Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit Convenor
Julia Cooke
Contact via julia.cooke@mq.edu.au
Other Staff
Belinda Medlyn
Contact via belinda.medlyn@mq.edu.au
Other Staff
Katherine McClellan
Contact via katherine.mcclellan@mq.edu.au
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Credit points |
Credit points
4
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
Admission to MRes
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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Unit description |
Unit description
We are reliant on healthy plant ecosystems in many ways: they provide us all with food to eat, shelter and habitat, clear air to breathe, and clean water to drink. This unit provides an advanced understanding of plant ecosystem function, at scales ranging from global and landscape level down to the underlying biochemical and physiological processes. Students will acquire an in-depth knowledge of plant physiology and ecology, and will learn to apply this knowledge to predict and explain plant ecosystem function in different environments and under stress. Students will gain experience in the design and analysis of experiments in plant ecophysiology, and will learn the basic principles of quantitative ecosystem modelling.
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Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Name | Weighting | Due |
---|---|---|
Quizzes | 8% | Monday 10 a.m. following week |
Numerical Exercises | 10% | Monday 10 a.m. following week |
Ecophysiology Paper Discussion | 10% | Weekly |
Midsemester test | 10% | Sunday April 27 |
Field trip analysis | 5% | 10 a.m. Wed 11th April |
Experimental Wiki | 5% | 10 a.m. Mar 24; Apr 7; May 12 |
Experiment paper | 17% | 10 a.m. Monday 10th June |
Final examination | 35% | Exam Period |
Due: Monday 10 a.m. following week
Weighting: 8%
Quizzes
There will be eight online quizzes following Brian Atwell’s lectures (8 x 1% = 8%).
Due: Monday 10 a.m. following week
Weighting: 10%
Numerical Exercises
There are five sets of computer simulation exercises to illustrate the concepts taught in the lectures. Ecophysiology is a quantitative science, so it is important to gain experience with the use of equations, models and spreadsheets. The numerical exercises will be made available via iLearn. Support will be offered via discussion boards. The numerical exercises will be made available via iLearn, are completed online and will be assessed. Each of the five worksheets will be worth 2% of the final mark (10% in total).
Due: Weekly
Weighting: 10%
We will meet each week to discuss a ecophysiological paper and you will write a short report on the significance of the research.
Due: Sunday April 27
Weighting: 10%
Mid-session test
Students will sit a mid-session revision test on Sunday April 28, as part of the block practical. This test will count for 10% of the final mark.
Due: 10 a.m. Wed 11th April
Weighting: 5%
Field Trip Analysis
You will analyse the data obtained from the field trip and present a short report with your analysis and conclusions (5% of total mark).
Due: 10 a.m. Mar 24; Apr 7; May 12
Weighting: 5%
Glasshouse Experiment
Each group will set up a wiki in iLearn that they will use to share the results of their experiment (5%). The wikis will be assessed three times during the semester:
Mon March 24th: Background to experiment and measurement protocol
Mon April 7th: Results from first set of measurements
Mon May 12th: Results from second set of measurements
Due: 10 a.m. Monday 10th June
Weighting: 17%
Glasshouse Experiment
2. Written manuscript
The glasshouse experiment is to be written up as a journal manuscript. This manuscript will present the methods and results from the group’s experiment. In the discussion, you will be required to compare your results with those from the rest of the class and draw overall conclusions from the experiment as a whole.
Due: Exam Period
Weighting: 35%
Students will need access to iLearn, word, excel, pdf reader, a program to play mp3 files and the internet.
The course consists of 2 one-hour lectures and follow-up exercises per week, plus block practicals which are compulsory for all students. Lecture and exercise materials will be made available on-line on the Monday of each week. The exercises follow on the lectures and must be completed by Monday of the following week. This is to encourage you to keep up with the course each week. Some of the exercises are on-line quizzes covering the lecture material. Others are more in-depth numerical exercises using Excel, which will allow you to explore the lecture concepts in detail and be completed online also.The compulsory practical sessions will run 9 am – 5.30 pm on the following dates:
Saturday 15 March;
Sat-Sun 29-30 March;
Sat-Sun 26-27 April.
