BT5010 - Advanced Biology of Plant Survival
| Credit points: | 03 |
| Year: | 2009 |
| Student Contribution Band: | Band 4 |
| Administered by: | School of Marine & Tropical Biology |
Available to postgraduate students enrolled in the GradCertSc, GradDipSc, GradDipResMeth and MAppSc.
On the planet earth, there is more biomass in plants than in all other groups of terrestrial organisms combined. Indeed, the energy and chemical composition of plaants dictates the size and nature of populations of animals and micro-organisms. To survive, plants must reproduce, grow and disperse whilst coping with competition, environmental stress, pathogens and herbivores. This subject explores the strategies and mechanisms that allow plants to survive and proliferate in abiotic, biotic and anthropogenic environments. Survival will be examined in terms of life history strategies, population and reproductive ecology, maintaining performance within varying environments, and the character of plant defence mechanisms. Particular emphasis will be given to the role of plant-animal interactions that have assisting flowering plants to dominate current tropical, sub-tropical, temperate and sub-polar habitats.
Learning Outcomes
- to gain an understanding of strategies plants adopt to survive in a variety of environments from marine to rainforests to deserts;
- to develop the necessary skills to evaluate plant adaptations through <i>de novo</i> experimental and observational techniques;
- to apply the knowledge gained to evaluate plant species survival in modern ecological and evolutionary timeframes;
- to develop practical field based and laboratory skills in evaluating plant survival strategies.
Graduate Qualities
- The ability to think critically, to analyse and evaluate claims, evidence and arguments;
- The ability to define and to solve problems in at least one discipline area;
- The ability to speak and write logically, clearly and creatively;
- The ability to learn independently and in a self-directed manner.
| Assumed Knowledge: | Students enrolling in this subject should have an undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline (e.g. biology or environmental science) or have acquired equivalent knowledge through other study. They should have a good understanding of plant ecology, plant diversity and a fundamental understanding of whole organism environment interactions. |
| Inadmissible Subject Combinations: | BT3010 BT3290 |
Availabilities | |
| Townsville, Internal, Study Period 1 | |
| Census Date 27-Mar-2009 | |
| Coordinator: | Assoc. Professor Michelle Waycott |
| Lecturers: | Dr Joseph Holtum, Dr Jonathan Luly, Assoc. Professor Michelle Waycott. |
| Contact hours: |
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| Assessment: | end of semester exam (50%); on course assessment; literature review and research project report (50%). |
Note: Minor variations might occur due to the continuous Subject quality improvement process, and in case of minor variation(s) in assessment details, the Subject Outline represents the latest official information.