Environmental Science BSc (Hons)

The module uses laboratory experiments to allow students to gain firsthand experience of some fundamental physical, biological and chemical processes underlying physical geography, aimed primarily at interactions between people and their physical environment. It is designed to provide a foundation for environmental modules in the second and third years.

This module comprises multiple whole-day practical sessions, each designed to give students first-hand experience of a topic important in understanding our changing environment. Dedicated computer practicals are also run to provide training in use of EXCEL, MINITAB, and basic inferential statistics. Students get formal feedback in each assessed week (1 poster per group ). However, perhaps most valuable is the feedback obtained informally via discussions during the sessions.

​This varied practical module will provide training in a range of ecological skills in a series of field exercises, either in person, or through online equivalent exercises, as necessary. You will experience a range of ecological environments and learn to develop identification and sampling skills for both terrestrial and marine animals and plants. The skills used  will have a wide application to many fields of environmental science including biology, ecology and physical geography. You will learn quantitative skills in field ecology and use these to solve fundamental and applied problems. Assessments include a mix of MCQ tests and practical portfolios.

This module will help students develop their core study skills, including essay writing at degree level, presentation skills, and bibliographic searching and referencing in academia. Students will also be introduced to, and develop basic competency in, Geographical Information Systems.

​The module uses a lecture and laboratory-based problem-solving approach to explore some of the fundamental physical and chemical processes underlying physical geography. It is designed to provide a foundation for environmental and physical geography modules in the second and third years.​

​Climate, Atmosphere and Oceans provides an understanding of how the climate system operates. The module draws on basic scientific principles to understand how climate has evolved over the history of the planet and how the climate system is operating now. Attention is particularly paid to the structure and circulation of the atmosphere and ocean, and how they both interact. The course emphases acquiring mechanistic insight and drawing upon order of magnitude calculations. Students gain quantitative skills by completing a series of coursework exercises.

Module aims:

To introduce students to the structure and composition of the Earth, the Earth’s gravitational and magnetic fields, and dynamics within the deep Earth.

To introduce students to the physics of Earth material and the geological time scale.

To introduce students to plate tectonics.

The zone of life on earth, or the‘biosphere’, is a highly dynamic system responding to external pressures including changing human activities. The biosphere obeys a numbers of simple natural principles, but these often interact to create complex and sometimes unexpected responses. Using a wide range of examples we will explore these interactions between organisms and the environment. We will examine how species organise into communities, and how energy and other resources flow through ecosystems. We will explore how ecosystems respond to change, including gradual environmental shifts, sudden disturbance events and the effects of human activities. We will also learn how the key principles of ecology can be applied to conservation. We will assess the current state of the biosphere, and evaluate the major current threats. We will also look towards the future of ecosystems, including whether we can restore degraded habitats, and recreate“natural” landscapes.

Teaching will be via synchronous and asynchronous lecture content. Assessment will be by open book class tests and a multiple choice exam.​​ 

This module will give students an understanding of the basics that control fundamental properties of elements and matter, either solid, liquid or gas. It will introduce the fundamentals of atomic structure, elements and molecules from simple inorganic to large organic ones and the bonding forces that held them together. It will look at the basics of chemical reactions with processes of oxidation and reduction, solubility of solids and gases, acid-base properties and thermo-chemistry. Students will learn how to make quantitative predictions on e.g. the amount of products that will be produced based on balanced chemical reactions and will see how basic chemistry can be used to explain many environmental properties.

​This module provides a basic introduction to sedimentology and palaeontology. Students learn about the origin of sediment, sedimentary processes and structures and the ways in which sediments are converted into solid rock. The course outlines the importance of sedimentary rocks for hydrocarbons, water and as construction materials. Students learn how to describe and interpret sedimentary deposits.

The palaeontology component introduces students to the major fossil groups and to the ways in which  organisms can be preserved as fossils. It covers the importance of fossils for the study of evolution, environmental change and earth history. Students learn how to describe fossils and how observations contibute to a broader understanding.

This module examines a number of global scale challenges facing humans on the planet earth related to climate and environmental change.

