Note: This is the 2011–2012 edition of the eCalendar. Update the year in your browser's URL bar for the most recent version of this page, or click here to jump to the newest eCalendar.
Program Requirements
Revision, August 2011. Start of revision. The goal of this specialization is to provide students with an opportunity to further develop their understanding of the ecosystem processes, ecology, and systems thinking necessary to understand, design, and manage our interaction with the environment. Specialization Coordinator: Professor Elena Bennett Academic Adviser: Dr. Julie Major Macdonald-Stewart Building, Room 2-082 Telephone: 514-398-8380Required Courses (12 credits)
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BREE 327 Bio-Environmental Engineering (3 credits)
Overview
Bioresource Engineering : Introduction to principles of bio-engineering in solving environmental problems related to the domains of water, soil and air; the capability of each domain to absorb, recycle or treat contaminants.
Terms: Fall 2011
Instructors: Lefsrud, Mark (Fall)
Restrictions: U2 students and above. Not open to students who have taken ABEN 305.
This course carries an additional course charge of $9 to cover transportation costs for field trips which may include a solar installation site and if registrations permit, a bio-ethanol plant. The fee is refundable only during the withdrawal with full refund period.
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ENVB 305 Population & Community Ecology (3 credits)
Overview
Environmental Biology : Interactions between organisms and their environment; historical and current perspectives in applied and theoretical population and community ecology. Principles of population dynamics, feedback loops, and population regulation. Development and structure of communities; competition, predation and food web dynamics. Biodiversity science in theory and practice.
Terms: Winter 2012, Summer 2012
Instructors: Buddle, Christopher (Winter) Timms, Laura (Summer)
Winter
Restriction: Not open to students who have taken WILD 205
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ENVB 415 Ecosystem Management (3 credits)
Overview
Environmental Biology : Through the examination of cases studies presented in a modular format, students will be exposed to a variety of ecosystem processes. Choice of components, interactions and type of management to achieve desired endpoints will be discussed.
Terms: Fall 2011
Instructors: Begg, Caroline B; Bennett, Elena (Fall)
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ENVB 506 Quantitative Methods in Ecology (3 credits)
Overview
Environmental Biology : The process of formulating models of natural systems and confronting them with data, along with the necessary statistical computing skills. Emphasis on hands-on experience with current approaches for building, fitting, and comparing models.
Terms: Winter 2012
Instructors: Solomon, Christopher (Winter)
Complementary Courses (12 credits)
12 credits of complementary courses selected as follows:
6 credits - Abiotic
6 credits - Biotic
6 credits are selected from the Abiotic list below:
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AGRI 435 Soil and Water Quality Management (3 credits)
Overview
Agriculture : Management of soil and water systems for sustainability. Cause of soil degradation, surface and groundwater contamination by agricultural chemicals and toxic pollutants. Human health and safety concerns. Water-table management. Soil and water conservation techniques will be examined with an emphasis on methods of prediction and best management practices.
Terms: Fall 2011
Instructors: Clark, Grant; Stämpfli, Nicolas; Schwertfeger, Dina (Fall)
Fall
3 lectures and one 3-hour lab
This course carries an additional charge of $13 to cover the cost of transportation with respect to a field trip. The fee is refundable only during the withdrawal with full refund period.
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BREE 217 Hydrology and Water Resources (3 credits)
Overview
Bioresource Engineering : Measurements and analysis of components of the water cycle. Precipitation, evaporation, infiltration and groundwater. Analysis of hydrologic data. Hydrograph theory. Hydrologic estimations for design of water control projects; flood control and reservoir routing. Integrated watershed management and water conservation. Water management systems for environmental protection.
Terms: Winter 2012
Instructors: Prasher, Shiv (Winter)
3 lectures, one 2-hour lab
Restriction: Not open to students who have taken ABEN 217.
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BREE 322 Organic Waste Management (3 credits)
Overview
Bioresource Engineering : An introduction to engineering aspects of handling, storage and treatment of all biological and food industry wastes. Design criteria will be elaborated and related to characteristics of wastes. Physical, chemical and biological treatment systems.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2011-2012 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2011-2012 academic year.
- 2 lectures and one 2-hour lab
- Restriction: Not open to students who have taken ABEN 322.
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ENVB 301 Meteorology (3 credits)
Overview
Environmental Biology : The physical processes underlying weather. Topics include: the atmosphere - its properties (structure and motion), and thermodynamics (stability, heat and moisture); clouds and precipitation; air masses and fronts; mid-latitude weather systems and severe weather.
Terms: Fall 2011
Instructors: Strachan, Ian Brett (Fall)
Fall
Restriction: Not open to students who have taken NRSC 201
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ENVB 430 GIS for Natural Resource Management (3 credits)
Overview
Environmental Biology : Applications of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and spatial analysis techniques to the presentation and analysis of ecological information, including sources and capture of spatial data; characterizing, transforming, displaying spatial data; and spatial analysis to solve resource management problems.
Terms: Fall 2011
Instructors: Bennett, Elena (Fall)
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MICR 450 Environmental Microbiology (3 credits)
Overview
Microbiology (Agric&Envir Sc) : Focus on microbes in the environment. Topics include extreme environments, polar microbiology, biotechnology and bioremediation. Emphasis will be on population studies based upon molecular biological methods.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2011-2012 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2011-2012 academic year.
