606-202 Plant Biodiversity

Biology 600-141 and 600-142. Botany 606-201 is recommended.

Topics covered include:

• evolution, phylogeny and classification of land plants;

• major groups of land plants, liverworts, mosses, ferns and seed plants; their morphology, anatomy and development; and

• major families of flowering plants, including Australian flora; their characteristics and identification.

After completion of the lecture, practical and field components of this subject, students should appreciate:

• the variety and classification of land plants;

• skills in plant identification; use of modern identification tools including computer-interactive keys; and

• the concepts of modern phylogenetic analysis as bases for framing evolutionary hypotheses within and between major plant groups.

One 3-hour written examination at the end of semester (70%); one 2-hour practical test or equivalent practical report (30%).