In order to complete this unit satisfactorily it is mandatory to:

• Complete all assessable tasks
• Achieve satisfactory progress in all assessable tasks
• Attend both on-campus sessions

Preparation of written reports

Please use the following list to check your assignments before electronic submission.

• Report is typewritten
• Text is the required length
• Text has been proof-read and spell-checked
• References are reputable sources
• References are cited at appropriate points within the text
• Formatting of references in the text and in the reference list is correct
• Assignment is your own work - not copied verbatim from reference sources or other students. (see note on plagiarism, below, and the relevant University Policy)
• Text has been proof-read and spell-checked (please!)

Note: written feedback on written assessment tasks will be provided within 3 weeks of submission.

Referencing

Both written reports (Assessments 1 and 3, below) will require references. The references you consult may include textbooks, edited books or scientific journals. References should be listed in alphabetical order at the end and are not to be included in the word count.

There are different styles of referencing – each journal has its own individual style. For BIOL347 this year we have chosen to follow the style of Austral Ecology journal. For example,

Book:

Atwell B. J., Kriedemann P. E. & Turnbull C. G. N. (1999) Plants in action: adaptation in nature, performance in cultivation. MacMillan Education Australia, Melbourne.

Chapter in edited book:

Cornelissen J. H. C., Castro-Diez P. & Carnelli A. L. (1998) Variation in relative growth rate among woody species. In: Inherent variation in plant growth. Physiological mechanisms and ecological consequences (eds H. Lambers, H. Poorter and M. M. I. Van Vuuren) pp. 363-92. Backhuys Publishers, Leiden.

Journal article:

Grime J. P. & Hunt R. (1975) Relative growth-rate: its range and adaptive significance in a local flora. J Ecology 63, 393-422.

In the main text of your report these sources would be cited as (Atwell et al. 1999; Cornelissen et al. 1998; Grime & Hunt 1975). Consult a recent issue of the journal if unsure about how to cite and format literature sources.

Penalties

5% of the marks for the written assignments will be deducted for each day they are late, and assignments will not be accepted for marking if more than 10 days overdue. Exceptions can be granted (by the Convenor) if there are sufficiently serious medical or other extenuating circumstances (appropriate supporting documentation should be provided).

Penalties will be applied for reports being noticeably over the word limit, and increasingly so the more over the limit they are.

Plagiarism. Students are required to submit Assignments 1 and 3 via the plagiarism detection software Turnitin. This can be accessed on the unit’s iLearn website. Your assessment task will be automatically compared to work of your classmates, previous students from Macquarie and other universities, and with material available on the Internet. The results of the analysis will be sent to the unit Convenor. Any evidence of plagiarism will be dealt with following University policy. The penalties imposed by the University for plagiarism are serious and may include loss of marks, referral to a Faculty disciplinary committee, or even expulsion from the University.

Requirements for Practical classes

The work carried out during practical classes is an important and integral part of the course. You must read, download and either print the prac notes to bring to each class, or bring them on a laptop or tablet.

Laboratory requirements

• Notebook and pencils/pens for notes & diagrams
• Laptop, if you have one, with Excel and Word (or open source equivalents)
• USB data stick to transfer data (recently checked with anti-virus software)
• Enclosed shoes (you cannot be present in the lab or field without these)
• No food or drink in University laboratories
• Please switch mobile phones off

Field requirements

• Clip board for field sheets
• Pencils/pens for notes
• Hand lens, if you have one (available from U@MQ shop)
• Appropriate clothing (walking shoes or boots, rain jacket, sun protection, trousers and long sleeved shirt)
• Water bottle and lunch/snacks
• Small back pack to carry your equipment
• Insect repellant and first aid kits will be supplied

NOTE 1: The field work will require a short 10 minute walk into a reserve and working in uneven terrain. Any students with medical issues or requiring assistance should indicate this on their fieldwork participation form. All students must submit this form otherwise they cannot participate in the fieldwork. Please submit this form, via iLearn, by Wednesday 5th August.

NOTE 2: After rain there can be rather a lot of leeches present at Dog Pound Creek. Leeches are non-toxic and do not carry disease, but they are still a nuisance. To minimize chances of leech problems we suggest tucking your pants into your socks, shirts into pants, etc, and liberally applying insect repellant to your shoes, clothes and exposed skin. Initially leeches can be removed by flicking, but once well attached the best way to remove a leech is with salt. Apply a band-aid immediately, since they inject an anti-coagulant to ensure a nice blood flow. (MQ field staff have First Aid kits and are accredited in  first aid). Ticks are a possibility but can be readily detached, are also discouraged by insect repellant.

