THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH

DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2021/2022

Information in the Degree Programme Tables may still be subject to change in response to Covid-19

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Biological Sciences : Plant Science

Undergraduate Course: Plant Geography (PLSC10018)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Biological Sciences CollegeCollege of Science and Engineering
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) AvailabilityNot available to visiting students
SCQF Credits10 ECTS Credits5
SummaryThis course provides a background to the discipline of plant geography, including an account of its history, as well as explanations of the most modern biogeographic tools such as molecular clocks.
Course description Biologists have sought to explain the uneven distribution of organisms across the globe for over two centuries, a field of enquiry called biogeography. It is still a vital research area in a time when we need to be able to predict how organisms will react to anthropogenic environmental change. However, because of the complex interplay of contemporary ecology, earth history, organismal extinction and evolution, universal biogeographic explanations are still elusive. This course provides a background to the discipline of plant geography, including an account of its history, as well as explanations of the most modern biogeographic tools such as molecular clocks. This material is interspersed with key environments lectures, which discuss key species-rich environments that are studied at RBGE and the University of Edinburgh. These illuminate the theoretical material with real examples, and highlight conservation issues
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2021/22, Not available to visiting students (SS1) Quota:  None
Course Start Semester 2
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 100 ( Lecture Hours 30, Summative Assessment Hours 2, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 66 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) 2 x essays each worth 50% of the course
Feedback Written feedback will be provided for all ICA.
No Exam Information
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. History of plant geography.
  2. Basic outline of plate tectonics.
  3. Biogeographic techniques including vicariance (cladistic) biogeography, using phylogenies to test biogeographic hypotheses, molecular clock studies of divergence times.
  4. Knowledge of the floristic composition, ecology, biogeographic history and conservation issues relating to key species-rich plant environments.
Reading List
None
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Not entered
Additional Class Delivery Information Classes take place at the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh.
KeywordsPLSCPlaGeog
Contacts
Course organiserDr Richard Milne
Tel: (0131 6)50 5322
Email: R.Milne@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMs Karen Sutherland
Tel: (0131 6)51 3404
Email: Karen.Sutherland@ed.ac.uk
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