Postgraduate Course: Evolution & Biodiversity of Cryptogams (PLSC11005)
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 | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | The course aims to present the major groups of cryptogamic plants and fungi, allowing students time to explore their morphology and evolution in workshop-style settings. |
| Course description |
The course aims to present the major groups of cryptogamic plants and fungi, allowing students time to explore their morphology and evolution in workshop-style settings. This course will build on an introductory course at the start of the programme (Evolution of Plants), which considers the evolution of plants as a whole. It will explore the morphological diversity within major lineages of algae, fungi, bryophytes, ferns and gymnosperms with a focus on understanding life-histories as a means to identification and ecosystem roles.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2020/21, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Full Year |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 18,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 15,
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 60,
Fieldwork Hours 25,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 8,
Formative Assessment Hours 4,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
66 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
50 %,
Practical Exam
50 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Practical exam (class test), semester 2 (50%)
Practical write-up of the 2-day epiphyte field project, semester 2 (20%)
An essay on a subject of the student's choice within the area of symbiosis, semester 2 (30%) |
| Feedback |
Half of the course marks is for a class practical. Formative assessment for this will be in the form of practical workshops, in which the student is provided with oral feedback and is able to discuss the feedback with teaching staff at the time. 20% of the course marks are for a report on a 2-day field practical. Formative assessment for this component will be provided orally in earlier field practicals and in practical workshops. 30% of the course marks are for an essay. There is no formative assessment associated with this in the course. However, students will already have been provided with feedback on previous essays written in other courses and will have access to tutors and teaching staff for feedback on the content and structure of the essays that they are writing. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Describe algal and fungal diversity at the phylum level, including lichen symbioses, and discuss key adaptations in heterokont algae and basal land plants.
- Evaluate critically different sources of phylogenetic information (e.g., DNA sequence data, ultrastructure and morphology) and their uses in understanding algal, fungal and protist evolution.
- Recognise representatives of the major taxonomic groups of cryptogams and fungi from their morphological characters, relate the morphological characters of the group to its ecology, and evaluate the effect of taxonomy on research applications.
- Describe the major differences between life-cycles and dispersal mechanism of groups within fungi, algae and cryptogams and discuss how these can affect conservation strategies.
- Plan, execute and analyse a field survey of cryptogams and/or fungi and relate its findings to broader knowledge of fungal and cryptogram adaptation and ecology.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Analysis
Evaluation
Critical analysis
Problem solving
Communication
Numeracy
IT skills
Autonomy
Teamwork
Accountability |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Louis Ronse De Craene
Tel: (0131) 248 2804
Email: l.ronsedecraene@rbge.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mrs Claire Black
Tel: (0131 6)50 8637
Email: Claire.Black@ed.ac.uk |
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