Availabilities:
2024 unit offering information will be available in November 2023
Unit description
Examines the evolution and diversity of life on earth and introduces the principles of species classification and naming. Consideration is given to the individual, population, community and ecosystem levels of organisation. Aspects of human ecology and human impact on the environment are introduced. Field trips will introduce students to qualitative observation of ecosystems and quantitative analysis of organisms in their environment.
Unit content
1 Overview of the diversity of life, taxonomy, and classification
2 Evolution and speciation
3 Structure and function of plants and fungi
4 Structure and function of animals
5 Ecology fundamentals I: interactions, population ecology, and community structure
6 Ecology fundamentals II: Community dynamics, disturbance, biogeography, and conservation
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.
| On completion of this unit, students should be able to: | |
|---|---|
| 1 | describe the different scales of life within the environment and the evolution and diversity of organisms |
| 2 | understand the principles of naming and classifying species and apply taxonomic keys for species identification |
| 3 | undertake field sampling to describe and assess the characteristics of species, populations, and communities |
| 4 | effectively illustrate and present biological concepts at the organism to ecosystem scales. |
On completion of this unit, students should be able to:
- describe the different scales of life within the environment and the evolution and diversity of organisms
- understand the principles of naming and classifying species and apply taxonomic keys for species identification
- undertake field sampling to describe and assess the characteristics of species, populations, and communities
- effectively illustrate and present biological concepts at the organism to ecosystem scales.
Teaching and assessment
Fee information
Domestic
Commonwealth Supported courses
For information regarding Student Contribution Amounts please visit the Student Contribution Amounts.
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.