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Module 1.1

Identify plants and describe their physiology, growth, morphology, and synecology

Overall objectives of Module 1.1 are to increase student’s knowledge and comprehension of biophysical elements of forest and urban forest ecosystems, with particular attention to plant and tree physiology, tree species life history characteristics, and tree species-species and species-environment interactions.

Module Objectives

  • Identify plants in a regional context;
  • Describe the anatomy morphology, and physiology of plants;
  • Explain the interaction between plants and environment;
  • Describe plant communities; and
  • Explain the relationships between and within plant communities.

Module Schedule

This course involves a combination of recorded lectures, readings, assignments and participation in semi-synchronous online discussion forums and synchronous tutorials with instructors and other participants over an 8-week period

See course content below to get started!

Course Content

Getting Started

  • Getting Started

    Welcome to Module 1.1

Week 1

  • Introductory Lecture

    Using knowledge elements 1.1.1-1.1.5 as an organizational framework to introduce key concepts and related content.

  • Core Lecture 1: Tree Functional Biology: Trees and light

    Basic biophysics of light and photosynthesis, gap dynamics, early vs. late successional trees [seed types, tree architecture], shade tolerance classes, tree size and successional status relationships

  • Readings

    Chapter 1 - What is a tree and how does it grow.

Week 2

  • Core Lecture 2: Tree Functional Biology: Water and other abiotic factors

    Conifer vs. hardwood water transport, flood tolerance, wind, temperature, shade, drought tolerance, and other factors that influence the form and functional biology of trees, stands, and forests.

  • Core Lecture 3: Basics of wood anatomy

    Earlywood vs. latewood, vessel elements, resin canals, diffuse porous & ring porous hardwoods, ray cells

  • Supplementary Lecture (not required)

    Urban forestry, conservation arboriculture, and tree risk assessment

  • Readings

    Chapter 2 - Tree design: problems and solutions; and Chapter 3 - Additive and multiplicative growth.

  • Discussion Forum 1.1a

    Wanted dead or alive: Trees

Week 3

  • Online Tutorial

    The online tutorial will give students the opportunity to connect with their instructors and peers to discuss content to-date, answer questions and foster conversations surrounding course materials, and discuss upcoming assignments.

  • Assignment #1

    Discuss additive and multiplicative growth and the role of meristems in elongation and thickening of tree shoot and root axes

Week 4

  • Discussion Forum 1.1b

    Shade tolerance - is it really that simple?

Week 5

  • Assignment #2

    Compare and contrast the ground cover you would expect to encounter in lowland black spruce forest types of the Boreal forest region with that commonly associated with tolerant hardwood forest types of the Great-Lakes St. Lawrence forest region.

  • Submission: Assignment #1

Week 6

  • Proposal Submission: Assignment #2

    Submit your proposal for Assignment #2

Week 7

  • Online Tutorial

    The online tutorial will give students the opportunity to connect with their instructors and peers to discuss content to-date, answer questions and foster conversations surrounding course materials, and discuss upcoming assignments.

Week 8

  • Submission: Assignment #2

    Please submit Assignment #2

Test – To be deleted

  • Video test