EEM603A - Ecological and biological principles and process

Ecosystems; biotic and a biotic components, production and consumption, tropic levels, productivity and energy flow, food webs, cycling of elements. Ecology of population; ecological niche, mortality and survivorship, community interactions. Changes in ecosystems; succession. Long range changes, long range stability. The organization and dynamics of ecological communities. Description and study of typical natural and artificial ecosystems. Biochemistry; photo synthesis and respiration, important biological compounds, enzymes. Microbiological concepts; cells, classification and characteristics of living organisms, characterization techniques, reproduction, metabolism, microbial growth kinetics. Applications to environmental engineering; assimilation of wastes, engineered systems, concepts and principles of carbon oxidation, nitrification, denitrification, methanogenasis, etc., concepts of quantization of degradable pollutants.