Plant x Environmental Interactions

Recommended Prerequisites

Not applicable.

Teaching Methods

Lectures: tutorial lectures and seminars.

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge gains: Competence in identifying and understanding fundamental issues of geobotany and plant ecology by means of studying experimental systems (mesocosms). Ability to distinguish abiotic and biotic processes. Competence in using experimental settings to answer hypothesis-driven ecological questions, exemplified by the knowledge about the necessity to and the design of controlled experiments.

Methodological skills: Students learn to apply essential methods to quantify effects of abiotic and biotic factors in experimental study systems. They will be taught necessary techniques of lab analytics and of implementing appropriate experimental designs for statistical analysis. They will learn to analyze and interpret experimental ecological data and thus will gain knowledge on how to work independently on a scientific project. Communication: Students will learn to understand and interpret ecological processes.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

The syllabus covers different fundamental topics regarding analysis of the intearction between plant and environment and principles of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning relationships, both from the conceptual point of view and with respect to tools utilisation and development, exhibiting fully coherence with the objectives.

Head Lecturer(s)

José Paulo Filipe Afonso de Sousa

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Other: 100.0%

Bibliography

Primary sources in English

General introductions to plant and vegetation ecology, e.g., - The Ecology of Plants: Gurevitch, Scheiner, Fox - Ökologie:

Townsend, Begon, Harper - Lehrbuch der Geobotanik: Frey & Lösch