The seas and oceans cover 71% of the Earth’s surface, with an average depth of 3.6 km and a volume of >1 billion cubic kilometres, the seas and oceans represent around 99% of planet Earth’s living space. Around 50-80% of all life on Earth is found in the oceans, with an estimated 240,000 species. As we have only explored around 10% of the oceans, more species and ways of life are still being discovered.

This module is designed to deliver an introduction to the diversity of life in the marine environment. You will be introduced to the range of living organisms in the oceans from microscopic plants and bacteria to whales through a series of E-lectures. During a series of workshops and practicals you will have the opportunity to examine marine organisms in our award winning teaching facilities and explore some of the diverse adaptations marine organisms have adopted in order to meet the challenge of survival in the marine environment.​ Your knowledge and understanding will be assessed via open-book online tests, a group project and an individual project.

This module is designed to provide students without a background in mathematics and physics at A-level (or equivalent) with sufficient knowledge and skills in these subjects to pursue degree programmes in ocean sciences, geology, geography, environmental sciences and marine biology. It is taught by means of lectures and weekly practical workshops and assessed by means of a written examination. Additional material is provided via Canvas. Whilst many of the topics covered in the module may be covered in A-level maths and or physics, there will be a number of topics included which are unique.

This module introduces the range of diversity of marine ecosystems using example environments from around the world. Each week a new ecosystem will be covered, with the main organisms, key processes and human threats to the ecosystem described and explored. Central to this module are interactive discussion sessions that will build an understanding of how marine ecosystems are expected to respond to the human-induced changes of the 21st Century.​​

​This module will help students to develop the quantitative skills needed for ecology, marine biology and related subjects, including basic mathematics, statistics and computing.

It will be delivered via a series of online lectures and activities.

No mathematical knowledge above GCSE level will be assumed.

This module is an introduction to geoscience, presenting the history of the Earth, Earth’s composition and the main sub- and surface processes that shape the Earth. It demonstrates to students how geoscience is an interdisciplinary application of physics, chemistry and biology. The module introduces the current understanding of Earth’s composition and structure, gives an overview of a range of deep-Earth to Earth-surface processes, and begins to explain how through the history of our planet these processes have created the features we observe today. Upon completion of the module students should understand, at an introductory level, current evidence and models for the origin and structure of the Earth and be able to identify main rock types. They should also be aware of the processes that are modifying the Earth and its biosphere, including human processes as well as processes that create natural resources and natural hazards. It is taught via a series of introductory-level lectures and a parallel series of hands-on, active learning practical classes. Assessment is via coursework developed from the practical sessions and a final written examination, where students will demonstrate their ability to link together themes developed in the module.

This module will introduce you to the concept of Earth System interactions as a framework for understanding the causes and consequences of climate change. The module will cover the key features of the earth, atmosphere and ocean, and their interactions. alongside the drivers and consequences for perturbing part of the Earth System. Past, contemporary and projections of climate change will be discussed, as well as the toolkit tools deployed by environmental scientists to detect climate change and show attribute it to be a consequence of human activities. The module will discuss also measures to mitigate against climate change, drawing on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) efforts .

​This module develops skills in designing, executing, analysing and presenting (orally and in a report) a research field project in the environmental sciences.

The module will develop students’ knowledge of careers and employability with a focus on enhancing employability through tutorial-based exercises. In addition, the module provides a range of research skills required for the planning, implementation, analysis and reporting (written and oral) of independent research projects. Practical training will be provided in a range of qualitative and quantitative techniques across a broad range of geographical and environmental science themes. From this, students should develop a critical awareness as to the advantages and disadvantages of research methodologies in particular contexts.

​ This module provides training in statistics for environmental scientists. We emphasize the use of software to analyze real environmental data. We do not assume extensive prior knowledge. We will teach the essential theory alongside the practical components.

The module provides a generic training in manipulating environmental data sets using the industry-standard Matlab software. Skills are provided in reading in data, manipulating and plotting the data, and interpreting the data signals. The assumption is that students have little or no experience in programming. The module begins with an introduction to Matlab – what it is, what it can do, how to operate it – and then develops a series of programming skills, each week using data collected in the staffs’ own research to provide real-world examples of the use of Matlab. The aim is to provide students with sufficient grasp of programming in Matlab to enable its use in subsequent project work, as well as providing the foundations in one of the key tools used in science and industry.

