bio710 - Functional Ecology of Plants

++ deepened biological expertise
++ deepened knowledge of biological working methods
++ data analysis skills
+ interdisciplinary thinking
++ critical and analytical thinking
++ independent searching and knowledge of scientific literature
++ ability to perform independent biological research
+ data presentation and discussion in German and English (written and spoken)
++ project and time management
++ statistics & scientific programming

Part I (lecture): Understanding the scale-dependence of spatial and temporal ecological processes
Part II (seminar): Treatment of special subjects of the functional ecology of plants yields insight into current research fields.
Part III: Project assignments will introduce students to scientific work by independent planning, performance, assessment and presentation. Skills in optical and oral presentation of own and other scientists’ research results are practised in seminar papers related to Parts II and III.

L: "Scaling": Physiological Ecology from individual organ to ecosystem
SE: Recent studies in experimental ecology
E: Independent research project

von Willert, D. J., R. Matyssek and W. Herppich (1995). Experimentelle Pflanzenökologie. Stuttgart, Thieme Verlag
Lambers, H., F. S. Chapin III and T. L. Pons (2008). Plant Physiological Ecology (2nd edition). New York, Springer
Schulze, E. D., E. Beck and K. Müller-Hohenstein (2002). Pflanzenökologie. Berlin, Springer
Additional literature depending on how the respective area of work develops.
Comment:
Web link: http://www.uni-oldenburg.de/fun_eco/

1. Presentation(s) (30 %)
2. Exercise (laboratory course report on project work) (70 %)

Regular active participation is required for the module to be passed.