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Course, academic year 2018/2019
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Ecophysiology of Plants - MB130P22E
Title: Fyziologické funkce rostlin v ekosystémech
Guaranteed by: Department of Experimental Plant Biology (31-130)
Faculty: Faculty of Science
Actual: from 2015 to 2019
Semester: summer
E-Credits: 4
Examination process: summer s.:
Hours per week, examination: summer s.:3/0, Ex [HT]
Capacity: unlimited
Min. number of students: 5
4EU+: no
Virtual mobility / capacity: no
State of the course: taught
Language: English
Additional information: http://kfrserver.natur.cuni.cz/studium/prednasky/ekofyziol/index_en.html
Note: enabled for web enrollment
Guarantor: prof. RNDr. Jana Albrechtová, Ph.D.
Teacher(s): prof. RNDr. Jana Albrechtová, Ph.D.
Mgr. Petr Kohout, Ph.D.
Mgr. Zuzana Lhotáková, Ph.D.
Attributes: Modul Ekologie a evoluce
Is incompatible with: MB130P22
Opinion survey results   Examination dates   Schedule   
Annotation -
Last update: prof. RNDr. Jana Albrechtová, Ph.D. (29.10.2019)
Physiological functions of plants in ecosystems:

The course provides an introduction to the functioning of plants in different types of habitats, common as well as exotic. It is focused on the adaptability of plants to survive under most variable climatic and soil conditions in arid, arctic as well as tropical areas. It describes plants in their variability and discusses their fundamental importance for the functioning of our planet. It presents the intermingled relations between vegetation and climate and deals with the impact of changing climate on plants, as well as the possible impact of changing vegetation cover on local, regional and global climate.
In addition to introducing the general topics, the course comprises many case studies identifying some current and highly topical issues. The aim of this course is to enable the students to look into the fascinating world of plants and their functioning in ecosystems. The course will contribute to student?s understanding of the current discussions dealing with sustainable development.

Literature:
Crawford R.M.M. 1990, Studies in Plant Survival, Blackwell Scinetific Publications,pp. 296
Eiseltová, M. (ed.) 1994, Restoration of Lake Ecosystems a holistic approach, IWRB Publication 32, 182 pp.
Literature - Czech
Last update: prof. RNDr. Jana Albrechtová, Ph.D. (07.02.2022)

Literatura:

Crawford R.M.M. 1990, Studies in Plant Survival, Blackwell Scinetific Publications,pp. 296

Larcher, W.: Fyziologická ekologie rostlin, Academia, 1988

Eiseltová M.(ed.) 1994 Restoration of lake ecosystems - a holistic approach. IWRB Publ. 32. 182 pp. namely the chapter: Ripl et al. (16 - 35),

Ripl, W., 1995. Management of Water Cycle and EnergyFlow for Ecosystem Control - The Energy-Transport-Reaction (ETR) Model. Ecological Modelling 78: 61 - 35

Pokorný, J., 2001 Dissipation of solar energy in landscape - controlled by management of water and vegetation. Renewable energy 24: 641 - 645

Requirements to the exam
Last update: prof. RNDr. Jana Albrechtová, Ph.D. (07.02.2022)

written test + oral examination based on the test results + short paper

Syllabus -
Last update: prof. RNDr. Jana Albrechtová, Ph.D. (07.02.2022)

1. Plants and biosphere

  • characterization of biosphere
  • structural and functional differences of plants: cyanobacteria, algae, higher plants
  • role of plants in food chain: producers, loss of energy in individual trofic levels
  • food chains in natural vs. agro-ecosystems (petrochemical and sun-driven agriculture)

2. Plants and atmosphere

  • characteristics of solar irradiance on the Earth
  • use of solar energy in different organisms
  • photosynthesis, fixation of carbon and solar energy
  • energy balance of leaf, plant and stand
  • water cycle and its interactions with plants

3. Plants in global cycle of carbon

  • description of carbon global cycle
  • importance of water (ocean) and terrestrial plants in carbon cycle
  • antropogenic interactions with carbon cycling
  • changing climate and vegetation: influence of CO2, changing temperature, precipitation and pH of oceans

4. Plants and climate

  • vegetation and dissipative energy (W. Ripl)
  • stabilization effects of vegetation - temperature, air humidity
  • consequences of vegetation depletion, deforestation and decline of ancient civilizations
  • influence of vegetation on local, regional and global climate
  • Earth as GAIA (Lovelock), self-organizing structures (Prigogine, Capra)
  • ecosystem functions

5. Plants and pedosphere

  • soil development and structure
  • uptake and utilization of mineral nutrients from soil
  • role of plants in nutrients cycling (N, P, K,?)
  • myccorhiza ?symbiosis of plant and fungus
  • mineral nutrients in common and organic agriculture

6. Cold and freezing biotopes - arctic and alpine biotopes

  • adaptation and acclimation of plants
  • climatic and geographical boundaries
  • invasive species
  • adaptation to frost, dormancy
  • adaptation to cold weather
  • plants in alpine areas and their characteristics
  • special features of plants in arctic areas

7. Production forest versus virgin forest, forest flora

  • eco-physiology of forests
  • broad leaved vs. needle leaved forests (nutrient cycling, soil characteristics)
  • water cycling in forests
  • forests deterioration ? acidification, management, bark beetle
  • forest flora and characteristics of the biotope (light, nutrients, water, CO2)
  • forest fire and its consequences

8. Peat lands, moor lands

  • evolution of post-glacial landscape, peat lands and their transition
  • ecophysiology of Sphagnum sp. and other species of peat lands (photosynthesis, respiration, growth, productivity)
  • peat lands and moors in the Czech Republic (protection, revitalization)
  • peat land drainage, water quality
  • peat land and climate change
  • peat land and environment (nutrient deposition, decrease of horizontal precipitation)

9. Meadows and pastures

  • eco-physiology of pasture ecosystems and their succession in cultural landscape
  • grass as biomass, biogas
  • organic farming, sustainable production
  • water ecosystems

10. Physiology of water macrophytes and algae

  • photosynthesis in water, changes in forms of inorganic carbon and pH
  • plants in water ecosystems, oligotrophy, hypertrophy
  • food chain in water ecosystems
  • water algae, water bloom (case studies)

11. Wetlands. Eco-physiology of the emersed mycrophytes

  • basic chemistry of flooded soils
  • anoxic and post-anoxic shock
  • accumulation of inorganic substances in flooded biotopes, carbon sequestration and release
  • eco-physiology of flooded roots
  • role of wetlands in landscape
  • management of river flood-plains and reed belts

12. Drought and salinity

  • adaptation of plants to drought and salinity
  • different life forms - succulents, ephemer species etc.
  • desertification and its consequences
  • salinity of soils (primary, secondary)
  • Australia - a thirsty continent, Aral see - ships in desert, Africa - overpopulation

13. Conclusions

  • Millenium Ecosystem Assessment
  • Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
  • Our Common Future
  • Economy and eco-physiology relations

 
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