BOTA 31014

>< Type/ Status : Core
>< Course title : Ecology & Environmental Resources Management
>< Prerequisite(s) : BOTA 22034
>< Corequisite(s) : BOTA 31022
>< Objective: By the end of the course, the student will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the ecological interactions and impact of human activities on them, with a view to manage environmental resources.
>< Course content:

Biosphere: biomes and ecosystems. Ecosystem components: soil formation, properties and biological processes in soil, soils of Sri Lanka. Soil conservation. Plant population ecology, growth characteristics and regulation. Plant community ecology, concept of niche, community composition, patterns in space and time, primary and secondary production, decomposition, energy flow, flux of matter. Tropical rain forest and wetland ecology. Global biogeochemical cycles. Quantitative methods of vegetation analyses: structure assessments and sampling procedures.

Development and environmental degradation. Principles of environmental management, current practices: protected areas for species/ biodiversity conservation, biomanipulation, ecosystem restoration, Environmental Impact Assessments and Environmental Protection Licencing.

>< Methodology: Lectures, lecture guides, audio-visual presentations and tutorials
>< Scheme of evaluation: End of course written examination
>< Recommended reading:
01. Crawley, M J (Ed) (1986). Plant Ecology. Blackwell,
02. Krebs, C J (1989). Ecology. 4th Edition, Harper Collins College.
03. Anderson, J .M (1981). Ecology for Environmental Science. Edward Arnold
04. Central Environmental Authority (1995). Man and Environment, CEA, Colombo.
05. Ewusie, J, Y (1980). Elements of Tropical Ecology. Heinemann Educational
Books.

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