This course has been adjusted for remote participation in Sem 2 2021 due to COVID-19 restrictions. On-campus activities will also be available.
Across the globe, climates are changing. As a carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere rise, temperatures are increasing, resulting in more frequent and severe heat waves. When and where rain falls is also changing, with droughts occurring more often. How will these changes in the global climate affect the performance, survival and distribution of plants, both in nature and cultivation?
This course will provide you with a solid background in plant function in relation to global climate change and enable you to answer this question at scales ranging from cellular function to community processes. The course is structured around six topic modules selected to expose students to current research areas in the field. ANU has a high research profile in different aspects of how environmental factors and global climate change affect plant function and ecology and each module is taught by an expert lecturer. The specific topics may vary between years depending on lecturers. The course will have a broad content ranging from topics as fundamental as how: plants take up carbon from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and how this uptake of carbon is linked to the use of water; changing environmental factors such as temperatures affect plant function; the biotic environment is crucial in determining how plants acquire nutrients and their responses to changes in the global climate; and, climate change is leading to increased mortality of plants – often described as ‘dieback’ – in ecosystems across the globe.
Students will learn how to critique papers in the primary literature and will develop written and oral communication skills. Course format is directed by lecturers, but significantly based on student-led presentations of primary literature. This course will build students’ understanding of plant function in relation to global climate change, research analysis and proposal formulation skills.
Note: Graduate students attend joint classes with undergraduates but are assessed separately
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Understand and describe global climate change and critically analyse the ways in which its effects may have impacts on plant biology
- Develop knowledge and actively evaluate processes of plant biology relevant to plant growth and performance and ecological outcomes
- Find and interpret primary research literature and be able to analyze and critique the research results in written and oral formats.
- Communicate science issues and ideas in both oral and written forms.
Other Information
Please email rsb.studentadmin@anu.edu.au to request a permission code to enrol in this course.
Indicative Assessment
- Student-led presentations on a given topic. (30) [LO 1,2,3,4]
- Extended essay based on a scientific paper aligned with one of the course modules (50) [LO 1,2,3,4]
- Open book exam, including printed copies of literature research papers (20) [LO 1,2,3,4]
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
Following an introduction lecture, this course will be divided into six modules, each 2 weeks long and each having a similar number of lectures and discussion sessions.
The expected workload will consist of approximately 130 hours throughout the semester, including:
- a face-to-face component consisting of 28 hours of lectures and 12 hours of discussion sessions throughout the semester (i.e. total 40 hours of face-to-face contact).
- Approximately 90 hours of self-study which will include preparation for lectures, presentations, discussion sessions and other assessment tasks
Students are expected to actively participate and contribute to the discussion sessions.
Inherent Requirements
To be determined
Requisite and Incompatibility
You will need to contact the Biology Teaching and Learning Centre to request a permission code to enrol in this course.
Prescribed Texts
Nil
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 2
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2021 | $4110 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2021 | $5880 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
Second Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6345 | 26 Jul 2021 | 02 Aug 2021 | 14 Sep 2021 | 29 Oct 2021 | In Person | View |