Location: Glasshouses, F5A roof
This year the unit is running in external-only mode, which means that you’ll be listening to lectures online and doing tutorial exercises at home, supported via discussion boards. The practical component for this unit has always run in external-only mode, so it has not changed much from previous years. The main change we’re making is to streamline the choice of experiments so as to make the pracs more efficient for you. We are also changing the format of the quizzes and numerical exercise to encourage adaptive learning and allow teaching staff to dedicate marking time to more comprehensive feedback for major assignments.
All course content will be made available via iLearn.
iLearn and email will be the primary methods of communication in this subject. You are expected to use iLearn for:
How do you log in? The URL for iLearn is: http://ilearn.mq.edu.au/.
You must log in to iLearn each time you use it. Your user name is your student number, and your password is your myMQ student portal password, provided upon enrolment (unless you’ve changed it). If you are having trouble accessing your online unit due to a disability or health condition, please go to the Student Services Website at http://sss.mq.edu.au/equity/about for information on how to get assistance.
If you are having problems logging on, that is, if you cannot log in after ensuring you have entered your username and password correctly, you should contact Student IT Help, Phone: (02) 9850 4357 (in Sydney) or 1 800 063 191 (outside Sydney).
Changes since the last offering of this unit. This is mandatory under the Unit Guide policy. Other material i.e. additional sections (e.g. Reading lists).
The course covers both plant physiology and terrestrial ecosystem ecology.
Plants in Action (available online) is probably the best reference covering both topics.
* Atwell, B.J., Kriedemann, P.E. and Turnbull, Plants in Action. Macmillian Education Australia (2010, 1999). http://plantsinaction.science.uq.edu.au/edition1/
For more detailed information on plant ecophysiology, see:
* Lambers, H., Chapin, F.S. III and Pons, T.L. Plant Physiological Ecology Springer (2008)
For more detailed information on terrestrial ecosystem ecology, see:
* Chapin, F.S. III , Mooney, H.A., Chapin, M.C. and Matson, P. Principles of Terrestrial Ecosystem Ecology. Springer (2011, 2004).
We also recommend the following books for more specific topics:
Plant physiology
* Taiz, L. and Zeiger, E. Plant Physiology. Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Co. (2006, 2002, 1998, 1991). QK711.2 .T35
* Salisbury, F.B. and Ross, C.W. Plant Physiology. Wadsworth Publishing. (1992). QK711.2 .S23
Biochemistry
* Lea, P.J. and Leegood, R.C. Plant Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Wiley (1999). QK861 .P5533
* Dennis, D.T. and Turpin, D.H. Plant Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Longman Scientific and Technical. (1997, 1990). QK881 .P54
Water relations
* Nobel, P.S. Physiochemical and Environmental Plant Physiology. 3rd edition (2005, 1991).
Mineral nutrition and ion transport
*Marschner, H. Mineral Nutrition of Plants. 2nd edition. Academic Press (1995).
Plant response to stress (especially nutrition)
* Mooney, H.A. et al. Response of Plants to Multiple Stresses. Academic Press. (1991). QK754 .R47
Plant ecosystems
* Jones H.G. Plants and Microclimate. Cambridge University press, 2nd edition (1992). QK754.5 .J66
* Landsberg J & Sands P Physiological Ecology of Forest Production (2011) QH541.5.F6 L3
Lecture outline
A major theme of the course is “ecosystem services” – the things that ecosystems do for us, such as providing food and fibre, storing carbon, regulating water flow, and maintaining soil quality. We need to ensure that ecosystems continue to provide these services, and to do so, we need to understand the plant and environmental processes that determine them. In the course, we interweave lectures focusing on plant-level processes (given by Brian Atwell) with lectures that discuss how these processes interact to determine ecosystem-level processes (given by Belinda Medlyn).
