GGR374H5 Water Quality and Stream Ecosystems

Course Desciption

Course Description

Flowing water courses (streams and rivers) are unique ecosystems from lake, terrestrial and wetland environments, and are integral in regulation of land-borne solutes to larger water bodies. This course provides a holistic treatment of the stream ecosystem, with particular emphasis on nutrient and contaminant transformation, in-stream hydraulics and morphology, the hyporheic, parafluvial and riparian zones, as well as hillslope hydrological processes responsible for transfer of water to the stream. Variability in stream biota, community interactions and ecosystem-level processes are also discussed. Weekly field and lab exercises provide the student with hands-on experience with the lecture material. This course fulfills four field days.

Distribution Requirement: Science

Lecture hours: 24

Practicum hours: 36

Prerequisite: 9.0 credits including GGR217H5 or GGR227H5 or BIO205H5