2023-2024 Course Catalog
Welcome to Virginia Tech! We are excited that you are here planning your time as a Hokie.
Welcome to Virginia Tech! We are excited that you are here planning your time as a Hokie.
Interrelationships between human activities and the environment; emphasis on biological, chemical, and physical principles that govern the flow of energy, materials, and information among physical, ecological and human systems.
National and global perspective on societal concerns about the environment and human sustenance, including agriculture. Emphasizes the relationship between human systems and natural systems; ecosystem services and land, water and atmospheric resources.
A study of soils as functional landscape components, emphasizing their physical, chemical, mineralogical, and biological properties in relation to plant growth, nutrient availability, land-use management, and soil and water quality. Primarily for FOR/FIW, LAR, and other plant/earth science related majors. May not be taken by CSES or ENSC majors. Partially duplicates 3114 and 3124. Pre: one year of introductory CHEM or BIOL or GEOS.
Interrelationships between human activities and the environment; provides national and global perspective; emphasis is on the physical, chemical, and biological principles and processes that are essential to an understanding of human-environment interactions; the role of energy in human and natural systems; environmental legislation and human behavior.
Physical processes that control the fate of pollutants in our land, air, and water resources. Types and sources of pollutants, physical processes in the soil-water-atmosphere continuum controlling the dispersion and deposition of pollutants, the movement of pollutants, including radionuclides, by surface and subsurface water flow in soils, and physics of disturbed soils.
Overview of ecological principles related to revegetation and restoration of disturbed sites. Function and species requirements of plants in stabilizing disturbed areas including mines, rights-of-way, constructed wetlands, and for the remediation of contaminated soils.
Ecology, physiology, and diversity of soil and aquatic microorganisms; incorporates the significance of these topics within the context of environmental applications such as bioremediation, wastewater treatment, control of plant- pathogens in agriculture, and pollution abatement in natural systems. The laboratory portion of the course will stress methodology development, isolation and characterization of microorganisms from natural and engineered systems, and examination of the roles of microorganisms in biogeochemical cycling.
Process of assisting the recovery of degraded ecosystems by linking ecological concepts to restoration interventions. Invasive species management, revegetation methods, soil and water quality, faunal restorations. Restoration project design, planning, monitoring and implementation.
Provide comprehensive information on the physical, chemical, biological, and anthropogenic factors affecting water quality, fate and transport of contaminants in water, water quality assessment and management, and current water quality policies.
Teach students a variety of laboratory chemical and biological techniques for water quality analysis. Complementary to ENSC/CSES 4314.
Hands-on experience in planning ecological restoration projects, designing ecological restoration strategies, preparing degraded sites for restoration, managing invasive species in ecological restoration projects, implementing ecological restoration techniques, and monitoring restoration outcomes in degraded sites. Additional topics include adaptive management, stakeholder relationships, effective communication in ecological restoration projects, and challenges and barriers to restoration success.
Provides comprehensive hands-on-laboratory-and field-based experience and information on the principles and methods for field monitoring and sampling, as well the physical, chemical, and biological analysis of soil, surface water, groundwater, and solid wastes within the context of regulatory compliance. Optional 40-hour Hazards Materials (HAZMAT) training will be available. Senior standing required.
Description and interactions of climate, soils, and organisms within intensively managed ecosystems used to produce food, fiber, bioenergy, fresh water, recreation, cultural, and other ecosystems services essential for human well-being. Ecological concepts applied to agricultural, grassland, and urban/turf ecosystems. Ecologically-based principles for sustainably managed ecosystems. Regional and global significance of managed ecosystems in context of sustainable food systems, and the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. Pre-Requisite: Junior or Senior Standing required.
Chemistry of inorganic and organic soil components with emphasis on environmental significance of soil solution-solid phase equilibria, sorption phenomena, ion exchange processes, reaction kinetics, redox reactions, and acidity and salinity processes.
Overview of environmental biotechnology and the use of microbes and other organisms to remove contaminants and improve environmental quality. Topics include treatment of contaminated soils, waters, and wastewaters, as well as remediation of industrial waste streams.
Remediation, rehabilitation, revegetation strategies for lands disturbed by mining, construction, industrialization, and mineral waste disposal. Disturbed site characterization and materials analysis procedures. Regulatory and environmental monitoring frameworks for mining sites and other disturbed lands. Prediction and remediation of water quality impacts from acid drainage.
Discussion based learning that utilizes prior knowledge gained in the major to synthesize information, and prepare a written comprehensive work plan. The work plan will demonstrate the students understanding of contaminant fate and mobility in different environmental media and will be defended orally. Review and explore available careers in environmental science through seminars and working groups within environmental professionals discussing the role and responsibilities of environmental scientists in industry, consulting, regulatory agencies, and non-profits. ENSC majors only. Senior Standing.
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