Environmental Biology

Code:

BIOL3005

Acronym:

BIOL3005

Level:

300

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Biology

Instance: 2017/2018 - 1S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Department of Biology
Course/CS Responsible:	Bachelor in Biology

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
L:B	54	Official Study Plan	3	-	6	48	162

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

This discipline aims at giving the students the possibility to make an accurate assessment of the environment that surrounds them, giving them scientific information about environmental legislation; environmental economics; environmental impact assessment; nature conservation; and pollution of the different components of the biosphere. The history of the Portuguese environmental reality during the last 80 years is also presented

Learning outcomes and competences

When asked to evaluate an environmental situation, the student should be able to identify the main natural and anthropic processes taking place; correctly identify the main natural, economic, social and ethic implications associated to the situation; propose lines of action that contribute to the satisfactory solution of the problem, justifying technically and scientifically its options.

The learning outcomes of the discipline translate in the development of the skills previously defined

Working method

Presencial

Pre-requirements (prior knowledge) and co-requirements (common knowledge)

Non applicable.

Program

Theoretical classes

1 - Environmental legislation – The National Law of the Environment – Lei 19/2014

2 - Environmental economics - Property rights; "res nullius" and "res communis"; public goods; congestionable and non rival in consumption; externalities and the Coase theorem; exploitation of renewable and non-renewable natural resources; economic consequences of pollution.

3 - Environmental impact assessment - the EIA process; the EIA legislation (European and Portuguese); case studies.

4 - Contamination and pollution of the biosphere - pollution as a breakdown of the ecological cycles; main pollutants in the biosphere: dispersion, circulation, interactions, bioaccumulation and bioamplification.

5 - Water pollution and its consequences. Types of water pollution: causes, consequences and solutions. Water quality norms in Portugal; the water framework directive.

6 - Urban residues - concepts and definitions; types of residues; incinerators and landfills; recycling and reusing. Reduction.

7 - Atmospheric pollution - concepts and definitions; movement of gases in the atmosphere. Climate and weather. The greenhouse effect. Climatic changes.

8 - Bioindicators - relations between organisms and the environment; the most commonly used bioindicators; biotic indexes. Macroinvertebrates. Functional guilds. Biotic indexes IBMWP, IBB and IPTIN.

9 - Nature conservation - main European and Portuguese legislation; the Portuguese protected areas; Natura 2000 network; REN; RAN; alien species.

10 - Environmental ethics. Definitions and main schools of thought.

11 - Field biology, biological hazards and environmental risk assessment.

12 - The history of the Portuguese environmental reality during the last 80 years.

13 - Different approaches to the problem of climate change.

Practical classes

1 - Sources of environmental information - web sites of the main national and international institutions giving information about the environment

2 - Introduction to GIS techniques - geographic and cartesian coordinates; military maps; Atlas do Ambiente; Google Earth; Map Windows.

3 - Calculation of the biotic indexes IBMWP and IBB.

Mandatory literature

McKinney Michael L.; Environmental Science. ISBN: 978-0-7637-0613-5 0-7637-0613-2

Complementary Bibliography

Nebel Bernard J.; Environmental Science. ISBN: 0-13-083134-4
Botkin Daniel B.; Environmental science. ISBN: 0-471--38914-5

Teaching methods and learning activities

Theoretical classes, using slide show presentations and case study analysis.

Practical classes to execute several techniques related to environmental problems.

keywords

Natural sciences > Environmental science

Evaluation Type

Evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

designation	Weight (%)
Exame	100,00
Total:	100,00

Eligibility for exams

Frequency of the discipline classes under the law and regulations in force.

Obtain minimum rating (9.5 on a scale of 0 to 20, in accordance with regulations in force) in the final exam.

Calculation formula of final grade

Final exam – 100%

Examinations or Special Assignments

Non applicable.

Internship work/project

Non applicable.

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

Non applicable

Classification improvement

Classification improvement is done according to law and regulations in force, in final exam.

Observations

Students that don’t speak Portuguese may be subjected to alternative forms of evaluation.

There will be no oral examinations.