This module explores the concepts and applications of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to solve contemporary questions in spatial ecology. The module involves applied case studies and practical work designed to develop both an understanding of GIS principles and concepts, such as data acquisition, integration and spatial analyses, and its application to analyse and understand 2D and 3D spatial data.

This module aims tointroduce students to the concepts and principles underlying the dynamicinteractions within populations and between species within communities. It willdraw upon examples taken from across the globe: pressures on fish stocks; useof natural predators for biological control processes; how mutualisticinteractions benefit communities, such as coral reefs and leguminous plants. Itwill also explore how knowledge and understanding of these species andcommunity interactions can help plan for ecological mitigation and restoration.The lectures will be supplemented with on-line resources. Students will begiven guided reading, and regular formative assessment exercises will enable stu dents to evaluatetheir understanding of the module. The module will be assessed by coursework.

Environmental concerns have become increasingly pressing over the last few decades, especially the global challenge of climate change. Environmental sustainability directs our attention to finding new approaches and methods for many of our activities and is an increasingly accepted principle that many professions are seeking to work out in practice.

This module explores the notion of environmental sustainability particularly within the context of urban planning. In this context, it can help us to develop the places where we live in a way that makes them cleaner, more energy efficient and better adapted to climate change, and that provides more biodiversity and a better quality of life. Planners, geographers and environmental scientists can all contribute to achieving a more sustainable world around us.

The module introduces the principles of geographical information systems and science with a focus on human geography. Examples will be drawn from population geography with components linked to data sources, analysis and visualisation. Students will learn how to use GIS to map population data, to explore social deprivation, geographic inequalities, and commuting patterns, amongst other themes.

The study of catchment hydrology is concerned with water above and below the land surface, its various forms, and its circulation and distribution in time and space within drainage catchments; it is based on fundamental knowledge of the hydrological cycle and its governing factors. Understanding the hydrological cycle is fundamental to physical geography. All life is supported by water and all earth systems incorporate fluxes of water to some extent. The module covers the main hydrological processes operating in drainage catchments in terms of their measurement, operation and controlling factors. The module provide ‘hands-on’ experience of both observing hydrology and modelling hydrological systems, with an emphasis on applied learning, which might be useful in a vocational sense in the future. The module will aim to deliver excellent training in the knowledge required to work in a wide variety of environmentally-facing careers, including those with the EA, Natural England or DEFRA, as well as Environmental Consultancies.

The module develops an understanding of these major geomorphic systems and how they create terrestrial landforms. It explores the basic processes that have helped shaping the geomorphology of Britain and investigates magnitude and frequency of events, as well as time and space scales over which the processes operate.

The module is divided into four components, each composed of 4 sessions: glacial systems, glacial geomorphology and environmental change, aeolian processes, and coastal geomorphology . Weekly face-to-face sessions are supported by access to online videos, power point presentations, lecture notes, reading lists and some selected web sites. Weekly timetabled sessions will be a combination of discussions around reading and Q&A on online content. Two days of field practicals form the basis of the summative assessment  addressing set problems and questions. A formative GIS exercise is also delivered via timetabled support sessions.

The Earth is subject to a myriad of threats and stresses, ranging from a changing global climate to  unprecedented scales of human impacts on ecosystems, so that a new geological time period, the Anthropocene was created. Placing future change in freshwater and coastal wetlands and lakes into a long-term context is a critical science, and without it, society cannot constrain the ‘natural’ baseline against which future changes could be judged. ​ This module will provide a critical insight into the global changes currently impacting the Earth over decades to millennial timescales. We will introduce a series of contemporary environmental concerns, and teach how we can reconstruct climatic and environmental conditions, the landscapes and vegetation of the past. We will explore a wide variety of archives (lakes, freshwater and coastal wetlands, oceans) and develop an understanding of the key techniques used to trace environmental conditions (physical properties, biogeochemistry, biological indicators). We will assess how the drivers behind these changes will affect future landscapes and ecosystems.

