Ecology and Economic Botany

Paper Code: 
BOT 302
Credits: 
3
Contact Hours: 
45.00
Max. Marks: 
100.00
Objective: 

Course Objectives: 

This course will enable the students to-

  1. To make the students understand the interactions between environment and organisms so as to increase the awareness among students about global environmental concerns.
  2. To make the students appreciate the concepts and methods from ecological and physical sciences and their application in environmental problem solving.
  3. To make the students appreciate the ethical, cross-cultural, and historical context of environmental issues and the links between human and natural systems.
  4. To provide basic knowledge on commercial utilization of plants and their products in day to day life.

Course

Course Outcomes

Learning and teaching strategies

Assessment Strategies

Paper Code

Paper Title

BOT

302

 

Ecology and Economic Botany

On completion of this course, the students will be able to:

CO41: Learn the Approaches to the study of Ecology (Autecology, Synecology and Genecology)

CO42:  Understand the population & Community Ecology - concept of metapopulation

CO43: Understand core concepts of ecosystem and its functions

CO44: Studied various statistical methods of vegetation analysis

CO45: Understand core concepts of Economic Botany and relate with environment, populations and communities.

CO46: Explain the conservation of biodiversity and national and international initiatives and organizations.

Class lectures

Seminars

Tutorials

Group discussions and Workshops

Question Framing

 

 

Class test, Semester end examinations, Quiz, Solving problems in tutorials, Assignments, Presentation, Individual and group projects

 

9.00
Unit I: 
Ecology and environment

Ecology and environment: Definition and scope, interaction of climatic, topographic, edaphic and biotic factors constituting the environment components, ecological niche.

Community Ecology: Definition and brief history, characteristics of a community, ecological succession, composition, structure, origin and development of a community

 

9.00
Unit II: 
Ecosystem

Ecosystem: Introduction, types of ecosystem, structure and function of ecosystem, biotic and abiotic components, food chain, food web, ecological pyramids, energy flow, productivity. Biogeochemical cycles (carbon, oxygen and nitrogen)

Plant adaptation: Soil-Plant Atomosphere Continuum (SPAC); morphological anatomical and physiological adaptations of Hydrophytes, Xerophytes and  Halophytes with special reference to Eichhornia, Hydrilla, Casuarina, Nerium and  Rhizophora

 

9.00
Unit III: 
Pollution

Pollution and climate change: Air, Water and Soil Pollution: sources, effects on plants and ecosystems, control measures, greenhouse effect, ozone depletion, global warming, El Nino, La Nina.

 

 

9.00
Unit IV: 
Biodiversity

Biodiversity Conservation: Ex-situ and in-situ conservation, endangered and endemic plants, Red data book, afforestation, social forestry, chipko movement. Organization associated with biodiversity conservation – IUCN, UNEP, WWF and NBPGR; Biodiversity Hotspots

 

 

9.00
Unit V: 
Economic Botany

Economic Botany: Origin, cultivation and uses  of: Cereals - wheat, rice and maize; medicinal plants -  Sarpgandha, Guggal, Quinine, Ashwagandha, Spices and condiments -  black pepper, cardamom, clove and cumin, Oil crops: Sunflower, Safflower, Sesame and Groundnut; Commercial crops - tea, rubber and sugarcane.

 

Essential Readings: 
  • Sharma, P.D. (2020). Ecology and Environment (13th edition) Rastogi Publication, Meerut
  • Odum, E.P. (1971). Fundamentals of Ecology (3rd edition) Saunders, Philadelphia,New York.
  • Trivedi,P.C., Khan, S. & Rijhwani, S (2016). Ecology and Economic Botany. RBD, Jaipur.
  • Bendre,A. and Kumar, A. (1998). Economic Botany. Rastogi Publications, Meerut.
  • Kocchar, S.L. (1998). Economic Botany in Tropics, 2nd edition. McMillan India Ltd., New Delhi.
  • Pandey,B.P. (1993). Economic Botany. S. Chand & Co., New Delhi.
  • Sharma, O.P. (1996). Hill’s Economic Botany (Late Dr. AF Hill, adopted by OP Sharma). Tata McGraw Hill Co. Ltd., New Delhi.
  • Kumar, S and Suresh,S. (2002). Economic Botany. Campus books International, New Delhi.
  • Chandel, K.P.S; Shukla, G. and Sharma, N. (1996). Biodiversity in Medical and Aromatic Plants in India: Conservation and Utilization. NBPGR, New Delhi.
  • Sambhamurthy, A.V.S.S and Subramanayam, N.S. (1989). A Text Book of Economic Botany. Wiley Eastern Ltd., New Delhi.

 

References: 

Suggested Readings:

  • Arora, R.K and Nayar, E.R. (1984). Wild Relatives of Crop Plants in India. NBPGR Science Monograph No. 7.
  • Baker, H.G. (1978). Plants and Civilization (3rd edition) CA Wadsworth, Belmont.
  • Bole, P.V and Vaghani, Y. (1986). Field Guide to Common Indian Trees. Oxford University Press, Mumbai.
  • Barbour, M.G; Burk, J .H and Pitts, W.D. (1987). Terrestrial Plant Ecology. Benjamin/ Cummings Publication Co., New York.
  • Begon, M; Harper, J.L and Townsend, C.R. (1996). Ecology. Blackwell Science. Cambridge, USA.
  • Brady, N.C. (1990). The Nature and Properties of Soils. McMillan.
  • Chapman, J.L. and Reiss, M.J. (1988). Ecology: Principles and Applications. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge, UK.
  • Prakash, I. (2019). Desert Ecology. Scientific Publishers, Jodhpur.
  • Simpson, B.B and Conner-Ogorzaly, M. (1986). Economic Botany- Plants in Our World. McGraw Hill, New York.

e-Resources:

Journals:

  • Journal of Ecology (British Ecological Society) 
  • Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment (Ecological Society of America)
  • Energy & Environmental Science (Royal Society of Chemistry)

 

 

 

 

 

Academic Year: 
2022-2023
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