PLANTS & ENVIRONMENT
2000/2001
2001 Field Trip at Fan
Shui Au
1999 Field Trip at Lai Chi Wo
Field Trip to A Ma Wat 1998
2nd Field Trip & Plant Growth Experiment 1998
PLANTS & ENVIRONMENT
2000/2001
2001 Field Trip at Fan
Shui Au
1999 Field Trip at Lai Chi Wo
Field Trip to A Ma Wat 1998
2nd Field Trip & Plant Growth Experiment 1998
Synopsis 2000/2001
Plants exist within the environment. How plants grow and
develop depends to a large extent on their ability to cope with environmental
challenges. In this course we will look at the effect of different environments
on the physiology of plants, introducing concepts in applied plant science
dealing with the growth and development of plants and the determination
of crop productivity under environmental constraints. This course is suitable
for 3rd year students in General Biology and Environmental Science or any
Biological Sciences students who have taken course 20112 or 20113
The course comprises 24 lectures & tutorials (80%)
and 36 hours of practicals & field trips which contribute 20% of the
final mark.
The lectures in this course will be given in the Second Semester on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 8:30. The course is taught by, Dr. L. Ramsden
TOPICS COVERED
1. Stress, Plasticity and adaptation
2. Light photosynthesis and carbon fixation. Differences in the aerial environment. Subtleties of photosynthesis, C3 and C4 metabolism.
3. Light and shade environments the rain forest canopy and forest floor, leaf structure and morphology, plasticity and adaptation, biochemical changes in photosynthetic capacity, protection against photo-inhibition
4. Rhizosphere and soil types, origins of soil, root types, Mycorhizzas.
5. Soil nutrients, nutrient availability, Nitrogen cycles, symbiotic nitrogen fixation calcicoles and calcifuges
6. Tropical rain forests, succession and dynamics, climax & pioneer species, Seed germination, Dormancy, recalcitrant & orthodox. Thermoblastic & photoblastic, phytochrome system
7. Phenology fruiting and dispersal, Seedling survival strategies climax v. pioneer, growth rates
8. Savannahs and dry forests, grass or trees? Nutrient and water limitation, CAM metabolism
9. Plant animal interactions in the savanna, pyrophytes, aluminium toxicity
10. Epiphytes and stranglers, extreme limitation on water and nutrient availability
11. Desert plants, temperature and water stresses, significance of seasonality
12. Halophytes, coastal, estuarine, inland, mechanisms of salt stress management
13. Temperate high altitude environments, ‘annual winter’
14. Tropical high altitude environments, ‘daily winter’
15. Plant Disease, pathogens and environmental disease, identification
16. Plant disease resistance and survival, Domestication and genetic diversity
17. Plant animal interactions, Nutrition and reproduction, Ant plants
18. Pollination syndromes and breeding systems in plants
Practicals
There will be 2 practical experiments and one or two field trips to be completed. Practical sessions are timetabled on Wednesday afternoons weeks 18 to 20, but only 2 of these sessions will actually be used. The detailed timetable will be discussed after the start of the course.
Practical A: Plant growth and stress
Design experiment and plant seeds in pots to test some of following
factors:
Drought tolerance, Salt tolerance, Acid tolerance, Shade tolerance,
Genotypic variation. This will be set-up at the beginning of the term and
will be completed in week 30
Practical B: Natural Environments,
Measure various environmental parameters on different sites and
assess how these influence the natural vegetation.
Reading Week: 1 day Field Trip
A field trip will be organised during the reading week to give
students the opportunity to examine vegetation and identify the stresses
experienced by plants in natural locations.
Dr. L. Ramsden
Course co-ordinator
Botany 20/1/2001