The module has a balance between theory, processes, impacts, and hands on experimentation and data analysis.​  It cover energy balance and transfer processes at the surface, clouds, rain formation, weather forecasting, monsoons, tropical cyclones, weather in the mid latitudes, and the regional climates.

The marine environment presents a particular set of challenges for the organisms which inhabit it and these conditions are constantly changing as a result of human interventions. This module will provide a solid grounding in a number of topics, concepts and issues in the marine environment relating to the physiology and ecology of marine organisms and how they are affected by the activities of humans. Module content will be delivered primarily through interactive lectures supported by computer-based practical exercises and assessed by examination (55%) and coursework (45%). Students will be guided to specific sections of textbooks, online resources and scientific papers to shape their learning.

Marine systems are changing with globally increasing temperatures and increasing carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere, which are affecting the chemistry, physics and ultimately biology of the marine systems at unprecedented rates. These changes are expected to accelerate in the coming decades. Localised anthropogenic stressors such as excess nutrients, plastic debris, trace metals (e.g. mercury, copper), marine heatwaves and/or other emerging contaminants are affecting our coastal and open ocean waters. This module focuses on the processes and recent scientific evidence about a range of marine pollution issues.

This module explores the course of human history, examining the interaction of people with the environment, moving through the different stages of human development, from early agrarian based developments in the Neolithic 9000 years ago, through to modern agricultural practices and landscape management. The following topics and concepts are introduced and examined:

Landscape geography, cultural ecology and environmental history.

Philosophical insights into environmental history, how have societies viewed and understood the environment.

Agriculture and the environment, long term perspectives and present day issues i.e. the environmental impact of hunting and gathering societies.

The agricultural revolution of the Neolithic and its impact, the impact of pre-industrial agriculture and some environmental issues raised by contemporary agriculture.

An ecological history of industrialisation and population growth, i.e. population resources and environment in an industrialised world.

Perils of a restless planet: an introduction to hazard research.

The module uses wide ranging literature and case studies to explore a range of human-environment interactions (fuel, food, water, culture and space), exploring how human activities have modified, and been modified, by their environments, and how sudden changes whether natural or human induced have changed this relationship.  

This module has proven popular over the years and is of relevance and interest to both social scienceand physical science based students.

This practical module aims to provide practical experience in many of the techniques and methods currently used to identify and classify plants and animals. This will include microscopic and macroscopic examination of specimens, recognition of the role of museum collections in research, and electronic methods of data analysis and storage. Teaching activities include a combination of field work at Ness Gardens and the World Museum, laboratory sessions, and introductory lectures. The module is continuously assessed with workbooks completed in the practical classes, and a final report which draws on several of the practical classes. 

This module considers the ecology, identification and conservation of birds. It seeks to provide an evidence based understanding of bird conservation through studying bird ecology. Key to this is the ability to identify species and assess how key ecological concepts apply to this group. This course will teach students to integrate avian ecology with population and habitat management practices. It will illustrate the links between management and avian biology, habitat fragmentation, migration, and other ecological concepts. Throughout the module, emphasis is placed on the role of research methods in ornithology and how data gained are used to achieve maximally effective conservation and management. The module is aimed at students studying C100 Biological Science and C300 Zoology. The module will be of interest to students wishing to learn more about birds, including those who wish to pursue a career in ornithology or applied ecology.

The tiny plankton are the base of marine food chains and also affect the Earth’s climate. If you want to understand how and where these organisms live in the ocean, you need to step out of your own experience as a terrestrial animal. In this module we will get you to think about how the viscosity and flow of water control the different sizes of plants and animals by determining how they can acquire light, nutrients and food. For instance, a copepod zooplankton needs to detect, grab and hold on to tiny food particles in what, to the copepod, feels like a very sticky fluid environment. For us it would be a little like trying to swim through thick honey and reaching out to grab a ping-pong ball. On much larger scales the physics of ocean circulation and mixing controls the distributions and diversity of different plankton species and the availability of the nutrients that they need. Plankton play a key role in Earth’s climate, but this can depend on the plankton species. Plankton also respond to changes in Earth’s climate, with important shifts in species distributions currently being caused by our warming climate. In this module we take you from the micron scales of the tiniest plankton up to the scale of the open ocean to illustrate the fundamental links between the ocean’s physical and biogeochemical processes, plankton communities and Earth’s climate.

