1. Water balance of plants (3 lectures)
Concept of water potential – water in soil, plants and the atmosphere, PWP, transpiration flux, cavitation of xylem, principles of psychrmetry, p-V curves, modulus of elasticity, capacitance, succulence, sclerophyly.

Practicals – measurements of water potential in soil and plant tissues, p-V curves and their interpretation.

2. Energy balance of plants, temperature limits (3 lectures)

Energy balance of ecosystem/plants, radiation balance, temperature survival limits of plants, frost and heat resistance, adaptations, extracellular freezing resistance, transient supercooling, heat tolerance, transpiration cooling, phenology, concept of degree days, alpine tree line

Practicals – thermal balance of plants, estimates of temperature injury (conduktometry, fluorescence).

3. Physical and chemical properties of soil (3 lectures)
Mineral and organic soil matter, soil pH, conductivity, CEC, texture, SOC); decomposition, soil organisms.

Practicals – CEC of soil, texture analysis, nutrient comntent (P, N), soil respiration.