BT3280:03
Tropical Rainforest Ecology
Townsville
Prerequisites: BT2260 recommended
Inadmissable Subject Combination: BT5026
22 lectures, 18 hours practicals, 6 days field work. Second semester.
Staff: Dr R Congdon.
This subject covers aspects of the ecology of Australian rainforests and associated vegetation, including origins, classification and factors determining distribution and diversity. Dynamic features of rainforest vegetation will be considered, including effects of disturbance, succession and gap-phase regeneration, nutrient cycling and nutrient conserving mechanisms, productivity, light climate and photosynthesis, herbivory and plant defense mechanisms, phenology and seasonality of rainforest plants.
Learning Objectives:
- to gain an understanding of the ecology of rainforests, with emphasis on Australian communities;
- to develop an appreciation of the factors which need to be considered in the conservation and management of rainforests;
- to gain experience in identifying rainforest plants and the basic techniques used to describe vegetation and soils;
- to undertake a small project designed to introduce students to research techniques in an area of personal interest, providing them with an indication of what is involved in Honours or postgraduate research projects;
- to introduce students to current rainforest research being undertaken in the department.
Assessment by a three-hour examination (60%); project (30%); fieldwork and lab performance (10%).
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