Vegetation Analysis
Code: 102804 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2501915 Environmental Sciences | OT | 4 | 0 |
Contact
- Name:
- Jordina Belmonte Soler
- Email:
- Jordina.Belmonte@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
Teachers
- Concepcion de Linares Fernandez
- Javier Lopez Alvarado
Prerequisites
There are no official pre-requisites, but it is recommended to have previous knowledge on biology and geography of the territory and to have the competences obtained in the Botany part of the subject Plant physiology and Botany. It can help in the progress of this subject the competences acquis in the subject Ecology and Soil Sciences.
Objectives and Contextualisation
The objectives of this subject is that the students obtain the basic knowledge and the fundamental tools that will enable them to recognize the main vegetal formations in the plant landscapes. By following this subject, the student will learn on the description, the analysis and the interpretation of these plant formations, and to estimate their plant biodiversity, their dynamics through the history and the time and the space to, finally, be able to make an environmental evaluation and to determine the environmental risks that can affect it. To get this objective implies also to review the morphological characteristics and the environmental requirements of the main plant species integrating the landscape.
Practicing this subject will make the student able to observe the vegetation and relate it to the biotic and abiotic characteristics of the environment. It will also provide the student with useful knowledge for other subjects. Some of these subjects will have been already attended (i. e. Management and planning of the resources and the territory; Environmental evaluation of plans, programs and projects), and the present one (Analysis of the Vegetation) will offer to the student the possibility to put them into practice with a better preparation. Other related subjects are programmed in parallel, such as Applied ecology, Development and planning of rural and urban landscapes, and Environmental education and communication. The knowledge acquired in this subject can be fundamental to work directly or indirectly (legislation), among others, in the management of parks and natural spaces; Protection and conservation of species, communities and spaces; restoration and territorial planning; environmental education.
Competences
- Adequately convey information verbally, written and graphic, including the use of new communication and information technologies.
- Analyze and use information critically.
- Collect, analyze and represent data and observations, both qualitative and quantitative, using secure adequate classroom, field and laboratory techniques
- Demonstrate adequate knowledge and use the most relevant environmental tools and concepts of biology, geology, chemistry, physics and chemical engineering.
- Demonstrate concern for quality and praxis.
- Demonstrate initiative and adapt to new situations and problems.
- Learn and apply in practice the knowledge acquired and to solve problems.
- Quickly apply the knowledge and skills in the various fields involved in environmental issues, providing innovative proposals.
- Teaming developing personal values regarding social skills and teamwork.
- Work autonomously
Learning Outcomes
- Adequately convey information verbally, written and graphic, including the use of new communication and information technologies.
- Analyze and use information critically.
- Demonstrate concern for quality and praxis.
- Demonstrate initiative and adapt to new situations and problems.
- Describe the basics of plant and animal toxicology.
- Diagnose and solve environmental problems concerning the biological environment.
- Identify and interpret the diversity of organisms in the environment.
- Identify organisms and biological processes in the surrounding environment and evaluate them properly and originally.
- Identifying and using bioindicators.
- Interpret the vegetation.
- Learn and apply in practice the knowledge acquired and to solve problems.
- Mostrear, characterize and manipulate specimens, populations and communities.
- Observe, recognize, analyze, measure and properly and safely represent organisms and biological processes.
- Participate in environmental assessments as to the biological environment.
- Teaming developing personal values regarding social skills and teamwork.
- Work autonomously
Content
Theoretical classes
Introduction. Basic concepts for the interpretation of vegetation.
Characteristics and dynamics of the vegetation. Factors that determine the distribution of vegetables. Distribution of plants on the surface of the Earth. Plant populations and plant communities. Analysis of the spatial and temporal (dynamics) distribution of the vegetation. The successions and disturbances.
Main species forming the vegetal landscape. Review of the most important species of the landscape, its morphological characteristics and environmental requirements.
