ZL3302:03
Projects in Behaviour and Ecology
Townsville
Prerequisites: Consult HoS
Inadmissable Subject Combination: ZL5302
13 tutorials, 39 hours practicals, 13 hours workshops. Second semester.
Staff: Dr D Barton.
In this subject, small groups of students will conduct field and laboratory-based research projects. Projects will involve a variety of different organisms, ranging from invertebrates (e.g. parasites, social insects, aquatic insects) to vertebrates (e.g. fish, frogs, lizards, mammals, birds). Students will get the opportunity to design, implement and report on their project, which will run throughout the semester. A wide range of areas will be available for investigation in the fields of ecology and/or behaviour of the selected organisms. Each topic will be supervised by a member of staff with research interests in that area.
Learning Objectives:
- to demonstrate the link between biological theory and empirical testing of that theory;
- give practical experience in the handling of animals, in logistics associated with empirical investigation, in the analysis and interpretation of data and in the preparation of scientific reports to present their results.
Assessment by literature review of project area (30%); final written report (60%); final seminar (10%).