1. Course explanation
(1) Course title, Specialty category, Course character and credit hour
Course title: Grassland Ecological Chemistry
Specialty category: Grassland Science
Course character: basic course of the major
Credit hour: 2.5
(2) Course description, objectives and task, related courses
Course description: “Grassland Ecological Chemistry” is the study of the process and efficiency of nutrient elements by absorption, utilization and transformation within the grassland ecosystem, which specially focuses on element flows through three components (soil, plant and animal) and the balance of multiple elements in ecological interaction within the ecosystem, finally, achieving effectively utilization of nutrition and energy in the grassland ecology system. The course includes two parts: theory course and experiment course, while the latter takes up two thirds of the whole time of course.
Course objective and task: Upon completion of this course, students should:
1) understand the process of nutrient elements by absorption, utilization and transformation through soil, plant and animal components in the grassland ecosystem..
2) understand the function of main nutrient elements and factors which influence the function expression process in the biological component and the whole grassland ecosystem.
3) understand the process of nutrient elements cycling and energy flow in the grassland ecosystem.
4) Master the methods dealing with problems about nutrient elements cycling and energy flow in the grassland ecosystem.
Advanced placement and subsequent related courses: Grassland Ecological Chemistry is based on courses of analytical chemistry, biochemistry, plant physiology, General animal husbandry, soil sciences, etc, while forage cultivation、grassland management, grassland resource survey and planning and so on are subsequent related courses.
Textbooks and main reference books
Texkbooks:
Ren Jizhou, Eds. National Higher Agriculture College Trial Teaching Material, Grassland Ecological Chemistry. Higher Education Press, 1985.
Gansu Agricultural University, Editor，Grassland ecological chemistry experiment instruction, Agriculture Press, 1987.
Main reference books：
1). David C. Whitehead. Nutrient Elements In Grassland Soil-Plant-Animal Relationships, CABI Publishing, 2000。
2). Robert W. Sterner and James J. Elser. Ecological Stoichiometry: The Biology of Elements from Molecules to the Biosphere. Princeton University Press. 2002。
3). Horst Marschner. Mineral nutrition of higher plants. Academic Pres.1995.
4). Henry F. Howe and Lynn C. Westley. Ecological relationships of plants and animals. Oxford University Press. 1990.
2. The contents and assignment of the course
(1) Course plan and the contents
For theory course :
Chapter 1 Introduction
Section 1 Concept of Grassland Ecological Chemistry
Section 2 Development of Grassland Ecological Chemistry
Section 3 Scope and methods of Grassland Ecoloical Chemistry research
Key points: Concept and development of the course, researching contents and methods
【Mastery】：Concept of Grassland Ecological Chemistry
【Understand】：Researching contents and methods of Grassland Ecological Chemistry
【Know】：Development of Grassland Ecological Chemistry
Chapter 2 Nutrient elements characters and cycling in the Grassland Ecology System
Section 1 Nutrient elements in atmosphere and soil
Section 2 Nutrient elements in plants and animals
Section 3 Circle and regulation of nutrient elements in the grassland ecosystem
Key points: the distribution of elements in the atmosphere and soil system; the type and contents of essential nutrient elements in animal and plant; the characters and the regulating process of nutrient elements cycling in the grassland ecosystem
【Mastery】：the concept of biological enrichment and transformation rate; determinant standard of essential nutrient elements for living beings; distinguishing principle of macronutrients and micronutrients; the types and characters of nutrient elements cycling in the grassland ecosystem.
【Understand】：the distribution of elements in the atmosphere and soil; the type and contents of essential nutrient elements in animal and plant; the concept of nutrient balance in the grassland ecosystem and the researching methods.
Chapter 3 Absorption and utilization of nutrition in soil-forage grass system
Section 1 Validity of nutrient elements in soil to plants
Section 2 Nutrition absorption of plants and the influencing factors
Section 3 Chemical characters of nutrient elements in forage
Section 4 Factors affecting nutrient elements contents in forage
Key points: the concept of plant available nutrients, nutrient absorption process of plants; the chemical, physical and biological characters of plant rhizosphere and factors affecting rhizosphere environment; factors affecting nutrients absorption through root system and nutrient contents in forage; the biological absorption of nutrients by forage and chemical characters of forage nutrient elements in different grassland types in our country
【Mastery】：the concept of plant available nutrients, nutrient absorption process of plants; factors affecting nutrients absorption through root system and nutrient contents in forage
【Understand】：the chemical, physical and biological characters of plant rhizosphere and factors affecting rhizosphere environment
【Know】：chemical characters of nutrient elements in forage
Chapter 4 Nutrient elements in grassland-livestock system
Section 1 Nutrition demands of herbivore and their self-regulation
Section 2 Methods for assessing the biological validity of nutrient elements in livestock
Section 3 Influence of livestock grazing on grasslands
Key points: the way in which animal absorb nutrient elements and relevant physiological regulating mechanism; understand the evaluating methods of nutrient bioavailability; Understand the effects of livestock manure and grazing activity on grassland soil, plants and biological communities
【Mastery】：the concept of compensatory growth; the way in which animal absorb nutrient elements and relevant physiological regulating mechanism
【Understand】：the evaluating methods of nutrient bioavailability
【Know】：the effects of livestock manure and grazing activity on grassland soil, plants and biological communities
Chapter 5 Carbon utilization and energy transformation
Section 1 Carbon and energy transformation in the primary production stage
Section 2 Carbong and energy utilization and transformation in the secondary production stage
Section 3 Carbon cycling in the grassland ecosystem
Key points: fixation and transfer process of carbon and energy in primary and secondary producing stages; carbon cycling process and its regulating factors in the grassland ecosystem
【Mastery】：concepts of general primary production, net primary production, carbon sink and source, energy transfer rate; measuring and calculating methods of carbon and energy balance in the grassland ecosystem
【Understand】：carbon and energy balance and the regulating factors in grassland ecosystem
【Know】：effects of global change on the carbon balance in the grassland ecosystem
Chapter 6 Nitrogen utilization and transformation in the grassland ecosystem
Section 1 The process and affecting factors of nitrogen flow througn the soil- forage interface
Section 2 The process and affecting factors of nitrogen flow througn the grass-livestock interface
Section 3 Nitrogen cycling and Nitrogen balance in grassland ecosystem
Key points: N transformation process and affecting factors through soil-plant and plant-livestock interfaces; nitrogen cycling process and regulating factors in the grassland ecosystem
【Mastery】：the concept of nitration and denitrification; the nitrogen cycling , measuring and calculating methods of nitrogen balance in the grassland ecosystem
【Understand】：factors affecting nitrogen balance and the regulating processes in the grassland ecosystem
【Know】：effects of nitrogen deposition on the structure and function of the grassland ecosystem
Chapter 7 The macronutrients in grassland ecosystem
Section 1 Phosphorous utilization and transformation in the grassland ecosystem
Section 2 Sulfur utilization and transformation in the grassland ecosystem.
