Availabilities:
2020 unit offering information will be available in September 2019
Unit aim
Introduces students to the ecological role, conservation value and management of Australian plants and plant communities, and develops practical skills in plant identification using keys. Students will integrate the knowledge gained in this unit to prepare a vegetation management plan for a rainforest remnant.
Unit content
- Plant identification using taxonomic keys based on vegetative and floral structures
- Plant community identification and classification using structural and floristic techniques
- Physical environmental factors that influence plant growth and vegetation distribution patterns
- Succession and plant community dynamics
- Effect of isolation and fragmentation on native vegetation
- Weeds: ecological impact and management strategies
- Rare and threatened species
- Ecological restoration of degraded vegetation
- NSW and Federal Government legislative controls on vegetation
- Approaches to conservation on public and privately owned land
- Management for conservation in a changing world.
Learning outcomes
Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.
Learning outcomes and graduate attributes
| On completion of this unit, students should be able to: | GA1 | GA2 | GA3 | GA4 | GA5 | GA6 | GA7 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | demonstrate practical skills in identifying plants and plant communities, and describe the methodology and purpose of vegetation classification and mapping | Knowledge of a discipline | ||||||
| 2 | discuss the dynamics and distribution of plant species and communities (including weeds and rare plants) with reference to environmental factors and human impacts | Knowledge of a discipline | ||||||
| 3 | describe the main approaches to conservation and management of Australian vegetation, including legislative controls, on both public and privately owned land | Knowledge of a discipline | ||||||
| 4 | synthesise and evaluate information from a variety of sources to prepare a well-structured and clearly written vegetation management plan for a rainforest remnant. | Intellectual rigour | Communication and social skills | |||||
Prescribed texts
Session 1
- Clarke, I & Lee, H , 2003, Name that Flower: The Identification of Flowering Plants, 2nd edn, Melbourne University Press, Carlton, Victoria. ISBN: 0 522 85060 X.
Teaching and assessment
Lismore
| Teaching method |
| Tutorial on-site 1 hour (11 weeks) |
| Lecture online 2 hours (10 weeks) |
| Practical session 3 hours (11 weeks) |
| Assessment | |
| Online Quizzes | 15% |
| Exam: practical | 20% |
| Report | 35% |
| Exam: closed book | 30% |
Online
| Teaching method |
| Tutorial online 1 hour (11 weeks) |
| Lecture online 2 hours (10 weeks) |
| Residential session 4 days (once) |
| Assessment | |
| Online Quizzes | 15% |
| Exam: practical | 20% |
| Report | 35% |
| Exam: closed book | 30% |
Fee information
Domestic
Commonwealth Supported courses
For information regarding Student Contribution Amounts please visit the Student Contribution Amounts.
Commencing 2020 Commonwealth Supported only. Student contribution band: 2
Fee paying courses
For POSTGRADUATE or UNDERGRADUATE full fee paying courses please check Domestic Postgraduate Fees OR Domestic Undergraduate Fees
International
Please check the international course and fee list to determine the relevant fees.