794-226 Ecology

Credit Points

HECS Band

Coordinator

Prerequisites

Biological Studies.

Semester

Contact

Subject Description

The objective of this subject is to extend the participant's ability to:

• describe Australian plant communities;

• analyse the environmental and biotic factors that influence plant communities;

• define populations, communities and ecosystems;

• analyse trophic structure and nutrient cycling within plant communities;

• define ecological terms;

• use vegetation classification schemes;

• apply the concepts of range and limit to plant communities;

• use appropriate sampling and statistical techniques;

• analyse energy flow through plant communities;

• apply the concept of homoeostasis to the communities as a whole.

The content includes: Introduction and definition of ecology, populations, communities, ecosystems, homoeostasis, energy flow, food chains and trophic structures, limiting factors, nutrient cycles, Australian plant communities, habitat and niche, sampling technique, environmental factors, fire, human impact on vegetation.

Assessment

Two examinations of 50 and 100 minutes (40% and 60%).