2024 Aquatic Environmental Science

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Academic unit or major
Graduate major in Civil Engineering
Instructor(s)
Yoshimura Chihiro 
Class Format
Lecture    (Face-to-face)
Media-enhanced courses
Day/Period(Room No.)
Mon5-6(W5-104)  Thr5-6(W5-104)  
Group
-
Course number
CVE.G401
Credits
2
Academic year
2024
Offered quarter
2Q
Syllabus updated
2024/3/14
Lecture notes updated
-
Language used
English
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Course description and aims

This course provides the fundamental knowledge and techniques to understand, assess, and manage aquatic ecosystems. It covers aquatic chemistry, biogeochemistry, and aquatic ecology while the applied aspects emphasize ecosystem managements taking rivers and lakes as examples.
Aquatic ecosystems have close relation to human activities, including flood control, water use, water environment, fishery, and so forth. Therefore, it is critically important to understand how aquatic ecosystems are complex, dynamic, and vulnerable from the physical, chemical and biological perspectives in order to properly assess and conserve aquatic ecosystems in relation to human activities. This lecture aims to provide such fundamental knowledge as well as techniques for practical applications so that students can obtain the overview of ecosystem management.

Student learning outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
1. Explain basics of biogeochemical process and water quality formation process in water environment.
2. Describe key components of the aquatic ecosystem and major ecological processes.
3. Present the concepts and techniques that are useful for environmental management, based on the hydraulic characteristics of each body of water including rivers , lakes, and coastal areas.

Keywords

Water Chemistry, Microbiology, Trophic Relations, Aquatic Ecosystem, Water Environmental Management

Competencies that will be developed

Specialist skills Intercultural skills Communication skills Critical thinking skills Practical and/or problem-solving skills

Class flow

Basically, each topic will be explained in one lecture as we proceed. Each class will consist of an 80-minute lecture including Q&A, followed by 20 minutes for exercises. In addition, several report assignments will be given.

Course schedule/Required learning

  Course schedule Required learning
Class 1 Guidance and ecohydrology Understand watershed hydrology (its ecological role in particular) and work on its exercise.
Class 2 Sediment and habitat dynamics Understand sediment and habitat dynamics and work on its exercise.
Class 3 pH and redox potential Understand pH and redox potential and work on its exercise.
Class 4 Dissolution and kinetics Understand dissolution and kinetics and work on its exercise.
Class 5 Particle and adsorption Understand particle and adsorption and work on its exercise.
Class 6 Photochemistry and primary production Understand photochemistry and primary production and work on its exercise.
Class 7 Mid-term exercise Summarize the first part and work on its exercise.
Class 8 Nutrient cycle Understand nutrient cycle in water environments and work on its exercise.
Class 9 Microbes and carbon dynamics Understand microbes and carbon dynamics and work on its exercise.
Class 10 Species and biodiversity Understand species and biodiversity and work on its exercise.
Class 11 Fate and transport of pollutants Understand fate and transport of pollutants and work on its exercise.
Class 12 Simulation model of aquatic ecosystems Understand the basic structure of simulation models of aquatic ecosystems and engage in exercises.
Class 13 Water environment management 1 Understand the basics and practices of water environment management, and then work on exercises
Class 14 Water environment management 2 Understand the basics and practices of water environment management, and then work on exercises

Out-of-Class Study Time (Preparation and Review)

To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend about 40 minutes before and after each class to prepare themselves and follow up the course contents by referring to textbooks and other course materials.

Textbook(s)

Not specified (relevant materials will be distributed.)

Reference books, course materials, etc.

Aquatic Environmental Chemistry (Oxford, 1998)
Principles and Applications of Aquatic Chemistry (Wiley, 1993)
Stream Ecology: Structure and function of running waters (Springer, 2007)

Assessment criteria and methods

Discussion 20%, Exercise 40%, Report 40%
More than 8 times of attendance are required for the credit.

Related courses

  • CVE.G403 : Water Chemistry for Environmental Engineering
  • CVE.B401 : Water Resource Systems
  • GEG.E412 : Hydrology and Water Resources Conservation
  • CVE.G402 : Environmental Statistics
  • CVE.G310 : Water Environmental Engineering

Prerequisites (i.e., required knowledge, skills, courses, etc.)

No prerequisites

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