Page 201 - handbook 20152016

Faculty of Science Handbook, Session 2015/2016

component in urban areas: biodiversity and adaptations. Final Examination: 40%
Brief revision on main taxonomical groups: biology,
ecology and study methods of Invertebrate & Vertebrate. Medium of Instruction:
Pest species and control strategies. Nature conservation English
in urban habitats. Animal species and habitat
fragmentation. Alien species and related problems Soft Skills:
(invasive species). Feral species and wildlife. Zoological CS3, CT3, TS2
data and urban planning. Case studies: the fauna of Kuala
Lumpur, the insect fauna of residential area. Main References:
1. Aiken, S.R. & C.L. Leigh (1992) Vanishing Rain
Assessment Methods: Forests. The Ecological Transition in Malaysia.
Continuous Assessment: 50% Clarendon Press, Oxford.
Final Examination: 50% 2. Primack, R. & R. Corlett (2011) Tropical Rain
Forests. An Ecological and Biogeographical
Medium of Instruction: Comparison. Blackwell Publishing, Oxford.
English 3. Whitmore, T.C. (1984) Tropical Rain Forests of the
Far East. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Soft Skills:
CS4, CT3, TS2
SIE 2012 AQUATIC ECOLOGY
Main References:
1. Gaston, K. J. (2010) Urban Ecology. Cambridge. Introduction to the physical and chemical aspects of
2. Mark J. McDonnell, Amy K. Hahs, Jürgen H. Breuste aquatic systems, and their influence on aquatic
(Eds) (2009) Ecology of Cities and Towns: A organisms. Survey of marine and freshwater organisms
Comparative Approach. Cambridge. with focus on their ecological roles. The basic principles
3. Richard T. T. Forman (2014) Urban Ecology: Science of aquatic ecology are discussed at the community and
of Cities Cambridge Paperback ISBN: ecosystem levels, followed by more detailed discussion of
9780521188241. the major marine and freshwater ecosystems. Types and
4. Clark E. Adams & Kieran J. Lindsey (2009) Urban exploitation of aquatic resources. Human impacts on
Wildlife Management. CRC Press. aquatic ecosystems.

Assessment Methods:
SIE 2011 TERRESTRIAL ECOLOGY Continuous Assessments: 40%
Final Examination: 60%
Major elements of terrestrial ecology: the physical world,
plants, animals, microbes. Energy and trophic levels. Time Medium of Instruction:
as a dimension. General vegetation categories and English
dependent organismal assemblages. Life forms and
general adaptations among terrestrial organisms: Soft Skills:
autotrophs and heterotrophs in different environments; CS4, CT5, TS2
light, water and nutrition. Diurnal and seasonal variations
and cycles. Types and characteristics of tropical Main References:
forests. Diversity of life in various 1. Castro P. & Huber M.E. (2012). Marine Biology, 9th
environments. Reproduction in plants and animals: Ed., McGraw-Hill Science. 480 pp.
comparative traits. Reproductive rhythms in plants: 2. Garrison, T. (2012). Essentials of Oceanography.
flowering, pollination, dispersal. Behavioural aspects of 6th Ed. Thomson Brooks/Cole. 496 pp
animal reproduction in rain forests. Other rainforest 3. Kauff, J. (2003). Limnology. Prentice Hall, USA. 592
adaptations and interactions among organisms: herbivory pp.
and plant defences, myrmecophily, parasitism, 4. Frid, C. & Dobson, M. (2013). Ecology of Aquatic
saprophytism. The relationship among soils, climate and Management. 2nd Ed., Oxford University Press. 352
forest type. The forest growth cycle and dynamic pp.
equilibrium. The ecology of nutrient cycling and 5. Dodds W. & Whiles M. (2010). Freshwater Ecology:
importance of the hydrological system in forest growth. Concepts and Environmental Applications of
Relationships among nutrients, growth, structure and Limnology, 2nd Ed. Academic Press.
biological diversity. Key characteristics of biodiversity and
biogeography for rainforest species. The concepts of
carrying capacity and environmental pressure. SIE 2013 MOLECULAR ECOLOGY
Degradation and regrowth of forests. Consequences of
various logging systems, rainforest fragmentation and This course will provide a solid foundation in molecular
environmental catastrophes. The rain forest as a ecology, including the gene region selection for molecular
renewable resource; the concept of sustainable forest ecology research, populations genetics, phylogeography,
management. Carbon sequestration by vegetation. history of species concepts, how DNA markers can be
Timber, non-wood forest products and other forest used for species delineation and identification, including
functions as management objectives. Non-forest tropical cryptic species, molecular phylogenetics, and ancient
landscapes: review of types, comparisons in terms of DNA studies.
productivity.
Assessment Methods:
Assessment Methods: Continuous assessment: 60%
Continous Assessment: 60% Final examination: 40%.

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