ZL5101:03
Biodiversity: Concepts and Methods
Townsville
Inadmissable Subject Combination: ZL2101
26 lectures, 4 tutorials, 27 hours practicals. First semester.
Available to students enrolled for the degrees of MSc (including MSc Qualifying), MAppSc, BAppSc or Graduate Diplomas.
Staff: Assoc. Professor D Blair.
Biodiversity includes the whole of life on earth. It is highest in tropical ecosystems such as those which surround us in North Queensland. The subject starts by developing a working definition of “biodiversity”. Students are introduced to the methods used to organise the large amounts of information associated with the study of diversity. The origins of biodiversity (evolutionary and biogeographical patterns, speciation, radiation) are discussed using primarily tropical and local examples. The origins of the tropical Australian fauna and radiations within some particular groups are considered. Animal groups covered by these studies range from lower invertebrates to vertebrates. Students will be expected to undertake and analyse a small biological survey project. Students will be required to attend ZL2101 lectures, practicals and tutorials.
Learning Objectives:
- appreciation of the diversity of life on the planet and especially in the tropics;
- familiarisation with the methods used to organise information concerning this biodiversity;
- understanding of both historical and current processes that have shaped biodiversity;
- appreciation of the tropical Australian fauna within its global context.
Assessment by final examination, essay, on-course practical tests and project report.
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