Paper VIII - Plant Ecology

Paper VIII – Plant Ecology

UNIT I

Climate soil and vegetation patterns of the World: 

• Life Zones, major biomes and major vegetation and 
• soil types of the world.

Vegetation Organization: 

• Concepts of community and continuum analysis of communities (analytical and synthetical characters), 
• Community Coefficients, 
• Interspecific associations, ordination, 
• Concept of ecological niche.

Vegetation development:  

• Temporal changes (Cyclic and non-Cyclic), 
• Mechanism of ecological succession (relay floristic and initial floristic composition, facilitation, tolerance, and inhibition models, 
• Change in ecosystem properties during succession.

UNIT II

Ecosystem Organization: 

• Structure and function, 
• primary production (method of measurement, global pattern, controlling factors), 
• energy dynamics (trophic organization energy flow pathways, ecological efficiencies ) 
• litterfall and decomposition (mechanism, substrate quality and climatic factors), 
• Global biogeochemical cycle of C,N,P and S, Mineral cycles (pathways, processes, budgets) in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
• Biological diversity:  Concept and levels. 
• Role of biodiversity in ecosystem functions and stability, 
• speciation and 
• extinction, 
• IUCN categories of threat, distribution and global patterns. 
• Terrestrial biodiversity hotspot, inventory.

UNIT III

Air water and soil pollution: Kind, source quality parameters, effects on plants and ecosystems.

Climate change: Greenhouse gases (CO₂, CH₄, N₂O. CFCs : Source, trends and role), 

Ozone layer and the ozone hole, 

Consequence of climate change (CO₂ fertilization, global warming, sea level rise, UV radiation).

UNIT IV

Ecosystem stability: Concept (resistance and resilence), 

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT

Ecosystem restoration

Ecological perturbation (Natural and anthropogenic) and their impact on invation

Ecological management: Concept, 

Sustainable Development, 

Un stainability indicators