121-305 Environmental Hydrology B

Note

Credit cannot be obtained for both this subject and 121-360 Environmental Hydrology A or Faculty of Arts subjects 121-349 Principles of Environmental Hydrology or 121-350 Techniques in Environmental Hydrology

Credit Points

Coordinator

Prerequisites

121-220 Water Resources or 121-212 Geomorphology or equivalent as approved by the course coordinator.

Semester

Contact

Subject Description

This subject examines principles in the two disciplines of hydrology and ecology, emphasizing the use of both to understand environmental management problems in rivers. The subject examines water in terms of quantity and quality; the physical channel and floodplain systems in which it is conveyed and stored; and the population, community and ecosystem dynamics of the organisms that occupy these systems. Field work imparts skills in the observation and the collection and interpretation of field data relating to river channels, habitats and biota. The subject emphasizes the multidisciplinary nature of environmental management and the need for critical examination of ideas in the literature.

Assessment

Field work reports totalling 4000 words and a 2 hour end-of-semester examination. Weightings of assessment items will be advised at the beginning of semester.

Prescribed Texts

• Gordon N D McMahon T A and Finlayson B L, Stream Hydrology: An Introduction for Ecologists. Wiley International, 1992.
• Allan J D, Stream Ecology: Structure and Functioning of Running Waters. Chapman and Hall, 1995.