202-201 Plant Function

202-101 Chemistry for Land and Food Resources, 202-103 Biology for Land and Food Resources, or equivalent.

Plant Function is a functional approach to the question 'How do plants work?', and is delivered with an integrative, production-oriented approach. It is organised around three themes:

• biomass acquisition

• biomass allocation

• environmental physiology: limitations to productivity

Common content will include:

• radiation, energy budgets and transfer, photosynthesis, photorespiration;

• water use, uptake and transpiration, xylem flow, stomatal control;

• biomass assimilation, translocation and storage, respiration, phloem;

• root growth and function, nutrients and nutrient uptake, nitrogen fixation;

• plant vegetative development, production of flowers and fruit, seed dormancy and germination;

• abiotic factors affecting growth and productivity (deficiency or excess): light, temperature, nutrients, water, biotic factors affecting growth and productivity, secondary metabolism.

and will be augmented by stream-specific content, including:

• crops (leaf area development, canopy light interception, dry matter partitioning);

• horticulture (plant selection, environmental modification, plant hormones);

• forestry (lignin, water relations of trees, nutrient deficiencies in pines and eucalypts);

• animals (inherent qualities of plants as food and feed, changes from manipulation).

Practicals will cover topics in plant physiology, give skills in basic plant handling, field and greenhouse experimentation, and measurement and statistical analysis of populations of plants.

A three-hour exam (50%) and two assignments equivalent to 3000 words (each worth 25%).