Overview
In this unit, you will learn about Australian plants, their taxonomy, distribution and economic uses. Emphasis will be placed on plant identification, so you can apply this knowledge in vegetation surveys, biodiversity conservation and selection of plant species for economic development. Compulsory practical classes, field visits and specimen collection will enable you to gain practical skills in plant identification and vegetation surveys.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Pre-requisites BIOL11099 Living Systems or BIOL11100 Functional Biology or BIOL11102 Life Science Laboratory
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2020
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Residential Schools
This unit has a Compulsory Residential School for distance mode students and the details are:
Click here to see your Residential School Timetable.
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback – Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Have your say
Students have appreciated the hands-on work on specimen collection, inspecting various plant communities and keying specimens during residential school.
I will ensure that these activities will be continued and improved in Australian Botany..
Feedback from Have your say
Several students commented that the lecturer is extremely knowledgeable, passionate, willing to help, and inspiring students to learn more about Australian plants
I am glad to receive these comments. I too enjoy visiting native plant communities and giving lectures on Australian plants, particularly in exploring native plants for revegetation and other economic activities.
Feedback from Have your say
The practical exercises were backed by the theoretical information, and both were tested through regular quizzes
The quizzes will help prompt the students to keep up with the studies, and the Moodle information will help them gain further knowledge on plant taxonomy and plant community dynamics. These aspects will be enhanced in 2020 via inclusion of aquatic plants.
Feedback from Have your say
Moodle navigation could be made more easier
University-recommended template has been used to upload unit contents. Ways of improving this navigation will be explored and the students will be informed of the adapted structure at the beginning of the Term.
Feedback from Have your say
More instructions required re: residential school
The proposed residential school activities will be explained to students, a few weeks prior to residential school.
Feedback from Have your say
Consideration should be given to other co-hort of students (eg Education students)
Backgrounds of the students who enroll in this unit will be considered while setting assignments and examination papers. Possible application of the skills learnt in this unit to high school teaching will be highlighted.
- Define selected botanical terms
- Collect and curate native plant specimens and use taxonomic keys to identify native plants
- Examine characteristic features of Australian flora and discuss the uses of native plants in conservation, vegetation management and economic development
- Describe how native flora respond to environmental disturbances, and explain how this knowledge can be applied in revegetation and restoration programs
- Undertake vegetation surveys, interpret data and explain the use of GIS and remote sensing techniques in vegetation management.
N/A
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Online Quiz(zes) - 15% | |||||
| 2 - Practical Assessment - 45% | |||||
| 3 - Examination - 40% | |||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Communication | |||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | |||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | |||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | |||||
| 5 - Team Work | |||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | |||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | |||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | |||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | |||||
| 10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | |||||
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
| 1 - Online Quiz(zes) - 15% | ||||||||||
| 2 - Practical Assessment - 45% | ||||||||||
| 3 - Examination - 40% | ||||||||||
Textbooks
Plant Systematics Third edition
Edition: third (2019)
Authors: Michael G Thompson
Academic Press
Sydney Sydney , NSW , Australia
Binding: Paperback
Additional Textbook Information
Copies can be purchased at the CQUni Bookshop here: http://bookshop.cqu.edu.au (search on the Unit code)
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
- Lucid software 3.3 (download from www.lucidcentral.org)
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: Harvard (author-date)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
n.ashwath@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Australian Plants - Evolution & Diversity
Chapter
Study Guide Module 1
Text Book 'Plant Systematics' Chapters 6, 7 & 8.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Independent Practical Work (IPW) 1
The IPW is to be completed by the students during each week of the Term. See the Moodle site for details.
Access the Student Forum each week, beginning this week, to learn more on the topics from each other.’
Watch all 10 parts of the YouTube videos (https://tinyurl.com/herbarium-techniques) to familiarise yourself with the Herbarium Techniques.
Repeat this until you are confident of all the procedures, as you will have to apply this knowledge in preparing your plant collections.
Review your Life Science Laboratory or Living Systems notes that show names of different plant parts, and floral diagrams.
Every time you read a module, try to write down possible questions that may be asked from that module (prepare your-own question bank!)
Ask your lecturers for assistance.
The PRACTICAL SESSIONS will be held during residential school. These sessions will also include field trips.
Module/Topic
Plant Collection, identification, Nomenclature and Herbarium maintenance.
Chapter
Study Guide Module 2
Text book 'Plant Systematics' Chapters 9, 17, 15, 16, 18 and Appendix 1 and Appendix 2 (selected sections only; please see the Moodle site for details)
Also consult the resources supplied on the Moodle site for this week.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Online Quiz 1 (Quiz opens on Thursday (12.10 am) and closes on the following Monday; 11.59 pm)
IPW 2
Practice the art and science of collecting native plants - choose the right section(s) of the plant, cut it and place it in the plant press as shown in relevant YouTube videos. Be ready to dissect the spare flowers of the specimen you have collected. Examine different parts and then draw the floral diagram.
