Content (Syllabus outline)

Ecology as a biological discipline. Organism in the environment – environmental factors with the emphasis on factors regulating plant growth (temperature, water, light, nutrients). Basics of population ecology – population density, reproductive value, reproductive effort, intraspecific competition. Community ecology – community assembly, community species richness and species coexistence, ecological succession. Species interactions – competition, mutualistic and antagonistic interactions. Life history strategies – resource allocation, life history trade-offs, some ecological classifications of organisms, especially plants. Ecology of ecosystems – ecosystem concept, ecosystem dynamics, trophic levels and food chains, ecological efficiency. Primary production in terrestrial ecosystems (environmental regulation). Ecosystem carbon cycle as an integrative indicator of ecosystem functioning (respiration, decomposition, carbon balance). Biodiversity – importance, threads, nature protection with the emphasis on nature conservation areas.

Concepts and segments of environmental protection and nature conservation. The environmental effects of agricultural and other activities. Measures of environmental protection and the conservation of the multifunctionality of agricultural landscape. Definitions, causes and means of air, soil and water pollution. Classification of pollutants. Fate of pollutant in the system plant-soil-groundwater: mechanisms of adsorption, transformation, degradation and transport. The effect of pollutants on organisms. The interpretation of environmental data using environmental standards and norms. Main national and international environmental legislation with the emphasis on agriculture. Common environmental policy of the EU - agri-envrironmental programmes. UNCCD and UN Soil strategy.

Prerequisites

Conditions for inclusion in the work:

Enrolment in the appropriate academic year.

Conditions for performing study obligations

Student is allowed to enter the exam after he has attended lectures (80 %), seminar presentations (100 %) and presented his seminar paper.