Exploring the World of Plants

We live on a green planet, although we often take it for granted. Plants are everywhere, yet most of us know very little about them. They give us the air we breathe and much of what we eat, wear and build with. We burn them for fuel (as wood or coal). They heal us and shape the world we live in. Increasing evidence also shows that plants are crucial for a healthy life. A better understanding of the plant world will helps us see the roles played by plants in our own environment.
This lecture series invites you to look closer at these organisms that power life on Earth. By understanding how plants live, grow and interact with their environment, you’ll gain new appreciation of the green world around you.

The individual lectures
1. Living a Double Life while Greening the Earth – Plant (R)evolution (14 Jan)
2. Building the Tallest and Oldest Organisms ever Alive – Plant Growth (21 Jan)
3. Travelling through Space and Time for Partners – Plant Reproduction (4 Feb)
4. Staying Alive without Running Away – Plant Physiology (11 Feb)

Roy Erkens, PhD, Associate Professor Evolutionary Plant Biology, UM