BZ5615 - Plant Survival in a Land of Fire, Flood and Drought
| Credit points: | 03 |
| Year: | 2016 |
| Student Contribution Band: | Band 2 |
| Administered by: | College of Science and Engineering |
Available to postgraduate students enrolled in the Graduate Certificate of Science, Graduate Diploma of Science, Graduate Diploma of Research Methods, Master of Applied Science, Graduate Certificate of Development Practice, Graduate Diploma of Development Practice, Master of Science, Master of Development Practice and Bachelor of Science (Advanced).
We explore the origins of the Australian flora and the strategies that allow plants to survive and proliferate in variable and unpredictable Australian environments. We examine how climate has changed and plants have adjusted during the northward drifting of Australia. Knowledge of plant survival strategies, in particular the responses of plants to drought and fire, is used to provide a framework for assessing the resilience and vulnerability of our living flora to changing climate. Practical skills in this subject will be provided in field-based learning activities 'out bush', where we will quantify ecological, reproductive and physiological survival strategies.
Learning Outcomes
- to develop practical field based and laboratory skills in evaluating plant survival strategies;
- to develop the necessary skills to evaluate plant adaptations through experimental and observational techniques;
- to understand the nature of climate change and its effect on plants and ecosystem processes;
- to gain an understanding of strategies plants adopt to survive in a variety of terrestrial environments;
- to apply the knowledge gained to evaluate plant species survival in the context of changing climate.
| Assumed Knowledge: | Students enrolling in this subject should have an undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline (eg biology or environmental science) or have acquired equivalent knowledge through other study. They should have a fundamental understanding of whole organism/ environment interactions. |
| Inadmissible Subject Combinations: | BT3010 BT5010 BZ3615 |
Availabilities | |
| Townsville, Internal, Study Period 1 | |
| Census Date 24-Mar-2016 | |
| Coordinator: | Professor Joseph Holtum |
| Contact hours: |
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| Assessment: | end of semester exam (50%); on course assessment; literature review and research project report (50%). |
| Cairns, Internal, Study Period 1 | |
| Census Date 24-Mar-2016 | |
| Coordinator: | Professor Joseph Holtum |
| Contact hours: |
|
| 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.