Hint: Use a large flower, such as an hibiscus flower, because large flowers are more robust and their size makes it easier for you to see the different parts without the aid of a microscope or hand lens. You will have the opportunity to work on smaller flowers during residential school
Plant collection for assessment be only of Australian native plants, as our identification keys contain information for native plants only
Collect and curate ONE plant specimen this week for your plant collection assignment.
Module/Topic
Cyanobacteria
Chapter
Study Guide Module 3
Text Book 'Plant Systematics' Chapter 3.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Online Quiz 3
IPW 3
Using a magnifying lens (hand held or microscope) to see the flower parts clearly, draw floral diagrams for two different, medium-sized flowers. Avoid using grasses or tiny flowers at this time, as they are difficult; you need dissection experience before you attempt these tiny flowers
Continue to collect and curate plant specimens for your plant collection assignment.
Module/Topic
Green Algae and Diatoms
Chapter
Study Guide Module 4
Text Book 'Plant Systematics' Chapter 3 (selected sections) and the Resources supplied on the Moodle site for this week.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Online Quiz 3
IPW 4
Continue to collect and curate plant specimens for your plant collection assignment.
Module/Topic
Bryophytes and Ferns
Chapter
Study Guide Module 5
Text Book 'Plant Systematics' Chapter 4 (selected sections)
Read the Resources supplied on the Moodle site for this week.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Online Quiz 4
IPW 5
Continue to collect and curate plant specimens for your plant collection assignment.
Module/Topic
Term Break: Collect and curate plant specimens for your plant collection assignment.
Chapter
Prepare yourself for the residential school.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Try to collect as many specimens as possible (more than you need, so you can discard those not suitable for dissection)
Hint: Try to visit only undisturbed natural sites, to minimise the chances of collecting exotic plants, as we do not have the keys to identify exotic plants
Draw floral diagrams of the large to medium-sized specimens you have collected.
Module/Topic
Gymnosperms and Legumes
Chapter
Study Guide Module 6
Text Book 'Plant Systematics' Chapters 5 to 8 (selected sections)
Read the Resources supplied on the Moodle site for this week.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Online Quiz 5
IPW 6
Prepare for your Residential School by:
(i) revising the botanical terms you have learnt, writing botanical names of some common plant species, pronouncing botanical names, learning about ethics in plant collection, and knowing International Code of Nomenclature (ICN) for algae, fungi and plants
(ii) packing your specimens properly to bring to Residential School to use in the practical sessions and/or to work on their identification during the scheduled voluntary after-hours sessions (see the Moodle site for details).
Module/Topic
Myrtaceae, Casuarinaceae, Proteaceae, Poaceae, Asteraceae and Euphorbiaceae.
Chapter
Residential School
Study Guide Module 7
Text Book 'Plant Systematics' Chapters 5 to 8 (selected sections)
Read the Resources supplied on the Moodle site for this week
Events and Submissions/Topic
IPW 7
Residential School (30 Apr - 3 May, inclusive)
Field trip: Linking the theory to practice
On Day 3 of the residential school, we will go on a field trip to inspect selected plant communities that occur around Rockhampton
While on the trip (and after), start to question:
'Why plant species differ from one location to the other?'
'Why are the plants found around Rockhampton differ to those found around Cairns, Canberra, Europe or Malaysia?'
' What factors dictate the differences in plant distribution?'
Practical test during Residential School - 3rd May 2020
Hand-in your Practical Note Book for correction - 3rd May 2020.
Module/Topic
Plant communities and their habitat features
(Which plant grows where, and why?).
Chapter
Study Guide Module 8
Read about unique features of the following plant communities:
Brigalow, serpentine flora, limestone flora, woodlands, coastal heaths, rainforests, grasslands, wetlands, mine sites, mangroves, and agricultural landscapes.
Events and Submissions/Topic
IPW 8
Continue to collect and curate plant specimens for your plant collection assignment.
Module/Topic
Vegetation survey and interpretation
Chapter
Study Guide Module 9
Text Book 'Plant Systematics' Appendix 4
Read the Resources supplied on the Moodle site for this week
Peruse info on various methods of surveying plant communities, and classifying the vegetation into regional ecosystems (REs') and land zones.
Events and Submissions/Topic
IPW 9
Finalise the specimen collection assignment.
Module/Topic
Economic uses of plants
Chapter
Study Guide Module 10
Read the Resources supplied on the Moodle site for this week.
