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Academic Year 2000/2001


Coastal and Estuarine Environments
E&ES 350 FA

Human activities have affected the water quality and thus the ecosystems of coastal regions over the last several hundreds of years, during which period regional and global environments also changed profoundly. In eastern North America, the arrival of European colonists resulted in clear-cutting of forests with subsequent industrial and urban development. Before the clear-cutting, the old-growth forest cover probably exported little nutrients such as dissolved inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus. After World War II nutrient fluxes increased even more with the strong population growth, and the construction of waste water treatmentplants may have led to enhanced focusing into coastal waters of nutrients and the associated heavy metal and organic pollutant s. Nutrients are also delivered to the Sound by runoff from agricultural fertilizer application and enhanced soil erosion because of cultivation of former woodlands. In addition, nitrates are deposited from the atmosphere in the watershed because of the production of nitrogen oxides during fossil fuel burning in power plants and from exhaust gases of motor vehicles We will study the profound changes in coastal ecosystems over the period of anthropogenic influence, with emphasis on Chesapeake Bay and Long Island Sound (LIS), considering the Sound itself as well as the adjoining coastal marshes in the intertidal zone.

MAJOR READINGS

Numerous readings of articles from the primary literature.

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

A midterm and a comprehensive final exam. Students will be required to write a term paper and present the results of their paper in class.

Unless preregistered students attend the first class meeting or communicate directly with the instructor prior to the first class, they will be dropped from the class list. NOTE: Students must still submit a completed Drop/Add form to the Registrar's Office.

COURSE FORMAT: Lecture/Discussion

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UGRD    Credit: 1    Gen Ed Area Dept: NONE    Grading Mode: Graded   

Prerequisites: E&ES101 OR E&ES199

SECTION 01

Instructor(s): Thomas,Ellen   
Instructor's Course Page
Times: ..T.T.. 08:30AM-09:50AM;     Location: SCIE325
Reserved Seats:    (Total Limit: 25)
SR. major: 8   Jr. major: 7
SR. non-major:    Jr. non-major:    SO: 10   FR:

Special Attributes:
Curricular Renewal:    Quantitative Reasoning, Writing, Focused Inquiry Course
Links to Web Resources For This Course.

Last Updated on MAR-26-2001


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