NRES 725 Plant Physiological Ecology Spring 2006

Transcription

1 NRES 725 Plant Physiological Ecology Spring 2006 Instructor: Bob Nowak Office: FA 125 Office hours: Tuesdays 11:00 AM 1:00 PM Phone: or by appointment Class meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30-10:45 in WRB 1019 unless otherwise indicated. We will take one required field trip. Information about the course, handouts, and other documents for the course will be posted on the following web site: Topic Outline Date Topic I) Water Balance of Plants Jan 24 A) Water potential 26, 31 B) Soil, plant, air continuum C) Physiological control Feb 2, 7 1) Roots and water uptake 7, 9 2) Hydraulic conductivity 14, 16 3) Stomatal conductance and transpiration Feb 21 Guest lecture: Dr. Richard Jasoni Evapotranspiration and Water Budgets in an Arid Environment II) Carbon Balance of Plants 23 A) C 3, C 4, and CAM photosynthesis Feb 28 Guest lecture: Dr. Mark Potosnak "Isoprene emission from plants" Required reading: *Sharkey TD, Yeh SS (2001) Isoprene emission from plants. Annual Review of Plant Physiology And Plant Molecular Biology 52: Mar 2 Guest literature discussion: Dr. Mark Potosnak "Coupling of plant isoprene production with the atmospheric environment" Required readings: *Rosenstiel TN, Potosnak MJ, Griffin KL, Fall R, Monson RK (2003) Increased CO 2 uncouples growth from isoprene emission in an agriforest ecosystem. Nature 421: *Rapparini F, Baraldi R, Miglietta F, Loreto F (2004) Isoprenoid emission in trees of Quercus pubescens and Quercus ilex with lifetime exposure to naturally high CO 2 environment. Plant Cell And Environment 27: *Loreto F, Mannozzi M, Maris C, Nascetti P, Ferranti F, Pasqualini S (2001) Ozone quenching properties of isoprene and its antioxidant role in leaves. Plant Physiology 126: B) Carbon gain in the environment 7, 9 1) Leaf gas exchange Mar 14 Guest lecture: Dr. Richard Jasoni Principles of gas exchange from leaf to ecosystem levels Page 1 of 5

2 Date Topic 16 2) Canopy gas exchange First exam handed out due 9:30 AM on March 30 Mar REQUIRED FIELD TRIP Nevada Desert Free-Air CO 2 Enrichment Facility Mojave Desert Global Change Facility Yucca Mountain 21, 23 Spring break 28, 30 3) Water use efficiency Mar 30, Apr 4 C) Carbon allocation Mar 30 First exam turned in III) Nutrient Balance of Plants Apr 6 A) Macro- and micronutrients in plants 6, 11 B) Physiology and energetics of nutrient uptake 13, 25 C) Root physiological responses to nutrient uptake Apr 18 Guest lecture: Dr. Kim Allcock Apr 20 Guest lecture: Dr. Kim Allcock Apr 27, May 2 D) Root system growth and architecture May 2 Second exam handed out due 7:30 AM on May 12 4 E) Mycorrhizal symbiosis 9 IV) Literature discussion sessions May 12 Final exam period: 7:30 9:30 AM Literature discussion sessions (cont.) Second exam turned in * indicates that article is available online through the UNR electronic journals web site Course Objectives The primary objective of the course is to develop an understanding of the interrelationship between individual plants and the abiotic and biotic components of their environment. The course will focus on how plants function in their natural environment and will address the following questions: What can plants do, given their physiological capacities and the constraints of the environment? How do plants tolerate stress? What options are available to avoid or ameliorate stress? How do plants acquire and allocate resources? What are the ecological consequences of their strategies? To what extent do the physiological characteristics enhance ecological success? The format of the course consists of formal lectures and discussion sessions. The first 3 sections concern some abiotic factors in the environment and will examine: 1) water balance, i.e. how water moves from the soil through the plant into the air as well as the effects of drought; 2) plant carbon balance with an emphasis on how plants get carbon and what do they have to do with it and what can they do with it; and 3) plant nutrient relations with an overview of the availability of nutrients, nutrient uptake, and plant responses to nutrient deficiencies. The purpose of discussion sessions is to: expose you to original (and often recent) literature. help develop skills to critically read articles. evaluate new ideas. Page 2 of 5

