PLANT ECOLOGY

Scientific method in Ecology

Definition of Science
Brief discussion about the role of science in our society
Case study for a choice between two different hypothesis
Why should we use models in ecology?

How a scientific ecological research should be conducted

Methods to find the most important factor influencing a process
Example from Ecology October 1999
The role of ANOVA in Ecology

Fixed and random models
# Ecofisiologia Vegetale
Plant Ecophysiology
      Light and photosynthesis
      Photosynthesis and plant adaptation to light environment
       Photosinthesis in C3, C4 and CAM plants
       Isotopic discrimination
       Photosynthesis and enviromental factors: light, water, CO2 and temperature
        A/Ci curves and  Fahrquar models

# Water and plants
  Transpiration and factors affecting transpiration
  Water Use Efficency

# Nutrients
  Nitrogen
  Other nutrients

Genotype x Enviroment interaction
     Patterns of adaptation to environment
     Phenotypic plasticity
     The role of phytochrome for light response by plants

Evolution and population genetics

      How genetic variability is measured
          Allozymes
          RFLP
          RAPD
          Microsatellite
          AFLP

     Gene frequencies, genotype frequencies and Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium
     Heterozygosity and fixation index
     Genetic drift and gene flow
     Habitat fragmentation
     Genetic distances
     Selection

# Quantitative traits
  Variance components and heritability
       Heritability estimate
  QTL mapping
      Interval mapping
Hierarchical models