PLNT3306 Australian Vegetation [UG]
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| Credit: 6 points Availability: Semester 2 (See Timetable) Old unit code: 763.306 | |
| Outcomes: Students gain an integrative understanding of the classification of dominant vegetation types in Australian ecosystems; develop skills in field observations and plant survey, data collation and analysis and interpretation of information for report presentation; are able to describe the main vegetation types in Australia and their distribution in relation to soil type, climate, landform and disturbance; are able to classify vegetation according to structural and physiognomic attributes (Carnahan vs Beard-Webb vs Specht) and how this fits into the National Vegetation Inventory System (NVIS); are able to carry out a vegetation survey and analyse field data for patterns of diversity and community organisation; gain experience in the application of modern phylogenetic and taxanomic methods in Australian ecology; and appreciate how vegetation mapping, inventory and interpretation of remotely sensed data require an understanding of vegetation structure and underpin local, regional and national management capabilities. | |
| Content: This unit presents a quantitative and descriptive analysis of the unique vegetation and flora of Australia. Specific attention is given to the way Australian vegetation is classified for inventory and to patterns of physiognomic structure, floristic assemblages and vegetation distribution in relation to climate, soils and disturbance (e.g. fire, grazing, logging). The unit includes application of modern numerical methods including molecular methods to taxonomic and phylogenetic research and their application to historical problems in ecology and biogeography. More broadly, vegetation types and definitions are discussed in the context of current issues (e.g. What is an old-growth forest?). A compulsory component of the unit is a week-long field trip to familiarise students with methods for vegetation survey including structure and plant diversity, within the context of climate conditions, evidence of fire history, landscape attributes and soil type. Data collected on the field trip is analysed in subsequent laboratory sessions. | |
| Assessment: This includes a two-hour examination (40 per cent) and two assignments (60 per cent). Supplementary assessment is not available in this unit except in the case of a bachelor's pass degree student who has obtained a mark of 45 to 49 and is currently enrolled in this unit, and it is the only remaining unit that the student must pass in order to complete their course. | |
| Unit Co-ordinator(s): Dr Pauline Grierson | |
| Location: UWA (Crawley) | |
| Mode: on-campus | |
Unit Rules: | |
| Prerequisites: ENVT2250 Introduction to Ecology or PLNT2204 Land Plant Diversity | |
| Contact hours—lectures: 2 hrs per week (12 weeks); field work: compulsory week-long field trip (charges: cost of food and accommodation is borne by the student); labs: 8 x 3 hrs | |
Assistance with study skills, including English language skills, is available free of charge from Student Services for all enrolled students (see http://www.studysmarter.uwa.edu.au/). Student Services location: Second Floor, South Wing, Guild Village; telephone: 6488 2423. | |
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