Mar 29, 2024  
2022-2023 College Catalog 
    
2022-2023 College Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

BIO 105IN - Environmental Biology

4 Credits, 6 Contact Hours
3 lecture periods 3 lab periods

Fundamentals of ecology and their relevance to human impact on natural ecosystems. Includes ecosystem structure and function, population dynamics, and human impacts on air, water, land, and biodiversity.

Gen-Ed: Gen Ed: Meets AGEC – SCI and G; Meets CTE - M&S and G.




Course Learning Outcomes
  1. Utilize scientific methods to formulate and answer questions.
  2. Apply biological principles to current issues.

Performance Objectives:
  1. Describe ecological principles of how the Earth functions.
  2. Apply ecological principles and the human impact on the environment.
  3. Evaluate scientific basis of environmental issues.
  4. Describe possible causes and analyze potential solutions to current environmental issues.
  5. Demonstrate skills necessary for life-long learning, critical examination, and personal decisions relative to environmental biology.
  6. Perform activities to demonstrate improvement in the general education goals of oral communication, written communication, and critical thinking.

Outline:
  1. Environmental Biology
    1. Science
    2. Scientific method
  2. How the Earth Works
    1. Plate tectonics
    2. Climate and biomes
    3. Ecology
      1. Ecosystem components
      2. Energy flow and biogeochemical cycling
      3. Natural selection and evolution
      4. Population and community ecology
  3. Humans on Earth
    1. History
    2. Population
    3. Economics and politics
  4. Human Impacts
    1. Biodiversity
      1. Description and importance
      2. Impacts upon and management
    2. Water
      1. Resources
      2. Uses and management
    3. Land
      1. Soil
      2. Food
      3. Land and waste management
    4. Air
      1. Air pollution
      2. Energy use, impacts, and conservation
    5. Global Climate Impacts
      1. Global climate change
      2. Ozone depletion
      3. Acid deposition