Methods for the study and description of the vegetation and the plant landscapes. Methodologies for the analysis and description of the vegetation. The vegetal landscape (methods of analysis and geographic description of the landscape). Considerations about vegetation mapping techniques. Analysis of examples of vegetation mapping. Use of databases on the web to obtain information.
Distribution of climates and vegetation in the world. Characteristics of the world biomes.
Vegetation of Europe and the Mediterranean basin. Characteristics of the vegetation of Europe and the Mediterranean basin. Studies on the history of the vegetation and the climate and their contribution to the understanding of current vegetation and the estimation of the future.
The vegetation of the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands. General characteristics of the environment and biogeography of the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic and Canary Islands. Distribution of the vegetation in the Iberian Peninsula, the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands. The vegetation of the Iberian Peninsula and the characteristics of the main plant formations integrating the landscape: the forest formations (aciculifolious, deciduous and sclerophyllous forests); the shrub and herbaceous formations; the vegetation of special places. Vegetation linked to anthropic action (agricultural, forestry and ornamental flora; introduced and invasive species).
Field practices
As a complement to the theoretical classes and to be able to observe in situ the main Iberian vegetation types, two field trips are scheduled to areas of Catalonia representative of the main types of Iberian plant landscapes. Depending on the availability of resources and the interest of the students, we can agree on more field practices to other environments with other types of vegetation.
Study of Mediterranean vegetation: La Serra de Prades. Vegetation of evergreen sclerophils and marcescents species: Southern Mediterranean vegetation (maquia); “Alzinar litoral” (Quercus ilex subsp. ilex); “Carrascar continental” (Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia); Marcescent oak or small leaved oak (Quercus faginea); Marcescent oak Pyrenean oak (Quercus pyrenaica); Pine groves of the basal and montane floor (Pinus halepensis, Pinus nigra, Pinus sylvestris).
Study of the Eurosiberian and Boreo-Alpine vegetation: Vic-Vallter-Olot itinerary. Deciduous and high mountain vegetation: Beech (Fagus sylvatica); Oak forests (Quercus petraea); Oak forests of common or pedunculated oak (Quercus robur); Montane and subalpine pine forests (Pinus sylvestris and Pinus mugo subsp. uncinata); Alpine meadows.
Autonomous work
What teachers expect is that, as a result of the work process and understanding of the information received, the student will develop synthetic schemes of the plantlandscapes of the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic and Canary Islands. These schemes will refer to the vegetation of the mountains (Eurosiberian and Mediterranean mountains), the vegetation of the plains and depressions, the vegetation of the Balearic Islands, the vegetation of the Canary Islands and the vegetation and landscapes of Catalonia. Also, that the student analyze, applying the concepts learned, a study area of his/her choice, making a descriptive memory of it.
Methodology
Theoretical classes, magisterial (in the aula or virtually) stimulating the participation of students, and with the suport of IT to explain the main contents of the subject, with special emphasis on those aspects of more difficult comprehension for the student and the elaborated information that is difficult to access bibliographically. The basic material of the presentations made by the teacher will be made available to the student. These classes are a complement to the student's autonomous activity, based on reading and studying textbooks.
Supervised field trips, consisting of two full-day itineraries through areas of Catalonia. With an epicenter in the UAB, one of the field trips will show the latitudinal and altitudinal variation from the Mediterranean vegetation to the Eurosiberian and Boreo-Alpine vegetation and the other the variation to the vegetation of the Iberian mountains. The students will prepare, in groups of 2/3 (exceptionally 1) a work on aspects treated in field practices and from which a scheme will be provided.
Tutorials. With the aim of solving doubts and guide the study. They can be individualized tutoring, which will be agreed by e-mail or in the classroom and will be done in the teacher's office, and tutorials in group, which will be agreed in the classroom and will be done at a specific time and place.
Autonomous work. In addition to what each student develops individually, teachers will suggest ways to treat information such as the one explained in the Content section.
Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.
