Des Moines Area Community College
COURSE INFORMATION
Acronym/Number: BIOL 119
Title: ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION LAB
CREDIT BREAKDOWN:
Credit: 1
Lecture: 0
Lab: 2
Practicum: 0
Work experience: 0
PREREQUISITE(S): BIOL 118 (ALSO A COREQUISITE)
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Lab supplements discussion course BIOL 118. Lab includes measurement of
soil nutrients and water pollutants. Selected field trips deal with soil
conservation, wildlife management, wastewater treatment and other aspects
of environmental conservation.
COURSE COMPETENCIES:
During this course, the student will be expected to:
1. Relate, from field experiences, basic principles of ecology to ecosystem
preservation.
1.1 Discuss a plan to protect forest ecosystems.
1.2 Discuss a plan to protect wetland and prairie ecosystems.
2. Relate, from field experiences, geological processes that have contributed
to the formation of landforms.
2.1 Discuss the formation of sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic
bedrock.
2.2 Discuss the formation of physical features associated with glacial topography.
3. Relate, from field experiences, strategies to manage solid waste.
3.1 Describe the operation of a recycling system.
3.2 Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of incineration, source reduction,
and composting.
4. Interpret results of water pollution laboratory tests.
4.1 Demonstrate water test methods for nutrients, oxygen, and
tur~ldlty.
4.2 Demonstrate the water test method for biochemical oxygen demand.
5. List, from field experiences, the major stages of wastewater treatment.
5.1 Explain the difference between primary and secondary treatment.
5.2 Discuss methods of sewage sludge management.
6. Write a soil conservation farm plan.
6.1 Utilize soil conservation practices on highly erodible lands.
6.2 Relate land use practices to soil types.
7. Utilize forestry management practices.
7.1 Discuss timber stand improvement techniques.
7.2 Estimate volume of standing timber.
8. Utilize wildlife management practices.
8.1 Discuss habitat improvement techniques.
8.2 Estimate populations using the mark-recapture method.
9. Use the scientific method to explore a case of environmental degradation.
9.1 Explain techniques to test a hypothesis.
9.2 Discuss experimental results.
10. Comply with laboratory and field safety rules.
INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS:
Textbook(s): For each text used in this course, identify the minimum chapters
to be covered in this course.
Study guide: None
Transparencies: None
Test banks: None
Computer hardware/software: None
Other (example: Laboratory equipment for biology/chemistry class)
Computer Laboratory