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Lecturer(s)
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Šantrůčková Hana, prof. Ing. CSc.
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Bárta Jiří, doc. Ing. Ph.D.
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Kaštovská Eva, doc. Mgr. Ph.D.
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Course content
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Content of lectures: 1. Introduction into problematics: Soil as a living environments for soil microbes, cell and basic cell processes 2. Basic groups of soil microbes: Viruses, Bacteria, Archea, Fungi, (Protists and Algae) 3-4. Metabolic pathways connected with energetic metabolism 5-6. Production and functioning of enzymes 7. Microbial growth: growth phases, substrate use efficiency, requirement of nutrients, sroichiometry 8. Abiotic factors affecting microbial growth and activity in soil 9-10. C, N a P cycling, diversity of prokaryotic metabolism, transformation and stabilization of organic matter in the soil 11. Methods to study composition and activity of soil microbial communities 12-13. Discussions, critical reading and understanding of scientific papers, presentation of results from practical lectures Content of practices: To determine the effect of particular environmental factors on selected metabolic processes in soil. The group of 2 to 3 students will work together with a tutor on an assignment. They will plan and perform experiment, evaluate results and present them on the workshop. Students will learn methods of determination of quantity and activity of soil microbial communities. Each student will read one scientific paper and give a brief presentation (15 min) of basic findings of the paper.
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Learning activities and teaching methods
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Monologic (reading, lecture, briefing), Dialogic (discussion, interview, brainstorming), Projection, Laboratory
- Class attendance
- 80 hours per semester
- Preparation for classes
- 25 hours per semester
- Preparation for exam
- 50 hours per semester
- Preparation for credit
- 70 hours per semester
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Learning outcomes
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The aim is to acquaint students with the diversity of microbial metabolism and with the important factors that limit and determine the activity of microorganisms in soil conditions. Explain how the composition of the soil microbial community affects its functioning and what are the key microbial processes in the carbon, nitrogen and other elements cycle. After completing the course, students should be able to plan and perform simple measurements of microbial activity and interpret the results. At the same time, they should be able to critically assess the quality of implementation and interpretation of results in scientific articles on soil microbial processes.
knowledge of functioning of soil system under various environmental conditions understanding of interconnections between carbon and nutrient cycling in the system critical assessment of experimental results and data in scientific literature in given field assessment and discussion of own results obtained during practical course
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Prerequisites
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Prerequisites are basic knowledge of soil biology and ecology, fulfilled by completing the courses Soil Ecology KBE/521E, Biocheochemical Cycles KBE/117 and Microbiology KBE/260 or supplementing the necessary knowledge to the required extent. Basic knowledge of safe work in chemical and microbiological laboratory.
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Assessment methods and criteria
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Student performance assessment, Combined exam, Development of laboratory protocols
Successful completion of the course is based on: - passing a written test with at least 50% correct answers - presentation and discussion of the content of the scientific article thematically covered in the course content (according to the selection of lecturers) - completing practical exercises that also include submitting a report describing the obtained results in the required format and discussing them together with other students and lecturers
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Recommended literature
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Cardon Z., Whitbeck J. The Rhizosphere: An ecological perspective. Academic Press, London, 2007. ISBN 978012088775.
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de Bruijn F.J. Molecular microbial ecology of the rhizosphere. Hoboken : Wiley-Blackwell, 2013. ISBN 978-1-118-29629-5.
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Kirchman D.L. Processes in Microbial Ecology. Oxford University Press, New York, 2012. ISBN 978-0-19-957692-9.
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Paul E. A., Clark F. E. Soil Microbiology and Biochemistry. Academic Press, London, 1996.
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Paul E.A. Soil microbiology, ecology, and biochemistry. Academic Press, London, 2015.
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van Elsas D., Jansson J.K., Trevors J.T. Modern Soil Microbiology. Boca Raton: CRC/Taylor & Francis, 2007. ISBN 978-0-8247-2749-9.
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