Syllabus
1. Introduction
Definition of aquatic plants; categories of aquatic plants according: Iversen, Hartog et Segal, Sculthorpe, Hejný; difficulties to characterize aquatic plants in gradient of environment; life forms of aquatic plants; basic characteristic of water environment. 2. Systematic of aquatic plants and phytogeography
Position of aquatic plants in system, overview of exclusively aquatic plant families, important genera and species of aquatic plants in the other families, evolution groups lacking adaptation to water environment; reasons of low species diversity in the most of aquatic plant families; phytogeography of aquatic plants and specifics of their ranges; influence of the Ice Age on water flora, cosmopolitism, endemism, neophytes. 3. -5. Morphological a physiological adaptation of aquatic plants
Basic factors of water environment; general features of adaptation on water environment; adaptation of roots; heterophylly and factors influencing it.
Adaptation of emerged plants: differences in structure of emerged versus submersed parts of plant bodies; aeration of tissues; support of young tissues by oxygen.
Adaptation of nymphaeids: difficulties of environment to adapt on; best shape of leafs; elongation of petioles; morphological structure of leafs, cuticle and pigmentation of leafs.
Adaptation of natant plants: where do they grove; shape of leafs and its seasonal changes; specifics of roots of natant plants, specifics of heterosporial ferns - Azolla, Salvinia; specifics of family Lemnaceae
Adaptation of submersed plants: acquiring of carbon and difficulties to gain it in water, carbonate equilibrium; acquiring of hydrogen carbonate; CAM metabolism of isoetids; photosynthesis of polar leafs, different carbon affinity by macrophytes and microphytes; morphological adaptation, entire and dissected leafs, specifics in structure of plants in family Podostemaceae, specifics in genera Aldrovanda and Utricularia.
Adaptation of aquatic plants to drying up of environment. 6. -8. Determination of aquatic plants and their distribution in the Czech Republic
How to determine different groups of aquatic plants; ecological requirements of different species and their distribution in the Czech Republic; work with herbarium specimens and living plants. 9. -10. Reproduction of aquatic plants
Importance of generative and vegetative reproduction - basic differences and evolutional consequences; is generative reproduction of aquatic plants out of date? entomogamy, stability of emerged inflorescences; trends towards hydrogamy in different groups of aquatic plants: Najadales, Hydrocharitales, Callitrichaceae, Ceratophyllaceae; ripening of fruits and seeds, dormancy, mechanisms ending dormancy, recalcitrant seeds, dispersion of fruits and seeds, benefits of hydrochory a adaptation on it; polyploidy of aquatic plants; hybridisation of aquatic plants; functions of clonal reproduction; regeneration and gemmipary, reproductive structures on underground organs; turions, dormant apices and hibernacula; factors influencing formation of turions. 11. -12. Ekological requirements of aquatic plants
Basic water types in the Czech Republic; phytosociology; dynamics of water plant communities; interspecific interactions.
Literature:
Barett S. C. H., Eckert C. G., et Husband B. C., (1993): Evolutionary processes in aquatic plant populations. Aquatic Botany 44 (1993), Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., Amsterdam: 105-145.
Cook C. D. K. (1990): Aquatic Plant Book. SPB Academic Publishing, The Hague, 228 pp.
Grace J. B. (1993): The adaptive siginificance of clonal reproduction in angiosperms: an aquatic perspective. Aquatic Botany: 44 (1993), Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., Amsterdam: 159-180.
Hejný S. (1960): Ökologische Charakteristik der Wasser und Sumpfpflanzen in den Slowakischen Tiefebennen. Vydavatelstvo SAV, Bratislava, 487 pp.
Knoppová J.(1994): Adaptace vodních rostlin na nedostatek oxidu uhličitého ve vodě. Biologické listy, 59(4): 264-281.
Laushman R. H., (1993): Population genetics of hydrophilous angiosperms. Aquatic Botany: 44 (1993), Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., Amsterdam: 147-158.
Les D. H. et Philbrick C. T. (1993): Studies of hybridization and chromosome number variation in aquatic angiosperms: evolutionary implications. Aquatic Botany 44 (1993), Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., Amsterdam: 181-228.
Sculthorpe C. D. (1967): The Biology of Aquatic Vascular Plants. Edward Arnold London, 610 pp.
Wiegleb G. et Brux H., (1991): Comparison of life history characters of broad-leaved species of the genus Potamogeton L. I. General characterization of morphology and reproductive strategies. Aquatic Botany: 39 (1991), Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., Amsterdam: 131-146.
Journals: Aquatic Botany, Freshwater Biology
Annotation
Please note, the lectures are given in Czech language only. Biology of aquatic plants deals with adaptations of plants to water environment and variation of their features and responses to environment.
Morphological and physiological adaptations are presented as well as different issues concerning their reproduction eg. ratio and importance of sexual versus asexual reproduction and its genetic consequences. Systematic position of aquatic plants and specifics of their phytogeographical distribution are covered as well.
Emphasis is given on determination of central european aquatic plants as herbarium specimens as well as living plants.