Biology: Evolutionary Plant Ecology
This course will give you deeper insights in plants, their ecology, and their evolution. Through excursions and lectures, you will study the mechanisms that shape and change plant diversity.
Start
Autumn 2026
Level
Master's
Language
English
Place of study
Lund
Course code
BIOR99
During the course, you will gain in-depth knowledge of evolutionary plant ecology. You will acquire practical experience in conducting studies on the evolutionary ecology of plants, plant communities, and interactions between plants and other organisms. You will also learn to analyze plant communities from an ecological and evolutionary perspective and apply ecological and evolutionary thinking in plant conservation efforts. Among other things, you will explore how plants adapt to their environment, how they interact with other organisms, and how new plant species arise in changing environments.
Course syllabus
The syllabus contains the formal and legal details of the entire course. It’s a legal document outlining the course structure and requirements, intended mainly for administrative use.
Syllabus (PDF, new tab)Course literature
The course literature listed may be updated up to eight weeks before the course begins.
Course literature BIOR99 (PDF, New tab)The course covers a broad range of topics, including life histories, mating systems, pollination syndromes, demographic processes, local adaptation, speciation, plant communities, conservation biology, and the role of anthropogenic factors in shaping plant diversity. Teaching is conducted through lectures, group exercises, and seminars. A key component is reading and evaluating scientific articles. During the course, you will carry out a literature project on a topic of your choice, where you will read articles, summarize findings, and draw conclusions based on your readings. The course also includes excursions to the Botanical Garden and the Biological Museum. Assessment is based on a written exam combined with an evaluation of your project work.
Entry requirements
For admission to the course, 120 credits of scientific studies are required including knowledge equivalent to BIOA11 Genetics and Evolution15 credits, BIOB10 Zoology and Bothany 15 credits, and one of the courses BIOR69 Population- and Community Ecology 15 credits, BIOR78 Soil and Plant Ecology 15 credits or BIOR89 Evolutionary Biology: patterns and processes 15 credits. English 6/English B.
Selection criteria
Seats are allocated according to: ECTS (HPAV): 100 %.
Tuition fees for non-EU/EEA citizens
Citizens of countries outside:
- The European Union (EU)
- The European Economic Area (EEA) and
- Switzerland
are required to pay tuition fees. You pay an instalment of the tuition fee in advance of each
semester.
Tuition fees, payments and exemptions
Full programme/course tuition fee: SEK 46,250
First payment: SEK 46,250
Note that you may also need to pay an application fee, or provide proof of exemption.
No tuition fees for citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland
There are no tuition fees for citizens of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland.
A research focused education and lively study environment
At the Department of Biology, students in biology, molecular biology and bioinformatics study together in a shared environment. Here you can learn about everything from genes and molecules to ecosystems and behaviour, closely linked to ongoing research. Teaching takes place in modern laboratories or in the field. All the lecturers are active and internationally recognised researchers. This creates a unique learning experience where studies and research go hand in hand.
