Biological Interactions

Recommended Prerequisites

English.

Teaching Methods

All classes will be taught intensively, over a period of two weeks, with lectures, laboratory practices and field trips Students will also be organized into groups that will be given a research topic, which will be presented orally and as a writen report. Discussions of scientific papers about proposed themes will be conducted . Tutorial support will be given in order to clarify doubts and to help the development of the presentation of the research topic as well as theoretical and practical issues.

Learning Outcomes

This unit will allow students to share different knowledge, integrating them in the most important areas of biological interactions with relevance to life sciences, agriculture and environment.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

1. Ecology and evolution of non symbiotic animal-plant interactions.

1.1. Pollination.

1.2. Dispersion of fruits and seeds.

1.3. Animal herbivory.

1.4. Mechanisms of plant defence.

2. Virus-plant interactions.

2.1. Pathogenicity.

2.2. Symptomatology.

2.3. Molecular Biology of virus-plant interactions.

2.4. Resistance mechanisms.

2.5. Virus transmission and plant protection.

2.6. Genetic engineering and control.

3. Fungi-plant interactions

3.1. Biology and ecology of phytopatogenic fungi.

3.2. Pathogenicity and symptomatology.

3.3. Mycorrhizae

4. Nematode-plant interactions

4.1. Biology and Ecology of phytoparasitic nematodes.

4.2. Symptomatology.

4.3. Virus vector nematodes.

4.4. Resistance mechanisms.

4.5. Nematodes importance for the ecosystems.

5. Plant protection

5.1. Preventive measures.

5.2. Quarantine measures.

5.3. Control measures.

5.4. Integrated pest management.

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Report of a seminar or field trip: 10.0%
Resolution Problems: 10.0%
Synthesis work: 20.0%
Exam: 20.0%
Laboratory work or Field work: 40.0%

Bibliography

Agrios; G.N. (2004). Plant Pathology. Academic Press; Oxford; UK.

 AGRIOS, G.N. (2005) Plant pathology. 5a Ed., Academic Press. 922p.

Recent papers in the literature (variable from year to year).