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SOIL 300 Geosystems (3 credits)
Overview
Soil Science : Interactions between Earth's various geologic systems and how these interactions lead to mineral and rock formation. Geomorphic processes and how various landforms are created by the interactions at the Earth's surface between the various geologic systems.
Terms: Winter 2012
Instructors: McCourt, George (Winter)
Winter
Restrictions: Not open to students who have taken SOIL 200. Restricted to U2 students and above.
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SOIL 326 Soils in a Changing Environment (3 credits)
Overview
Soil Science : Soil processes responsible for soil formation will be studied and the impact of changes to the physical and chemical environment will be discussed.
Terms: Fall 2011
Instructors: Hendershot, William H (Fall)
Fall
3 lectures and one 3-hour lab
Prerequisite: A previous course in soil science, geography, geology or permission of instructor.
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SOIL 510 Environmental Soil Chemistry (3 credits)
Overview
Soil Science : Soil chemical principles are presented in a series of problem sets covering basic concepts as well as applications to environmental and agricultural situations.
Terms: Winter 2012
Instructors: Hendershot, William H (Winter)
Winter
Prerequisite: A course in Soil Science or permission of instructor
Restriction: Not open to students who have taken SOIL 410.
6 credits are selected from the Biotic list below:
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AGRI 340 Principles of Ecological Agriculture (3 credits)
Overview
Agriculture : Focus on low-input, sustainable, and organic agriculture: the farm as an ecosystem; complex system theory; practical examples of soil management, pest control, integrated crop and livestock production, and marketing systems.
Terms: Winter 2012
Instructors: Begg, Caroline B (Winter)
3 lectures and one 2-hour seminar
Restriction: Not open to students who have taken AGRI 250
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ENTO 440 Insect Diversity (3 credits)
Overview
Entomology : Ecology, evolution and systematics of insects and their relatives. Classification and phylogeny of selected insect families; use of diagnostic characters and taxonomic keys. Ecological interactions at an individual, population and community level with emphasis on diversity patterns in space and time.
Terms: Fall 2011
Instructors: Wheeler, Terry A; Buddle, Christopher (Fall)
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ENVB 315 Science of Inland Waters (3 credits)
Overview
Environmental Biology : Nature and history of limnology; divisions of inland waters; properties of fresh water; habitats; zones; nutrient cycles; biota; adaptations; seasonal variation; distributions; pollution; succession and evolution of fresh water environments. Includes field excursions.
Terms: Fall 2011
Instructors: Lewis, David James (Fall)
Fall
Restriction: Not open to students who have taken NRSC 315.
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MICR 331 Microbial Ecology (3 credits)
Overview
Microbiology (Agric&Envir Sc) : The ecology of microorganisms, primarily bacteria and archaea, and their roles in biogeochemical cycles will be discussed. Microbial interactions with the environment, plants, animals and other microbes emphasizing the underlying genetics and physiology. Diversity, evolution (microbial phylogenetics) and the application of molecular biology in microbial ecology.
Terms: Winter 2012
Instructors: Driscoll, Brian T (Winter)
Winter
Restriction: Not open to students who have successfully completed NRSC 331
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PLNT 358 Flowering Plant Diversity (3 credits)
Overview
Plant Science : Principles of classification and identification of flowering plants and ferns, with emphasis on 35 major families of flowering plants and the habitats in which they grow.
Terms: Fall 2011
Instructors: Stromvik, Martina; Eades, Tracy Lee (Fall)
2 lectures, one 3-hour lab, plus a 4-day field week held the week preceding the start of classes
Prerequisite: PLNT 201 or AEBI 210 or ENVR 202 or permission of instructor
A $50 fee is charged to all students registered in this course, which has a fieldwork component prior to the beginning of classes in August. This fee is used to support the cost of excursions, a hand lens, instructional handouts and identification aids. Students who have already received a hand lens may request a reimbursement of a portion of this charge through their department.
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PLNT 426 Plant Ecophysiology (3 credits)
Overview
Plant Science : Investigates of the complex interactions between plants and their environment, focusing on the mechanisms underlying plant physiological processes. Plasticity of plants to their ecological environment; topics include phytoremediation, plant stress responses, plant-symbiosis and plant-insect interactions.
Terms: Winter 2012
Instructors: Bede, Jacqueline (Winter)
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PLNT 460 Plant Ecology (3 credits)
Overview
Plant Science : Theory and practice of plant ecology with an emphasis on the interaction between patterns and ecological processes and the dynamics, conservation and management of plant populations and communities over a range of temporal and spatial scales.
Terms: Fall 2011
Instructors: de Blois, Sylvie (Fall)
3 lectures and one 3-hour lab
Prerequisite: AEMA 310 or permission of instructor.
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WILD 307 Natural History of Vertebrates (3 credits)
Overview
Resource Development : Review of higher taxonomic groups of vertebrates and prochordates, emphasizing diagnostic characters evolution and distribution.
Terms: Fall 2011
Instructors: Frei, Barbara (Fall)
Fall
Lectures and modules
Restriction: Not open to students who have taken ZOOL 307
This course carries an additional charge of $15 to cover the cost of transportation (bus rental) for local field trips. The fee is refundable only during the withdrawal with full refund period.
Revision, August 2011. End of revision.
Faculty of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences—2011-2012 (last updated Aug. 18, 2011) (disclaimer)