Undergraduate - Area of Study Plant sciences

Plants are arguably the most important organisms in our daily life - all life depends on plants in some way. They provide the oxygen on which aerobic life depends and they form the basis of food webs, so they support most of the diversity of life on our planet, both in the ocean and on land. Plants provide our food, and much of our clothing and shelter, drugs to prevent or combat disease, and fossil fuels that drive our modern lifestyle are derived from ancient plants. Our world and our lifestyle would be completely unrecognisable without plants.

Plant science is the study of plants, their diversity and structure, and how they function. It involves studying plants living on land, in the sea and in freshwater environments, from the scale of genes and molecules to ecology. Plants are a diverse set of organisms that are able to live autotrophically, harvesting light and using its energy to fix carbon and manufacture complex organic molecules. In plant science we study the great diversity of plant groups, from algae and mosses through to gymnosperms and angiosperms; we investigate how plants function, for example, how they obtain water and nutrients and how they use energy from sunlight to produce carbohydrates by photosynthesis. We also study how plants are adapted to particular environments, and the factors that influence the distribution and diversity of plant species and the plant communities in which they grow. These factors are particularly important in understanding the impact of human activities, including global climate change, on plant communities so that we can provide better management into the future.

Studying plant science begins with study of general biology in first year, in which the basics of plant chemistry, genetics, structure, function, evolution and ecology are covered. In second year, studies focus on the different types of plants, their key features and evolutionary development, and on the structure and development of plants and how these are integrated with plant function. These studies continue at third year, with units focusing on the biology and ecology of terrestrial and aquatic plants and plant communities in their natural environment. Additional units can be included that expand on some aspects of research methods, ecological management, and the biology and ecology of aquatic organisms. Students may also include units that focus more on genetic control of development and function, or on plant biotechnology.

Examples of careers available to students that study plant sciences include environmental management and consulting, biotechnology, a range of careers in government departments (e.g. related to environmental issues, park management, primary industry and sustainability), crop science, research and teaching.

Objectives

On completion of the major sequence in plant sciences students will:

• have developed an understanding of plant diversity and the evolutionary development of the major plant groups, the morphology and development of plants and how these are integrated with plant function, and the ecology of plants from the scale of species to vegetation communities, including interactions across trophic levels
• have developed practical skills in experimental methods relevant to plant sciences, including plant identification, plant physiology techniques, anatomical techniques and quantitative field methods
• be familiar with principles of experimental design and data collection and interpretation
• have further developed, in the context of the discipline, the graduate attributes of effective communication, quantitative literacy, information and communication literacy, inquiry and critical thinking, and ethical, social and international understanding
• be fully prepared for further study, teaching, research and employment in plant sciences.

Level one

• BIO1011 Biology I
• BIO1022 Biology II
• BIO1042 Environmental biology

Level two

• BIO2022 Evolution and systematics
• BIO2181 Evolution of plant diversity
• BIO2282 Plant structure and function

Level three

• BIO3011 Research methods in biology
• BIO3021 Marine biology
• BIO3082 Plant global change biology
• BIO3091 Ecology of Australian vegetation
• BIO3111 Ecological management
• BIO3820 Tropical terrestrial biology
• GEN3030 Developmental and cellular genetics
• GEN3040 Advanced molecular genetics and its applications

Minor sequence in plant sciences (24 points)

• BIO1011 and one of BIO1022 or BIO1042
• two of BIO2181, BIO2282, BIO3082 or BIO3091*

Major sequence in plant sciences (48 points)

• BIO1011 and one of BIO1022 or BIO1042
• BIO2181 and BIO2282
• BIO3091 and BIO3082, and two of BIO2022, BIO3021, BIO3011, BIO3111, BIO3820, GEN3030* or GEN3040*

* This unit has compulsory level-one and/or level-two prerequisites beyond those units listed at level two.

Requirements for honours in plant sciences

• BIO3011, BIO3091 and BIO3082, and a 6 point level-three unit listed above

Additional information

Level one

Coordinator: Dr Gerry Rayner

Students studying plant sciences will take BIO1011 plus BIO1042 and/or BIO1022 in their first year. The focus in first year is to provide basic knowledge of the structure and evolution of plants, their cellular and molecular composition, genetics from the scale of molecule to population, and some fundamentals of physiology and ecology that assist in understanding plant adaptations to the environment.

Level two

Coordinator: Dr Tim Cavagnaro

Students planning to complete a major sequence must study BIO2181 and BIO2282 before proceeding to level three plant sciences. There is also the option to include BIO2022 in the major. Alternatively, completion of the level two plant science units after a sequence in biology at first year can comprise a minor in plant sciences. Level two plant sciences builds upon studies at first year to examine the diversity and evolutionary development of plants in more detail. It starts by focusing on key features of the different plant groups and the implications of evolutionary developments for the spread and diversification of particular groups. Students examine the implications of autotrophy and being sessile, and how these factors have shaped differences in function and behaviour of plants compared with animals. Aspects of plant function and structure are then investigated in detail, including uptake and transport of nutrients and water, gas exchange and assimilation processes, and reproduction, and how these are modified in the short-term and in the long-term by environmental factors.

Teaching of these units involves a combination of lectures and practical activities, including plant identification and investigation of live plants and their structure and function in the laboratory, glasshouse and in the field.

Level three

Coordinator: Dr Tim Cavagnaro

The third year of plant sciences builds upon the knowledge gained in earlier years and continues it in BIO3091 and BIO3082. These units focus first on understanding the characteristics of Australian plant species and plant communities, and the factors that have shaped their development and distribution. The emphasis then shifts to focus on plant development, how it is controlled by environmental signals, and the way that plant growth and productivity respond to environmental factors such as light and temperature, or to stresses like drought and salinisation. These are discussed at scales ranging from molecular changes in gene expression to effects on communities. These units combine lecture, practical and project work with some time spent in the field seeing plants in action. Both units are required for completion of the plant sciences major, along with one or two from a range of other units offered by the school, including BIO3021, BIO3011, BIO3111, BIO3820, GEN3030 and GEN3040. Several of these level three units have other prerequisites at second year that do not contribute to the major or minor sequences in plant sciences.

Honours

In addition to the requirements listed above, students must meet the entry requirements for the Science honours program relevant to their course of enrolment. See the entries for:

• 2340 Bachelor of Environmental Science
• 3520 Bachelor of Science Advanced with Honours
• 0051 Honours degree of Bachelor of Science
• 2188 Honours degree of Bachelor of Science (Science Scholar Program)

Full details regarding the course structure for honours in this area of study are outlined in course 0051 Honours degree of Bachelor of Science.

Single degrees

• 2340 Bachelor of Environmental Science
• 0050 Bachelor of Science
• 3520 Bachelor of Science Advanced with Honours
• 1120 Bachelor of Science (Science Scholar Program)

Double degrees

• 0530 Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science
• 3537 Bachelor of Arts (Global) and Bachelor of Science
• 3528 Bachelor of Biomedical Science and Bachelor of Science
• 1469 Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Science
• 3517 Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Computer Science
• 3711 Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Education
• 1633 Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Education
• 3278 Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering and Bachelor of Science
• 4609 Bachelor of Environmental Engineering and Bachelor of Science
• 3282 Bachelor of Mechatronics Engineering and Bachelor of Science
• 0085 Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Engineering
• 0086 Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Laws

Honours degrees

• 0051 Honours degree of Bachelor of Science
• 2188 Honours degree of Bachelor of Science (Science Scholar Program)