​This module provides students with the opportunity to undertake an independent research project into a topic of the choosing, under the supervision of an allocated member of staff.

This module will introduce students to the nascent field of Geographic Data Science (GDS), a discipline established at the intersection between Geographic Information Science (GIS) and Data Science. The course covers how the modern GIS toolkit can be integrated with Data Science tools to solve practical real-world problems. Core to the set of employable skills to be taught in this course is an introduction to programming tools for GDS – specifically the programming language ‘Python’, which is the only scripting language officially supported by the industry-leading GIS packages ‘Arc/GIS’ and ‘QGIS’. The programme of lectures, guided practical classes and  independent study  illustrate how and why GDS is useful for social science applications.

This module will teach students to write and use simple numerical forward models of Earth surface and near-surface processes, including geomorphic, geophysical, oceanographic and ecological models. Successful students will develop important transferrable coding and numeracy skills through a series of lectures, seminars and practical work. The module will be assessed through practical work only, with formative assessment initially to help develop the necessary skills.

During this module students will be provided with fully up to date knowledge of how glaciers and ice sheets (1) have behaved in the past; (2) are currently behaving in the present; and (3) will behave in the future. This will be achieved through paired lectures and seminars on different glacial themes, where students will have the opportunity to examine and critique a range of glaciological research techniques that are applied to glacial environments around the world, ranging from valley glaciers to ice sheets. It is intended that this will provide students with a working knowledge of the controls on (and the social and climatic impacts of) past, present and potential future glacier behaviour.

This module aims to provide an integrated perspective on a range of natural hazards, the different levels of impact on human societies, and the mitigation and adaptation strategies adopted before, during and after extreme events. At the end of this module students will have an understanding of the physical processes and societal impacts associated with a range of geophysical and meteorological hazards. The course is delivered in a series of lectures supported by tutorial sessions and is assessed by an exam and coursework assignment.

This module uses research-led teaching to explore current thinking in conservation biology;

The module explores patterns of biodiversity and encourages students to critically evaluate the evidence supporting alternative explanations for the extinctions or demise of many animal and plant species;

It also enables students to critically evaluate different approaches to conserving biodiversity;

The module is taught via lectures and student led seminars, in the form of debates. To support independent learning, students will also be guided to sections of specific textbooks and expected to follow upreferences, primary and secondary sources, listed by staff.

This module considers the evolution and response of coastal environments to marine and riverine processes and their variations in relation to past, present and future climate change. Attention is given to physical processes and inter-relationships acting along coastlines and coastal changes in response to sea level rise, variations in storms activity, wave climate and sediment supply. Consideration is also given to coastal management and climate change adaptation & mitigation measures. Topics will be investigated through a combination of lectures, virtual field trips, and development of a project aimed at identifying optimum coastal protection schemes for real case studies.

Over the last decade the environment, and perhaps more importantly the concept of sustainable development, is claimed to have become a critical dimension that underpins decision making at a variety of different spatial scales, more particularly international, European, national, regional and local arenas. In this module we explore the extent to which environmental concerns are taken into account in various decision-making processes within the public, private and third sectors. The module will be assessed by an essay (50%) and an open book exam (50%) which provides students with significant choice to explore those parts of the module they find most interesting.

This module aims to foster a broad understanding of contemporary theory in behavioural ecology, evolutionary biology and ecophysiology, with special reference to the marine environment. We will consider processes that operate at scales from  individuals to populations and consider implications of these processes for the conservation of marine species and ecosystems. This 15 credit module builds on knowledge acquired about techniques, theory and processes acquired in Year 1 ( e.g. Marine Biology: Life in the Seas and Oceans & Marine Ecosystems: Diversity Processes & Threats) and Year 2 (e.g. Marine Ecophysiology, Ecology & Exploitation) and provides the opportunity to experience the integration of current research themes in marine biology.

Ocean dynamics addresses how the ocean and atmosphere circulate. Fundamental questions are addressed, such as how heat, salt, and dissolved substances are transported, how jets and weather systems emerge on our planet, why there are western boundary currents in the ocean, and how seafloor topography shapes the ocean circulation. 

