BIO2204 Plant Diversity

Contents

• Staffing
• Rationale
• Synopsis
• Objectives
• Topics
• Texts
• Reference materials
• Student workload
• Assessment details
• Important assessment information
• Assessment notes
• Production date
• PDF version

STAFFING

RATIONALE

This course provides students with a broad background to the diversity of organisms in the plant kingdom and an overview of the evolution and current distribution of Australia's unique flora. This course also provides students with the skills necessary for accurate plant identification. An understanding of the evolutionary relationships of plants, their form and adaptations to the environment and practical skills in identifying them is valuable to many professionals, especially plant biologists, ecologists, environmental scientists and teachers.

SYNOPSIS

This course is designed to provide students with a grounding in diversity of green plants and their habitats, with particular reference to Australian flowering plants, and to provide them with skills of identification. The evolution of the Australian flora from pre-Gondwana to the present-day is also explored. Practical work both in the laboratory and field is an important component of this program. The assignments are designed to encourage students to extend their field experience in their own time and to increase their awareness of the local flora.

OBJECTIVES

On completion of this course students will be able to:

1.

demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the diversity of organisms classified in Kingdom Plantae (Practical Test, Plant Collection, End-semester Exam);

2.

demonstrate an understanding of the adaptations of many plants to their habitats (Practical Test, End-semester Exam);

3.

demonstrate an understanding of the history of the Australian continent and the evolution of Australia's unique terrestrial flora (Mid-semester Test);

4.

demonstrate an understanding of the biogeography of the Australian flora in relation to historical and present day factors (Mid-semester Test);

5.

demonstrate skills of identification both of flowering and non-flowering plants (Practical Test, Plant Collection);

6.

demonstrate a familiarity with herbarium and collecting procedures (Plant Collection).

TOPICS

TEXT and MATERIALS required to be PURCHASED or accessed

ALL textbooks and materials are available for purchase from USQ BOOKSHOP (unless otherwise stated). Orders may be placed via secure internet, free fax 1800642453, phone 07 46312742 (within Australia), or mail. Overseas students should fax +61 7 46311743, or phone +61 7 46312742. For costs, further details, and internet ordering, use the 'Textbook Search' facility at http://bookshop.usq.edu.au click 'Semester', then enter your 'Course Code' (no spaces).

Clarke, I & Lee, H 2003, Name that flower, 2nd edn, University Press, Melbourne.

Dearnaley, JDW & Le Brocque, AF 2008, Plant diversity, study notes and practical guide, USQ Publication, Toowoomba.

Raven, PH, Evert, RF & Eichhorn, SE 2005, Biology of plants, 7th edn, Worth Publishers Inc, New York.

REFERENCE MATERIALS

Reference materials are materials that, if accessed by students, may improve their knowledge and understanding of the material in the course and enrich their learning experience.

A comprehensive list of references for identification of Queensland plant species is provided in the Practical Guide.

Beadle, NCW 1981, The vegetation of Australia, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Bell, Peter R 1992, Green plants: their origin and diversity, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Cronin, L 1997, Australian flora, William Heinemann, Kew.

Gifford, EM & Foster, AS 1989, Morphology and evolution of vascular plants, 3rd edn, Freeman and Co, New York.

Groves, RH 1994, Australian vegetation, 2nd edn, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Heywood, VH 2007, Flowering plants of the world, Firefly Books, Richmond Hill, Ont.
(Rev & updated edn)

Stanley, TD & Ross, EM 1983, Flora of South-Eastern Queensland, Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Brisbane, vol 1-3.

STUDENT WORKLOAD REQUIREMENTS

ASSESSMENT DETAILS

NOTES

1.

Test date will be available during the Semester.

2.

Test date will be available during the Semester.

3.

Examination dates will be available during the Semester. Please refer to the examination timetable when published.

IMPORTANT ASSESSMENT INFORMATION

1. Attendance requirements:
   It is the students' responsibility to attend and participate appropriately in all activities (such as lectures, tutorials, laboratories and practical work) scheduled for them, and to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration. Students must attend the excursion for this course to be able to satisfy the requirements of Objectives 2 and 5.
2. Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
   To complete each of the assessment items satisfactorily, students must obtain at least 50% of the marks available for each assessment item.
3. Penalties for late submission of required work:
   If students submit assignments after the due date without (prior) approval of the examiner then a penalty of 5% of the total marks gained by the student for the assignment may apply for each working day late up to ten working days at which time a mark of zero may be recorded. No assignments will be accepted after model answers have been posted.
4. Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
   To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course.
5. Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
   The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the weighted aggregate of the marks obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course.
6. Examination information:
   In a Closed Examination, candidates are allowed to bring only writing and drawing instruments into the examination.
7. Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
   Any Deferred or Supplementary examinations for this course will normally be held during the examination period of Semester 3 of the current academic year.
8. University Regulations:
   Students should read USQ Regulations 5.1 Definitions, 5.6. Assessment, and 5.10 Academic Misconduct for further information and to avoid actions which might contravene University Regulations. These regulations can be found at the URL http://www.usq.edu.au/corporateservices/calendar/part5.htm or in the current USQ Handbook.

ASSESSMENT NOTES

This version produced 28 Aug 2009.