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  4. 2014-2015
  5. Plant Science
  6. PL5303: Ecosystem Processes

PL5303: ECOSYSTEM PROCESSES (2014-2015)

Last modified: 28 Jun 2018 10:27


Course Overview

None.

Course Details

Study Type Postgraduate Level 5
Session First Sub Session Credit Points 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits)
Campus None. Sustained Study No
Co-ordinators
  • Professor David Robinson

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

None.

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

What courses cannot be taken with this course?

None.

Are there a limited number of places available?

No

Course Description

Course Aims: To understand the main biological, chemical and physical processes involved in the conversion of energy and other resources. The emphasis is on being able to relate measurements made at local scales to understand their relevance for global processes. Content: Primary production (Carbon cycle; Biomes; Scaling from leaf to biome). Water use (Water cycle; Coupling between vegetation and atmosphere; Soil water; Water use efficiency). Soil microbiology & organic matter decomposition (Decomposers; Soil respiration; Root-microbe relations). Nutrient acquisition by plants (Nutrient demand; Nutrients in soil; Nutrient supply; Soil heterogeneity; Nutrient use efficiency). Secondary production (Grazing effects; Energy and resource flow between trophic levels). Ecosystem sustainability, human impacts and feedbacks.

Further Information & Notes

Most of the course runs concurrently with PL3303. Level 5 students receive specialist tutorials in, e.g., applications of stable isotope techniques.

Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers


Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 31 August 2023 for 1st half-session courses and 22 December 2023 for 2nd half-session courses.

Summative Assessments

Laboratory report (50%) and science communication article (50%). NB Most of the course runs concurrently with PL3303. Level 5 students receive specialist tutorials in, e.g., applications of stable isotope techniques.

Formative Assessment

There are no assessments for this course.

Feedback

None.

Course Learning Outcomes

None.
 

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