3 Grades A total of 80% of the grade will be from the 2 tests. Both tests will be take-home exams. The first exam will cover topic up to and including the day the exam is handed out. The second exam will primarily cover material that was presented after the first exam, but may also cover earlier material. Both exams will incorporate information presented by guest lecturers. Exam 1: Covers topics up to & including day handed out = 35% of grade Exam 2: Primarily topics since 1 st exam plus earlier topics = 45% of grade Total = 80% A total of 20% of the grade will be based on the discussion portion of the course. Discussion sessions will be on current literature or review articles that expand some aspect of the material presented in class. Everyone is expected to read the assigned papers and to participate in the discussion. Grades will be based upon the instructor s evaluation of each student s participation in the discussions using criteria such as active involvement in the discussion, extent of contributions to the discussion, ability to stimulate the discussion, etc. Final grades will be assigned according to the following scale: A = >90% B = 80-90% C = 70-80% D = 60-70% F = <60% NOTE: This course uses the plus/minus system of grading. Academic Dishonesty Policy: Students are expected to adhere to the ethical code as described in the UNR Student Handbook. This code specifies that with enrollment, an individual commits to the principles embodied in the code. Academic dishonesty in any form is unacceptable. In the event of an academic dishonesty issue, the procedures for addressing the issue are outlined in the University s Academic Dishonesty Procedures, which can be obtained from the Director of Student Judicial Affairs in the Jones Visitor Center. Reference Materials Classic papers Below is a list of some classic papers that have been influential in the development of ideas and concepts in plant physiological ecology. These papers are primarily reviews that summarize existing data sets and provide new insight into what those results mean. Bazzazz FA (1979) The physiological ecology of plant succession. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 10: Bloom AJ, Chapin FS III, Mooney HA (1985) Resource limitation in plants an economic analogy. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 16: Caldwell MM, Dawson TE, Richards JH (1998) Hydraulic lift: consequences of water efflux from the roots of plants. Oecologia 113: Caldwell MM, Richards JH, Johnson DA, Nowak RS, Dzurec RS (1981) Coping with herbivory: Photosynthetic capacity and resource allocation in two semiarid Agropyron bunchgrasses. Oecologia 50: Casper BB, Schenk HJ, Jackson RB (2003) Defining a plant s belowground zone of influence. Page 3 of 5

4 Ecology 84: Chapin FS III (1980) The mineral nutrition of wild plants. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 11: Chapin FS III, Torn MS, Tateno M (1996) Principles of ecosystem sustainability. American Naturalist 148: Ehleringer JR, Monson RK (1993) Evolutionary and ecological aspects of photosynthetic pathway variation. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 24: Eissenstat DM, Yanai RD (1997) The ecology of root lifespan. Advances in Ecological Research 27:1-62. Farquhar GD Ehleringer JR, Hubick KT (1989) Carbon isotope discrimination and photosynthesis. Annual Review of Plant Physiology and Molecular Biology 40: Field C, Mooney HA (1986) The photosynthesis-nitrogen relationship in wild plants. IN: Givnish TJ (ed) On The Economy of Plant Form and Function. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Mooney HA (1972) The carbon balance of plants. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 3: Mooney HA, Billings WD (1961) Comparative physiological ecology of arctic and alpine populations of Oxyria digyna. Ecological Monographs 31:1-29. Pearcy RW (1990) Sunflecks and photosynthesis in plant canopies. Annual Review of Plant Physiology and Molecular Biology 41: Reich PB, Ellsworth DS, Walters MB, Vose JM, Gresham C, Volin JC, Bowman WD (1998) Generality of leaf trait relationships: a test across six biomes. Ecology 80: Strain BR, Bazzaz FA (1983) Terrestrial plant communities. Pp in Lemon E (ed.). CO 2 and Plants: The Response of Plants to Rising Levels of Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide. AAAS Selected Symposium 84. Washington, DC. Tyree MT, Sperry JS (1989) Vulnerability of xylem to cavitation and embolism. Annual Review of Plant Physiology and Molecular Biology 40: Von Caemmerer S, Farquhar GD (1981) Some relationships between the biochemistry of photosynthesis and the gas exchange of leaves. Planta 153: Journals Many journals have articles that relate to issues that are covered in class. These include (but are not restricted to) the following journals. Most are found in the Health and Life Sciences Library. American Journal of Botany Ann Rev Ecology & Systematics Ann Rev Plant Phys & Mol Biol Agricultural & Forest Meteorology Australian J Plant Physiology Biogeochemistry Ecological Applications Ecological Modeling Ecological Monographs Ecology Ecosystems Forest Ecology and Management Functional Ecology Global Change Biology International J Biometeorology International J Plant Sciences Journal of Applied Ecology J Applied Vegetation Science Journal of Arid Environments Journal of Ecology J Rangeland Ecol & Management Journal of Vegetation Science Microbial Ecology Nature New Phytologist Oecologia Oikos Photosynthetica Physiologia Plantarum Plant Cell & Environment Plant Ecology (formerly Vegetatio) Plant Physiology Planta Science Soil Biology and Biochemistry Soil Science Soc. America Journal TREE Physiology Trends in Ecology & Evolution Western North American Naturalist Page 4 of 5