Recommended Reading

There is no set textbook for this subject. Recommended books (all available on Reserve in the library) that, between them, cover many of the topics dealt with in lectures include:

• Attiwill PM & Wilson B (Eds) (2006). Ecology : An Australian Perspective. Oxford University Press, South Melbourne, Vic.
• Atwell BJ, Kriedemann PE & Turnbull CGN (1999). Plants In Action: Adaptation In Nature, Performance In Cultivation. MacMillan Education Australia, Melbourne.
• Chapin FSI, Matson PA & Mooney HA (2002). Principles of Terrestrial Ecosystem Ecology. Springer, New York.
• Gurevitch J, Scheiner SM & Fox GA (2006). The Ecology of Plants. Sinauer Associates, Inc. Publishers, Sunderland, MA. 2^nd Edition.
• Lambers H, Chapin FS & Pons TL (1998). Plant Physiological Ecology. Springer-Verlag, New York.
• Pugnaire FI & Valladares F (Eds) (2007). Functional plant ecology. CRC Press, Boca Raton. 2^nd Edition.
• Raven PH, Evert RF, Eichhorn SE (2013). Biology of plants. WH Freeman, New York. 8th Edition. (or 7^th edition – published 2005).
• Willis KJ & McElwain JC (2014). The Evolution of Plants. Oxford University Press, Oxford. 2^nd Edition.

Most or all lectures will include a list of key readings (journal articles, book chapters etc). Where possible we will make these available, whether through the Library Reserve or through the unit iLearn page.

Technology Used and required

All course content will be made available via the iLearn unit webpage (URL for iLearn is: http://ilearn.mq.edu.au/).  You are expected to use iLearn for:

• Regularly checking subject announcements;
• Downloading lecture and reference materials;
• Submitting assignments;
• Checking your grades.

Basic multimedia software (e.g., Windows Media Player or Quicktime) will be needed to listen to recorded lectures. Students will be required to use appropriate software, particularly Excel, for data analysis and graphing. For the vegetation data analysis prac we will pre-load PC-ORD software onto University computers.

Lectures will be held on Mondays and Tuesdays, from 10-11 am, in the E8A 386 tutorial room. (“A” wing of E8 building, level 3). Lectures will be made available as PDFs and audio files via iLearn.

Compulsory on-campus sessions are scheduled for Sat-Sun August 15-16, and Wed-Fri September 23-25. These block practicals are compulsory for all students (internal and external). On Aug 15 we will work for much of the day in the field near Dog Pound Creek, Thornleigh (transport will be provided to/from the University to this location). On other days we will be based at the University. Full information will be posted on the unit’s iLearn website well in advance of the on-campus sessions. Most likely they will run from 9.00 am – 5.30 pm, with a slightly earlier start on Aug 15.

Unless otherwise specified we will meet at the beginning of each day at the Glasshouse laboratories (F5A400) at the top of the F5A car park. To get to the glasshouse laboratories from the back of E8C, look to your right across the main campus walkway. The multi-level parking structure you see is the F5A carparks. Go across the main campus walkway, continue on along the back wall of the E6B building and you'll see a set of stairs next to a lift shaft. Go to the top of the stairs and turn left and go through the gate. The building to your right is the Glasshouse labs. The front of the building is the potting up area, the main lab is located at the back of the far end of the building.

DRAFT LECTURE TIMETABLE

** Lecture topic and/or lecturer still to be finalised

** Lecture topic and/or lecturer still to be finalised.

Core lecturers are A/Prof Ian Wright, A/Prof Brian Atwell and Prof Belinda Medlyn.

Guest lecturers :  Dr Ross Peacock, Prof Michelle Leishman, Dr Melanie Zeppel, Dr Rachael Gallagher, Dr Trevor Keenan, Dr Martin de Kauwe, Dr Daniel Falster.

DRAFT TIMETABLE: ON-CAMPUS SESSIONS

There are two on-campus sessions (OCS): Saturday-Sunday Aug 15-16; and Wednesday-Friday September 23-25. These are compulsory for all students.

The BIOL347 course code was previously used for Plant Diversity & Conservation, now rested. In 2015 BIOL347 refers to a new course, “Plants & Ecosystems”. This course draws from the old Plant Diversity & Conservation and from another rested subject BIOL313 Plants: Cells to Ecosystems, but also includes substantial new material on plant functional ecology, and from cutting edge research by high-calibre early-career plant scientists within the Department of Biological Sciences (via a series of guest lectures).