LPLK10382U Advanced Plant Ecophysiology
MSc Programme in Agriculture
What is Plant Ecophysiology?
Plant Ecophysiology is the study of how plants sense, respond and adapt to variable environmental conditions.
Course topics: In the Advanced Plant Ecophysiology course we focus on plant responses to environmental stress including climate change and adverse soil conditions.
We will focus on natural terrestrial ecosystems as well as cultivated systems used for commercial plant production. The key-topics of the course are trained through a balanced combination of lectures and theoretical and practical exercises. We will work primarily on contemporary biological cases, linked to the global concerns regarding climate change and soil deterioration.
The course is divided into two themes:
Theme A:Plant adaptation to changing environmental conditions
The energy budget of plants
The impacts of climate on respiration and C3, C4 and CAM photosynthesis
Drought resistance of plants
The role of plant nutrients in adaptation to environmental stress
Theme B:Plants and adverse soil conditions
Natural variation in the elemental composition of plants
Plant growth in acidic, alkaline or saline soils
Plant growth in contaminated soils and phytoremediation
Interactions between plant roots and soil microorganisms
After completion of the course students will have gained:
Knowledge:
An advanced understanding of how the environment influence plant growth at various levels of integration, from the molecular and single cell levels to the whole plant level. An advanced understanding of plant adaptation to adverse environments.
Skills:
To assess the impact of changes in the environment on plant growth. To use the concepts of plant stress responses to understand the mechanisms involved in plant adaptation and acclimation to adverse conditions.
Competences:
The student will obtain key competences within nature management and will be able to evaluate the conditions for plant growth in natural ecosystems. In addition, competences to evaluate and suggest strategies for improved plant tolerance towards adverse environmental and climatic conditions by e.g. plant breeding and biotechnology will be developed.
Lambers, Chapin and Pons, 2008, Plant Physiological
Ecology,
2nd edition, Springer.
Pdf files of all chapters can be downloaded from
www.springerlink.com via the university library.
- Category
- Hours
- Exam
- 1
- Lectures
- 30
- Practical exercises
- 16
- Preparation
- 130
- Theory exercises
- 30
- Total
- 207
As
an exchange, guest and credit student - click here!
Continuing Education - click here!
- Credit
- 7,5 ECTS
- Type of assessment
- Oral examination, 20 min30 min preparation with all aids followed by a 20 min examination.
- Exam registration requirements
Minimum 75% attendance in practical exercises and approval of laboratory report prior to exam.
- Aid
- All aids allowed
- Marking scale
- 7-point grading scale
- Censorship form
- No external censorship
Several internal examiners
- Re-exam
Oral reexamination
Minimum 75% attendance in practical exercises and approval of laboratory report prior to exam. If this is not fulfilled the student must attend the course the following year.
Criteria for exam assesment
In accordance with the learning outcomes
Course information
- Language
- English
- Course code
- LPLK10382U
- Credit
- 7,5 ECTS
- Level
- Full Degree Master
- Duration
- 1 block
- Placement
- Block 3
- Schedule
- C
- Course capacity
- 30
- Continuing and further education
- Study board
- Study Board of Natural Resources and Environment
Contracting departments
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences
- Department of Biology
Course responsibles
- Ana Assuncao (4-666c71664575716a7333707a336970)
Lecturers
Kristian Holst Laursen
Søren Husted
Jan K. Schjørring
Pai Pedas
Helge Ro Poulsen
Anders Michelsen