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Remote Sensing of the Environment 

Content :The course focuses on the technical issues that surround the acquisition and utilization of remotely sensed airborne and satellite images for the study of physical and human landscapes. Techniques for analysing and interpreting images for studying biological, geological, hydrological and oceanographic processes as well as human activities will be emphasised. A substantial proportion of the course will be studied in the field, and therefore students are expected to produce reports to cover their field exercises.

Objective: To expose students to advanced concepts in remote sensing and their application to local phenomena and development processes.

Reading materials

  1. Arnold, R. (1997). Interpretation of air photos and remotely sensed imagery. Upper Saddle River, NY: Prentice-Hill.
  2. Lillesand, T., Kiefer, R. W., & Chipman, J. (2014). Remote sensing and image interpretation. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
  3. Campbell, J. B., & Wynne, R. H. (2011). Introduction to remote sensing. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
  4. Schowengerdt, R. A. (2006). Remote sensing: models and methods for image processing. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier.
Course Code: 
ASS 828
No. of Credits: 
3
Level: 
Level 800
Course Semester: 
Second Semester
Select Programme(s): 
Land Use And Environmental Science

Geospatial Techniques     

Content:The main focus of this course is to equip students with ideas to use computers in managing spatial data generated from geographic phenomena. Topics include: geographic data types; spatial data models; databases, data integration, structures for organizing geographic data in GIS; and, coordinates and projections; principles and concepts in remote sensing, image classification and interpretations, satellite platforms etc. Emphasis is on proper coding procedures, identification of variables, entry of data and results, and interpretation of outcomes. There would be laboratory sessions to allow students gain hands-on experience with the application of GIS.

Objective:To equip students with the knowledge and skills in using computers in managing spatial data that has been generated from geographic phenomena.

Reading materials

1. Dewan, Ashraf M.  (2013). Floods in a megacity: geospatial techniques in assessing hazards, risk and vulnerability. New York, NY:  Springer.

2. Singh P., Thakur J. K., Kumar S., & Singh U. C. (2011) Assessment of Land Use/Land Cover Using Geospatial Techniques in a Semi-arid Region of Madhya Pradesh, India. In: J. K. Thakur, S. K. Singh, A. Ramanathan, M. B. K. Prasad, W. Gossel (eds), Geospatial Techniques for Managing Environmental Resources. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer.

3. Showalter, P.S. & Lu, Y. (Eds.) (2009). Geospatial Techniques in Urban Hazard and Disaster Analysis. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer.

 

Course Code: 
ASS 827
No. of Credits: 
3
Level: 
Level 800
Course Semester: 
First Semester
Select Programme(s): 
Land Use And Environmental Science

Computer Programming 

Content: The course introduces the students to the definition of a programme, definition of programming/software development, steps involved in programming; identifying the programming needs, programme design, programme coding, programme testing, programme documentation and programme maintenance, general of programming languages, other languages and internet programming.

Objectives:

  1. To equip students with enough computer information/languages to use as a tool for working with databases and data analysis.
  2. To provide students with enough data analysis-related hands-on-skills on the computer.

Reading materials

  1. Hutchinson, S.E. and Sawyer, S.C. 1992. Computers- the User Perspective. Iruin Incorporated, (3rd edn.)
  2. Jamsa, K. 1992. Welcome to Personal Computers. Henry Holt and Company Inc. New York
Course Code: 
ASS 826
No. of Credits: 
3
Level: 
Level 800
Course Semester: 
Second Semester
Select Programme(s): 
Land Use And Environmental Science

Soil-Plant-Water-Atmosphere Relationships 

Content: The course introduces students to soil-plant-atmosphere continuum, basic aspect of plant-water relations, water relations to plant cell and tissues, structure, function and hydraulic properties of roots, water potential and flux in the soil, plant system, root water uptake, soil water movement and transpiration, modelling water uptake by roots, plant water use efficiency, net radiation to plant canopies, estimation of total evaporation and estimation of leaf temperature.

