Fall, 2019

Plant Ecophysiology – Biology 2210 (or ES 2223)

Young Spruces - Rockwell Kent

Professor Barry Logan Laboratory Instructor: Jaret Reblin

Lecture: MWF: 10:40 – 11:35AM Laboratory: Tu, W or Th: 1:15 – 4:10PM Roux 207 Druckenmiller 222

Barry Logan Jaret Reblin Druckenmiller 220A Druckenmiller 222A 725-3944 725-3166 [email protected] [email protected]

Office Hours: Tu. 9:15-10:25AM & W. 4:15-5:15PM M. 11:40 – 12:40PM & Th. 11:00 – 12:00PM (or by appointment) (or by appointment)

Prerequisites: Biology 1102, 1109 or recommendation of the Biology Department

Fall, 2019 Plant Ecophysiology – Biology 2210 (or ES 2223)

Course Description: Examines the functional attributes of plants and the manner in which they vary across the plant kingdom by the processes of evolution and acclimation. Topics of focus include photosynthesis and protection against high-light stress, the acquisition and distribution of water and mineral nutrients, and environmental and hormonal control of development. Special topics discussed may include plant parasitism, carnivory, the origins and present state of agriculture, plant responses to global climate change, plant life in extreme environments, and the impacts of local land-use history on plant communities. Contemporary research instrumentation is used in weekly laboratories, some conducted in the field, to enable first-hand exploration of phenomena discussed in lecture.

Inquiry in the Natural Sciences & Mathematical, Computational and Statistical Reasoning requirements: This course can be completed to satisfy either the INS or MCSR Distribution Requirement. This course is dedicated to understanding plant function, distribution and responses to the environment. We will pursue this through lecture; guided problem solving and critical thinking; reading and discussion of journal articles describing original research, review articles & chapters; field excursions; and field/lab exercises designed to offer you opportunities to pursue authentic research using contemporary instrumentation. As such, we will (more than) meet the goals of INS courses through just about every element of the course. Our discussions of published research will focus on the interpretation of data presented graphically and on rigorous assessment of statistical analyses. Our explorations of aspects of plant function, particularly those relating to plant water relations, will be quantitative in nature. The greater share of our field/lab exercises will involve quantitative data collection and analyses. Throughout the course we are “applying general tools of mathematics and statistics” and thus meeting the goals of the MCSR requirement.

Readings: Our class meetings will be supported by readings from various sources including review and primary journal articles, book chapters, and writing Jaret and I have prepared. There is no assigned textbook, although I will be happy to direct you to informative and well-written texts, if you like. Most readings will be in electronic format and placed in a repository on our course Blackboard site. I will update our reading schedule regularly during the semester and post it to our course Blackboard site.

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Grading: Grades will be determined based upon a 1000 pt. system, composed of the following components (described below): Points Mid-term #1 100 Mid-term #2 140 Final exam 250 Article summary 100 Friday Forum 80 Laboratory assignments 330 Total 1000 Participation & Involvement The “X” Factor

Exams: Exams will encompass material presented in lecture and lab (biological concepts conveyed in lab, not methodological material). The second mid-term and the final exam will be cumulative. Exams include questions that expect you to apply concepts discussed in class to novel scenarios or to synthesize material from more than one class period. On all questions I am searching for correct, complete, clear and concise answers. Article summaries: On three occasions during the semester I will share a primary research article with you; for one of these (you can choose which) I will ask you to write a summary/analysis of the article. This need only be two pages in length (double-spaced). In it you should summarize the experiments and findings, discuss whether the experimental results support the conclusions, and offer your overall impressions of the study/article. Friday Forum: Most weeks promptly at 10:41AM on Friday we will answer a question concerning the lecture material of recent class meetings. Friday Forums provides an incentive to review material regularly (and a reward for getting to Friday class on time). Friday forums also give me an opportunity to offer you input on your strategies for answering questions in a lower stakes setting outside of the exam context. You must be present in class to complete a Friday Forum. In the event of an excused absence, I will simply factor the missed Friday Forum out of the determination of the overall grade (i.e., it will not count against you and there will be no make-up). Laboratory assignments; These will be described in detail in lab. Participation & involvement; The success of this course, both collectively and for you as individuals, hinges on your active participation. Lectures and labs require your preparation and input. If you show up for lectures and labs mentally keen and full of zeal and curiosity and a willingness to engage, then we will all enjoy the course more fully and come away with a meaningful appreciation for plants and plant function. When assigning grades to those students who find themselves “on the borderline,” we will give serious consideration to their degree of participation and involvement. We will not set numerical standards for grades until the end of the course; however, please feel free to make an appointment to discuss how you are doing, if you like. We expect knowledge of and strict adherence to Bowdoin’s Academic Honor Code (which can be found in the Student Handbook). A passing grade in Plant Ecophysiology requires passing knowledge of the subject matter, as reflected by exam scores. An average exam score of 60% or above may be required for passing this course.

