Science on Water, Soil and Ecosystems-E2
| Numbering Code | U-LAS15 10014 LE58 | Year/Term | 2022 ・ Second semester |
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| Number of Credits | 2 | Course Type | Lecture |
| Target Year | Mainly 1st & 2nd year students | Target Student | For all majors |
| Language | English | Day/Period | Tue.2 |
| Instructor name | KOCH, Michael Conrad (Graduate School of Agriculture Program-Specific Assistant Professor) | ||
| Outline and Purpose of the Course |
Ecosystem science is a vast subject that comprises the study of biotic and abiotic components in an ecosystem and the interactions among them. This course provides an introduction to the science of two major physical components of ecosystems: water and soil. Understanding the earth's structure, the movement and distribution of water and the mechanics of soils can help answer issues related to sustenance of life like the availability of fresh water and food sources, natural and anthropogenic disturbances leading to geo-disasters etc. Study of such interactions between the physical and living environment will help develop tools for the assessment, management and mitigation of environmental impacts. Based on a scientific perspective, the course will also provide a foundation for the quantification of hydrological and geotechnical data. The contents of this course will aid students interested in a career in diverse fields like environmental sustainability, climate modeling, geology, hydrology, ecology, agriculture, forestry and many more. |
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| Course Goals |
Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able (1) to understand and quantify different aspects related to the circulation of water in the environment, (2) to understand the basic mechanics of soil and explain the mechanism of commonly occurring geo-hazards, e.g. landslides, (3) to integrate these concepts along with those of nutrient movement in the ecosystem to develop and manage tools for environmental sustainability. |
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| Schedule and Contents |
1. Introduction 2. Precipitation 3. Evapotranspiration 4. Runoff and streamflow 5. Internal structure of the earth 6. Erosion 7. Fundamentals of soil mechanics 8. Mechanism of soil failure leading to geohazards (e.g. landslides) 9. Groundwater 10. Ecological energetics 11. Biogeochemical cycles 12. Environmental sustainability - methods, tools, management (I) 13. Environmental sustainability - methods, tools, management (II) 14. Reserved week for revision 15. Examination 16. Feedback |
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| Evaluation Methods and Policy |
Students' evaluation will be based on (1) applying knowledge through answering mini-quizzes (20%); (2) developing scientific communication skills through writing summary reports of book chapters, research papers and oral presentation (30%); (3) writing a short essay of a case study using critical & problem-solving skills (10%); (4) final examination (40%) |
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| Course Requirements | None | ||
| Study outside of Class (preparation and review) | Students are highly encouraged to develop data collection skills by visiting various sources of study materials such as libraries, online sources, reference books, journals, or articles. The collected materials can enhance students' understanding of the introduced topics and highlight other applications of the concepts to interdisciplinary topics outside the purview of this course. | ||
| References, etc. |
Fundamentals of hydrology , Davie T, (Routledge), ISBN:0-203-93366-4, Not all chapters are covered in the course (ebook available from library) Fundamentals of ecosystem science, Weathers KC, Strayer DL, Likens GE, (Elsevier), ISBN: 978-0-12-088774-3, Not all chapters are covered in the course (available in library) Additional reading materials may be introduced in some lectures. |
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