Syllabus

Spring semester 2009 (January 22 – May 5), 3 credits. Download Syllabus (DOC)

Tuesday and Thursday (9:35–10:25)
Lectures: McNeal Hall 146
Labs: Plant Growth Facility 174

Required text: Lambers, Chapin, and Pons. 2006. Plant Physiological Ecology. Springer.

Course Grading for EEB 4068: total 425 pts

100	5 problem sets based on labs (20 pts each)
50	Lab handouts
100	Midterm
50	Preparedness for discussions, class participation, lab involvement
25	Field Trip to Cedar Creek
100	Final

Course Grading for EEB 5068: total 500 pts

100	5 problem sets based on labs (20 pts each)
50	Lab handouts
100	Midterm
75	Preparedness for discussions, class participation, lab preparation
25	Lab setup, lab leadership
25	Discussion leadership
25	Field Trip to Cedar Creek
100	Final

EEB 4068 students are expected to complete all labs and problem sets. Preparation for discussions and participation in labs will be evaluated. Field trip is mandatory.

EEB 5068 students are expected to complete all labs and problem sets. In addition, they are expected to:

1. lead laboratories once during the semester (groups of ~3), including set-up and clean-up, as well as grade peer lab reports; and
2. lead discussions of primary literature, including organizing details with UM faculty discussants. Field trip is mandatory. Lab set-up and grading will require effort outside of class.

Problem sets are due within one week after the lab. Late problem sets will be accepted up until they are handed back to class, but 2 points will be deducted for each late day.

Pass/fail requirements are the same as above, although leading labs and discussions is not required. A grade of C or higher based on problem sets and exams will achieve a passing grade.

I will offer a Friday morning coffee hour at Lori’s (9:00–10:00) to discuss problem sets, papers or anything else.

EEB 4068/5068 is designed to foster four principal outcomes.

1. The lecture program will introduce the major physiological processes in plants.
2. The problem sets are intended to help you learn quantitative aspects of ecophysiology and to provide an opportunity to work through difficult concepts addressed in lecture.
3. Laboratories are designed to teach current methods in plant ecophysiology and to provide hands-on experience in using techniques that can be applied directly to field/experimental work. Additionally, the Cedar Creek field trip provides an opportunity to learn how these techniques have been applied in long-term experiments and to bring understanding of plant function into a field context.
4. Finally, paper discussions are designed to foster skills in reading and interpreting scientific literature and to provide an opportunity to interact with local faculty members on their areas of active research. My intent is to provide you with an awareness of the expertise available locally on many aspects of plant physiological ecology and an opportunity to grapple with current issues in the literature.

Lectures

I. Introduction	Readings*	Date
Context and background: Why study ecophysiology?		22-Jan
II. Energy, temperature, and relative humidity
Energy balance, the sun's energy/ Relative humidity, vapor pressure deficit	p. 210-228	27-Jan
Thermocouple/dew point lab		29-Jan
III. Photosynthesis (Gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence)
Light and dark reactions/ Response of photosynthesis to light	p. 10-50	3-Feb
C3, C4 and CAM photosynthesis pathways; water use efficiency, stable carbon isotopes	p. 50-80	5-Feb
Photosynthesis - gas exchange lab		10-Feb
Chlorophyll fluorescence lab – thin layer chromatography		12-Feb
Chlorophyll fluorescence	p. 36-42	17-Feb
IV. Respiration and Growth
Glycolysis and mitochondrial metabolism/ Growth and maintenance, response to stress	p. 96-134	19-Feb
Relative growth rate/ Allocation	Ch. 7	24-Feb
Discussion: growth and global change (Peter Reich)		26-Feb
V. Plant water relations
SPAC, water potential, conductance, stomata	Ch. 3, p. 154-172	3-Mar
Cohesion-tension theory, long-distance transport	Ch. 3	5-Mar
Water potential lab		10-Mar
Midterm - in class exam		12-Mar
-- Spring Break --
VI. Hydraulic properties and long-distance transport
Xylem structure and function/ hydraulic architecture	Ch. 3, p. 172-182	24-Mar
Freezing/drought and xylem embolism		26-Mar
Lab on soil moisture and plant anatomy		31-Mar
Discussion: long-distance transport (Nick and Jessica)		2-Apr
Phloem structure and function; phloem loading	p. 140-152	7-Apr
VII. Mineral nutrition and growth
Root uptake/ Use and allocation/ Mycorrhiza	p. 239-298	9-Apr
Discussion: decomposition (Sarah Hobbie)	Ch. 10A	14-Apr
N fixation and reduction/ Nutrient use efficiency	Ch. 6 & 9	16-Apr
Discussion: on mycorrhiza/rhizobia (Ford Denison)		21-Apr
Lab on mycorrhizae, rhizobia		23-Apr
VIII.  Ecosystem and global processes
Leaf traits and consequences for nutrient cycling/ Carbon cycle and ecosystem productivity	Ch. 5 & 10A,B	28-Apr
Discussion: scaling up (Jennifer Powers)		30-Apr
Responses of plants to global change		1-May
Discussion: evolutionary response to global change (Ruth Shaw)		5-May
Saturday field trip to Cedar Creek		3-May
Review for final		TBA
Final Exam		12-May

*all reading marked on the syllabus are from Lambers et al. 2006