PGCDS (Post Graduate Certificate in Dryland Studies) Program
The following is a ‘List of the Courses’ that the 1st batch of students were required to complete; there may be addition of new courses or removal of some of the courses based on constructive feed-back, introspection and feasibility of curriculum delivery.
List of Courses under PGCDS Program
The course focuses on functioning of dryland environments globally;
ecosystem structure and processes linked to anthropogenic activities,
desertification, and climate change. Dryland functioning is discussed
through various biological levels: from plant adaptations to arid
environments, through vegetation patterns; up to the physical environment
and the interactions with its biological components. There is an emphasis on
how human employ and apply ecological principles to increase productivity in
drylands,
Aim of the module is to provide a firmer scientific basis to understand
dryland functioning and sustainable human land-use. On successful completion
of the module, the student should be able to understand the physical
conditions that distinguish drylands from other environments along climatic
gradients and their susceptibility to climate change and desertification;
recognize plant physiological and morphological adaptations to water
availability shortage and unpredictability, besides be familiar and
understand basic concepts of System and Landscape Ecology and to be able to
model ecological processes – conceptually. Further, to comprehend how the
natural dryland ecosystem and its components function under restricted water
availability; also to understand the environmental and ecological principles
of human activities in drylands. To comprehend and conceptually analyze
ecological or environmental case studies in drylands, presenting for
example, an interaction between novel and natural ecosystems or human
effects on the natural ecosystem.
The course will address various modern irrigation and fertilization
(fertigation) methods and will provide tools to deal with problems
associated with arid and semi-arid conditions (e.g., high water demand,
saline water, etc). On successful completion of the module, one would
understand the interactions between soil-plant-atmosphere and the irrigation
system and sufficiently familiar with fertigation scheduling principles
including devices that are currently used for irrigation scheduling. Also
able to design a sprinkler and drip irrigation system as well as conduct an
irrigation experiment vide designing a research project.
Water related challenges are raising concerns worldwide. These challenges
are found at both ends of the pipe: the need to supply water in an adequate
quality for human life and livelihood, and the need to prevent pollution
from wastewater discharge. In this course, researchers from Ben Gurion
University of the Negev and partners from leading academic institutes, Yale
and Northwestern, will coherently discuss “burning” water issues and reveal
current technologies that can alleviate water shortage globally. Pollution
sources and remediation approaches of surface and subsurface water will be
addressed as well as the approaches to wastewater treatment and safe reuse.
This course will provide the basic knowledge of plant cytogenetics and
reproductive mechanisms in flowering plants; including cell cycle, cell
division, mitosis, miosis and the genetic control of meiosis; chromosome
structure and functions, and polyploidization, pollination strategies,
pollen tube growth and guidance, mechanisms of male sterility and floral sex
determination, hormones and reproduction self-incompatibility systems,
fertilization, apomixis and parthenocarpic fruit development.
Carbon metabolism is a basic process essential for plants growth and
survival. Carbon metabolism encompasses carbon assimilation through
photosynthesis, consumption through respiration and photorespiration and
allocation to different metabolic pools. The course will summarize most of
these processes from the ecosystem to the biochemical levels with a focus on
plant adaptation and acclimation to changing environments.
The course focuses on the developing scientific discipline of AgroEcology
emphasizing research and case studies in drylands. Along with establishing
the ecological scientific basis and background for agroecology framework,
the course presents the principles and practices of agroecology that promote
resilient and productive agricultural systems, interacting compatibly with
the environment. Agroforestry and Silvopastoral Systems are presented and
discussed within AgroEcology discipline and framework.
Demonstration of the uniqueness of AgroEcology in drylands and to provide
conceptual and basic measurement tools to experimentally study AgroEcology
systems in drylands. Also to understand the interactions and possibility of
enhanced harmonization between the environment and agricultural systems.
Besides, to comprehend the environmental conditions which challenge
AgroEcology in drylands and the corresponding practices. Further, to use and
calculate basic indices of biodiversity and productivity. Posing a research
question related to the AgroEcology framework and to design a research
approach is included too.
The aim of the course is to provide a solid understanding of the concepts
and applications of geographical information systems and science (GIS), by
focusing on the use of GIS for scientific inquiry. To gain hands-on
experience with the use of advanced GIS Software and technology for
quantitative spatial analysis, modeling and visualization. Case studies from
various environmental research domains are used as demonstrations to get a
wide range of GIS application.
The course will consist of lessons and includes an exposure to algae-growing
company. The course will have joint participation of Microalgal
Biotechnology Laboratory (MBL) Scientists. It will cover the major aspects
of microalgal biology (ecology, physiology, biochemistry, stress response)
and biotechnology (cultivation strategies, metabolic engineering and
applications).
As the demand to aquaculture products are rising while world fishers is in
decline, aquaculture has been a fast growing industry in the last few
decades and is yet to expand. In the present course practical aspects and
theoretical background of major topics in fish culture, will be studies.
Production of food and ornamental fish will be addressed. This is an
introductory course that is geared for students with interest in
aquaculture.
This course will highlight epigenetic aspects in plant response to stress
and the potential use of epigenetics in plant breeding. It aims at
delivering the basic tools to understand the epigenetic constraints imposed
over the genetic information that allow genes to be expressed or suppressed.
It will highlight the dynamic epigenetic modifications of DNA and histone
proteins as fundamental mechanisms driving plant growth and development and
particularly the response of plants to the changing biotic and abiotic
environment. How epigenetic landscapes of the genome are changed to regulate
the genome structure and function. The complexity of epigenetic mechanisms
underlying plant response and tolerance to stress and how epigenetic
variations can be exploited to produce desired traits is the major aim of
the module.
The course covers the interaction between the environment, practices in the
field and genetics on the metabolism of fruits. The student will be
introduced to fruit development, its regulation, metabolic processes related
to it, plant central and secondary metabolic pathways in. relation to fruit
quality.
Aim of the module is to describe the interaction between rainfall, soil and
crop characteristics in dry areas in which runoff can be generated, with the
objective to designate the physical aspects of water movement in the soil
crop atmosphere continuum in agroforestry systems irrigated with runoff
water. The learning outcomes will include estimation of potentially
available runoff water, design field set-up to determine the specific
rainfall/runoff relations, determine the relative sizes of the generating
and runoff receiving areas for the specific crop/forest system and
measurement. The content/schedule consist study of soil particle size
distribution and infiltration, water movement in soils; surface properties,
crusting; runoff under controlled conditions; rain measurement, analysis,
rainfall simulators; desertification control, etc.
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