BIO3091 - Ecology of Australian Vegetation

• Unit information
• General Unit Information & Objectives
• Specific Unit Information

General Unit Information

This unit examines the ecology of the major Australian vegetation communities and their component plants. It focuses on the factors influencing the distribution, composition and structure of Australian plant communities, and the characteristics of their species. It addresses the role of both contemporary environmental factors and historical factors in shaping the vegetation and flora.

We start by examining the environmental influences on vegetation, and on environmental stresses and adaptation at the plant level. In particular we look at the roles of climate, soil, disturbance and animals, and at competition processes.  

We then discuss the evolutionary history of the Australian vegetation and flora, concentrating on the flowering plants.

Finally we build on the earlier course material to give detailed discussions of the ecology of the major plant communities - the rainforests, eucalypt-dominated communities, deserts, heaths, grasslands and the coastal and alpine communities. 

The projects we run at the Grampians during the mid-semester break provide practical experience of some of the methods and ecological principles covered in the lecture course. The 2010 field trip will run from 7-11th April.

Objectives

At the end of this course unit students should; know the major characteristics of the main Australian vegetation types, understand the basic ecological and historical processes influencing the characteristics of the vegetation types and their component species, appreciate the complexity of interactions occurring within the plant environment, be familiar with the methodological approaches that are used in plant ecology.

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Specific Unit Information

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