Activities
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Field trip practices | 20 | 0.8 | 2, 11, 4, 3, 6, 8, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 1, 15 |
| Theory classes | 30 | 1.2 | 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Tutorials | 4 | 0.16 | 2, 4, 3, 1 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Preparation of the field trips work | 20 | 0.8 | 2, 11, 3, 6, 8, 7, 9, 10, 12, 1, 16, 15 |
| Study, work with documents and bibliography | 72 | 2.88 | 11, 3, 6, 8, 7, 9, 10, 13 |
Assessment
Exams of Theory
Theory exams will be written and of the test type. There will be two partial exams that will contain questions related to the aspects dealt within the theoretical classes and the field trip practices. Each exam will contribute 35% to the final grade of the subject.
To pass a Theory exam a grade of 5 or higher must be obtained. In the case that one of the two exams is not exceeded, it could be compensated with the grade of the other exam if the average of the two exams is equal to or greater than 5 and if the failed exam received a grade of 4 or higher.
The student will be entitled to a reevaluation of the partial exams at the end of the semester. To ask for a reevaluation the student must have received a mark in activities that represent at least 2/3 of the global mark during the course. Students who choose to improve their grades may also take this reevaluation exam. In this case, the grade that will finally count to the student will be the highest of those obtained.
The work related to field trip practices
Students will prepare a report, in groups of 2-3, of each field trip and each will contribute 5% to the final grade of the subject; they will also do an individual work and the mark obtained will contribute 30% to the final mark of the subject.
To overcome the Practical Work will imply to obtain a grade of 5 or superior. The student will be entitled to a reevaluation of this work if the grade obtained has been equal or superior to 4. In this case, students will have the option to improve the work for a few days based on the critical comments obtained.
Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Field trip practices work | 40% | 0 | 0 | 2, 11, 4, 3, 6, 7, 9, 10, 13, 1, 16, 15 |
| First Partial exam of theory | 30% | 2 | 0.08 | 2, 11, 4, 8, 7, 9, 12, 13, 1, 16 |
| Second partial exam of theory | 30% | 2 | 0.08 | 2, 11, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 14, 1, 16 |
Bibliography
General books
- AUTORS DIVERS. 1993 -. Biosfera. Ed. Enciclopèdia Catalana. Barcelona.
- BUREL, F., BAUDRY, J. 2002. Ecología del paisaje: conceptos, métodos y aplicaciones. Mundi Prensa. Madrid.
- CONESA MOR, J. A. 1997. Tipologia de la vegetació: anàlisi i caracterització. Servei de Publicacions Universitat de Lleida.
- OZENDA, P. 1994. Vegetation du continent européen. Delachaux et Niestlé. Lausanne.
- QUÉZEL, P., F. MÉDAIL. 2003. Écologie et biogéographie des forêts méditerranéennes. Coll. Environnement, Elsevier, París.
- SANZ, M. DANA, E.D., SOBRINO, E. 2004. Plantas alóctonas invasoras en España. Dir. Gral. Biodiversidad. Madrid. (https://www.mapama.gob.es/es/biodiversidad/temas/inventarios-nacionales/inventario-especies-terrestres/inventario-nacional-de-biodiversidad/ieet_flora_vasc_aloct_invas.aspx)
- TERRADAS, J 2001. Ecología de la vegetación. Ed. Omega. Barcelona
- WALTER, H. 1988. Vegetació i zones climàtiques del Món. PPV S.A. Barcelona.
Vegetation of the Iberian peninsula and of the Balearic and Canarian Islands
- BLANCO, E., CASADO, M.A., COSTA, M., ESCRIBANO, R., GARCIA, M., GENOVA, M., GOMEZ, A., GOMEZ, F., MORENO, J.C., MORLA, J.C., REGATO, P. & SAINZ, H. 1997. Los bosques ibéricos. Edit. Planeta. Barcelona.
- BOLÒS, O. de, 2001. La vegetació dels Països Catalans. Ed. Aster. Terrassa.
- BOLÒS, O. de, 1996. La vegetació de les Illes Balears. Comunitats deplantes. Institut d’Estudis Catalans. Barcelona.