Objective:To introduce students to the interrelationships between crops, water use and the environment.

Reading materials
1.    Brewer, R. 1988. The Science of Ecology. Sanders, New York.
2.    Enger, E.D. and Smith, B.F. 1991. Environmental Science: A Study of Interrelationships. 4th Edn. W.C. Brown Publishers
3.    Hillel, D. 1980. Applications of Soil Physics. Academic Press Inc. New York.

4.  Napier, T.L. et al., 1983. Water Resources Research: Problems and Potentials for Agriculture and Rural Communities

Course Code: 
ASS 812
No. of Credits: 
3
Level: 
Level 800
Course Semester: 
Second Semester
Select Programme(s): 
Land Use And Environmental Science

Soil and Land Use Evaluation               

Content: The course exposes students to definition of land evaluation terminologies, types of land evaluation and review of soil properties of importance to agriculture. The course introduces students to soil survey for agricultural and non-agricultural uses, soil maps and land improvement, methodology of land evaluation for agriculture, the role of land evaluation in development planning, evaluation at the local, regional and national scales, soil suitability classification, land capability classification and land productivity rating.

Objective:

At the end of the course, students will be able to:

  1. Understand the concepts and procedures of land evaluation
  2. Employ data to substantiate suitability of soil and land for specific purposes.

 Reading materials

  1. Dent, D. and Young, A. 1981. Soil Survey and Land Evaluation. Allen and Unwin, London.
  2. FAO. 1988. FAO-UNESCO Soil Map of the World. Revised Legend. World Soil Resources Report 60. FAO, Rome.
  3. Webster, R. and Oliver, M.A. 1990. Statistical Methods in Soil and Land Resource Survey. Oxford Univ. Press, Oxford, UK
  4. Young, A. 1976. Tropical Soil Survey. Cambridge Univ. Press.
Course Code: 
ASS 810
No. of Credits: 
3
Level: 
Level 800
Course Semester: 
Second Semester
Select Programme(s): 
Land Use And Environmental Science

 Land Degradation and Conservation

Content: The course exposes students to different types of land degradation, types of erosion, mechanics of erosion, theory of soil detachment, erosion and runoff models, and impact of land degradation on the environment. The course also introduces the students methods of soil erosion control, aspects of land management, studies on land conservation including economics of soil conservation and management, and biodiversity.

Objectives:
1.    To expose students to different types of land degradation and their causative factors.
2.    To highlight on methods of land conservation.

Reading materials
1.    El-Swaify, A., Moldenhauer, W.C. and Lo, A. (eds.) 1980. Soil Erosion and Conservation. Soil Conservation Society of America, Ankeney, Iowa.
2.    Lal, R. and Greenland, D.J. (eds.) 1979. Soil Physical Properties and Crop Production in the Tropics. John Wiley & Sons, England.
3.    Morgan, R.P.C. (ed) 1981. Soil Conservation problems and Prospects. John Wiley & Sons, England.
4.    Schwab, G.O. Frevert, R.K., Edminster, T.W. and Barnes, K.K. 1981. Soil and water Conservation Engineering. 3rd Edn. John Wiley & Sons Inc. New York 
 

Course Code: 
ASS 807
No. of Credits: 
3
Level: 
Level 800
Course Semester: 
First Semester
Select Programme(s): 
Land Use And Environmental Science

 Principles of Environmental Pollution    

Objectives:
1. To expose students to the scientific principles of pollution to the environment
2. To equip students to approach environmental issues in a rational manner. 

Content:
The course exposes students to understand pollution in the world, population pressures and wastes, Solid wastes and their disposal, indoor pollution, types of pollutants, transport behaviour of pollutants in environment. The course also introduces the students to types of pollution-Water pollution, land pollution, air pollution; toxicity and risk assessment of environmental pollutants, pollution prevention concepts and principles, global environmental problems- Global warming, greenhouse effect and global climate change.

