Academic courses
July 24, 2024 2025-07-07 13:23Academic courses
Academic courses Dendrology
Botany
The course in botany is a fundamental and aims to teach future professionals with anatomy, morphology and systematic of plants.
In the first part – Anatomy and morphology of plants – are present the fundamentals of the doctrine of the plant cell, plant tissue morphology and anatomy of plant organs. This part examines and plant reproduction.
In the second part – Systematic of plants – is presents the classification of major groups of organisms traditionally referred to the plants and taught in courses in botany. For the first three kingdoms (prokaryotes, fungi and protists) is present a generalized feature of a small number of systematic units and the kingdom of plants are descriptions of a large number of systematic units of different rank of interest for future specialists.
Lecturers:
Forest genetics and tree breeding – Faculty of Forestry, BA
Lecturers:
Ornamental plants in the Bulgarian flora
Course Ornamentals plants of Bulgarian Flora deals with spread and ecological and biological peculiarities of species of native flora of Bulgaria, having certain ornamental qualities that enable it to be used in the creation of various types lawns. The first general part covers the basic concepts of ecology and habitat of the species. It analyzes the main approaches for studying regional and specific flora and considered geographical elements of the flora. Based on the adaptive features of plants to different environmental factors dominant classification is given of the main ecological groups of plants. Are considered forms of plant growth and phenology of herbaceous plants. The second part was a common morphological, ecological and chorological characteristics of grass and shrub species of native flora of Bulgaria. Characteristics of different types is given in the following order: life form, general morphology, life cycle, flowering and fruit bearin, areal and environmental characteristics, possibility to use for decorative purposes. The knowledge support the study of disciplines such as horticulture, flower compositions, protection of biodiversity and landscape, etc.
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Dendrology
The course “Dendrology” is studied by students in bachelor programmes “Forestry” and “Ecology and environmental protection”. It provides knowledge on morphology, systematics, biological and ecological requirements, distribution and importance of tree and shrub species. The acquired knowledge serves as a foundation for other forestry courses.
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Dendrology of Exotic Species
The course “Dendrology of exotic species” is selective for master students in “Forestry” programme. It provides knowledge on morphology, systematics, biological and ecological requirements, distribution and importance of tree and shrub species which were introduced in Bulgaria or have high importance for the main biomes of the World.
Lecturers:
Environmental Plant Physiology
The Environmental plant physiology is applied discipline that deals with the effect of environmental factors on the intensity of life processes in plants. The issues of environmental physiology are based on fundamental natural sciences such as botany, dendrology, ecology, physiology and biochemistry, genetics, physics, chemistry, etc. Fundamental physiological processes such as photosynthesis, respiration, transpiration, mineral nutrition and nitrogen assimilation are considered as the result of the interaction between the environment and plant organism. Through ecological methods growth and development, reproduction and distribution, stress responses, vitality and survival of plants are studied in relation to changes in physical, chemical and biotic factors of the environment. The knowledge of Environmental Physiology may contribute to the understanding of the importance of genetic resources for adaptation and survival of plant species and an assessment of the potential for distribution and competitive ability against other species.
Medical Botany
The course in Medical botany is a fundamental and aims to teach future professionals to the cytology, morphology, organography and plant systematics, as well as to the possibility of use the plants as food and medicines for the animals.
The first part – Plant cytology and morphology presents the principles of the plant cell, plant tissues, morphology of plant organs and their metamorphoses. The main types of plant reproduction are discussed.
Plant systematics is learned at the laboratory practicum. Main focus is to the families containing plant species, which are of practical interest for the future veterinary specialist – medical, poison, forage and honey-bearing plants.
