Plant Ecology

Natural abiotic (climatic and edaphic), biotic and anthropogenic factors of the environment of plants: molecular, individual and community level. Phytoindication of pollution. Interaction of plants with physical and biological environment. Distribution and abundance of plants. Population ecology. Community ecology. Ecosystems, Plant diversity and conservation. Laboratory work includes examination of morphological-physiological adjustments of plants to surrounding environment.

The aim of this course is to get acquainted with the problems of plant ecology, research methods, environmental diversity, plant change in space and time, human impact on plants.

Knowledge in General Biology, Embryophyte anatomy, morphology and systematics

Lectures I. Introduction to Plant Ecology. Factors causing plant stress 1. Introduction to plant ecology. The concept of plant ecology, history, research methods 2. Environment as a voltage factor. The concept of voltage. Specific and general response 3. Light. Temperature 4. Lack of oxygen. Lack of water 5. Salts. Heavy metals. Aluminum. Xenobiotics 6. Tensions caused by the living environment. Allelopathy II. Plant ecology - autecology 7. Weather as a home 8. Acid pollutants 9. Plants and atmospheric radiation 10. Compound application to plants. III. Ecosystem ecology 9. Ecosystem properties. Subdivisions and boundaries of ecosystems 10. Biogeochemical cycles 11. Nitrogen circulation. Changes due to human activity 12. Carbon circulation. Changes due to human activity IV. Vegetation changes in time, space, interaction with the environment 13. Changes of plant environment depending on time and space (synchroology) 14. Plant ecology - synecology V. World Plant Ecology 15. Development of used land areas, damage. Influence of human activities on the world's plant diversity, plant resources, plant protection lab works 1. Adaptation of plants to dispersal and methods of dispersal 2. The quality of the covering organs is a reflection of the environmental impact 3. Adaptation to drought 4. Adaptation to excess water 5. Changes due to lack of water 6. Morphophysiological peculiarities of tall and light-loving plants 7. Plants' need for nitrogen

Will obtain knowledge about main environmental factors, methods of investigation, history, nowadays trends in ecology; environment as stress factor; reception and transmission of stress; light (visible light, UV), temperature effects on plants, temperature borders limiting life; heat. frost, cold, oxygen deficiency, water deficiency, salt effects on plants; adaptations to salt excess, heavy metal, aluminium, xenobiotic influence on plants, stress caused by biotic factors Will understand: terminology applied in ecological science, the most important problems of the ecology in the past, present and future, complexity of the plant environment, possible combined effects of pollutant mixtures, stress concept, stress mitigation possibilities, main environment factors influencing exsistence of individuals, species, communities, forecats of environment quality in the future, to distinquish environment peculiarities of Europe when compared to other continents, to know perspectives of the world ecology, to forecast environment quality of the future Will be able to define environmental factors, according to various criteria, to select proper groups of organisms, model plants to detect adverse effects of environment, to select proper methods, to evaluate strength of effects of environmental factors according to limit values of deposition and critical concentrations of air pollutants, to distinquish between human effects and naturally occuring stressors, to find out the most important for plants factors, plant role in the main element cycling, to explain plant-plant interactions, plant and animal interactions, to analyze importance of ecological problems, to distinguish problems of local, regional and world significance Will obtain skills to monitor and measure physical quantitative and qualitative or other characteristics, events or changes, systemic records and documentation of the environment and plant reaction