Plant ecology

A.A. 2023/2024
6
Crediti massimi
48
Ore totali
SSD
BIO/03
Lingua
Inglese
Obiettivi formativi
The course engages students in learning activities aimed at building in-depth knowledge and understanding of fundamental concepts in plant ecology. Students will familiarize with key ecological patterns, processes, and applications involving plants at individual, population, community, and ecosystem scale. A major goal of the course is to expand students' critical thinking skills and professional expertise. Students will first assess information from media and literature and will practice interpreting results and communicating findings to different audiences. Then, students will learn how to pose questions, formulate testable hypotheses, design, implement, analyse, and report plant ecology studies by conducting original scientific research projects.
Risultati apprendimento attesi
At the end of the course, students will be able to explain and communicate clearly key findings and concepts in plant ecology to a broad audience in different ways. They have learnt to work autonomously and collaborate within teams to pose fundamental questions and test hypotheses, design and implement research projects, analyse, and interpret ecological data, and theorize on the most important aspects of plant ecology. They will be able to relate and anticipate the consequences of changing plant diversity for ecosystem functions as well as apply different plant ecology theories and approaches to ecosystem management, restoration and sustainability. They will be capable of evaluating and reflecting on complex and novel social-environmental issues as well as making recommendations and generating solutions to address the current ecological crisis.
Corso singolo

Questo insegnamento può essere seguito come corso singolo.

Programma e organizzazione didattica

Edizione unica

Responsabile
Periodo
Secondo semestre

Programma
The course engages students in learning activities aimed at building in-depth knowledge and understanding of fundamental concepts in plant ecology. Students will familiarize with key ecological patterns, processes, and applications involving plants at individual, population, community, and ecosystem scale. A major goal of the course is to expand students' critical thinking skills and professional expertise. Students will first assess information from media and literature and will practice interpreting results and communicating findings to different audiences. Then, students will learn how to pose questions, formulate testable hypotheses, design, implement, analyse, and report plant ecology studies by conducting original scientific research projects.

Topics include: (i) foundation of scientific methods and ecological knowledge, (ii) plant evolutionary ecology and local adaptation, (iii) plant traits and plant functions, (iv) drivers of plant growth, (v) scaling plant responses in space and time, (vi) biodiversity, productivity and plant facilitation, (vii) fire and herbivory, (viii) ecosystem engineering and ecosystem functions, (ix) nature contribution to people.
Prerequisiti
Although helpful, no prior experience with botany and ecology is required. Classroom attendance is essential as students are required to engage in learning activities and to work in cooperation with others.
Metodi didattici
The course is developed around outcome-based teaching and problem-based learning. The course is designed to offer students both classroom and field experience following a learning-by-doing approach. In addition to key concepts discussed collegially in lectures, emphasis is placed on students' active participation through presentations, laboratories, written assignments and peer-review. Students will collaborate in teams on real-life case studies through hands-on collection, analyses, documentation, discussion, and revision of their scientific work.
Materiale di riferimento
J. Gurevitch, S.M. Scheiner, G.A. Fox (2020) The Ecology of Plants. Oxford University Press.
P. Keddy (2017) Plant Ecology: Origins, Processes, Consequences. Cambridge University Press.
R. M. Callaway (2007) Positive Interactions and Interdependence in Plant Communities. Springer.
Learning material will be provided to students on ariel course webpage https://glosapiope.ariel.ctu.unimi.it/v5/Home/
Modalità di verifica dell’apprendimento e criteri di valutazione
A formative assessment framework is adopted to improve the student learning: results of assignments and tasks are used for feedback. Self- and peer-assessment are integrated with teacher-assessment for training students to reflect critically on the quality of their own work.
During classes, error detection will be used for correction and attainment of intended learning outcomes.
There will be two assignments. The first assignment is an education/dissemination contribution highlighting new findings or foundational knowledge in which the scientific content can be communicated in the form of text (e.g. newspaper article, blog), images (infographic, poster), podcast or video report. The second assignment is an original scientific article presenting the research carried out by students. Each assignment is followed by student peer-review.

Grading system:
Able to reflect, self-evaluate realistically, able to formulate and apply theory to problematic situations, clear mastery of course contents = 28-30

Can apply theory to practice, provide interconnected understanding of course and components, provide good solutions to classroom problems = 25-27

Can explain the more important theories, can describe other topics acceptably, can replicate some classroom activities = 21-24

Can only explain some theories and provide superficial solutions = 18-20
BIO/03 - BOTANICA AMBIENTALE E APPLICATA - CFU: 6
Lezioni: 48 ore
Docente/i
Ricevimento:
Mercoledi
torre C, 2 piano, ufficio 210