Lecturers:
Biodiversity conservation – MA
The goal of the course “Biodiversity conservation” is to introduce the students to principles in ecosystem distribution of the plant and animal communities and the measures which have to be taken for their protection and conservation. Another main goal is the study of main methods of assessment of the anthropogenic impact and the prognosis of development of different types of plant and animal communities at macro-ecosystem and landscape level. The course is specialized for the Landscape architecture students. They will gain the knowledge about protection, conservation and restoration of biodiversity as addition to courses as: Dendrology of ornamental plants, Soil science, Park fauna, Protected areas in Bulgaria, Urban ecology, Ecology of the landscape and others. The course provides the students with knowledge about the criteria for assessment of these species and plant and animal communities which are mainly inhabitants of park and forest park territories as well as an idea about the landscape distribution of the macrobiocomplexes in Bulgaria. The discipline is useful with a view of specialization of landscape architects in the field of ecological landscape projecting not only in the urban zones but in preparing management plans for national parks and protected areas, as well as making environmental impact assessment related to the changes, disturbing and restoration of landscape.
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Flora and vegetation conservation
The goal of the “Flora and vegetation conservation” classes is to introduce the future expert in ecology and environment protection to the morphology, ecology and biology of the rare and threatened plant species, as well as with the phytosociological peculiarities of rare and threatened plant communities in Bulgaria, and the measures which have to be taken for their protection. The course provides knowledge about the formation and development of the floras and floral complexes as well as for the characteristic and specific geoelements in different floristic regions of Bulgaria.
Another issue focuses to the types of endemism in the Bulgarian vascular flora, taxonomy, biological and ecological structure of the endemics and their distribution on the territory of the country. Students learn some specific and rare plant communities containing rare, threatened, endemic and relict plants. The main speciation centres of endemism in Bulgaria are pointed out too.
The parameters and criteria for assessment the level of endangerment of the vascular plans and plant communities are supposed. The principles for including a plant species in the Bulgarian Red Data Book and in the List of protected plants (1960-2007) are also pointed out. Another important topic is the characterization of goals and development of the European network Natura 2000 in Bulgaria.
The knowledge gained could be applied in the system for observation and control of the activity for protection of flora and plant communities in the frame of national system for environmental protection in Bulgaria.
Forest Tree Species Improvement – Forest Management, MA
Lecturers:
Natural plant resources
Lecturers:
Plant Physiology and Biochemistry
The field of plant physiology is the study of all the internal activities of plants, associated with life, at different levels – from the molecular to the whole plant and environment. Fundamental processes such as photosynthesis, respiration, stomata movement and transpiration, nutrition, plant growth and development, environmental stress as well as the ways that plants control or regulate internal functions are studied by plant physiology. This discipline informs the future agronomists and specialists on plant defense about the interactions between cells, tissues, and organs within a plant. Plant biochemistry includes the study of biochemical processes of individual plant cells, all the molecular reactions of synthesis and degradation of proteins, sugars, and lipids and their enzymatic regulation. To function and survive, plants produce a wide array of specific chemical compounds, such as pigments, hormones, alkaloids, toxins and smelling chemicals etc., that enables plants to manufacture their own nutrients and defend themselves from pathogens, soil and air pollutants, permit survival during drought, and prepare plants for dormancy. The biosynthesis of these compounds – products of primary and secondary cell metabolism – is also a subject of plant biochemistry.
Lecturers:
Physiology of woody plants
Lecturers:
Plant physiology
Plant physiology is applied discipline that deals with the effect of environmental factors on the intensity of life processes in plants. The issues of plant physiology are based on fundamental natural sciences such as botany, dendrology, ecology, physiology and biochemistry, genetics, physics, chemistry, etc. Fundamental physiological processes such as photosynthesis, respiration, transpiration, mineral nutrition and nitrogen assimilation are considered as the result of the interaction between the environment and plant organism. Through ecological methods growth and development, reproduction and distribution, stress responses, vitality and survival of plants are studied in relation to changes in physical, chemical and biotic factors of the environment. The knowledge of the Plant Physiology may contribute to the understanding of the importance of genetic resources for adaptation and survival of plant species and an assessment of the potential for distribution and competitive ability against other species.
Lecturers:
Phytocenology
The course aims to teach future professionals with patterns in the formation, development, distribution and systematic of plant communities. Mastering the skills needed to distinguish and diagnose the basic syntaxa in nature. Special attention is paid to methods of phytocoenological research and phytoindication of forest habitats and forest types.
Phytocoenological knowledge needed to study a number of subjects included in the curriculum – forestry, plantations, forest management and others.
