Environmental Geography and Biogeography

Environment: Concept, Types & Principles

  • Environment: concept, types (natural, social, cultural), characteristics & principles

Environmental Controls & Concept of Tolerance

  • Environmental controls; concept of environmental tolerance & limiting factors

Ecosystem: Concept, Components & Types

  • Ecosystem: concept, components (biotic & abiotic), types (terrestrial, aquatic)

Ecosystem Structure: Producers, Consumers & Decomposers

  • Ecosystem structure: producers, consumers (primary, secondary, tertiary), decomposers

Food Chain: Grazing & Detritus

  • Food chain: grazing food chain, detritus food chain; examples

Food Web: Concept, Complexity & Stability

  • Food web: concept, complexity & stability

Trophic Levels & 10% Energy Law

  • Trophic levels: definition, energy flow, ecological efficiency (10% law)

Ecological Pyramid: Numbers, Biomass & Energy

  • Ecological Pyramid: pyramid of numbers, biomass & energy; upright & inverted pyramids

Energy Flow in Ecosystems & Laws of Thermodynamics

  • Energy flow in ecosystems: unidirectional; laws of thermodynamics applied to ecosystems

Carbon Cycle: Sources, Sinks & Human Disruption

  • Biogeochemical cycles: Carbon cycle — sources, sinks, fluxes & human disruption

Nitrogen Cycle: Fixation, Nitrification & Denitrification

  • Nitrogen cycle: fixation, nitrification, denitrification, ammonification

Oxygen Cycle & Geo-chemical Linkages

  • Oxygen cycle: photosynthesis, respiration & decomposition linkages
  • Geo-chemical cycles: hydrological cycle linkage with other cycles

Biomes: Equatorial (Tropical Rainforest)

  • Biomes: Equatorial (tropical rainforest) — location, climate, flora & fauna

Biomes: Subtropical — Savanna, Desert, Mediterranean

  • Biomes: Subtropical (savanna, desert, Mediterranean) — characteristics

Biomes: Temperate — Deciduous Forest, Grassland, Taiga

  • Biomes: Temperate (deciduous forest, grassland, boreal/taiga) — characteristics

Biomes: Polar — Tundra & Ice Cap

  • Biomes: Polar (tundra, ice cap) — characteristics; Arctic vs Antarctic comparison

Human Ecology & Human-Environment Interactions

  • Human ecology: concept, human-environment interactions, adaptation

Human Impacts on Environment

  • Human impacts on environment: deforestation, desertification, urbanization, pollution

Biogeography: Nature, Scope & Development

  • Biogeography: nature, scope & historical development

Ecological Succession: Primary, Secondary & Climax

  • Ecological Succession: primary & secondary succession; seral stages; climax community
  • Concepts of change & equilibrium in biogeography

Evolution, Speciation & Adaptive Radiation

  • Key processes in Biogeography: Evolution (natural selection, speciation, adaptive radiation)

Extinction: Types, Causes & Mass Extinctions

  • Extinction: types (background, mass extinction), causes & examples

Dispersal: Mechanisms, Barriers & Island Biogeography

  • Dispersal: mechanisms (active, passive), barriers, island biogeography theory

Biogeographical Regions: Wallace’s Six Regions

  • Biogeographical Regions: Wallace’s six regions (Palaearctic, Nearctic, Neotropical, Ethiopian, Oriental, Australasian)

World Biodiversity Hotspots: Concept & Criteria

  • World Biodiversity Hotspots: concept (Myers); criteria (endemic species, habitat loss)

India’s Biodiversity Hotspots

  • Critical & endangered hotspots; threatened biodiversity; relatively intact areas; India’s hotspots

Soil Colour, Texture & Structure

  • Soil colour: influenced by organic matter, iron oxides, minerals
  • Soil texture: sand, silt, clay percentages; soil textural triangle; effect on water retention & fertility
  • Soil structure: granular, blocky, platy, prismatic, massive; significance

Soil Horizons & Soil Profile

  • Soil horizons: O, A, E, B, C, R horizons; soil profile

Soil-Forming Processes & Jenny’s Factors

  • Soil-forming processes: podsolization, laterization, calcification, salinization, gleization
  • Soil-forming factors: climate, parent material, organisms, topography, time (Jenny’s factors)

Soil Classification by Maturity

  • Soil classification by maturity: Entisols, Inceptisols, Alfisols, Spodosols, Ultisols, Oxisols

Soil Classification by Climate & Parent Material

  • Soil classification by climate: Mollisols, Aridisols, Gelisols
  • Soil classification by parent material: Vertisols (shrink-swell), Andisols (volcanic)

Environmental Ethics & Deep Ecology

  • Environmental ethics: anthropocentrism, biocentrism, ecocentrism; deep ecology (Naess)
  • Shallow ecology vs deep ecology; land ethics (Aldo Leopold)

Environmental Hazards: Global Warming & Urban Heat Island

  • Environmental hazards: global warming — mechanism, impacts, feedback loops
  • Urban Heat Island: causes, measurement, mitigation strategies

Environmental Hazards: Atmospheric, Water Pollution & Land Degradation

  • Atmospheric pollution: types (primary, secondary pollutants), smog, acid rain, particulates
  • Water pollution: sources (point & non-point), types, eutrophication, biological oxygen demand (BOD)
  • Land degradation: soil erosion (wind, water), desertification, salinization, waterlogging

International Treaties: Brundtland, Kyoto, Agenda 21

  • Brundtland Commission (1987): sustainable development definition & principles
  • Kyoto Protocol (1997): GHG targets, Annex I countries, CDM, carbon credits
  • Agenda 21: Rio Summit (1992), local agenda 21, chapters & commitments

International Treaties: SDGs & Paris Agreement

  • Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 2015–2030): 17 goals overview
  • Paris Agreement (2015): 1.5°C target, NDCs, loss & damage, climate finance

Practical: Environmental Problem Project / India Biodiversity Hotspot Seminar

  • Practical: Project report on environmental problem (global/national/local) OR seminar paper on India’s biodiversity hotspots (distribution, biotic characteristics, major threats & solutions)

Supplementary Topics: Environmental Geography & Biogeography

No specific topics listed.