Undergraduate - UnitBIO1042 - Environmental biology

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2015 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 2, 0.125 EFTSL

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

Level	Undergraduate
Faculty	Faculty of Science
Organisational Unit	School of Biological Sciences
Offered	Clayton Second semester 2015 (Day)
Coordinator(s)	Dr Gerry Rayner

Synopsis

A study of the biosphere, environmental conditions and their effects on animals, plants and communities; responses of organisms to environmental conditions; interactions between plants and animals; environmental genetics and microbiology; management of biological resources; and an introduction to ecology and the impact of humans on the environment. As for BIO1011 the unit is structured to encourage self-paced learning with considerable feedback on individual performance.

Outcomes

On completion of this unit students will be able to:

Demonstrate a coherent understanding of biology by articulating the methods of biology and explaining why current biological knowledge is both contestable and testable through further inquiry;

Demonstrate an understanding of biodiversity, evolutionary concepts and processes, aspects of the evolution of the Australian biota, the nature of biogeochemical cycles, and human impacts on the biosphere;

Gather, synthesise and critically evaluate information relevant to biology by applying practical techniques and tools to conduct an investigation in the laboratory, field or virtual environment;

Demonstrate competency in designing experiments, gathering data and analysing and presenting summative data in meaningful and accurate ways;

Communicate scientific principles and information underlying biology-related topics in written or oral formats and using appropriate conventions for scientific attribution;

Work and learn independently and collaboratively while exercising personal, professional and social responsibility that recognises the importance of practicing science sustainably, ethically and safely.