ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

COURSE CONTENT
` UNIT-I	INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES AND ENERGY    9 Hrs
	Definition, scope and importance – Need for public awareness – Forest resources: Use and over-exploitation, deforestation, case studies. Timber extraction, mining, dams and their effects on forests and tribal people – Water resources: Use and over-utilization of surface and ground water, floods, drought, conflicts over water, dams-benefits and problems – Mineral resources: Use and exploitation, environmental effects of extracting and using mineral resources, case studies – Food resources: World food problems, changes caused by agriculture and overgrazing, effects of modern agriculture, fertilizer-pesticide problems, water logging, salinity, case studies – Energy resources: Growing energy needs, renewable and non-renewable energy sources, use of alternate energy sources. Case studies – Land resources: Land as a resource, land degradation, man induced landslides, soil erosion and desertification – Role of an individual in conservation of natural resources – Equitable use of resources for sustainable lifestyles.
UNIT –II	ECOSYSTEMS AND BIODIVERSITY                       9 Hrs
	Concept of an ecosystem – Structure and function of an ecosystem – Producers, consumers and decomposers – Energy flow in the ecosystem – Ecological succession – Food chains, food webs and ecological pyramids – Introduction, types, characteristic features, structure and function of the (a) Forest ecosystem (b) Grassland ecosystem (c) Desert ecosystem (d) Aquatic ecosystems (ponds, streams, lakes, rivers, oceans, estuaries) – Introduction to Biodiversity – Definition: genetic, species and ecosystem diversity - Conservation of biodiversity: In-situ and Ex-situ conservation of biodiversity.
UNIT-III	ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION              9 Hrs
	Definition – Causes, effects and control measures of: (a) Air pollution (b) Water pollution (c) Soil pollution (d) Marine pollution (e) Noise pollution (f) Thermal pollution (g) Nuclear hazards – Soil waste Management: Causes, effects and control measures of urban and industrial wastes – Role of an individual in prevention of pollution – Pollution case studies – Disaster management: floods, earthquake, cyclone and landslides.
UNIT –IV	SOCIAL ISSUES HUMAN POPULATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT  9 Hrs
	Water conservation, rain water harvesting, watershed management – Resettlement and rehabilitation of people; its problems and concerns, Climate change, global warming, acid rain, ozone layer depletion, nuclear accidents and holocaust, Wasteland reclamation – Consumerism and waste products – Environment Production Act – Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act – Water (Prevention and control of Pollution) Act – Wildlife Protection Act – Forest Conservation Act – Issues involved in enforcement of environmental legislation – Public awareness.
UNIT V	HUMAN POPULATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT           9Hrs
	Population growth, variation among nations – Population explosion – Family Welfare Programme – Environment and human health – Human Rights – Value Education - HIV / AIDS – Women and Child Welfare – Role of Information Technology in Environment and human health – Case studies..
	L=45 hrs         T=15 hrs
References
1.     Trivedi R.K., Handbook of Environmental Laws, Rules, Guidelines, Compliances and Standards, Vol. I and II, Enviro Media. 2.     Cunningham, W.P.Cooper, T.H.Gorhani, Environmental Encyclopedia, Jaico Publ., House, Mumbai, 2001. 3.     Wager K.D., Environmental Management, W.B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia, USA, 1998. 4.     Gilbert M.Masters, Introduction to Environmental Engineering and Science, Pearson Education Pvt., Ltd., Second Edition, 2004. 5.     Miller T.G. Jr., Environmental Science, Wadsworth Publishing Co. 6.     Townsend C., Harper J and Michael Begon,  Essentials of Ecology, Blackwell Science.