The study of the geographical distribution of vascular plants; The floristic regions; The main geographical and ecological patterns explaining the diversity of plant communities. Vegetation dynamics. Gradients and plants ecological strategies. A functional approach to plant community structure and dynamics. Functional diversity and ecosystem services.
PDF of PowerPoint slides showed in the lectures.
Some articles, book chapters and web documents quoted in the lectures.
Learning Objectives
Knowledge acquired: Factors affecting plant species and community distribution (climate, soil, ecology, history of European flora); Environmental gradients; Response of traits to different environmental gradients; physiognomic and floristic-ecologic vegetation aspects; vegetation dynamics; ecological strategies; general concepts concerning conservation of plants and habitats. Competence acquired: understanding patterns affecting the distribution of plant species and communities; understanding of vegetation dynamics; understanding of communitiy assembly rules and environmental filters; understanding principal conservation aspects regarding habitats and plant communities. Abilities acquired (at the end of the course): Ability to interpret the vegetation cover of a territory and to read vegetation maps; ability to collect vegetation data in the field; competence in analyzing and interpreting the collected data. Managing of plant functional diversity data at community and intraspecific level
Prerequisites
Courses to be used as requirements (required and/or recommended) - Courses recommended: Botany with lab., Animal and plant Biodiversity
Teaching Methods
Total hours of the course (including the time spent in attending lectures, seminars, private study, examinations, etc...): 150. Hours spent in private study and other individual learning activities: 90. Contact hours for: Lectures (hours): 35. Contact hours for: Laboratory-field/practice (hours): 25
Further information
Lecture, practice and lab attendance:
Not required but recommended
Type of Assessment
Oral exam, also based on interpretation and comments of vegetation data, tables and/or maps
Course program
Historical introduction. Short notes on chorology, The causes of plant distribution. Vegetation belts. Notes on the European flora history up to the post-glacial period. The floristic regions. Physiognomical, structural and floristic characteristics of vegetation. Vegetation physiognomy and vegetation formation types. Outlines of vegetation mapping. The vegetation dynamism (theories of Clements, Gleason, Tansley, Shifting mosaic steady-state model, the climax concept and the potential natural vegetation, static and dynamic climax). Ecological gradients, environmental factors and plant functional diversity at the community level; Characterizing the functional structure of a community and factors that affect it. Plant community assembly rules; a functional approach to ecosystem services.a functional approach to ecosystem services