Plant Science

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr Sarah Woodin

Pre-requisites

N/A

Overview

This course provides a broad overview of plant ecology, considers the development of ecological theories and explores the applications of those theories for practicing ecologists today. Integrated field trips, data handling exercises, lectures and directed reading and discussions are used to cover the following topics: Community ecology – the nature of communities, succession, resource competition, community assembly; Description of communities – National Vegetation Classification, surveying, monitoring; Community analysis – descriptive statistics, ordination and its practical application in vegetation analysis; Modelling community change – descriptive and predictive models. The practical objectives of the course are to enable students to look at vegetation and ask pertinent questions about why it is like it is, to begin to interpret what they observe, to collect data to provide further answers, to use statistics and ordination methods in analysing such data, to set up vegetation research, survey and monitoring, and to write data reports and literature based essays.

Structure

1-4 lectures per week plus field trips, computer practicals and group discussions. Number of hours in class per week varies between 2 and 16.

Assessment

Continuous assessment (100%) based on an essay (60%) and a data report (40%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Professor David Robinson

Pre-requisites

N/A

Notes

Overview

Course Aims: To understand the main biological, chemical and physical processes involved in the conversion of energy and other resources. The emphasis is on being able to relate measurements made at local scales to understand their relevance for global processes.

Content: Primary production (Carbon cycle; Biomes; Scaling from leaf to biome). Water use (Water cycle; Coupling between vegetation and atmosphere; Soil water; Water use efficiency). Soil microbiology & organic matter decomposition (Decomposers; Soil respiration; Root-microbe relations). Nutrient acquisition by plants (Nutrient demand; Nutrients in soil; Nutrient supply; Soil heterogeneity; Nutrient use efficiency). Secondary production (Grazing effects; Energy and resource flow between trophic levels). Ecosystem sustainability, human impacts and feedbacks.

Structure

: Lectures, tutorials, data analysis classes and laboratory practicals aimed at quantifying different aspects of the terrestrial carbon cycle.

Assessment

Laboratory report (50%) and science communication article (50%).


NB Most of the course runs concurrently with PL3303. Level 5 students receive specialist tutorials in, e.g., applications of stable isotope techniques.

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Professor Ian Alexander and Dr David Johnson

Pre-requisites

N/A

Overview

Aims: To provide a detailed and critical account of mycorrhizal symbioses, rhizosphere biology and the methods available for their investigation, and to examine the potential to manipulate the rhizosphere to meet defined aims in agriculture, forestry, horticulture and land restoration.

Learning Objectives: By the end of the course your should:

1. have an understanding of: mycorrhizas and mycorrhizal fungi; methods of investigation; applications of mycorrhizal research; rhizosphere biology and biotechnology;

2. be able to recognise mycorrhizas; quantify infection; use web-based mycorrhiza databases; measure rhizosphere biodiversity and function;

3. be able to evaluate date from primary sources and relate to practical problems; evaluate the role of molecular biology in soil ecology, relate fundamental underpinning information to applied biology;

4. be able to respond to a call for tender, prepare a consultant's report and defend it.

Structure

3 one-hour lectures per week; 4 six-hour practicals; 4 two-hour workshop/tutorial sessions.

Assessment

Continual assessment based on group report on assignment, lab report, course essay.

Credit Points

7.5

Course Coordinator

Dr David Johnson, Professor Ian Alexander

Pre-requisites

None

Co-requisites

None

Overview

Introduction to mycorrhiza and mycorrhizal fungi.
Mycorrhizal diversity and ecosystem function are covered with an emphasis on molecular techniques used in research.

Structure

3 one-hour lectures per week and 1 three-hour practical

Assessment

Continuous assessment based on an essay (50%) and practical report (50%), no written examination