Events and Submissions/Topic
IPW 10
Ensure that you have collected, curated and identified required number of specimens
Inspect the specimens and make sure that they are all clean (fungus-free) and intact
To maximise marks, replace, if you can, any damaged or fungus-infected specimens with clean specimens.
Module/Topic
Responses of plants to environmental variables
Chapter
Study Guide Module 11
Delineate the responses of plants to environmental and edaphic stresses (fluoride, sulphur, acid rain, drought, salinity, waterlogging and heavy metals), and assess the possible impacts of accelerated climate change on Australian plants
Read the Resources supplied on the Moodle site for this week.
Events and Submissions/Topic
IPW 11
Finalise your specimen collection and ensure that you have satisfactorily completed the following:
- Preparing a list showing the names (genus) of the specimens and their family
- Maintaining the quality - no wrinkles and no fungi infested specimens
- Completing the descriptions on the label
- Drawing floral diagrams
- Keying out the specimens to family and then to genus levels, and
- Packing the samples to avoid damage during transportation.
Module/Topic
The role of native plants in ecosystem reconstruction
Chapter
Study Guide Module Module 12
Read the Resources supplied on the Moodle site for this week.
Examine the strategies to be used for successful revegetation, and note the importance of using native plants in mine site restoration programs.
Events and Submissions/Topic
IPW 12
Dispatch or hand-in your plant collection by Friday of Week 12
See the Moodle site for details.
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Prepare for your examination.
Chapter
Peruse past exam papers and note the presence of three types of questions.
Prepare yourself for the exam. Hint: nice pens (preferably blue), comfortable clothing, drinking water, etc.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Please try to collect plant specimens as soon as the Term commences. This is because most native plants flower around February - April, and the presence of flowers is essential for plant identification.
1 Online Quiz(zes)
There will be a total of 5 online quizzes, weekly from week 3 to week 7
These quizzes are mostly multiple choice questions and they will help to familiarise you with various botanical terms used in the Unit
Choose a correct answer(s) from multiple choices
There are 10 questions in each quiz; duration 30 minutes; attempts allowed 3; no penalty for guessing an answer.
5
Other
On scheduled weeks, the Quiz opens on Thursday (12.10 am) and closes by 11.59 pm on the following Monday.
Quiz results will be made available online, one week after the quiz closes.
A correct answer will score one mark
Attempts allowed 3; grading method: highest grade.
- Define selected botanical terms
- Examine characteristic features of Australian flora and discuss the uses of native plants in conservation, vegetation management and economic development
- Describe how native flora respond to environmental disturbances, and explain how this knowledge can be applied in revegetation and restoration programs
- Undertake vegetation surveys, interpret data and explain the use of GIS and remote sensing techniques in vegetation management.
- Problem Solving
- Information Literacy
2 Practical Assessment
This assessment includes two tasks. They are:
Task 1. Specimen collection (30% of the Unit total)
Submit 20 plant specimens, ensuring that there is no more than one specimen in each genus. The specimens must contain essential parts that are used in the identification (e.g., flowers), specimens must be pressed, dried, labelled and keyed out to family and genus levels. The specimen sheet must also show the proof of using the key, by listing of the steps taken to reach to Family and genus levels. Plant collection must also include the floral diagrams (where applicable).
Task 2. Plant identification test (15% of the Unit total)
Identify, using keys provided, 5 plant specimens that are supplied by the lecturer during residential school (in-class test).
Both Rockhampton and Flex students must attend the residential school to satisfactorily complete this Unit.
Plant identification test will be conducted on the last day of residential school. Completed plant collections must be dispatched by post, or delivered personally, to the HMAS administration (Building 6, level 1, Rockhampton, QLD 4701) by Friday of week 12.
Please see the Moodle site for further details
Task 1
Number of botanically acceptable (e.g., presence of flowers) specimens submitted
Quality of the specimens - mounting, drying and labeling
Quality and accuracy of floral diagrams
Correctness of plant identification, including details of the steps taken to assign the specimen to a genus.
Details provided on the labels.
Task 2
Accuracy of evidence provided, including floral diagrams, steps taken in keying, and other observations recorded to help assign the specimen to family and genus.
- Collect and curate native plant specimens and use taxonomic keys to identify native plants
- Examine characteristic features of Australian flora and discuss the uses of native plants in conservation, vegetation management and economic development
- Describe how native flora respond to environmental disturbances, and explain how this knowledge can be applied in revegetation and restoration programs
- Undertake vegetation surveys, interpret data and explain the use of GIS and remote sensing techniques in vegetation management.
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Team Work
- Cross Cultural Competence
Examination
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