5 Reference Texts The following are some good reference texts that should be on reserve in the Life and Health Sciences Library. The call number is at the end of the citation. Bazzaz FA, Grace J (1997) Plant Resource Allocation. Academic Press, New York. 303 p. QK 717.P Boyer JS (1995) Measuring the Water Status of Plants and Soil. Academic Press, San Diego. 178 p. QK870.B Caldwell MM, Pearcy RW (1994) Exploitation of Environmental Heterogeneity by Plants. Academic Press, San Diego. 429 p. QK905.E Fitter AH, Hay RKM (1987) Environmental Physiology of Plants, 2 nd Edition. Academic Press, New York. 423 p. QK F Gates DM (1980) Biophysical Ecology. Springer-Verlag, New York. 611 p. QH 541.G39 Jones HG (1992) Plants and Microclimate: A Quantitative Approach to Environmental Plant Physiology. Cambridge University Press, New York. 323 p. QK 754.J Koch GW, Mooney HA (1996) Carbon Dioxide and Terrestrial Ecosystems. Academic Press, San Diego. 443 p. QK753.C3 C Kramer PJ, Boyer JS (1995) Water Relations of Plants and Soil. Academic Press, San Diego. 495 p. QK870.K Lambers H, Chapin FS III, Pons TL (1998) Plant Physiological Ecology. Springer-Verlag, New York. 540 p. QK717.L Marschner H (1986) Mineral Nutrition of Higher Plants. Academic Press, Orlando. 674 p. QK 867.M Mooney HA, Winner WE, Pell EJ (1991) Responses of Plants to Multiple Stresses. Academic Press, San Diego. 422 p. QK 754.R Nobel PS (1991) Physiochemical and Environmental Plant Physiology. Academic Press, San Diego. 635 p. QK N Pearcy, R.W., J.R. Ehleringer, H.A. Mooney, and P.W. Rundel (eds.) Plant Physiological Ecology: Field Methods and Instrumentation. Chapman and Hall, New York. QK905.P Press MC, Scholes JD, Barker MG (1999) Physiological Plant Ecology. Blackwell Science. 480 p. QK717.B Russell G, Marshall B, Jarvis PG (1989) Plant Canopies: Their Growth, Form, and Function. Cambridge University Press, New York. 178 p. QK P Schulze E-D, Caldwell MM (1995) Ecophysiology of Photosynthesis. Springer-Verlag, Berlin. 576 p. QK882.E Smith SD, Monson RK, Anderson JE (1997) Physiological Ecology of North American Desert Plants. Springer-Verlag, New York. 286 p. QK 133.S Page 5 of 5