Course unit details:
Human Impacts on the Biosphere
| Unit code | EART62051 |
|---|---|
| Credit rating | 15 |
| Unit level | FHEQ level 7 – master's degree or fourth year of an integrated master's degree |
| Teaching period(s) | Semester 1 |
| Available as a free choice unit? | No |
Overview
This unit will examine how humans cause damage and change to the biosphere through an examination of key topics including: (1) environmental impact of resource extraction and use, (2) environmental impact of agriculture, (3) the effect of urbanisation on water resources, and (4) the environmental impact of air pollution from road transport. As well as examining the environmental consequences of these anthropogenic activities, the unit will also examine mitigation and management strategies, including monitoring and remediation, including bioremediation.
The course will be delivered through lectures and seminar/practice sessions where more detailed case studies and data of the key topics will be provided and discussed, including through the use of research papers.
Aims
The aim of this unit is to:
• Provide a knowledge and understanding of how human activities affect the biosphere through an examination of the impact of key anthropogenic stressors arising from resource exploitation and use, agriculture and urbanisation on selected ecosystems and biomes.
• Provide awareness and preparation for using methods and approaches - from molecular to community level - used in the assessment and prediction of human impacts on ecosystems.
Learning outcomes
| On the successful completion of the course, students will be able to: | |
| ILO 1 | Explain the impact of natural resource exploitation and pollution on populations and communities through the study of important human activities |
| ILO 2 | Describe methods and approaches used in the assessment and prediction of anthropogenic impacts on key ecosystems and biomes |
| ILO 3 | Explain the importance of connecting and integrating knowledge regarding human impacts, including on the whole biosphere |
| ILO 4 | Evaluate the use of field and laboratory studies in understanding and solving environmental problems arising from human activities |
| ILO 5 | Appraise and discuss research literature regarding contemporary and controversial issues related to human impacts on the environment |
Syllabus
Lectures (equivalent to 2x 1h) and seminar sessions (1x 2h) each week (Order of content may be subject to change)
Week 1: Introduction. Why are human impacts so devastating? Overview of human impacts; standards and guidelines. What is biodiversity? Introduction to unit assessment process and expectations
Week 2: Environmental impacts of agriculture. A short history of agriculture and its impacts on what the earth looks like; impacts on biodiversity through habitat loss and pesticides; Nitrogen enrichment, salinisation, and soil degradation
Week 3: Environmental impacts of agriculture. Greenhouse gas emissions – mechanisms and mitigation; Sustainable agriculture and ecosystem services
Week 4: Environmental impact of resource extraction and use. Sources of metal and radionuclide pollution from extraction, refining and use; behaviour and mobilisation in soil and running water
Week 5: Environmental impact of resource extraction and use. Bioaccumulation and toxicity of metals into the food chain via plants and phytoplankton; risks of food chain transfer. Bioremediation of metal-contaminated land: use and success of microbes and plants for metal remediation; Treatment and bioremediation of freshwater with particular reference to mine drainage.
Week 6: Environmental impact of resource extraction and use. Analytical methods and data analysis. Group practice presentations.
Week 7: Urbanisation. Introduction: Urbanisation and impact on freshwater quality and biodiversity. Impact of sewage pollution on river ecology, water quality; spatial and temporal changes
Week 8: Urbanisation. Managing water resources: catchment management and water quality standards. Challenges and solutions to urban biodiversity
Week 9: Environmental impact of air pollution from road transport. Introduction: sources, monitoring and critical loads of transport pollution in the UK; Impact of nitrogen air pollution on ecosystems and vegetation
Week 10: Environmental impact of air pollution from road transport. Is ozone reducing our food supply?
