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2020/2021

Environmental Plant Physiology

Code: 100822 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
2500251 Environmental Biology OB 2 2
The proposed teaching and assessment methodology that appear in the guide may be subject to changes as a result of the restrictions to face-to-face class attendance imposed by the health authorities.

Contact

Name:
Mercè Llugany Ollé
Email:
Merce.Llugany@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
catalan (cat)
Some groups entirely in English:
No
Some groups entirely in Catalan:
Yes
Some groups entirely in Spanish:
No

Prerequisites

It is necessary to have studied Plant Physiology.

Objectives and Contextualisation

The Environmental Plant Physiology is the second subject of a set of 3 that form the subject of Plant Physiology. It is compulsory and is taken in the second semester of the second year after having completed the compulsory subject of Plant Physiology.

The training objective of this subject is centered in the acquisition of competences within the framework of the theoretical and practical training of the student.

The Environmental Plant Physiology has the training objectives of acquiring knowledge at the organizational level of the organisms and their physiology in front of internal and external factors. Another aim is to identify the mechanisms of adaptation to the environment.

Competences

  • Carry out functional tests and determine, assess and interpret vital parameters.
  • Communicate efficiently, orally and in writing.
  • Reason critically.
  • Understand the bases of regulation of vital functions of organisms through internal and external factors, and identify environmental adaptation mechanisms.
  • Work individually and in teams.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Apply tests and indexes to assess the functioning and development of plants.
  2. Communicate efficiently, orally and in writing.
  3. Interpret plants' mechanisms of physiological adaptation to environmental stress.
  4. Reason critically.
  5. Work individually and in teams.

Content

Theory:
Concepts of stress and resistance
Perception and transduction of stimuli
Rhizospheric processes
Physiological responses to deficit and excess of water
Saline and ionic stress. Physiology of halophilic and metallophilic plants
Adaptations to calcareous soils and acid soils
Physiological responses to the thermal and light environment
Physiological responses to the mechanical and chemical effects of the atmosphere
Practical applications of the knowledge of Environmental Plant Physiology
 
Lab practices:
Influence of light on plant growth
Effect of wind on the degree of stomatal opening
Influence of physical and chemical factors on the permeability of cell membranes
Influence of suboptimal phosphorus levels on acid phosphatase activity

Methodology

The teaching methodology combines magisterial classes of 50 minutes with ICT support (available virtual campus) and debate in a group of seminars. As well as tutorials, personal study, and laboratory practices where individual and team work is combined.

Seminars promote the capacity for analysis and synthesis, critical reasoning through activities such as written and oral presentation in public of works, assessment and critical discussion, commentary of videos, resolution of questions related to the treated subjects, etc. In the seminars the student can work individually or in small groups.

Laboratory practices are understood as an autonomous process based on guided observation and support material during practices. Students will also have to produce the results obtained, performing the relevant calculations with the teacher's support and, where appropriate, respond to the questions raised in the scripts / memoirs.

The personalized or group tutorials will be used to clarify concepts, establish knowledge acquired and facilitate the study to the student. They will also be used to resolve doubts about the work presented in the seminars.

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Laboratory practices 12 0.48 1, 3, 4, 5
Magistral lectures 34 1.36 3, 4
Seminars 6 0.24 2, 4, 5
Type: Supervised      
Tutorials 6 0.24 3, 4
Type: Autonomous      
Lecture of papers 30 1.2 4, 5
Reports 18 0.72 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Study 34 1.36 3, 4, 5

Assessment

The specific and transversal competences of this subject will be evaluated by means of written tests (exams), thematic works delivered in written form, questionnaires filled out, oral presentations; Participation in seminars and tutorials.

The written tests are eliminatory. The mark will be done with the half between the two partials, a minimum grade of 4 is required.  

If you want to raise a note, you must complete the final test and in no case will the partial note be saved.

Laboratory practices: Attendance is compulsory and the attitude and elaboration of the practice report is assessed as well as a questionnaire that will be answered and will be given to the teacher at the end of the last practice session in the same laboratory. The weight of the practices in the final grade of the subject is 15%. To be able to attend, it is necessary for the student to justify having passed the biosafety and security tests that he will find in the Virtual Campus and be knowledgeable and accept the rules of operation of the laboratories of the Faculty of Biosciences.

To be able to attend it, it is necessary for the student to justify having passed the biosafety and security tests that he will find on the Virtual Campus and be knowledgeable and accept the rules for the deaths of the laboratories of the Faculty of Biosciences.

Seminars: The quality of the preparation and presentation of public works or exhibitions will be assessed as well as the answers to the questions proposed. Overall, the evaluation of the seminars has a global weight of 15% of the final grade.

To pass the subject, a final minimum qualification of 5.0 must be obtained in the written test, in practice and in the seminars.

To participate in the recovery (1st part, 2nd part or final test), the students must have been previously evaluated in a set of activities whose weight equals to a minimum of two thirds of the total grade of the subject or module. Therefore, students will obtain the"Non-Valuable" qualification when the evaluation activities carried out have a weighting of less than 67% in the final grade

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
1rst written test 35% 4.5 0.18 1, 2, 3, 4
2nd written test 35% 4.5 0.18 1, 2, 3, 4
Laboratory practices 15% 0 0 1, 2, 4, 5
Seminars 15% 1 0.04 2, 3, 4, 5

Bibliography

EIGOSA, M., PEDROL, N. & SÁNCHEZ, A.: La ecofisiología vegetal, una ciencia de síntesis. Paraninfo, 2004

BARCELÓ, J., NICOLÁS, G., SABATER, B. & SÁNCHEZ, R.: Fisiología Vegetal. Editorial Pirámide, Madrid, 2003

LAMBERS, H.,CHAPIN III, F.S., PONS, T.L.: Plant Physiological Ecology. 2nd Edition. Springer, 2008

FITTER, A.H. & HAY, R.K.M.: Environmental Physiology of Plants, 3rd edition. Academic Press, London, 2001

TAIZ, L. & ZEIGER, E.: Fisiología Vegetal.Publicacions Universitat Jaume I, Castelló de la Plana, 2006

LÓPEZ-SÁEZ, JA., CATALÁN, P. & SÁEZ, Ll: Plantas parásitas de la Península Ibérica e Islas Baleares. Ediciones Mundi-Prensa, 2002