Graduate Courses in Plant Biology (PBIO)

PBIO 205 - Mineral Nutrition of Plants

Role of essential elements for plant growth including classical and modern approaches to the study of ion availability and transport. Prerequisite: PBIO 104.

Credits: 3

PBIO 209 - Biology of Ferns

Evolutionary biology; a survey of New England ferns and discussion of their phylogenic relationships; current research emphasizing morphological, biogeographical, genetic, and phytochemical aspects of speciation. Prerequisite: 108; 101 or 132 recommended. Alternate years.

Credits: 3

PBIO 213 - Plant Communities

Plant sociology; structure and organization of the plant community; sampling methods and analysis of data; climatic and edaphic factors; field work. Prerequisite: PBIO 109 or departmental permission.

Credits: 0 to 3

PBIO 223 - Fundamentals of Field Science

Pattern and process in natural systems. Weekly discussion of unifying questions in science. Field labs teach sampling and analysis of vegetation, soils, and animals. Prerequisite: Graduate standing or several university courses in earth sciences, life sciences, and chemistry.

Credits: 3

PBIO 226 - Environmental Problem Solving

Students negotiate a contract, work as a team, and map and inventory forested natural areas as they apply problem solving skills to Vermont environmental project. Prerequisites: Instructor permission. One to three hours.

Credits: 1 to 3

PBIO 229 - Water Relations of Plants

See FOR 299.

Credits: 3

PBIO 232 - Botany Field Trip

Trips to selected environments outside Vermont, led by faculty members representing different fields of botany. Overall, integrated approach to ecology, structure, and function.

Credits: 1

PBIO 234 - Ecology of Freshwater Algae

Community, population and physiological ecology of algae. Topics include taxonomy; diversity; distribution and seasonal succession; productivity and grazing; growth kinetics; and competitive and synergistic reactions. Prerequisites: NR 103 or BCOR 102. Alternate years.

Credits: 0 or 3

PBIO 241 - Tropical Plant Systematics

Principles and methods of angiosperm phylogeny. Recent systematic and evolutionary research on flowering plants; survey of tropical flowering plant families. Student presentations on recent research. Prerequisite: PBIO 109. Alternate years.

Credits: 4

PBIO 251 - Principles of Light Microscopy

Introduction to the optics, construction, and care of the light microscope. Theory of phase and interference contrast, fluorescense, and video methods. Prerequisite: One year of physics or permission.

Credits: 1

PBIO 256 - Adv Plant Genetics

Review of major topics in higher plant genetics and cytogenetics. Designed to be applied to the systematics, breeding, and gene engineering of higher plants. Prerequisite: 132 or Biology 101.

Credits: 3

PBIO 261 - Plant Growth & Development

Concepts in plant structure and development. Biophysics of plant structure and pattern-formation. Introduction to methods of plant microscopy and microtechnique. Prerequisites: 104, 108, Intro. Physics or permission.

Credits: 4

PBIO 262 - Nature of Sensing and Response

Examination of signal transduction pathways in widely divergent organisms, the evolutionary conservation of these pathways, and how these systems are perturbed by mutation and disease. Prerequisites: BCOR 101, and either concurrent or past BCOR 103 or PBIO 104, or permission. Cross-listed with MMG 262.

Credits: 3

PBIO 281 - Botany Seminar

Presentations of personal research by faculty, graduate students, and outside guest speakers. Attendance required of botany graduate students and seniors in botanical research programs. Without credit.

Credits: 0

PBIO 282 - Botany Seminar

See PBIO 281.

Credits: 0

PBIO 295 - Special Topics

For advanced students within areas of expertise of faculty. Aspects of ecology, physiology, genetics, cytology, bryology, pteridology, paleobotany, photobiology, membrane physiology, and cell biology. Prerequisite: Departmental permission.

Credits: 0 to 6

PBIO 301 - Cell & Molecular Biology

Advanced survey of cell organelles, their composition, origin, and the relationship between their structure and function. Emphasis on recent literature and current controversies. Prerequisites: CHEM 142, graduate standing in biology or permission. Cross-listing: CMB 301.

Credits: 3

PBIO 311 - Field Naturalist Practicum

Landscape analysis; planning and designing field projects; integrated problem solving. Prerequisites: Enrollment in the Field Naturalist program. Variable hours up to three.

Credits: 0 to 3

PBIO 381 - Problems in Modern Botany

Subject matter varies. Topics will stress current graduate student and staff research interests in a journal review or presentation-discussion format. Prerequisite: Permission.

Credits: 1 to 4

PBIO 391 - Master's Thesis Research

Credit as arranged.

Credits: 1 to 10

PBIO 392 - Master's Project Research

Credit as arranged.

Credits: 0 to 3

PBIO 491 - Doctoral Dissertation Research

Credit as arranged.

Credits: 1 to 15