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| BOTA0202-1 | Elements of botany and phytogeography
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| Duration : | 30h Th, 20h Pr, 2d FW |
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| Holder(s) : | Vincent Demoulin |
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| Language : | French language |
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| Course contents : | -2h are devoted to an introduction to the structure of plant cells and to blue-green algae ("cyanobacteria"), insisting on their importance in present and Precambrian ecosystems.
-2h are devoted to eucaryotic algae and their role in planctonic and benthic ecosystems, opposing cold and tropical seas.
-3h are devoted to fungi, insisting on the agronomical importance of pathogens and ecological importance of mycorrhizal ones in great biomes.
2h are devoted to Bryophytes and Pteridophytes with the introduction of the basal cycle of archegoniates and the first adaptations to terrestrial life.
-2h are devoted to Gymnosperms and the origin of wood and seed. The main genera of conifers of relevance to forestry are presented.
-12h are devoted to Angiosperms as follows:
-1h for morphology and anatomy (mostly studied during the practical teaching)
-11h for systematics with the aim to present the main families important for vegetation cover or economic productions. Interesting cases of chorology at family level (E American - E Asian disjunctions, "Gondwanian" families...) are presented during this part of the course.
-7h are devoted to the notions of Phytogeography not yet introduced. The main theme is the presentation of the factors determining the distribution of plants, opposing climatic and historical (glaciations for example) factors, as well as the influence of man. Those factors are specially illustrated by presenting the vegetation of Europa. The other types of vegetation of the world are more synthetically presented with emphasis on utilisation or conversion by man of those vegetations.
Practical courses include the presentation of representative types of plants presented as well as the practice of determination with a flora.
Field days allow to become familiar with several plants and vegetation types of Belgium with emphasis on links to climate and geomorphology. |
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| Course objective : | The aim of this course is to present the great characters of the vegetal world by presenting the groups whose scientific of economic interest is such they cannot be ignored. Emphasis is on plants important for the geographer, for example through their participation to the main types of natural vegetation or their role in agriculture and industry. Independently of plants studied individually the course deals with the distribution of vegetation types and their utilisation or conversion by man. |
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| Prerequisites : | First year biology concepts. |
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| Workshops : | One laboratory course is devoted to Bryophytes, Pteridophytes and Gymnosperms, one to anatomy, one to floral organography and one to that of the fruit and three courses to the use of a flora.
Field days allow the observation of many important plants for regional ecology and economy, insisting on their climatic and edaphic requirements. They allow to be acquainted with the vegetation of the main natural regions of Eastern Belgium. |
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| Organization : | Thoretical lectures are held during the second quadrimester, Thursday from 8h45 to 12h in the Botanical Institute in Sart Tilman (B.22). It is important to attend the lectures for they include the presentation of a large number of colour slides.
Practical courses are held during the second quadrimester, Monday afternoon from 14 to 17h, in the old Botanical Institute, rue Fusch 3, 4000 Liège (MLE). In case of works at the MLE the practical courses might be held in the B.22.
Practical courses include the observation of plants with the naked eye, a hand lens (10 to 15x, to buy) and with a microscope. A report is to be made as annotated drawings (prepare A4 paper, pencil and eraser). A guided tour of the botanical garden greenhouses is included. Determination with the flora (last three courses) is easier with the hand lens and a thin pincet.
For field days take adequate clothing and shoes (rubber boots one day) and food and drink for lunch. |
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| Written notes : | Partial notes will be provided during the exercises (more or less 2,5 euros).
It is essential to own a copy of Nouvelle flore de la Belgique, du G.-D. de Luxembourg, du Nord de la France et des régions voisines, by J. Lambinon and others., ed.5, 2004. Eléments d'organographie des Angiospermes, 1969, by J. Lambinon is useful.
These books can be bought during lab sessions (approx. 40 euros for the first book, approx. 3 euros for the second one).
Several other interesting works will be presented, but they are not necessary for the understanding of the course. |
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| Assessment : | Examination includes an oral with theoretical questions and a commentary of living plants (specially on sight recognition of twigs of the main ligneous plants of Belgium and the following families: Ranunculaceae, Polygonaceae, Malvaceae, Cruciferae, Rosaceae, Papilionaceae, Umbelliferae, Labiatae, Compositae) and slides (3/6 of the final evaluation) and a written practical examination divided in two parts: organography and anatomy (1/6 of final evaluation) and use of the flora (1/6 of final evaluation). Mean of the reports of the year makes up the last 1/6. |
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| Contacts : | Teacher : V. Demoulin, professeur ordinaire
Institut de Botanique, Bât. B22 (P.70) in Sart Tilman
Tél. : 04/366.38.53
e-mail : V.Demoulin@ulg.ac.be
Assistant : D. Sirjacobs
email: D.Sirjacobs@ulg.ac.be
Tel.: 04/366.38.54
Institut de Botanique, Bât. B.22 (P.70) in Sart Tilman |
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| Items online : |
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| Documents available on WebCT |
Documents available through WebCT ( http://www.webct.ulg.ac.be (http://www.webct.ulg.ac.be/ ) :
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REGNVEG.pdf : Synthesis of the main divisions of the plant kingdom,
liste arbres geo.pdf : List of the trees to recognise in 3rd Bac Geography
Champi 07 Demoulin.pdf: "The Fungi, basic notions.", in french, by V. Demoulin and G. Castillo
Biotec 07 Demoulin.pdf : "Biotechnological uses of the Fungi", in french, by V. Demoulin |
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