The course aims studying environment and to aware the students about conservation.
Definition and scope, interaction of climatic, topographic, edaphic and biotic factors constituting the environment components, Ecosystem: Introduction, types of ecosystem, structure and function of ecosystem, biotic and abiotic components, food chain, food web, ecological pyramids, energy flow, productivity.
Definition and brief history, characteristics of a community, ecological succession, composition, structure, origin and development of a community
Soil-Plant Atomosphere Continuum (SPAC), ecological groups of plants:
Hydrophytes- Eichhornia, Hydrilla
Xerophytes: Casuarina, Nerium
Halophytes: Rhizophora
Air, Water and Soil Pollution: sources, effects on plants and ecosystems, control measures, greenhouse effect, ozone depletion, global warming, public awareness, chipko movement.
Ex-situ and in-situ conservation, endangered plants, Red data book, botanical gardens, afforestation, elementary knowledge of institutions related to plant conservation: Botanical Survey of India (BSI), National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research(CSIR), Department of Biotechnology(DBT), Indian Council of Agricultural Research(ICAR)
Suggested Readings
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