701-1343-00L Soil-Plant Water Relations
| Semester | Autumn Semester 2021 |
| Lecturers | A. Carminati |
| Periodicity | yearly recurring course |
| Language of instruction | English |
Courses
| Number | Title | Hours | Lecturers | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 701-1343-00 V | Soil-Plant Water Relations | 2 hrs |
| A. Carminati |
Catalogue data
| Abstract | Water limitation is a primary constraint on plant growth and terrestrial fluxes worldwide. In this course, the principles of water flow in soil and plants are discussed, with particular attention on the effect of drought on root water uptake, transpiration and plant growth. Strategies of plants to tolerate drought are discussed. |
| Learning objective | The students are able to: explain and compare systematically the drivers of water stress to plants; to solve the equations of water flow in soil and plants and to calculate plant water status for varying pedoclimatic conditions and plant traits; to critically review and present one research question in soil-plant water relations; to openly debate on the current trends in soil and plant water research. |
| Content | 24.09: Introduction. 01.10: Soil water relations; Principles of soil water retention and soil water flow; Soil hydraulic properties. 08.10: Root water uptake; soil hydraulic constraints on transpiration 15.10: Rhizosphere processes and properties; root-soil contact; root hairs; mycorrhiza; rhizodeposition. 22.10: Water flow in roots and xylem; root anatomy, architecture and plasticity; cavitation. 29.10: Transpiration; Vapor Pressure Deficit; Photosynthesis; Stomatal regulation. 05.11: Soil-plant-atmospheric continuum; Below- and above-ground feedbacks; Soil and atmospheric drivers of transpiration losses. 12.11: Modelling Soil-Plant Water Relations (Concept) 19.11: Modelling Soil-Plant Water Relations (Implementation) 26.11: Plant response to drought and consequences for agriculture and forests. Open questions and introduction to seminar topics. 03.12: Group work in the class 10.12: Seminar (presentation of papers) 17.12: Seminar (presentation of papers) 24.12: Seminar (presentation of papers) |
| Literature | Lecture notes; selection of articles |
| Prerequisites / Notice | Vadose Zone Hydrology/Environmental Soil Physics (recommended but not required) |
Performance assessment
| Performance assessment information (valid until the course unit is held again) | |
Performance assessment as a semester course | |
| ECTS credits | 3 credits |
| Examiners | A. Carminati |
| Type | ungraded semester performance |
| Language of examination | English |
| Repetition | Repetition possible without re-enrolling for the course unit. |
| Additional information on mode of examination | Oral presentation and written report of selected topic. |
Learning materials
| No public learning materials available. | |
| Only public learning materials are listed. |
Groups
| No information on groups available. |
Restrictions
| Places | 40 at the most |
| Priority | Registration for the course unit is until 30.08.2021 only possible for the primary target group |
| Primary target group | Environmental Engineering MSc (127000)
Environmental Sciences MSc (736000) Agricultural Sciences MSc (762000) |
| Waiting list | until 03.10.2021 |
