Chemical ecology

Course unit

title

Scientific direction

Scientific code

Faculty

Department (s)

Chemical ecology

Ecology and environmental science N 012

Nature Research Centre

Lab. of chemical and behavioural ecology

Mode of studies

Number of credits

Mode of studies

Number of credits

Lectures

0

Consultations

1

Self-studies

9

Seminars

0

Aims of course

The aim is to acquaint PhD students with the basics of chemical ecology ant application of its results. To raise skills for individual study of scientific literature as well as for critical analysis and synthesis of scientific information. To qualify for autonomous scientific research.

Main topics

Area of chemical ecology. Connections with other disciplines (chemistry, ecology, ecotoxicology). The main research approaches and methods. Interactions between organisms by means of nontoxic chemical compounds. Variety of chemical interactions and occurrence among organisms from all five kingdoms. Interspecific interactions. Allelopathy. Allelopathic interactions in plants, fungi and microorganisms. Processes in the soil and allelopathy. Classification of chemical compounds which mediate allelopathic interactions. Phytoncides, antibiotics, kolines, marazmines. Discovery of antibiotics. Origin of antibiotics, biological significance for fungi, plants and human being. Antibiotics in the environment. Intraspecific interactions. Pheromones. Primer and releaser pheromones. Prevalence of pheromones among alive organisms, theor specificity, application for applied purposes. Sensitivity to pheromones. Defence secretions in animals, interactions by those. Diversity of interactions and chemical compositions of the secretions. Kairomones and allomones. Role of kairomones in food chains and nets. Three-thropic level chemoecological interactions.

Applied aspects of chemoecology: in medicine, agriculture, forestry, environmental and rare species protection.

Main literature

Būda V. Cheminė ekologija. Organizmų sąveikos infocheminėmis medžiagomis.Vilnius: Vilniaus
Universiteto leidykla, 2006, 187 p. (in Lithuanian)

Bagnères A.‐G., Martine Hossaert‐Mckey M. (eds). Chemical Ecology. Wiley, 2016, 222 p.

Rice E. Allelopathy. 2nd ed. Academic Press, 2012, 368 p.

McClintock J.B., B.J. Baker (eds). Marine Chemical Ecology, CRC Press, 2011, 624 p.

Harborne J.B. Ecological Biochemistry. 4th edition. London, Academic Press, 1993, 318 p.

Ferguson J.J., Rathinasabapathi B. 2006. Allelopathy: How Plants Suppress Other Plants. Univ. Florida, http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/HS186

Wyatt T.D. Pheromones and Animal behaviour. Cambridge Univ. Press, 2^nd ed., 2014, 391 p.

Assessment strategy

Assessment criteria

Exam consists of two parts – scientific presentation and oral exam. Both exam parts have equal weight for final evaluation. Final grade is the arithmetic mean of grades of two exam parts.

Scientific presentation

Presentation (Power Point demonstration) is arranged on topic agreed in advance. Data and illustrations should be presented based on scientific publications.  Duration up to 20 min. Assessed are quality of content and delivery of presentation, correspondence to topic of the presentation, participation in a scientific discussion, ability to answer questions and defend scientific propositions. 10-point grading scale is used for evaluation.

Exam (oral part)

Exam (oral part) consists of two open type questions. Assessed are profoundness and accuracy of subject concepts and scientific knowledge, ability to collate, critically analyse and clarify. 10-point grading scale is used for evaluation.

Vincas Būda

PhD

Prof.

Approved by the Council of Graduate School of Life Sciences Center No 600000-…-… on the …. of …… 2021

Chairman