Undergraduate - UnitBIO3091 - Ecology of Australian vegetation

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2012 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

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6 points, SCA Band 0 (NATIONAL PRIORITY), 0.125 EFTSL

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered, or view unit timetables.

Level	Undergraduate
Faculty	Faculty of Science
Offered	Clayton First semester 2012 (Day)
Coordinator(s)	Dr Patrick Baker

Synopsis

This unit focuses on the factors influencing the distribution, composition and structure of Australian plant communities, and the characteristics of the component plant species. The roles of contemporary environmental and historical factors are discussed. Methods of quantifying community parameters are covered in the practical course. There is a five-day field excursion (to the Grampians) during the Easter break (fee payable).

Outcomes

At the end of this unit students should; know the major characteristics of the main Australian vegetation types, understand the basic ecological and historical processes influencing the characteristics of the vegetation types and their component species, appreciate the complexity of interactions occurring within the plant environment, be familiar with the methodological approaches that are used in plant ecology.

Assessment

Examination (2.5 hours): 50%
Practical report: 30%
Essay: 20%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Patrick Baker

Contact hours

Two 1-hour lectures, equivalent of 3 hours laboratory plus field work per week

Prerequisites

12 points from level two BIO units including BIO2011 or BIO2051, or by permission. Recommended: BIO2181 and BIO2022