Plant Ecophysiology (U01824)

? Credit Points : 10 ? SCQF Level : 10 ? Acronym : GEO-4-PLANTECO

Plant ecophysiology is concerned with the function and performance of plants in their natural environment. It bridges the gap between plant physiology and ecology. The course will consider physiological and ecological aspects of adaptation to different environments. Plants are remarkably well adapted to growing in a range of environments from the Antarctic to hot dry deserts. Ecophysiology is the scientific study of the processes that enable them to do so. By the end of the unit you should be able to discuss analytically the key physiological processes affecting plants growing in the natural environment. Examples are drawn from forests, agricultural systems and the natural environment and most will relate to plants at the individual or stand scale. Sessions will cover plant water relations, stomatal physiology, transpiration, photosynthesis, global change, below-ground processes and predictive modelling.

Entry Requirements

? Costs : None

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Ecological Science, (School of GeoSciences, Schedule N)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : 4th year

? Delivery Period : Block 3 only

? Contact Teaching Time : 3 hour(s) per week for 11 weeks

First Class Information

Date	Start	End	Room	Area	Additional Information
08/01/2008	09:00	12:00	Room 3, Crew Building Annexe	KB

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Lecture	Tuesday	09:00	12:00	KB
Lecture	Thursday	09:00	12:00	KB

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course you should fully understand the course content.
Specifically you should be able to:
-Understand which are the key environmental influences on plants.
-Explain how photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, transpiration, water relations, and below ground processes are influenced by environmental variability.
-Describe how naturally occurring stable isotopes can contribute to an understanding of plant ecophysiological processes.
-Explain why modelling is important to the understanding of how plants influence the environment and how the environment influences plants.
-Discuss the current and future impact of global change and understand how this may affect plants and the environments in which they live.