Module: Pollution & Biosphere

Latest Module Specifications

Current Academic Year 2025 - 2026

Module Title	Pollution & Biosphere
Module Code	ENS1002 (ITS: BE208)
Faculty	Biotechnology	School	Science & Health
NFQ level	8	Credit Rating	5

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

Section Breakdown
CRN	10650	Part of Term	Semester 1
Coursework	0%	Examination Weight	0%
Grade Scale	40PASS	Pass Both Elements	Y
Resit Category	RC1	Best Mark	N
Module Co-ordinator	Tomas Zurawski	Module Teacher	Denise Harold, Linda Holland, Magdalena Wislocka, Paul Cahill

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Assessment 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; RC1: A resit is available for both^* components of the module. RC2: No resit is available for a 100% coursework module. RC3: No resit is available for the coursework component where there is a coursework and summative examination element. ^* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a coursework/summative examination split; where the module is 100% coursework, there will also be a resit of the assessment

Pre-requisite	None
Co-requisite	None
Compatibles	None
Incompatibles	None

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.

Indicative Reading List

Books:

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

Articles:
None

Other Resources

None