本課程涵蓋功能植物生態學不同切入領域的數個主要專題，每週課程兩小時，原則上針對六個主題及主要參考書目，由各主題相關教師先就基本的知識背景、發展歷程與當代研究加以說明，引發學生思考關鍵問題。學生們於每一主題課後搜尋相關資料，經思考並加以組織、統整後，撰寫1-2頁書面評論報告，並上台報告其個人對相關問題的剖析與可嘗試的研究方法，並由授課教師引導群組討論並總結。
1. Topics in diversity of plant form and life history and their distribution onto different habitats
• Provides a full understanding of how plants have successfully evolved in multiple ecosystems
• Focuses on new approaches to questions about water transport, photosynthesis, functional ecology and phylogeny
• Covers plant responses to pollution and plant performance at different scales
• Draws on all areas of plant ecology to provide the broadest view of functional approaches to plant ecology
• Presents easy-to-read, up-to-date introductions to each topic
2. Using functional morphology to examine the ecology and evolution of specialization or adaptation.
3. Current research in phylogenetic and functional traits
週次 單元主題
1 課程介紹 Introduction to functional plant ecology, functional morphology and functional traits
2 發現台灣植物自然史專題：Natural History of Taiwan
就基本知識與研究發展的歷程與當時背景加以說明，建構學生植物生態系背景的瞭解，引發關鍵問題的。
3 自然史與植被專題：Integrative Ecological Research in Taiwan and Related Areas
4 學生上台報告其個人對相關問題的剖析與可嘗試的研究方法，由授課教師引導群組討論
5 學生上台報告其個人對相關問題的剖析與可嘗試的研究方法，由授課教師引導群組討論並總結
6 環境變遷與植物繁殖構造的演變專題：Vegetation History and Climatic Change in Holocene
7 學生上台報告，由授課教師引導群組討論並總結
8 比較功能生態學專題：Methods in Comparative Functional Ecology;
Opportunistic Growth and Desiccation Tolerance
Ecological Significance of Inherent Variation in Relative Growth Rate
9 學生上台報告，由授課教師引導群組討論
10 學生上台報告，由授課教師引導群組討論並總結
11 植物功能形態、生活史與環境適應專題：The Architecture of Plant Crowns: From Design Rules to Light Capture and Performance
Water Relations and Hydraulic Architecture
Mistletoes: pathology, systematics, ecology, and management.
12 學生上台報告，由授課教師引導群組討論並總結
13 功能特性與植物表型可塑性專題: Using functional morphology to examine the ecology and evolution of specialization or adaptation
Phenotypic plasticity in plants
Responses of Plants to Heterogeneous Light Environments
Current research in