Aims

The module is intended to underpin subsequent modules associated with the environmental and agricultural sciences by providing fundamental knowledge of the structure and function of higher plants.

The complementary lecture and practical component will inculcate an understanding of fundamental plant science principles and develop skills through analysis and interpretation of data and observations gained from both field and laboratory sessions.

After attending the lectures and practical the students should have a thorough understanding of the importance of plants within the context of agriculture and the environment.

Outline Of Syllabus

Plants and life on earth - the form of plants.
Plants as the basis for agriculture - domestic, global climate and crop growth.
Photosynthesis - light, carbon dioxide and temperature, respiration. C3, C4, CAM and intermediate physiologies.
Anatomy and structure.
Plants and water - diffusion, osmosis, transpiration and water potential.
Plants and minerals - macro and micronutrients, deficiency symptoms, nutrient uptake and transport
Plant strength and integrity - leaves stems and roots relationships between structure and function.
Plant growth and development - hormones - biochemistry - synthesis of secondary metabolites
Parasitism and carnivory.
Rare species and adaptation.
Crop production and yield - definitions, components and determination.
Plants for food and utility.
Ecology - competition, population dynamics, plant-herbivore interactions, diversity.
Plants, environmental pollution and a changing climate.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Lectures provide the framework for understanding how plants interact with their environment and the importance to agricultural practice.
Practicals set this material in the context of plant-environmental and agricultural interactions by direct observations and measurements of physiological processes.
Private study using recommended reading materials will provide further depth of understanding the fundamental properties and function of plants.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

Practical report of the laboratory-based will supplement information provided in the lectures and will put this information into context. The practical reports assess the ability to record and interpret experimental results.