PLSCI 2430

Ecology and Evolution of Plants

Course Description

Course information provided by the 2024-2025 Catalog. Courses of Study 2024-2025 is scheduled to publish mid-June.

In this course, we will explore the fundamental principles of ecology and evolutionary biology from a plant perspective. We will introduce you to plant ecology at scales ranging from individual organisms, to populations, communities, and ecosystems. At each level, we will explore interactions between plants and their environments, with a focus on societally-relevant issues and the ecological theories needed to understand them. This course also provides a comprehensive overview of microevolution (evolution at or below the species level) and macroevolution (evolution above the species level) with an emphasis on plants as exemplars for understanding evolutionary theory and the interpretation of data pertaining to evolutionary patterns and processes.

Prerequisites/Corequisites Prerequisite: PLSCI 1101, PLSCI 1420, and PLSCI 2410, or equivalent.

Last 4 Terms Offered 2025SP, 2024SP, 2023SP

Outcomes

• Explain the various lines of evidence supporting the theory of evolution: evidence drawn from molecular biology, phylogenetics, population genetics, trait diversity, biogeography, and the fossil record.
• Explain the main areas of plant ecology (organismal, population, community, and ecosystem ecology) and provide examples of how plants interact with other organisms and their environment at each scale.
• Evaluate the effects of various global change drivers on evolutionary and ecological interactions and compare approaches for studying them.
• Link your observations of plants and plant communities to ecological and evolutionary processes. (Corollary: you will become a horrible hiking companion.)

Distribution Category (OPHLS-AG)

When Offered Spring.

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