650-111 Biology of Australian Flora & Fauna

This subject is a joint botany and zoology subject.

Credit cannot be gained for this subject and 600-111 (before 2004).

By the completion of this subject, students should have:

• knowledge of the evolutionary history of the Australian biota, and the influence of past changes in geology, climate and soil;

• an appreciation of the great diversity and genetic resources of the Australian biota;

• knowledge of the structure and physiology of native plants and animals in relation to surviving in Australian environments;

• an understanding of the impact of humans on Australian ecosystems and issues of conservation biology; and

• skills to improve their self-study, analysis and evaluation of biological information.

This study will include the history of Australia from the Cretaceous to the present, and the influence of Australian Aborigines and Europeans; Australian environments, climatic zones, major biomes; terrestrial biota: diversity, endemism and biology of Australian plants, relictual rainforests, sclerophylly, adaptation to fire, diversity, endemism and biology of unique habitats, low nutrients and aridity; diversity, endemism and biology of vertebrate fauna including amphibians and marsupials; marine environments, algae, invertebrates, reefs, mangrove communities, inland waterbodies; and ecology, conservation, and management of Australian ecosystems.

Submission of three activities from the self-study program, each having a maximum of 1000 words due during the semester (30%); a 3-hour written examination in the examination period (70%).

• RB Knox, PY Ladiges, BK Evans and R Saint, Biology, An Australian Focus. 3rd edn, McGraw-Hill, 2004.