NPLK21001U Plants in Populations and Communities

Plant ecology is the scientific study of biotic and abiotic interactions that determine the fitness, abundance and distribution of plants. This course focuses on the ecological and evolutionary patterns and processes that drive these interactions at population and community levels. A major focus of the course is to use ecological theory to understand basic and applied questions in plant ecology with relevance to global sustainability objectives.

The solutions to many global environmental and agricultural challenges require an understanding of plant ecology. The demand for nutritious, sustainably produced, plant-based food is increasing, requiring knowledge of plant performance and interactions in populations and communities. Weeds, insect pests and diseases cause substantial yield losses and therefore it is important to understand plant-plant and plant-pest interactions to design sustainable agricultural systems. Plant populations and communities in natural and semi-natural ecosystems are under threat from agricultural intensification, land use, climate and environmental change, but what determines their long-term probability of survival and how can we better manage and maintain plant populations and communities? How does reduced biodiversity affect processes in the natural and human-dominated landscape and how can we include plant diversity in landscape and agri-environmental planning, which may ultimately influence our well-being as humans?

The core of the course aims to teach basic principles in plant population and community ecology that will help to address these challenges:

- Plant population ecology: demography, population dynamics, dispersal

- Biotic interactions: plant-plant, plant-microbe and plant-herbivore interactions and their impacts on plant populations, communities and co-evolution.

- Evolutionary ecology: Life history, local adaptation, population and ecological genetics.

- Plant community ecology: community structure, succession, species diversity.

We also explore the importance of basic plant ecology for addressing current global agri-environmental and sustainability challenges (zero hunger, life on land, responsible consumption and production, climate action) through lectures and seminars, student- and teacher-led classroom discussion, literature criticism and project work. Case studies include:

- Plant invasions, pest management, plant ecology and evolution in human-influenced environments, plant diversity, big data and citizen science for plant ecology.

The course relies on active participation of the students in discussions, experiments, exercises, peer feedback and lectures.