BIOEE 4460 - [Plant Behavior - Induced Plant Responses to Biotic Stresses, Lectures]

(crosslisted)
(also BIONB 4460) (PBS)

Spring. 3 credits.

Prerequisite: BIOEE 1610 or permission of instructor. Next offered 2014-2015.

A. Kessler, R. Raguso.

How do plants respond to herbivore attack? What are the molecular, plant hormonal, metabolic mechanisms of these responses? What ecological consequences do these responses have for the fitness of the plants and their attackers? The course provides an overview of the plant’s myriad responses to herbivores and compares them with responses to pathogens. It gives an introduction to the study of induced plant responses in the lectures as well as practical independent and group-intensive work.

Outcome 1: Students will understand the ecological, physiological and molecular mechanisms of plant biotic interactions

Outcome 2: Students will be able to discuss these mechanisms in the light of evolutionary theory and draw conclusions about potential agricultural applications

Outcome 3: Students will be able to broadly apply the four levels of proximate and ultimate causation for the study of biotic interactions in general

Outcome 4: Students will be able to use basic conceptual and analytical tools to describe complex behavioral interactions.

Outcome 5: Students will be familiar with a number of experimental and synthetic approaches to analyzing and discovering chemical ecological processes including bioassays and chemical and molecular analyses

Outcome 6: Students will read and discuss knowledgeably about original studies in the field