Bot 453
Plant Ecology and Environmental Measurements
Fall 1994
General Information
- Instructor: Dr. Guillermo Goldstein
- Office: St. John 507D (956-3937)
- Teaching Assistant: Kevin Beach, St. John 612 (956-8315)
- Credit: 4 Credits (2 hr of lectures and 3 hr of lab. per week)
- Lecture: M W 9:30 - 10:20, St. John 007
- Text: Jones H. G (1992) Plants and Microclimate: a Quantitative Approach to Environmental Plant Physiology. Second Edition.
- Additional reference book: Barbour, Burk and Pitts (1987) Terrestrial Plant Ecology. Second Edition.
- Lab: W 1:30 - 4:20 PM, St. John 402 and one Field Trip
Course Information
The course covers some basic principles of plant ecology, particularly those related to the distribution of tropical plants with respect to their environment. The plant/population level of integration is emphasized in the context of physiological ecology and the physical environment. For example you will learn how plants survive, acclimate, and respond to changes in the physical environment (e.g. temperature, soil water availability, radiation). You will also learn which ecological, morphological and physiological traits of plants have and "adaptive" value in different types of habitats. The question of global climate changes in the tropics is analyzed. Many other fundamental problems for plants, such as coping with the effects of water stress and high and low temperatures will also be discussed.
The lecture material emphasizes concepts for an understanding of the interactions between plants and their physical environment. These ideas will be used as a background for individual research projects. The laboratory topics will provide the necessary skills and understanding of the basic principles for the operation of instruments utilized in ecophysiological and microclimatic research. When coming out of this course a student will have an appreciation of the functional role of tropical plants and vegetation and the key species that make up its dynamic matrix.
Following the ten lab. sessions, the student should have acquired the skills to do a research project. This will relate to an ecological question the student should ask based on his or her newly acquired background. The research project will take the form of a brief investigation followed by a scientific report.
Lecture Topics
- The focus of the course
- Populations, communities and ecosystems; Ecological tolerance and optimums.
- Brief discussion about interactions between organisms such as herbivory, competition, and predation
- Growth forms and plant's strategies
- Adaptations to the environment: a genetic perspective
- Introduction to the physical environment; Basic concepts about soils
- Physics and chemistry of soils
- Energy status of soil water; The concept of soil water potential
- Radiation and temperature
- Energy budgets
- Spectral properties of leaves
- Water status and water potential
- Water potential isotherms
- Soil-plant-atmosphere continuum
- Hydraulic architecture and water transport
- Stomatal regulation
- Effect of environmental and plant factors on stomatal conductance
- Water vapor and C02 fluxes. Water use efficiency
- Photosynthesis and respiration
- Photosynthetic pathways
- C3 and C4 pathways. Ecological distribution and requirements
- CAM pathway. Ecological distribution and requirements
- High temperature effects (Silversword case)
- Low temperature effects
- Freezing avoidance and tolerance
- Reproductive strategies
- Life cycles and mortality factors
- Mineral cycles and nutrients requirements
- Global climate change
- Last remarks and review
Distribution of grades
- Midterm Exam 30%
- Final Exam 30%
- Research Project 40%
- Adequate performance required in all labs. for completion of course.
Field trip
One Saturday later in the course