Postgraduate Course: Biodiversity of Cryptogams and Fungi (PGBI11047)
Course Outline
| School | School of Biological Sciences |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
| Summary | Many cryptogamic plants and fungi are important indicator organisms, increasingly used to monitor environmental change and pollution over timescales of years to millions of years. Their global significance in nutrient cycling and biosphere atmosphere interactions has only become clear in the last few decades. However, expertise in identifying cryptogams is nationally and internationally rare. This course is designed to develop skills in interpreting cryptogam structure, as a basis for identifying algae, fungi, lichens, bryophytes, ferns and their allies, and conifers. Application of these skills in conservation and monitoring will also be discussed. Within the UK, RBGE is unique in being to offer training of this kind. |
| Course description |
Not entered
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | none |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2018/19, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
100
(
Lecture Hours 14,
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 6,
External Visit Hours 24,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
54 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
0 %,
Practical Exam
100 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Practical examination at RGBE(not centrally arranged) 2hr problem paper. |
| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Recognize the major groups of cryptogamic plants and fungi, and to describe and interpret their morphology.
- Knowledge of the methods and resources needed to identify selected groups of organisms (important indicator organisms, ecologically significant organisms, etc) to species level (NB methods and resources only; there is no requirement to learn to recognize specific plants or fungi).
- Awareness of the ecological range and roles of cryptogamic plants and fungi.
- Awareness of the value of cryptogamic plants and fungi in ecological and palaeoecological monitoring, and a basic understanding of how such monitoring is done (selected groups only).
- Understanding of the basis state species-level taxonomy in the major groups of cryptogamic plants and an evaluation of how this will affect dependent scientific research and applications.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Additional Class Delivery Information |
8 hour(s) per week for 3 week(s). The course will include three all-day excursions, to be held on Wednesdays |
| Keywords | Biodiversity of Cryptogams & Fungi |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Louis Ronse De Craene
Tel: (0131) 248 2804
Email: l.ronsedecraene@rbge.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Andrea Nichol
Tel: (0131 6)50 8643
Email: Andrea.Nichol@ed.ac.uk |
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