302448 (v.3) Ecology 501

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Area:	Department of Environmental Biology
Credits:	25.0
Contact Hours:	7.0
Lecture:	1 x 2 Hours Weekly
Laboratory:	1 x 3 Hours Weekly
Fieldwork:	1 x 5 Days Quarterly
Syllabus:	Natural succession and the struggle for existence. Temperature, moisture, light, soil and fire, in relation to distribution, development and competition between organisms. Population growth and regulation. Predator/prey distributions. Community structure, plant succession and evolution of the Australian flora and fauna.
Unit Outcomes:	On completion of this unit students will be able to - Demonstrate appropriate use of various techniques for obtaining data relating to ecosystems. Demonstrate competent use of some laboratory equipment that is used in ecological research. Locate, understand and discuss recent scientific publications that relate to ecosystems. Use appropriate terms and examples in discussing contemporary ideas about factors affecting aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.
Text and references listed above are for your information only and current as of September 30, 2003. Please check with the unit coordinator for up-to-date information.
Unit References:	A collection of ecology books will be held in the Reserve section of the Library. These should be used to see how different authors organise their approach to ecology and to locate specific information on particular issues. As well as using the reserve collection, students should make use of journals. Curtin Library holds a number of specialist 'aquatic' journals: Limnol and Oceanography, Estuarine and Marine Science, N.Z.J. Marine Freshwater Resources Estuarine and Coastal Shelf Sci., Can. J.Fish. Aquat. Sci as well as more general journals which publish a wide range of papers. Libraries at Murdoch, U.W.A. and W.A. Fisheries hold other journals: Hydrobiologia, Journal of Plankton Research, Marine Biology Exp. Marine Biology Ecology.A collection of ecology books will be held in the Reserve section of the Library. These should be used to see how different authors organise their approach to ecology and to locate specific information on particular issues.
Unit Texts:	Krebs, C. J. (2001) 5th ed, Ecology - The Experimental Analysis of Distribution and Abundance. Benjamin Cummings an Imprint of Addison Wesley Longman Inc. San Francisco.
Unit Assessment Breakdown:	Final examination 30%, Laboratory reports on selected activities 20%, Participation in field camp and class activities 10%, Short talk on selected ecology issues 20%, Report on field work as for a scientific paper 20%.
Year Location Period Internal Area External Central External 2004 Bentley Campus Semester 1 Y