Difference between revisions of "Biology of Bryophytes and Lichens"
Line 34: | Line 34: | ||
Note that a new set of hand-outs for the upcoming hornwort lecture have been posted this Friday, replacing the previous ones.<br/> | Note that a new set of hand-outs for the upcoming hornwort lecture have been posted this Friday, replacing the previous ones.<br/> | ||
<br/> | <br/> | ||
− | After the hornwort lecture <font color="#FF3300">you should be able to</font> distinguish (and hence characterize) the gametophytes and sporophytes of liverworts, mosses and hornworts. Traits to compare include: architecture of vegetative plants (rhizoids, stems/leaves/thallus), architecture of sporophyte<br/> (seta, meristem, sporangium, stomata, etc,...). | + | After the hornwort lecture <font color="#FF3300">you should be able to</font> distinguish (and hence characterize) the gametophytes and sporophytes of liverworts, mosses and hornworts. Traits to compare include: architecture of vegetative plants (rhizoids, stems/leaves/thallus), architecture of sporophyte<br/> (seta, meristem, sporangium, stomata, etc,...). May I also reiterate that all papers assigned, and thus including the Shaw & Renzaglia paper, are considered lecture and hence midterm material. |
<br/> | <br/> | ||
<h2> <span class="mw-headline">Textbook and readings</span></h2> | <h2> <span class="mw-headline">Textbook and readings</span></h2> |
Revision as of 21:26, 9 February 2009
Biology of Bryophytes and Lichens EEB 3240-001 & 001L (4 credits)
Spring 2008 Lectures: T/TH 11.00 AM-12.15 PM Lab W 1-4PM
Lectures and laboratory in TLS115.
Contact Information
Bernard Goffinet Associate Professor
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
office: 300 Pharmacy/Biology Building
voice: +1 860-486-5290
email: bernard.goffinet@uconn.edu
home page: http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/people/goffinet/
Teaching Assistant
Juan Carlos Villarreal
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
office: 316 Pharmacy/Biology Building
voice: +1 860-486-6306
email: juan.villarreal@uconn.edu
home page: http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/index.php/Juan_Carlos_Villarreal
Announcements
I have posted the hand-outs for the next lecture. Please print them as I will NOT bring any to class.
I have also posted the link to the YOUTUBE video I mentioned in class (see below). Take a minute to see it.
Here is a study-guide for the midterm from past years ( Studyguide.pdf). This should give you an idea of the type of questions I may ask. You should try to answer these (preferably among yourselves first; i.e., in groups). I would be happy to check your answers.
If you are interested in the classification of bryophytes, you can consult the links listed here [1].
LAB PROJECT: As indicated earlier 15% of your final grade is for a lab project. This project consists in identifying 10 different bryophytes and lichens. Undergraduates get 1 point for the correct genus and 1.5 points if the species is correct. Gradate students get 0.5 point for the correct genus and full marks for the correct species identification. You will have time during the last few labs to identify your collection; you must collect you own samples. Correctly identified samples will be deposited in our herbarium, and hence MUST be accompanied by a label that states, besides the species name, locality (as accurate as you can: country, sate, county, town, habitat, date, elevation, lat & long). We will talk about this more in class.
MOSS MATS in your bathroom? Check this out [2]
Note that a new set of hand-outs for the upcoming hornwort lecture have been posted this Friday, replacing the previous ones.
After the hornwort lecture you should be able to distinguish (and hence characterize) the gametophytes and sporophytes of liverworts, mosses and hornworts. Traits to compare include: architecture of vegetative plants (rhizoids, stems/leaves/thallus), architecture of sporophyte
(seta, meristem, sporangium, stomata, etc,...). May I also reiterate that all papers assigned, and thus including the Shaw & Renzaglia paper, are considered lecture and hence midterm material.
Textbook and readings
There is no official text book. Instead, you will be assigned readings from the primary literature to go with the lectures. The reading is required, and the material covered in the paper is part of the lecture material, and hence subject to questions on the midterm and final.
Two books that are relevant and available in the library: Shaw & Goffinet (2000) Bryophyte Biology or its latest version Goffinet & Shaw (2008) and Nash (Lichen Biology). If you are interested, you can buy them. I can also order them at a discount (although it may come out close to what you get on line with major distributors).
Grade
The final grade is calculated based on your lecture grade (60%; i.e., 5% assignment(s), 20% midterm and 35% - cumulative (I'll explain) - final) and lab (40%; i.e., 15% project and 25% final). No curves, but chances to make up points if needed!
Links
- Watch This: movie of bryophyte gametes
"Whitish smoke in the movie are small droplets containing smreps (deliberate misspelling of word for male gametes).
The smreps in the droplets are still un-motile. When touch the
water, they begin to swim. In our experiments, misting with water is
trigger of the explosion. If antheridia were mature, the explosion
begin within few minutes. The event continued about for 10 min.
Intense light for video recording also seems to accelerate the
phenomenon. Each antheridia is deeply sunk in a cavity of
antheridiophore and there is a very small pore on the top of each
cavity. Swollen cells of surrounding tissue might cause the pressure
force. Cavers (1903) and Muggoch & Walton (1942) also discussed about the mechanism, but, I think no one examined about the detail mechanism of the phenomenon.
In Hiroshima, the season of mreps dispersal is Spring (April to May).
In our field observation, we detected many airborne smreps in the
sunny day after rain shower.
I do not have detail data about how many species of liverworts have
airborne mreps. At least, Asian species of Conocephalum (C.
japonicum) do in the same manner." M. Shimamura
Shimamura, M., Yamaguchi, T. & Deguchi, H. 2008.
Airborne sperm of Conocephalum conicum (Conocephalaceae). J. Plant
Res. 121: 69-71.
http://www.springerlink.com/content/fl2105h6428366m3/
- Not surprisingly, internet sites devoted to the biology of bryophytes and lichens are "abundant", well let's say that sites dedicated to bryophytes exist! Some may hold information that is relevant to this class. One example is Bryophyte Ecology maintained by Dr. Janice Glime. I will look for more. You may want to consult the list maintained by Jessica Budke, another graduate student in my lab, and her moss blog entitled Moss Plants and more.
Schedule
Notes:
downloads require password; best viewed in Adobe Reader (some problems with the MAC "Preview" program).
The syllabus is subject to change. You will get papers assigned one lecture and maybe one week ahead. Check the site frequently.