BZ3210 - Rainforest Ecosystems

Credit points:	03
Year:	2011
Student Contribution Band:	Band 4
Administered by:	School of Marine & Tropical Biology

This subject covers aspects of the ecology of Australian closed forests and associated vegetation, including origins, classification and factors determining distribution and diversity, and responses to environmental stresses (including global climate change). Dynamic features of rainforest vegetation will be considered, including effects of disturbance, succession and gap-phase regeneration; nutrient cycling, nutrient and water conserving mechanisms; productivity, light climate and photosynthesis; rainforest fauna, herbivory and plant defence mechanisms; phenology and seasonality of rainforest plants.

Learning Outcomes

• to develop an appreciation of the factors which need to be considered in the conservation and management of rainforests;
• to gain an understanding of the ecology of rainforests, with emphasis on Australian communities;
• to gain experience in identifying rainforest plants and the basic techniques used to describe vegetation and soils;
• to introduce students to current rainforest research being undertaken in the school;
• 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 provide fundamental knowledge of how rainforest organisms respond to the environments in which they live.

Graduate Qualities

• The ability to define and to solve problems in at least one discipline area;
• The ability to think critically, to analyse and evaluate claims, evidence and arguments, and to reason and deploy evidence clearly and logically;
• The ability to find and access information using appropriate media and technologies;
• The ability to evaluate that information;
• The ability to select and organise information and to communicate it accurately, cogently, coherently, creatively and ethically;
• The acquisition of coherent and disciplined sets of skills, knowledge, values and professional ethics from at least one discipline area;
• The ability to reflect on and evaluate learning, and to learn independently in a self directed manner;
• The ability to generate, calculate, interpret and communicate numerical information in ways appropriate to a given discipline or discourse;
• The ability to lead, manage and contribute effectively to teams;
• The ability to work with people of different gender, age, ethnicity, culture, religion and political persuasion;
• The ability to work individually and independently;
• The ability to select and use appropriate tools and technologies.

Assumed Knowledge:	Students enrolling in this subject should have a good understanding of introductory biology, including the following or their equivalents: at least two AG, BT, BZ, ZL or EV subjects.
Prerequisites:	(BZ1003 OR BT1001 OR AG1003 OR BZ2610) AND BZ2440
Inadmissible Subject Combinations:	BZ5210

Availabilities
Townsville, Internal, Study Period 1
Census Date 24-Mar-2011
Coordinator:	Dr Robert Congdon
Lecturers:	Dr Robert Congdon, Professor Ross Alford.
Contact hours:	26 hours lectures 9 hours practicals 30 hours fieldwork
Assessment:	end of semester exam (55%); project 35%; field and laboratory performance 10%; (45%).

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.