Plant ecology in a global change perspective

Why do some plant species
grow here but not there? What factors determine where a particular species can
survive? Why is diversity so much higher in some regions than others? How can
so many species coexist? These are some of the fundamental questions that
ecologists have discussed (and argued about!) for centuries. In this course we
will learn how to answer many of these questions, and apply this knowledge to
our rapidly changing world. What does our understanding of these processes tell
us about how plant species will respond to environmental change? Which species
will be the winners and losers of environmental change? Where will diversity
decrease (or increase!) the most under climate warming? And what – if anything
– should we do to prevent the loss of plant biodiversity?

The course is highly interactive and contains, in
addition to lectures, practical work in the field and laboratory, discussion
seminars, theoretical exercises, and individual and group projects with student
presentations.

Teaching

The
course consists of about 10 weeks of full-time studies and is divided into a
theoretical part followed by a practical part. Except lectures, all course
components are compulsory, since they develop the skills and approaches that
are included in the learning objectives in a way that is not possible through
self-study. Examination takes place through a written examination, active
participation in seminars and exercises, as well as student presentations of
individual and group projects.