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Lecturer(s)
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Čapek Petr, RNDr. Ph.D.
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Šantrůčková Hana, prof. Ing. CSc.
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Course content
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Content of lectures Non-homeostatic biogenic elements, biochemical evolution & composition of biomolecules; growth rate hypothesis; homeostasis of producers, invertebrate consumers, and vertebrates; conservation of mass holds for each element; nutrient availability controls population growth & dynamics; nutrient use efficiencies determine (species) competitiveness; resources' imbalance controls nutrient regeneration rates; resource stoichiometry determines biotic interactions; stoichiometry determines structure of food webs and controls biodiversity; synthesis of production ecology and population ecology, integration of ecological stoichiometry and the metabolic theory of ecology. Each student will prepare an individual journal club, using a case study from current literature focused on ecological stoichiometry in his/her PhD topic.
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Learning activities and teaching methods
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Monologic (reading, lecture, briefing), Work with text (with textbook, with book), Flipped classroom
- Preparation for classes
- 10 hours per semester
- Semestral paper
- 30 hours per semester
- Preparation for exam
- 20 hours per semester
- Class attendance
- 24 hours per semester
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Learning outcomes
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Ecological stoichiometry is a new concept that describes the biology of elements (C, N, P) from biomolecules to the biosphere. While a classical view in ecology is based on energetics, ecological stoichiometry unifies it with a complementary view based on matter. Following the law of conservation of matter, ecological stoichiometry is an essential advance in unifying ecology across levels of organisation. It examines fundamental chemical constrains of ecological phenomena such as growth, reproduction, competition, herbivory, symbiosis, energy flow in food webs, and organic matter sequestration. Understanding of the biochemical deployment of elements in organisms provides the key to making sense of both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.
Understanding of the biochemical deployment of elements in organisms will provide the key to better undestanding of biotic interactions.
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Prerequisites
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Student is familiar with basic ecology and/or limnology. Special course for Ph.D. study field Ecosystem Biology and Hydrobiology
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Assessment methods and criteria
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Seminar work, Interim evaluation
Each student will prepare an individual journal club, using a case study from current literature focused on ecological stoichiometry in his/her PhD topic.
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Recommended literature
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Allen AP, Gillooly JF, 2009: Towards an integration of ecological stoichiometry and the metabolic theory of ecology to better understand nutrient cycling. Ecol. Lett. 12, 369-384..
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Cleveland CC, Liptzin D, 2007: C:N:P stoichiometry in soil: is there a "Redfield ratio" for the microbial biomass? Biogeochemistry 85:235-252..
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Evans-White MA, Stelzer RS, Lamberti GA, 2005: Taxonomic and regional patterns in benthic macroinvertebrate elemental composition in streams. Freshwater Biol. 50:1786-1799..
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Hessen DO: Determinants of seston C:P-ratio in lakes. Freshwater Biol. 51, 1560-1569, 2006..
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Sardans J, Rivas-Ubach A, Pe?uelas J, 2012: The elemental stoichiometry of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and its relationships with organismic lifestyle and ecosystem structure and function: a review and perspectives. Biogeochemistry 111, 1-39..
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Sinsabaugh RL, Follstad Shah JJ, Hill BH, Elonen CM, 2012: Ecoenzymatic stoichiometry of stream sediments with comparison to terrestrial soils. Biogeochemistry 111, 455-467..
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Specht RL, Specht A, 2010: The ratio of foliar nitrogen to foliar phosphorus: a determinant of leaf attributes and height in life-forms of subtropical and tropical plant communities. Aust. J. Bot. 58, 527-538..
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Sterner RW, Elser JJ, 2002: Ecological stoichiometry: the biology of elements from molecules to the biosphere. Princeton University Press, Princeton, 439 pp..
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