Institute of Zoology
Faculty of Life Sciences
University of the Punjab, Lahore
Course Outline
Programme BS Zoology Course Code ZOOL-303 Credit Hours 2
Course Title Environmental Biology
Course Introduction
Environmental Biology explores a wide range of themes, including energy flow, natural resources,
carbon trading, biogeochemical cycles, greenhouse gas emissions, water resource management, land
degradation and rehabilitation, biodiversity, habitat destruction, deforestation, energy and mineral
depletion, pollution, soil erosion, and groundwater contamination. This course provides foundational
knowledge in environmental biology, helping students understand and recognize environmental
challenges such as climate change, global warming, ozone layer depletion, and acid rain.
Learning Outcomes
1. To acquire knowledge of natural systems which make life possible on Earth
2. To gain an understanding that humans are part of these systems and depend on them
3. To acquire an awareness of the need to manage natural systems
4. To get an awareness of their own values concerning environmental issues
5. To understand the relationship between human health and environmental health.
6. Outline changes in economics, policy, and education that promote environmental sustainability.
7. To understand the natural energy resources and their management.
Course Content Assignments/Readings
Unit-1: Environment
1.1 The Environment as a system
1.2 Origin of Solar system and Earth
Week 1 1.3 Abiotic or Non-living Environment (Atmosphere,
Light, Water and Soil)
1.4 Biotic or Living Environment (interspecific and
Intraspecific association)
Unit-2 The Human Population
2.1 Human Population and its limits
Week 2 2.2 Natality, Mortality, and Life expectancy
2.3 Global Family planning
Unit-3 Major environmental Issues their causes, effects
and control
3.1 Greenhouse gases
Week 3
3.2 Global Warming
3.3 Ozone Depletion
3.4 Climate Change
3.5 Deforestation
3.6 Desertification
3.7 Acid Rain
Week 4
Unit-4 Pollution
4.1 Water Pollution
4.1.1 Major water pollutants
4.1.2 Water born Human Diseases
4.1.3 Prevention and Control of Water pollution
4.1.4 Sewage water treatment plant
4.2 Air Pollution
4.2.1 Types of air pollutants
4.2.2 Major causes of air pollution
4.2.3 Indoor air pollution
4.2.4 Effects and control air pollution
Week 5
4.3 Soil Pollution
4.3.1 Nature of agrochemicals and implication to soil
environment
4.3.2 Adverse impacts of agrochemicals on soil quality
4.3.3 Environmental effect of soil acidification
4.4 Radiation pollution
4.4.1 Radioactivity in nature
4.4.2 Types of radiations
4.4.3 Decay chains
4.4.4 Causes, effect and control of radioactive
Week 6
pollution
4.5 Noise Pollution
4.5.1 Sources and units of Noise
4.5.2 Health damage from noise
4.5.3 Control of noise
Unit-5 Pesticide
5.1 Synthetic organic Pesticides
Week 7 5.2 Inorganic pesticides
5.3 Chemical pesticides
5.4 Advantages and Disadvantages of Pesticides
Unit-6 Waste production and management
6.1 Material and waste management
Week 8
6.2 Integrated waste management
6.3 Municipal solid waste management
Week 9
6.4 Hazardous waste management
Unit-7 Environmental Management perspectives and
sustainability
7.1 Eco crisis
Week 10
7.2 Environmental ethics and politics
7.3 Environmental economics
7.4 Chemical and Biological Warfare
7.5 Fundamentals of Remote Sensing and GIS
Week 11 Unit-8 Natural Resources and their management
8.1 Classification of natural resources
8.2 Land Resources and their management
Week 12
8.3 Water Resources and their management
8.4 Rangeland resources and their management
Week 13
8.5 Wildlife and fish resource management
Unit-9 Urban Environment
Week 14 9.1 Urban Lifestyle
9.2 Environmental Histories of Cities
9.3 City planning and the environment
Week 15 Unit-10 Our Environmental Future
10.1 Environmental Management
10.2 Planning to provide Environmental Goods and
Services
Week 16 10.3 Planning for recreation on public lands
10.4 Environmental Laws and Diplomacy
10.5 Sustainable use of environmental resources
Textbooks and Reading Material
Textbooks.
1. Botkin, D. B., & Keller, E. A. (2011). Environmental science : Earth as a living planet (Seventh
edition). Wiley ; John Wiley & Sons.
2. G. Tyler Miller, Jr. 2002. Living in the Environment. Principles, Connections and Solutions.
Book/Cole Thomson Learning, USA
3. M.L. McKinney. 2007. Environmental Science: System and Solution. 4th Edition. Jones and Bartlett
Publication, Boston, USA
4. Nebel, B. J., & Wright, R. T. (1990). Environmental science : the way the world works (3rd ed).
Prentice Hall.
5. E. P. Odum. 1976. Fundamentals of Ecology National Book Foundation, Islamabad.
6. E.P. Odum. 1996. Ecology: A Bridge between science and society.
7. J.L. Chapman and M.J. Reiss, 1997. Ecology. Cambridge University Press, UK.
8. M.C. Molles. 1999. Ecology: Concepts and applications WCB/McGraw Hill, New York
9. Book/Cole Thomson Learning, USA
10. R. Lloyd.1992. Pollution and Freshwater. Fishing News Books
Suggested Readings Books
1. R.K. Singh. 1998. Human Ecology.
2. Smith, 1988. Ecology and Field Biology. National Book Foundation, Islamabad.
3. Krebs. 2000 Ecology: The experimental analysis of distribution and application.
Teaching Learning Strategies
Teaching will be a combination of class lectures, class discussions, and group work. Short videos/films
will be shown on occasion.
Assignments: Types and Number with Calendar
The sessional work will be a combination of written assignments, class quizzes, projects,
presentation,]and class participation/attendance.
Assessment
Sr. No. Elements Weightage Details
1. Midterm 35% Written Assessment at the mid-point of the semester.
Assessment
2. Formative 25% Continuous assessment includes: Classroom participation,
Assessment assignments, presentations, viva voce, attitude and behavior, hands-
on-activities, short tests, projects, practical, reflections, readings,
quizzes etc.
3. Final Assessment 40% Written Examination at the end of the semester. It is mostly in the
form of a test, but owing to the nature of the course the teacher may
assess their students based on term paper, research proposal
development, field work and report writing etc.
