extinction, endemism. 9. Global atmosphere changes: Environmental pollution, global environmental change and its consequences (CO2 fertilization, global warming sea level rise and UV radiation). |
|
