Course: Ecophysiology and Stress Physiology

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Course title Ecophysiology and Stress Physiology
Course code LRR/EFSF
Organizational form of instruction Lecture
Level of course Master
Year of study 1
Semester Summer
Number of ECTS credits 4
Language of instruction Czech
Status of course Compulsory-optional
Form of instruction Face-to-face
Work placements This is not an internship
Recommended optional programme components None
Lecturer(s)
  • Turečková Veronika, Mgr. Ph.D.
Course content
Basic concepts of ecophysiology: ecosystem, biotope, vegetation, flora, habitat. Ecological limits. Law of toleration, law of the minimum. Ecology and physiology optimum. Basic concepts of stress physiology: stress, abiotic and biotic stress factors, resistance, tolerance, sensitivity, aclimation, adaptation. Mechanisms of plant stress response: local and systemic reactions, physical (hydraulic wave, electrical signal) and chemical signaling pathways (hormones, reactive oxygen species, gaseous substances, systemin), gene expression. Basics of plant stress electrophysiology: action and variation potentials, generation of electric signal, measurement of electric signal in plants. Physiological impacts of electric signal. Mechanism of leaf motion in carnivorous plants and in Mimosa. Abiotics factors: radiation, temperature. Adaptation of plants to these factors. Heliophytes, heliosciophytes, sciophytes. Termophytes, psychrophytes, cryophytes, xerotermophytes. Water relations, absorption, transpiration, the water balance of a plant; vertical and horizontal precipitations; poikilohydric and homoiohydric plants; hydrolabile and hydrostabile plants; adaptation of plants to water abundance and water loss. Soil composition, humus, edafon. Habitat-related aspects of mineral metabolism (plants growing on acidic and basis substrates, calcicole and calcifuge plants). Mineral nutrients in soil (availability and uptake of mineral nutrient from the soil). Nitrogen metabolism. Mechanical factors (wind, snow, fires, skiving, pasture), signification for biodiversity, plants as bioindicators. Carbon metabolism, gas exchange in plants, the carbon budget of the whole plant and of plant communities. Population (characterization, growing and dispersion of population). Biotics factors. Competition, allelopathy, parasitism, mutualism, epifitism, herbivory). r- and K- selection, R-, C-, S- strategy. Ecosystem - structure and function (energy flow, producers, consumers, destruents, food chain, ecological pyramids).

Learning activities and teaching methods
Lecture
  • Preparation for the Exam - 25 hours per semester
  • Homework for Teaching - 10 hours per semester
Learning outcomes
Basic knowledge concepts and relationships in Ecology and Stress Physiology.
Student should be able to explain (after attending the course): - Basic concepts of ecophysiology - Basic concepts of stress physiology - Mechanisms of plant stress response - Basics of plant stress electrophysiology - Effects of abiotics stress factors - Effect of soil composition and nutrition - Effects of biotic stress factors
Prerequisites
unspecified

Assessment methods and criteria
Mark

Successfull passing the oral exam.
Recommended literature
  • Baluška F et al. (eds.). (2006). Communications in plants. Neuronal aspects of plant life.. Berlin, Heidelberg, New York.
  • Begon M., Harper J.L. & Towsend C. R. (1997). Ekologie. Jedinci, populace a společenstva. Vydavatelství Univerzity Palackého, Olomouc.
  • Hlaváčková V. (2009). Physical and chemical signals and their action in systemic responses of plants to local wounding.. In: R.T. Devane (ed.), New Plant Physiology Research, Nova Science Publishers, 4395.
  • Cherry J.H. (ed.). (1989). Environmental Stress in Plants: Biochemical and Physiological Mechanisms Associated with Environmental Stress Tolerance in Plants. NATO ASI Series G, Vol. 19, Springer, Berlin.
  • Jenks M.A., Hasegawa P. M. (2005). Plant Abiotic Stress. Blackwell, Oxford.
  • Larcher, W. (1998). Fyziologická ekologie rostlin. Academia, Praha.
  • Larcher, W. (2003). Physiological Plant Ecology. 4th ed.. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, etc.
  • Slavíková J. (1986). Ekologie rostlin. SPN, Praha.
  • Turner N.C., Kramer P.J. (eds.). (1980). Adaptation of Plants to Water and High Temperature Stress. Wiley, New York.


Study plans that include the course
Faculty Study plan (Version) Category of Branch/Specialization Recommended year of study Recommended semester
Faculty: Faculty of Science Study plan (Version): Biophysics (2022) Category: Physics courses 1 Recommended year of study:1, Recommended semester: Summer
Faculty: Faculty of Science Study plan (Version): Experimental Biology of Plants (2021) Category: Biology courses 1 Recommended year of study:1, Recommended semester: Summer