WEEK |
TOPIC |
LECTURER
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1 |
Introduction |
Julia Cooke (JC) |
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THE CARBON CYCLE |
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1 |
Photosynthesis – carbon gain |
Brian Atwell (BA) |
2 |
Respiration – carbon loss |
BA |
2 |
Gross Primary Productivity |
Belinda Medlyn (BM) |
3 |
Net Primary Productivity |
BM |
3 |
Ecosystem Carbon Balance |
BM |
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THE WATER CYCLE |
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4 |
Plant water relations |
BA |
4 |
Stomatal physiology |
BA |
5 |
Ecosystem Water Balance |
BM |
5 |
Plant Water Use |
BM |
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THE NUTRIENT CYCLE |
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6 |
Plant Nutrient Uptake |
BA |
6 |
Plant Nutrient Requirements |
BA |
7 |
Nutrient cycling I |
BM |
7 |
Nutrient cycling II |
BM |
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SEMESTER BREAK |
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BALANCING THE CYCLES |
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8 |
Growth and development |
BA |
8 |
Transport of resources |
BA |
9 |
Allocation from a whole-plant perspective |
JC |
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APPLICATIONS |
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10 |
Responses to stress: cells to whole plants |
BA |
10 |
Responses to stress: plants to ecosystems |
JC |
11 |
Fire: an ecosystem sculptor |
Michelle Leishman |
11 |
Water: ecophysiology of aquatic plants |
BA |
12 |
Impacts of high CO2 on plants |
JC |
12 |
Impacts of high CO2 on ecosystems |
JC |
13 |
Stable isotopes |
Margaret Barbour |
13 |
Remote sensing and global ecophysiology |
Martin De Kauwe |
Follow up Exercises
Most weeks we will provide you with activities to check you have understood the lecture content. These activities will comprise on-line quizzes (following Brian’s material, worth 1 mark each) and online numerical exercises with supporting Excel spreadsheet (following Belinda’s material, worth 2 marks each). The numerical exercises will be supported with online discussion boards. Each exercise must be completed by 10 am Monday of the following week (excepting public holidays – due Tuesday instead).
Wk# |
ACTIVITY |
1 |
Quiz 1: Photosynthesis |
2 |
Quiz 2: Respiration Numerical Exercises 1: Photosynthesis |
3 |
Numerical Exercises 2: Net Primary Productivity |
4 |
Quiz 3: Water Relations Quiz 4: Stomatal Physiology |
5 |
Numerical Exercises 3: Water Balance |
6 |
Quiz 5: Nutrient Uptake Quiz 6: Nutrient Requirements |
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Mid-semester break |
7 |
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8 |
Quiz 7: Growth & development Quiz 8: Transport |
9 |
Numerical Exercises 4: Allocation and growth |
10 |
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11 |
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12 |
Numerical Exercises 5: High CO2 responses |
13 |
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Practicals
The three block practicals will be held in the Plant Biology Complex on the rooftop of the F5A carpark (eastern end of campus) on 15 March, 29-30 March, 26-27 April. You can drive up into the opposite carpark if you have a university sticker or purchase a day ticket. The practicals will run from 9am sharp to 5.30pm, depending on the day's activities.
The practical work has two components. You will run a mini-experiment, in small groups, using the Macquarie University glasshouse facilities. You will be given a choice of experiments to do. We will also spend a day in the Macquarie University Ecology Reserve exploring field-based plant ecophysiology techniques. These practicals are compulsory for all students.
Lab# |
DATES |
ACTIVITY
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1 |
Mar 15 |
- Introduction to glasshouse facilities and equipment - Overview of experiments and techniques - Students placed in groups to commence designing their experiments |
2 |
Mar 29 |
First set of experiment measurements |
3 |
Mar 30 |
Field trip to Macquarie Ecology Reserve |
4 |
April 26 |
Second set of experiment measurements |
5 |
April 27 |
Mid-semester test Harvest of plant material |
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Assessment Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy.html
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