PLANT ECOLOGY AND TAXONOMY

Paper Code: 
24CBOT201
Credits: 
4
Contact Hours: 
60.00
Max. Marks: 
100.00
Objective: 

This course will enable the students to-

  1. To make the students understand the interactions between environment and organisms so as to increase the awareness among students about global environmental concerns.
  2. To make the students appreciate the concepts and methods from ecological and physical sciences and their application in environmental problem solving.
  3. To identify thrust areas of modern taxonomy without shifting focus from the traditional ones. With biodiversity and its conservation being areas of prime concern, the identification of plants becomes all the more important.
  4.   To make the students understand characterization, identification, classification, and nomenclature of plants.

 

Course Outcomes: 

Course

Learning Outcome

(at course level)

Learning and Teaching strategies

Assessment Strategies

Course Code

Course title

24CBOT

201

PLANT ECOLOGY AND TAXONOMY

CO11: Understand the dynamics of soil and water in the environment and analyse the role of various factors in distribution of plants and animal.

CO12: Analyse the developmental aspects of succession of plants communities as well as structure and function of ecosystem.

CO13: Develop an insight into different types of classification system and compare their salient features.

CO14: Apply the knowledge of ICNafp to evaluate the rules of nomenclature as they exist and critically assess important plant families.

CO15: Analyse the key components of plant identification and develop an understanding of Botanical explorations in India.

CO16: Contribute effectively in course-specific interaction.

Approach in teaching: Interactive Lectures, Discussion, Tutorials, Reading assignments, Demonstration, Team teaching

Learning activities for the student:

Self-learning assignment, Effective questions, Stimulation, Seminar presentation

 

Class test, Semester end examinations, Quiz, Solving problems in tutorials, Assignments, Presentation, Individual and group projects
 

 

12.00
Unit I: 
Ecology and Environment

Definition and scope; Soil: Origin, formation, composition, soil profile. Water: States of water in the environment, precipitation types. Light and temperature: Variation Optimal and limiting factors; Shelford law of tolerance; ecological niche; Adaptation of hydrophytes and xerophytes.

 

 

12.00
Unit II: 
Plant communities and Ecosystem

Characters; Ecotone and edge effect; Succession; Processes and types. Structure; energy flow trophic organisation; Food chains and food webs, Ecological pyramids production and productivity; Biogeochemical cycling: Cycling of carbon, nitrogen and Phosphorous.

 

 

12.00
Unit III: 
Introduction and System of Classification

Identification, Classification, Nomenclature. Types of classification-artificial, natural and phylogenetic. Salient features of the system proposed by Linnaeus, Bentham and Hooker (upto series), Engler and Prantl (upto series).

 

12.00
Unit IV: 
Botanical nomenclature and Plant families

Principles and rules (ICN); ranks and names; binominal system, typification, author citation, valid publication, rejection of names, principle of priority and its limitations. Plant families: Papillionaceae, Ceasalpiniaceae, Mimosaceae, Apiaceae, Apocyanaceae, Lamiaceae and Poaceae

12.00
Unit V: 
Angiosperm Taxonomy

Aims and fundamental components (alpha and omega taxonomy) of identification, taxonomic literature, herbaria and botanical gardens. Keys for identification. Elementary knowledge of plant explorations in India; Botanical Survey of India (BSI) - History organization and functions.

 

 

Essential Readings: 
  • Kormondy, E.J. (1996). Concepts of Ecology. Prentice Hall, U.S.A. 4th edition.
  • Simpson, M.G. (2006). Plant Systematics. Elsevier Academic Press, San Diego, CA, U.S.A.
  • Singh, G. (2012). Plant Systematics: Theory and Practice. Oxford & IBH Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi. 3rd edition
  • Sharma, P.D. (2020). Ecology and Environment (13th edition) Rastogi Publication, Meerut
  • Odum, E.P. (1971). Fundamentals of Ecology (3rd edition) Saunders, Philadelphia,New York.
  • Chapman and Reiss (1999) Ecology: Principles and Applications. Cambridge University Press
  • Trivedi,P.C., Khan, S. & Rijhwani, S (2016). Ecology and Economic Botany. RBD, Jaipur.
  • Shukla, P., & Misra, S. P. (1994). An introduction to taxonomy of Angiosperms. New Delhi: Vikas Pub.
  • Sharma, O. P. (2009). Plant taxonomy. New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill.
  • Pandey, B. P. (2007). Taxonomy of Angiosperms. New Delhi: S. Chand and Company Ltd.
  • Pullaiah, T., & Karuppusamy, S. (2018). Taxonomy of angiosperms. New Delhi: Regency Publications

 

References: 
  • Arora, R.K and Nayar, E.R. (1984). Wild Relatives of Crop Plants in India. NBPGR Science Monograph No. 7.
  • Baker, H.G. (1978). Plants and Civilization (3rd edition) CA Wadsworth, Belmont.
  • Bole, P.V and Vaghani, Y. (1986). Field Guide to Common Indian Trees. Oxford University Press, Mumbai.
  • Barbour, M.G; Burk, J .H and Pitts, W.D. (1987). Terrestrial Plant Ecology. Benjamin/ Cummings Publication Co., New York.
  • Begon, M; Harper, J.L and Townsend, C.R. (1996). Ecology. Blackwell Science. Cambridge, USA.
  • Brady, N.C. (1990). The Nature and Properties of Soils. McMillan.
  • Chapman, J.L. and Reiss, M.J. (1988). Ecology: Principles and Applications. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge, UK.
  • Prakash, I. (2019). Desert Ecology. Scientific Publishers, Jodhpur.
  • Simpson, B.B and Conner-Ogorzaly, M. (1986). Economic Botany- Plants in Our World. McGraw Hill, New York.
  • PH and Heywood, V.H. (1973). Principles of Angiosperms Taxonomy. Robert E. Krieger Publishing Co., New York.
  • Grant, V. (1971). Plant Speciation. Columbia Davis, University Press, New York.
  • Grant, WF. (1984). Plant Biosystematics. Academic Press, London.
  • Harrison, H.J. (1971). New Concepts in Flowering Plant Taxonomy. Hieman & Co.Educational Book Ltd., London.
  • Jones, S.B Jr. and Luchsinger, A.E. (1986). Plant Systematics (2nd edition). McGraw Hill Book Co., New York.
  • Radford, A.E. (1986). Fundamentals of Plant Systematics. Harper & Row Publications, USA.
  • Rendel, A.B. (1979). The Classification of Flowering Plants Vol. I & II. Vikas Publishing House.
  • Sivrajan, V.V. (1999). Introduction to Principles of Plant Taxonomy (2nd edition). Oxford & IBH Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd.
  • Stace, T.A. (1989). Plant Taxonomy and Biosystematics (2nd edition). Edward Arnold Ltd., London.

 

      e-Resources:

     https://nptel.ac.in/courses/104073 Wild Life Ecology, IIT Kanpurr

      Journals:

  • Journal of Ecology (British Ecological Society) 
  • Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment (Ecological Society of America)
  • Energy & Environmental Science (Royal Society of Chemistry)
  • Kew Bulletin (Springer Science+Business Media)
  • Phytotoxic (Magnolia Press)
  • Australian Systematic Botany (CSIRO Publishing)
  • Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society (Wiley Online Library)
  • Taxon (International Association for Plant Taxonomy)
  • Systematic Botany (American Society of Plant Taxonomists)

 

 

 

Academic Year: 
2024-2025
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