Students will improve their understanding of how the ocean and atmosphere behave, including comparing the importance of different physical processes in the climate system. The module is delivered via lectures and formative workshops to gain skills at problem solving. There is significant mathematical content, requiring familiarity with calculus and algebra. The module is assessed through two online tests (25% each) and an essay (50%).

This module will examine a range of topics in contemporary ecology.

It will follow on from material covered at a more general level in associated modules in levels 4 and 5.

Four main topics will be explored: population ecology, macro ecology, disease ecology, and community ecology.

The module will be assessed by continuous assessment.

This module examines climate change impacts on humans and ecosystems. The module is designed to give the student a good overview of the strength and weaknesses of climate modelling approaches. Elements of the global carbon cycle are discussed.

Fluvial processes are found all over the world and are some of the most important in sculpting the Earth’s surface and producing landforms. This module examines fundamental concepts and recent ideas relating to fluvial geomorphology, building on study throughout your educational career. A key point about studying fluvial environments is to understand how the system functions, its links and interactions. It is important to look at all the main components of the system, to understand the dynamics and controls on water and sediment flux and how these produce different types of landforms. The amounts of water and sediment can vary with the environmental conditions and thus study of the drivers of these systems such as climate and human activities and how they have changed over time is essential for being able to interpret the current landscape. Understanding of the present functioning of fluvial systems is essential for any environmental management since rain and runoff are ubiquitous and floods are a major natural hazard.

This module develops the connections between ecological theory and the management of marine communities and ecosystems. Students will develop understanding of the major threats to marine species, how we evaluate these and interpret the possible outcomes for ecosystem functions and human wellbeing.

This research-led module aims to promote interest, awareness and understanding of current important and emerging research topic areas within Ocean and Climate Sciences. It also aims to develop generic skills such as team working and communication skills. The module has the following components:
– Presentations given by research staff on currently funded research programs of international importance;
– Attendance at research seminars that are on-going mostly within the Ocean Sciences group, the National Oceanographic Centre and other seminar of interests.
– Individual presentations of recent research papers or research topic of interest to the students;
– Group presentations (typically 4 students per group) on a research topic of current importance (e.g. as highlighted in the latest IPCC report).

The module aims to demonstrate and explore how both human and physical geographers can combine expertise to work at the intersections of human-environment interactions and environmental humanities. Emphasising the importance of interdisciplinarity, students are introduced to a variety of research areas, such as health studies, data sciences, and climatology to examine the variety of cross-disciplinary and collective approaches to studying environmental science. Through group tutorials, students develop a group project based on their shared interests, culminating in a group presentation and individual essay as part of their assessment.

The module will involve both individual and group work, workshops, group presentations/debates, and engagement with the most current scientific literature and social media and science communication. This module is open to all students, but those taking this module must be willing to engage in quantitative analyses of carbon and nutrient cycling and its importance to climate mitigation strategies.

​Increasing amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are having a profound impact on our Earth system. This module will introduce students to the fundamental theory behind the global carbon cycle. It will evaluate how carbon is partitioned between the atmosphere, land and ocean in the contemporary and past system, why the ocean stores 50 times more carbon than the atmosphere and considers the impact of increasing carbon dioxide on the organisms living on land and in the ocean. 

​The focus of the module is a field session in the Algarve where students will learn about landscape, land use, vegetation processes, coasta environmentsl in a Mediterranean landscape. The students will carry out research projects in teams that they will have planned in advance. A series of lectures will introduce the physical geography of the region and students will design their own projects under the guidance of staff. The assessment will comprise the project plan, a presentation of the data acquired during the field class and the final project report.

Final year physical geography field class, compulsory for FZ00 and F75A. Held in the 2nd semester, a short lecture series guides groups of students through general field skills, organisation of field work, and safety including risk assessment. Assessment is via individual online field planning and safety test, daily oral field reports, and individual written reports. Emphasis is placed on field skills, data analysis and presentation, and report writing.

This module aims to give students experience in: ​Designing, implementing, and reporting on a short field research project; Conducting field observations in a variety of urban cont exts within the global city of Toronto; Collaborating with peers through all stages of a field research project.