Botany

Field Skills in Plant & Environmental Science BOU33121

Description

• This module combines a lecture series with a residential field trip to the Canary Islands. The Canary Islands represent very different environments to Ireland: they have different ecology, different threats and pressures. They also contain highly variable landscapes and there are lots of different types of habitats in small area. In addition, they are home to many endemic species, particularly plants, which are not found anywhere else in the world, and face many man-made environmental challenges. The lecture series explores the geography, flora and fauna of the Canary Islands, as well as the history of the islands, and the impacts that humans have and continue to have on its ecosystems.

Entomology BOU33122

Description

• There are more species of insects on Earth than any other group of organisms and they are of massive ecological and economic importance. This module will address behavioural, social, ecological and applied aspects of entomology, including their role in delivering ecosystem services (such as biocontrol and pollination), invasive species (such as fire ants and harlequin ladybirds) and conservation (both in Ireland and internationally). The practicals will provide students with the skills for sampling and identification of insects, which will be further enhanced through an individual project.

Soil Science BOU33123

Description

• Soils are important for plants as they provide the key resources required for growth and also essential structural support. This module will provide an overview of the fundamental concepts of soil formation and characterisation; how soil characteristics influence plant distribution and productivity through water and nutrient availability; how soil organisms (bacteria, fungi) interact with plants and how soils influence global biogeochemical cycles (carbon and nitrogen). Particular focus will be given to the role of soils in the production of food, fuel and fibre and how sustainable land management practices are required to ensure the long-term health and fertility of soil systems.

Plant Physiology BOU33100

Description

• This module covers major biochemical and physiological aspects of photosynthesis, respiration, resource capture and growth at both the cell and whole plant level. Continual assessment for this module will be a mini review on a given subject area relevant to photosynthesis, and an exercise in writing a scientific paper where raw data from a growth study of plants maintained at different light intensities will be supplied.

Global Environmental Change BOU33105

Description

• The global environment is changing more rapidly at present than at any time during the human occupancy of the planet. This module reviews the existence of the changing environment and the predictions for the future, and focusses on aspects of sustainability and how this is assessed for various production systems.

Plant Molecular Biology BOU33107

Description

• Plant Molecular Biology plays a major part in most fields of botanical research including ecology, systematics and physiology. The aim of this module is to cover the fundamentals of plant molecular biology and to explore applied aspects, including molecular systematics, molecular ecology, conservation genetics and genetic engineering.

Plant Environmental Interactions BOU44108

Description

• Plant growth is significantly influenced by the surrounding physical, chemical and biological environment. This module will address the key inter-related concepts of carbon assimilation and sequestration, plant water relations and energy balance components across the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum. Moreover, and as plants do not occur in isolation, this module will examine how fungi and fungus-like (e.g., Oomycota) interact with plants and the surrounding environment at multiple levels (soil interactions, roots, stems, leaves, and plant reproductive structures). The physiological response of plants to respond to a broad range of environmental conditions including abiotic and biotic extreme events will be explored, and the implications for natural and production-based systems will be assessed.

Vegetation Description and Analysis BOU44109

Description

• This module will describe how to sample, record and lead up to detailed multivariate analyses to help define vegetation communities. Though some theoretical and historical framework will be given in lectures, the emphasis will be on practical collection, analysis and interpretation of vegetation data. Various data sets will be utilised in computer-based sessions, and field work will be used to generate a novel data set, the analysis and interpretation of which will form part of the continuous assessment for this module.

Plant Breeding and Biotechnology BOU44060

Description

• The module covers the principles and practice of plant breeding and biotechnology. Lectures cover key topics such as the origins of agriculture, genetic resources, disease resistance, conventional breeding, modern breeding, genetic engineering, and case studies in breeding and biotechnology. Practicals cover crop diversity, polyploid estimation and at least one site visit to a Teagasc Research Centre (e.g Ashtown Dublin).