Course Description
Mechanical and chemical defense mechanisms of forest trees against pests and pathogens; constitutive and induced defense strategies; qualitative vs. quantitative resistance traits; classes of defense compounds; plant defense theories applied to forest environment; cutting-edge techniques for resistance selection. Direct lectures will alternate with discussion groups on peer-reviewed papers.
Athena Title
Tree Resistance Mechanisms
Prerequisite
FORS 4210/6210 or permission of school
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
The objective of this graduate-level course is to provide each student with the understanding of different tree resistance mechanisms and plant defense theories. By the end of the course, student should: a) be able to identify different types of tree resistance mechanisms; b) understand how these mechanisms relate to each other and how they can change depending on the environmental context; c) be familiar with what type of techniques are available to study tree resistance mechanisms and to select resistant trees; d) be familiar with the major plant defense theories; e) be able to critically review literature relevant to the course topic.
Topical Outline
Lectures will alternate with discussion groups on peer- reviewed papers relevant to the course topic. The choice of these readings will vary from semester to semester depending on what new publications are available. A possible series of topics covered in the lectures is: 1- Direct vs. indirect defenses 2- Mechanical vs. chemical defenses 3- Wound formation 4- Antibiosis vs. antixenosis 5- Qualitative vs. quantitative defense traits 6- Constitutive defensive traits and induced ones 7- Systemic acquired resistance 8- Phenolic compounds 9- Resin acids and terpenoids 10- Alkaloids 11- Defensive proteins and reactive oxygen species 12- The concept of defense syndromes 13- The optimal defense theory 14- The growth-differentiation balance hypothesis 15- Cutting-edge techniques for the selection of resistant trees