606-301 Community & Ecosystem Ecology

Note

Credit Points

Coordinator

Prerequisites

Botany 606-201, 606-204.

Semester

Contact

Subject Description

This subject aims to provide a sound theoretical and practical basis of modern trends, developments and methods in plant ecology, with particular reference to south-eastern Australia. Lecture and seminar topics include:

• vegetation and soils of natural ecosystems of Australia;

• structure, floristics and dynamics of vegetation;

• the ecology of natural disturbance and succession;

• forest soils, forest productivity and nutrient cycling;

• quantitative analysis of vegetation data; and

• theories and models of community structure, dynamics and diversity.

The seminar/discussion exercises provide training in library research and in the preparation, writing and oral presentation of scientific reports.

The practical work is based largely on data and samples collected during the pre-semester excursion. The excursion and practical classes will provide skills in:

• field sampling and data acquisition;

• chemical analysis of soils and plants; and

• numerical analysis of floristic and environmental data.

Assessment

A 3-hour written end-of-semester examination; up to eight practical reports of up to four pages each; a report of 2000-3000 words on the excursion and related practical work.

Prescribed Texts

• Groves R H, Australian Vegetation. 1981 Cambridge University Press.
• Attiwill P M and Leeper G W, Forest Soils and Nutrient Cycles. 1987 Melbourne University Press.