Module: Plant Ecology (3202-440)

Persons:

• apl ProfDr Petra Högy (verantwortlich)
• N.N. (verantwortlich)
• Dr. Jürgen Franzaring (begleitend)

Degree Program:

• Landscape Ecology (Master, since 01.10.2014)
  1. Semester, compulsory
• Bioeconomy (Master, since 01.10.2014)
  3. Semester, elective
• Bioeconomy (starting WS 16/17) (Master, since 01.04.2017)
  3. Semester, elective
• Environmental Science - Soil, Water, and Biodiversity (Regulations 2014) (Master, since 01.10.2014)
  3. Semester, semi-elective
• Environmental Science - Soil, Water, and Biodiversity (Regulations 2019) (Master, since 01.04.2019)
  3. Semester, semi-elective

Relation to other Modules:

The module"Plant Ecology" ist mandatory in the M.Sc. Program Landscape Ecology. The module provides knowledge on vetetation and the interaction between vegetation and habitats. Special emphasis is laid on plant ecology in habitats with harsh conditions driving adaptation. In addition, seminars are held that vary in focus from year to year depending on most recent problems and findings in plant ecology.

Prerequisites for Attendance:

Knowledge at Bachelor level in plant ecology, plant ecophysiology, zonobiomes, ecology and ecosystem functioning

Sprache:

English

ECTS:

7,5 credits

Frequency:

every winter semester

Length of the Module:

4 weeks (block 4)

Final examination:

Poster with presentation (100%)

Workload:

80 h presence + 110 h preparation at home + exam = 210 h workload

Professional competences:

The module aims to provide the students with a solid
knowledge base on plant ecology, in particular on plant ecology in habitats with harsh and demanding conditions, and on the interactions and ecological relations in such habitats and their vegatation. This is implemented by means of a lecture on "Plant Ecology in selected ecosystems" and a "Seminar in Plant Ecology" that involves student elaborations and presentations on selected tasks within an overall frame dealing with recent problems and findings in plant ecology.

Knowledge:
The students know about the ecology of vegetation in selected habitats. They understand adaptation of plants for survival in adverse conditions and know about anthropogenic influence on vegetation and resulting feed-backs in ecosystems.
In the seminar, the students jointly deepen and broaden their understanding in recent tasks related to plant ecology. This might involve tasks such as "biodiversity" or "forest ecosystems and human perturbance".

Skills:
The students are able to analyse adaptation of plants species and vegetation to specific habitat conditions. They have the ability to join different disciplines (such as plant science, plant ecology, ecosystem functioning) in order to understand the interactions betwen vegetation and habitat and potential human disturbances.
The students manage to find relevant scientific literature and other relevant sources, to evaluate these and to extract the relevant information and combining this for their own scientific presentation.

Key competences:

The structure of the modul provides the following competences:
The students have the competence to elaborate plant ecological tasks. They are able to compile - by their own and in co-operation with other students - the corresponding information and to present their knowlegde and solutions to different stakeholders by means of communications tools tailered to the specific requirements. They also manage to bring subject-specific knowledge on plant ecology into a wider context, e.g. to elaborate interactions with global climate change, land-use and land-use change, and to present this wider context as well.

Comments:

Dieses Modul entspricht für Studierende, die im SS 14 das Studium der Agrarbiologie, Fachrichtung Landschaftsökologie, aufgenommen haben, dem Modul 3202-520 "Pflanzenökologie"

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