| Unit name | Plants and Planet |
|---|---|
| Unit code | BIOL20021 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Andy Bailey |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None. |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None. |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
N/A |
| School/department | School of Biological Sciences |
| Faculty | Faculty of Life Sciences |
Why is this unit important?
Plants are fundamental to every habitat on this planet, as primary producers of biomass and as a consequence of photosynthesis, generating the air that we breathe. Those plants in terrestrial environments are literally rooted to the spot, so have to cope with whatever challenges the environment poses, be they biotic or abiotic in origin. Looking at scales from cellular, organismal and whole ecosystem we will explore how plants acquire light, water etc., how they detect and respond to microbes (both beneficial and disease-causing), how they interact with pollinators and predators, and how plants interact to form functional ecosystems. Throughout the unit will be the central theme of how plants respond to changing environments and how we can manipulate their growth for our benefit.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
Building on the core knowledge from both Diversity of Life and Life Processes at first year, plus the prior second-year units Molecular Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, this unit will expand on the wealth of knowledge about how plants grow and interact with all sorts of organisms to generate not just food and fibre for us, but how they form the basis of sustainable and stable ecosystems fundamental to a biodiverse planet. The unit would be an excellent preparation for the year 3 units, such as “Plants and sustainable food production” and “The future of the green planet”.
An overview of content
This unit will illustrate the exciting array of developmental adaptations displayed by plants, how plants interact with beneficial and pathogenic organisms and the importance of plants to life on earth. Teaching will progress through cellular, whole plant and ecosystem scales. The unit will start at the genetic level by explaining the molecular signalling processes through which plants acquire their basic needs of light, CO2, water and nutrients, highlighting threats to these resources from global change. This section will conclude with discussion of the root rhizosphere, thereby introducing the beneficial interactions between plants and microorganisms. The second section will explore harmful interactions between plants and microorganisms. Students will be introduced to the different types of crop disease and associated pathogen biology. The molecular mechanisms through which plants detect and resist pathogens will then be explored, before cultural, chemical and GM approaches to disease mitigation. The final section of the course considers the importance of plants within ecosystems. This starts with plant interactions with animals, exploring plant-herbivore interactions, plant-pollinator interactions and seed dispersal strategies. We next explore the impacts of crop production on biodiversity and the importance of and challenges faced by specific ecosystems such as forests. The course concludes with topical examples of how plant science research is addressing global challenges and future research directions.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
By the end of this unit you will have a deeper appreciation of the way plants can respond to all sorts of environmental signals, their interactions with other organisms and how they form functional environments. This will be backed up with knowledge from the wider scientific literature. You will also have a deeper appreciation of the challenges in our exploitation of plants – be they in agricultural or natural settings and how this can impact on sustainability and biodiversity.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this unit, students should be able to:
1)Explain the processes by which plants regulate their development to obtain light (photomorphogenesis), CO2 (stomatal development and opening), water (transpiration and root development) and nutrients (carnivory, root foraging and rhizosphere interactions).
2)Identify the key signalling components involved in photomorphogenesis and stomatal development and determine the identity of Arabidopsis genetic mutants based on seedling phenotypes.
3)Identify the key pathogens affecting crop production and describe their biology.
4)Explain the mechanisms used by plants to recognise pathogens and resist disease.
5)Discuss mitigation strategies to reduce crop disease and the impact of crop production on ecosystems.
6)Explain the mechanisms used by plants to deter herbivores, attract pollinators and disperse seeds.
7)Explain the importance of specific ecosystems and the threats presented by global change.
8)Discuss the importance of plants to life on earth and the importance of plant science research.
How you will learn:
Lectures will be traditional or “flipped”, appropriate for the best way to help present the key concepts in the unit. Supporting these will be directed reading and some expectation of independent reading arising from these topics.
There will be practical classes to help understand the practical hands-on aspects of the subject and to give experience of the equipment and approaches typically encountered within a lab for this topic, and attendance at the practicals is expected so as to both to illustrate methods and to gather and analyse data. Arising from the practicals will be 1 formative piece of work and 2 summative pieces of work.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare for your summative tasks:
There is a formative exercise based on the initial practicals, to help you formulate data and answer questions. Feedback on this will be delivered in week 18 along with guidance to help you prepare for subsequent summative exercises. There will also be a formal end of unit revision session that includes discussion of exemplar questions to help you prepare for the exams.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (Summative):
A practical report (20%) and a poster (20%) (40% coursework in total) plus a summative essay format exam during the summer assessment period (60%) with one essay question to be selected from a choice of three. The ILOs are assessed in both the CA and exam assessments.
When assessment does not go to plan:
Normally, if either of the continuous assessment tasks are missed, an equivalent assessment task will be set with an alternative paper and question, at a time to be determined in consultation with the Senior Tutor’s team. If the exam is missed, an alternative paper will normally be set in the reassessment period.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. BIOL20021).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