Week 11: Conclusion: Future challenges and outcomes. Population pressure and resource utilization; sustainable consumption; what is the future? Student preparation for group presentations
Week 12: Group presentations – assessed consultancy report presentations
Teaching and learning methods
The unit will be delivered through lectures that will be delivered each week during the 12-week Semester. The lectures will provide background content of core information. These lectures will be available as videos of lectures and pdf files of PowerPoint presentations on Blackboard alongside other online resources to supplement the lectures, including additional reading material links (e-books, journal reviews and journal research papers).
Formative assessment questions for each of the key topics will allow the students to test their understanding of the lecture content as they progress during the semester.
The lecture material will be supplemented by weekly seminar and practice sessions (2 h per week). These sessions will include group discussions where content and case studies from the week’s lectures will be discussed. This will allow the students to reinforce learning from the lecture content and the discussion will also focus on research methods used in these studies.
Also included in these sessions will be group-based data analysis leading to a consultancy style presentation. For this activity the students are provided with data from long-term monitoring of pollution and remediation of a site. The students are required to appropriately analyse and interpret selected data, provide conclusions and present information in a consultancy style group presentation, which will be assessed. The students will have an opportunity to give a practice (formative) group analysis and presentation on a different set of data earlier in the Semester.
Summative assessment on the core lecture content is by a single examination using multiple choice, data interpretation and short-answer questions in the same style as the formative tests. A Q&A session will be held towards the end of the semester to help the students prepare for the final summative assessment.
Assessment methods
| Method | Weight |
|---|---|
| Other | 80% |
| Oral assessment/presentation | 20% |
Feedback methods
Assessment type | % Weighting within unit | Hand out and hand in dates | Length
| How, when and what feedback is provided | ILO tested |
Coursework Oral (group) (Data analysis consultancy style presentation) | 20% | Week 12 | 15 min | Informal feedback given after presentation Written feedback after marking (released during exam period) | 1 - 4 |
Formative Coursework Oral (group) (Data analysis consultancy style presentation) | 0% | Week 6 | 5 min | Feedback given after presentation | 1 - 4 |
Formative Online tests
| 0% | Weekly | 5 – 30 min | On-line (Immediately) | 1 - 5 |
Exam (On campus, in PC Cluster, Invigilated) | 80% | N/A | 2 hours | On-line (within 14 days) | 1 - 5 |
Recommended reading
Mostly primary research literature based with articles and links provided on Blackboard. The following are also recommended.
• Williams, A E, Waterfall, R J, White, K N & Hendry, K (2010) Manchester Ship Canal and Salford Quays: industrial legacy and ecological restoration. In: Ecology of Industrial Pollution (ed: Batty, L C and Hallberg, K B). Cambridge University Press, 276-308.
• Paul, M.J. and Meyer, J.L. (2001) Streams in an urban landscape. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, 32, 333-365.
• Wilkiins et al (2012) How is ozone pollution reducing our food supply? J. Exp. Bot.63 (2): 527-536.
• Lee et al (2012) Effects of roads on adjacent plant community composition and ecosystem function: An example from three calcareous ecosystems Environmental Pollution 163 (2012) 273e280
• Peralta-Videa JR, Lopez ML, Narayan M, Saupe G, Gardea-Torresdey J. (2009) The biochemistry of environmental heavy metal uptake by plants: implications for the food chain. Int J Biochem Cell Biol. 41(8-9):1665-77
• Conesa HM, Evangelou MW, Robinson BH, Schulin R. (2012) A critical view of current state of phytotechnologies to remediate soils: still a promising tool? Scientific World Journal. 2012:173829
• Tscharntke T, Clough Y, Wanger TC, Jackson L, Motzke I, Perfecto I, Vandermeer J, Whitbread A. 2012. Global food security, biodiversity conservation and the future of agricultural intensification. Biological Conservation 151(1): 53-59.
Study hours
| Scheduled activity hours | |
|---|---|
| Lectures | 24 |
| Practical classes & workshops | 24 |
| Independent study hours | |
|---|---|
| Independent study | 102 |
Teaching staff
| Staff member | Role |
|---|---|
| Jon Pittman | Unit coordinator |