Module: Pollution & Biosphere

Module Specifications.

Current Academic Year 2024 - 2025

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Date posted: September 2024

Module Title	Pollution & Biosphere
Module Code	BE208 (ITS) / ENS1002 (Banner)
Faculty	Science & Health	School	Biotechnology
Module Co-ordinator	Tomas Zurawski
Module Teachers	Denise Harold, Linda Holland, Magdalena Wislocka, Paul Cahill
NFQ level	8	Credit Rating	5
Pre-requisite	Not Available
Co-requisite	Not Available
Compatibles	Not Available
Incompatibles	Not Available

None
Array

Description

The purpose of this module is to develop an understanding of ecological principles relevant to ecosystem dynamics, pollution control in air, land and water and to relate this understanding to practical and simulated field ecology. An integral component of the module is a half-day field trip to bull island.

Learning Outcomes

1. Explain how organisms interact in the environment.
2. Discuss how energy and nutrients flow through ecosystems, how this impacts upon biomass at each level, and the consequences for environmental pollution.
3. Carry out a field examination of a terrestrial and an aquatic ecosystem.
4. Examine data from an ecosystem and draw appropriate conclusions.
5. Write up reports on ecosystem ecology.

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full-time hours per semester
Lecture	15	theory
Group work	3	Practical Field trip to Bull island to examine coastal ecology
Directed learning	12	Study on global warming
Directed learning	12	Study of data from an aquatic ecosystem
Independent Study	83	Independent study
Total Workload: 125

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Students will work in groups of 4-6 throughout this module.

Weeks 1-3 Ecosystem Ecology
Interactions between organisms, ecological niches, predator/prey relationships, biomes, succession

Week 4 Field trip
Bull Island Field trip

Weeks 5-6 Energetics
Trophic levels. Flow of nutrients and energy through ecosystems. Microbial energetics and the consequences for nutrient cycling and pollution.

Weeks 7-9 Aquatic pollution
Data from a polluted aquatic ecosystem. Students need to examine the ecosystem to determine: the likely source of the pollutant; the likely nature of the pollutant; the timescale of pollution and the prognosis.

Weeks 10-12 Global warming
Students will be given an ecosystem and need to write up a report detailing: how the ecosystem is likely to respond to global warming; the evidence for global warming.

Assessment Breakdown
Continuous Assessment	100%	Examination Weight	0%

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Course Work Breakdown
Report(s)	Write-up on Bull Island fieldtrip, global warming, water quality, ecosystem interactions, microbial energetics and nutrient cycling	100%	As required

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories: Resit category 1: A resit is available for both* components of the module. Resit category 2: No resit is available for a 100% continuous assessment module. Resit category 3: No resit is available for the continuous assessment component where there is a continuous assessment and examination element.
* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a Continuous Assessment/Examination split; where the module is 100% continuous assessment, there will also be a resit of the assessment
This module is category 1

Indicative Reading List

Cunningham: 0, Environmental Science,
Freeman: 2005, Biological Science, 2nd, Pearson,

Other Resources

None