Biology 5465

This is a 2-unit undergraduate class with a 3-hr lecture session. The laboratory focuses on dominant Utah ecosystems and explores plant distribution patterns in desert, mountain and riparian areas of the state. The class emphasizes field trip experiences and lab exercises to study plant water relations, stable isotope ecology, and physiological plant ecology as mechanisms that underlie plant distribution patterns. Three mandatory field trips are part of the class. Each field trip will have associated laboratory exercises that focus on describing or quantifying ecophysiological characteristics that relate to plant success in its given habitat. Note that one of the field trips is a 3-day trip to the University’s Entrada Field Station near Moab. This field trip will take place October 16-18 during fall break. Students will work in teams on field projects.

Course Outline

28-Aug Lecture	Class overview, plant water relations: quantifying water stress
4-Sept Field Trip	Red Butte Canyon. Leave campus at 1pm and return by 6pm Plant water relations in upland and riparian habitats
11-Sept Lab	Measuring hydraulic conductivity in plant stems
18-Sept Lab	Analysis of leaf area data and plant allocation
25-Sept Field Trip	Red Butte Canyon. Leave campus at 2pm and return by 6pm Measure stand structure and density
2-Oct Lecture/Lab>	Models for predicting plant water balance and stand evapotranspiration
9-Oct Lecture	Stable isotope ecology and tree-ring analysis	Report 1 Due!
16-Oct Field Trip	The Entrada Field Station and Dolores River. Leave campus by 10am Friday and return by 5pm Sunday
23-Oct Lab	Stable isotope ratio analysis of plant samples I
30-Oct Lab	Stable isotope ratio analysis of plant samples II	Report 2 Due!
6-Nov Lab	Tree-ring analysis
13-Nov Lecture/Lab	Virtual lab tour, analysis of leaf area, groundwater, and water use at Entrada
20-Nov Lecture	Global change and plant communities in Utah	Report 3 Due!
27-Nov No Lab	THANKSGIVING WEEK
30-Nov No Lab
7-Dec		Report 4 Due!

Printable Outline