A. General Course Objectives:                                           Biology 1110: Environmental Biology
Upon successful completion of the course the student should be able to do the following: 
1.	Describe key environmental and ecological concepts
2.	Explain key biological, chemical, and physical principles operating in the world environment and how all things are interconnected
3.	Describe the scientific method and apply it in understanding environmental processes
4.	Demonstrate an understanding of the long-range nature of environmental processes
5.	Evaluate lifestyle issues and critically analyze the relationships among populations, natural resources, land use, agriculture, biodiversity, industrialization, and pollution
6.	Critically analyze and debate environmental issues
7.	Analyze global issues from a biological perspective and assess the relevance of biology to solving contemporary problems in human society
8.	Demonstrate scientific literacy in environmental biology
9.	Develop a broad understanding of the place of humans in the environment; and evaluate desirable and undesirable practices of humans as they interact with their environment
10.	Develop knowledge and skills to work toward solutions of environmental problems
B. Topical Outline: 
1.	Historical roots and environmental worldviews  
2.	Changing nature of human interactions with the environment over human history  
3.	Survey of the current state of the environment  
4.	Environmental worldviews and ethical perspectives  
5.	Natural resources and human society 
6.	Science as a way of knowing the world  
7.	Hypothesis testing and generating theories  
8.	Paradigms and scientific consensus 
9.	Ecological risk assessment  
10.	Making policy decisions in the face of scientific uncertainty 
11.	Basic concepts of ecology 
12.	Ecosystem structure and function  
13.	Concept of biotic community and species interactions  
14.	Dynamics of population growth and regulation  
15.	Natural selection and adaptation 
16.	Earth's ecosystems 
17.	Range of tolerance and limiting factors 
18.	Terrestrial biomes 
19.	Aquatic ecosystems 
20.	Wetlands 
21.	Human population: characteristics and growth
22.	History of human population growth
23.	Human demography  
24.	Environmental and social impacts of population growth and resource consumption  
25.	The overpopulation/overconsumption dilemma 
26.	Biodiversity and conservation 
27.	Causes of extinction 
28.	Benefits of biodiversity  
29.	Conserving biodiversity 
30.	Agricultural systems & food choices 
31.	Human nutrition 
32.	Soil science and the nitrogen cycle  
33.	Modern agricultural practices and their consequences  
34.	Sustainable agricultural systems 
35.	Energy resources: 
1.	use, 
2.	misuse, 
3.	air pollution  
36.	Atmospheric science and the carbon cycle  
37.	Non-renewable energy choices and their consequences  
38.	Global climate change debate  
39.	Energy alternatives 
40.	Water resources: 
1.	use, 
2.	misuse, 
3.	water pollution 
41.	Hydrological cycle 
42.	Depletion of freshwater resources 
43.	Causes and effects of water pollution 
44.	Waste water and sewage treatment  
45.	Sustainable water use 
46.	Waste management 
47.	Types of waste  
48.	Comparative analysis of waste management systems such as 
1.	recycling, 
2.	reusing, 
3.	demanufacturing, 
4.	composting, 
5.	landfilling, 
6.	incineration  
49.	Hazardous waste and environmental toxicology 
50.	Land use issues 
51.	Urbanization and urban sprawl 
52.	Value of open space  
53.	The livable city 
54.	Sustainable solutions: exploration of goals and ideas to achieve a sustainable society  
55.	Applying ecological principles to solve environmental problems  
56.	Public policy and the environment 
57.	The Precautionary Principle  
58.	The Earth Charter and principles for sustainable living 
59.	International agreements