- BOLÒS, O. de & VIGO, J. 1984-2001. Flora dels Països Catalans. Vol 1, 2, 3 i 4. Ed. Barcino. Barcelona. (https://hoseito.com/producto/publicacion-bolos-o-vigo-fl-paisos-catalans-flora-dels-paisos-catalans-1984-2001/)
- BOLÒS, O. de, VIGO, J. MASALLES, R.M. & NINOT, J.M. 1990. Flora manual dels Països Catalans. Ed. Pòrtic. Barcelona.
- BOLÒS, O. de, VIGO,J., CARRERAS, J. 2004. Mapa de la vegetació potencial de Catalunya 1:250.000. Memòria i Mapa. Publ. Institut d’Estudis Catalans i Universitat de Barcelona.
- CASTROVIEJO, S. (coord. gen.). 1986-2012. Flora Iberica. Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC, Madrid. (http://www.floraiberica.org/).
- FERNÁNDEZ-PALACIOS, J.M., MARTÍN ESQUIVEL, J.L. 2002. Naturaleza de las islas Canarias. Ecología y Conservación. Turquesa Ediciones.
- FOLCH, R. 1986. La vegetació dels Països Catalans. Ketres Ed., Barcelona. Disponible en pdf a: https://blogs.iec.cat/ichn/la-vegetacio-dels-paisos-catalans/
- FOLCH, R., FRANQUESA, T. & CAMARASA, J.M. 1984. Vegetació. Història Natural dels Països Catalans. vol 7. Ed. Enciclopèdia Catalana. Barcelona.
- GONZÁLEZ HENRÍQUEZ, M.N., RODRIGO PÉREZ, J. & SUÁREZ RODRÍGUEZ, C. 1986. Flora y vegetación del archipiélago canario. Ed. Edirca.
- NUET, J., PANAREDA, J.M. & ROMO, A.M. 1991. La vegetació de Catalunya. Eumo editorial. Vic.
- PEINADO LORCA, M. & RIVAS MARTÍNEZ, S. 1987. La vegetación de España. Servicio de Publicaciones Universidad Alcalá Henares.
- RIVAS-MARTÍNEZ, S. 1987. Memoria del mapa de series de vegetación de España (Text i mapes). Publ. ICONA. Madrid. (http://www.magrama.gob.es/ca/biodiversidad/servicios/banco-datos-naturaleza/informacion-disponible/memoria_mapa_series_veg.aspx).
- VÁZQUEZ, J. i MALUQUER-MARGALEF, J. (Coords). 2014. Guia pràctica per conèixer la natura de Catalunya. IPCENA. Lleida.
- VIGO, J. 2005. Les comunitats vegetals. Descripció i classificació. Publ. Universitat de Barcelona.
- · VIGO, J. 2008. L’alta muntanya catalana: Flora i vegetació. 2ª edició revisada. Institut d’Estudis Catalans i Centre Excursionista de Catalunya. Barcelona.
Other works specialyzed on the analysis of the vegetation and the landscape
- MATA OLMO, R., SANZ HERRÁIZ, C. (Dir.). 2003. Atlas de los paisajes de España. Publ. Ministerio de Transición Ecológica. Madrid. (https://www.mapama.gob.es/es/biodiversidad/servicios/banco-datos-naturaleza/informacion-disponible/Paisajes.aspx).
- NAVÉS, F., GARCÍA, R., MARTÍNEZ, C., RUIZ, B., BADÍA, S., AROSEMENA, G. 2004. Arquitectura del paisaje natural de la península Ibérica, islas Baleares y Canarias. Ed. Omega. Barcelona.
- NAVÉS, F., AROSEMENA, G., RUIZ, B., MARTÍNEZ, C., GARCÍA, R., SAMPERE, L., 2004. Arquitectura del paisaje rural de la península Ibérica, islas Baleares y Canarias. Ed. Omega. Barcelona.