Course Overview

Course website: www.bit.ly/VegEcol




The course is introducing main concepts in vegetation ecology. We will focus on different aspects of plant ecology at the community level, including topics like vegetation-environment relationship, vegetation dynamics, plant invasions, diversity patterns, plant traits, vegetation in the historical perspective, vegetation classification, biomes of the World, vegetation of Taiwan etc. We will discuss also more specific topics including vegetation and climate change or conservation, management and restoration.

Learning Achievement

The course is focused on senior undergraduate and graduate students, who want to gain theoretical knowledge about vegetation ecology, i.e. plant ecology at the community level. Additionally to theoretical lectures, I will also encourage students to deepen their view and interest by additional suggested readings, as well as moderating discussions on potentially interesting or controversial topics related to vegetation ecology. Class schedule (preliminary): 1. Introduction to vegetation ecology 2. Vegetation and environment 1 3. Vegetation and environment 2 4. Diversity patterns and ecosystem functions 5. Species interactions in plant communities (competition, allelopathy, parasitism, facilitation, mutualisms) 6. Mechanisms of species coexistence in vegetation (assembly rules, niche- vs neutral, storage effect, priority effect) 7. Group discussion (based on reading required papers) 8. Plant traits at community level 9. Vegetation dynamics (succession, disturbance) 10. Midterm quiz 11. Plant invasions and invasibility of plant communities 12. Vegetation classification and vegetation maps 13. Vegetation of the World 14. Vegetation of Taiwan in the context of East Asia 15. Vegetation in the past (Holocene and historical perspective) 16. Vegetation and global change (effect of climate change, myths and facts) 17. Group discussion (based on reading required papers) 18. Applications in vegetation ecology: management, conservation and restoration Part of the final evaluation will be a written essay on selected topic (in English). Final evaluation will be based on final test, midterm quiz, written essay and activity in the class, mostly joining group discussions.

Competence

Course prerequisites

*Prerequisite: General Biology & Ecology (preferred)

Grading Philosophy

Course schedule

Course type

Online Course Requirement

Instructor

David Zeleny

Other information

Department of Lifescience, Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

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