Section 3 Potassium utilization and transformation in the grassland ecosystem
Section 4 Calcium utilization and transformation in the grassland ecosystem
Section 5 Magnesium utilization and transformation in the grassland ecosystem
Section 6 Sodium utilization and transformation in grassland ecosystem
Section 7 Chlorine utilization and transformation in the grassland ecosystem
Key points: the physiological function and regulating mechanism of P, S, K, Ca, Mg, Na and Cl in forage and livestock; the transformation process and affecting factors of P, S, K, Ca, Mg, Na and Cl on soil-forage and forage-livestock interfaces
【Understand】：The transformation process and affecting factors of P, S, K, Ca, Mg, Na and Cl on soil-forage interface
【Know】：The physiological function and regulating mechanism of P, S, K, Ca, Mg, Na and Cl in forage and livestock
Chapter 8 The micronutrients in grassland ecosystem
Section 1 Iron utilization and transformation in the grassland ecosystem
Section 2 Manganese utilization and transformation in the grassland ecosystem
Section 3 Copper utilization and transformation in grassland ecosystem.
Section 4 Zinc utilization and transformation in the grassland ecosystem
Section 5 Stannum utilization and transformation in the grassland ecosystem
Section 6 Boron utilization and transformation in grassland ecosystem.
Section 7 Fluorine utilization and transformation in the grassland ecosystem
Section 8 Iodine utilization and transformation in the grassland ecosystem
Key points: the physiological function and regulating mechanism of Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Se，B, F and I in forage and livestock; the transformation process and affecting factors of Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Se，B, F and I on soil-forage and forage-livestock interfaces
【Understand】：The transformation process and affecting factors of Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Se，B, F and I on soil-forage interface
【Know】：The physiological function and regulating mechanism of Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Se，B, F and I in forage and livestock
Experiment contents and plan
Experiment 1 Livestock feeding
Experiment 2 Measurement of total energy intake
Experiment 3 Measurement of herbage digestible energy and calculation of metabolizable energy
Experiment 4 Measurement of herbage net energy
Experiment 5 Measurement of N transformation rate in the forage -livestock system
Experiment 6 Measurement of phosphorous flow in the forage -livestock system
Key points: livestock feeding experiment; energy balance of forage and livestock, transformation efficiency of N, P elements.
【Understand】：determination principles and methods of N, P in forage, manure and urine, determination principles and methods of crude fiber and fat in forage and manure; determination principles and methods of thermal energy in forage and manure
【Know】：The basic researching methods for the energy and nutrients transformation process elements in the forage-livestock system
(2) Teaching methods and credit hours assignment (Table 1)
Table 1 Methodology of teaching and credit hours assignment
|
Methodology of theory teaching and credit hours assignment |
|
Chapter |
Contents |
Methodology |
Hours |
|
Chapter 1 |
Introduction |
Instruction |
1 |
|
Chapter 2 |
Nutrient elements and their circle in the grassland ecology system |
Instruction |
3 |
|
Chapter 3 |
Absorption and utilization of nutrition in soil-forage system |
Instruction |
8 |
|
Chapter 4 |
Nutrient elements in the grassland-livestock system |
Instruction |
4 |
|
Chapter 5 |
C utilization and energy transformation |
Instruction |
6 |
|
Chapter 6 |
N utilization and transformation in the grassland ecosystem |
Instruction |
2 |
|
Chapter 7 |
Macronutrients in the grassland ecosystem |
Self-culture |
0 |
|
Chapter 8 |
Micronutrients in the grassland ecosystem |
Self-culture |
0 |
|
Methodology of experiment class and credit hours assignment |
|
Experiment 1 |
Livestock feeding |
Instruction+
guidance |
4 |
|
Experiment 2 |
Measurement of total energy intake |
Instruction+
guidance |
5 |
|
Experiment 3 |
Measurement of herbage digestible energy and calculation of metabolizable energy |
Instruction+
guidance |
4 |
|
Experiment 4 |
Measurement of herbage net energy |
Instruction+
guidance |
28 |
|
Experiment 5 |
Measurement of N transformation rate in the forage-livestock system |
Instruction+
guidance |
4 |
|
Experiment 6 |
Measurement of phosphorous flow in the forage-livestock system |
Instruction+
guidance |
3 |