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Lecture syllabus Date Topic Sept. 4 Introductions, Overview 6 Photosynthesis: broad strokes & light gathering 9 Light gathering & Electron transport 11 Electron transport 13 Vegetated roofs 16 Electron transport & Photoprotection 18 Photoprotection 20 The Calvin cycle 23 The Calvin cycle 25 Sensing photosynthesis remotely 27 Sensing photosynthesis remotely 30 Translocation Oct. 2 The properties of water 4 The soil-plant-atmosphere continuum (S.P.A.C.) 7 Exam I 9 S.P.A.C. 11 S.P.A.C. 14 No class - Fall Break 16 Xylem cavitation 18 Redwood ecophysiology & The limits to tree height 21 Redwood ecophysiology 23 Dismantling the dogma of unidirectional water flow 25 Photorespiration & C4 28 C4 & CAM 30 Desert ecophysiology Nov. 1 Human influence on North American desert ecosystems 4 Saltcedar invasion 6 Elevated CO2 and global change 8 The soil microenvironment 11 Mineral uptake 13 Mineral uptake & Mycorrhizae 15 Alternative modes of gathering nutrients 18 Anthropogenic nitrogen fixation and the Green Revolution 20 Photomorphogenesis & Phytochromes 22 Phytochromes (cont.) 25 Exam II 27 No class - Thanksgiving 29 No class - Thanksgiving Dec. 2 Plant growth at the cellular level 4 Examples of plant hormones 6 Examples of plant hormones 9 Examples of plant hormones 11 Elevated CO2 & Global change

Dec. 20 Final Exam – 8:30AM

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Laboratory Schedule

Week Laboratory Aug. 31 No lab Sept. 8 Field Excursion Sept. 15 Leaf Acclimation to Light - Photosynthetic Gas Exchange Sept. 22 Leaf Acclimation to Light - Chlorophyll Fluorescence Sept. 29 Leaf Acclimation to Light - Pigments & Introduction to Research Projects Oct. 6 Research Projects Oct. 13 No Lab – Fall Break Oct. 20 Research Projects Oct. 27 Research Projects Nov. 3 Research Projects – Data Analysis & Writing Nov. 10 Hydraulic Conductivity of Woody Plant Stems Nov. 17 Hydraulic Conductivity of Woody Plant Stems – Data Analysis Nov. 24 No Lab - Thanksgiving Dec. 1 Field Excursion – Parasitic Plants and/or Plants in Winter

Laboratory Policy Laboratory attendance is mandatory. You must discuss any pending conflicts with the instructor in advance. Under some circumstances we may allow you to switch between sections on a given week, if that will eliminate a conflict, but this is not to be considered a generally accepted practice.

Read the laboratory before coming to lab. This will ease the flow of the lab session for you, the instructor, and your lab partners.

Many of the lab exercises require that you work in groups. However, each individual is expected to keep track of his/her group’s data and, when necessary, data generated by the entire class. You are expected to complete assignments individually. You could be assessed a point penalty for turning in assignments after their due date.

Required Biology Seminars (all at 4:20PM in Druck. 16 or 20) September 12 - Jason Aloisio, Wildlife Conservation Society October 24 - Tom Wessels, Antioch November 21 - Beronda Montgomery, Michigan State

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