Reading materials
1.    Alloway, B.J. and Ayres, D.C. 1997. Chemical Principles of Environmental Pollution. 2nd Edn. Chapman and Hill.
2.    Clark, J.H. 1995. Hazardous Waste and Human Health. Oxford Univ. Press, Oxford
3.    Harrison, R.M. 1990. Pollution Causes, Effects and Control. Royal Soc. of Chemistry, London.
4.    Holdgate, M.W. 1979. A Perspective of Environmental Pollution. Cambridge Univ. Press. Cambridge.
5.    Sparks, D.L. 1993. Soil Decontamination. In: Handbook of Hazardous Materials (M. Corn, ed) Academic Press. San Diego, CA.
6.    Yong, R.N., Mohammed, A.M.O. and Warkertin, B.P. 1992. Principles Contaminant Transport in Soils Dev. Geotech Eng. 73, Elsevier, Amsterdam.

Course Code: 
ASS 806
No. of Credits: 
3
Level: 
Level 800
Course Semester: 
Second Semester
Select Programme(s): 
Land Use And Environmental Science

 Soil Heterogeneity and Environmental Impact Assessment   

Objectives:

  1. To understand the nature of soil variation and to quantify the soil variation.
  2. To design soil management systems in accordance with soil variation.
Course Code: 
ASS 804
No. of Credits: 
3
Level: 
Level 800
Course Semester: 
Second Semester
Select Programme(s): 
Land Use And Environmental Science

Surface and Groundwater Hydrology   

Content: The course is designed to cover Global hydrological cycle, rainfall-runoff relations, streamflow and hydrographs, frequency analysis of runoff data and sedimentation in reservoirs. It also provides students with groundwater flow and geologic formations, basic concepts in soil moisture and soil moisture potentials, interrelationships between groundwater and surface water, elementary theory of groundwater movement, salt water encroachment, dispersion in soil water encroachment and flow of a non-homogeneous fluid in a porous medium.

Objectives:

  1. To provide students with the knowledge of surface and groundwater hydrology
  2. To the knowledge to environmental sanitation and water quality.

Reading materials

  1. Goodman, A.S. 1984. Principles of Water Resources Planning. Englewood Cliffs. N.J. Prentice Hall.
  2. Hillel, D. 1980. Applications of Soil Physics. Academic Press, Inc. New York.
  3. Mather, J.R. 1984. Water Resources. John Wiley, New York.
  4. Montgomery, C.W. 1995. Environmental Geology. WMC Brown Publishers.
  5. Ward, C.H. Giger, W. and McCarty, P.L. (eds.) 1985. Groundwater Quality. John Wiley & Sons, New York.

 

Course Code: 
ASS 803
No. of Credits: 
3
Level: 
Level 800
Course Semester: 
First Semester
Select Programme(s): 
Land Use And Environmental Science

Environmental Soil Chemistry 

Content: The course is designed to equip students with an overview of soil chemistry, inorganic soil components, chemistry of soil organic matter, soil solution-solid phase equilibria, sorption phenomena on soils and ion exchange processes, kinetics of soil chemical processes, redox chemistry of soil, the chemistry of soil acidity, and the chemistry of saline and sodic soils.

Objective:To expose students to the fundamental concepts of soil chemistry so as to apply them to environmentally significant reactions in the soil.

Reading materials

  1. Brown, H.J.M. 1979. Environmental Chemistry of the Elements. Academy Press, London.
  2. Manahan, S.E. 1991. Environmental Chemistry. Lewis Publishers, Chelsea, Michigan, USA.
  3. O’Neill, P. 1993. Environmental Chemistry. 2nd Edn. Chapman & Hall London.
  4. Richardson, M.L. 1991. Chemistry, Agriculture and the Environment. Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge.
  5. Sparks, D.L. 1995. Environmental Soil Chemistry. Academic Press Inc.
  6. Sposito, G. 1989. The Chemistry of Soils. Oxford Univ. Press

 

Course Code: 
ASS 805
No. of Credits: 
3
Level: 
Level 800
Course Semester: 
First Semester
Select Programme(s): 
Land Use And Environmental Science

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