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Green Planet: Plants and the Environment (BOTA20001)
Undergraduate level 2Points: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
For information about the University’s phased return to campus and in-person activity in Winter and Semester 2, please refer to the on-campus subjects page.
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
Semester 1
Please refer to the LMS for up-to-date subject information, including assessment and participation requirements, for subjects being offered in 2020.
Overview
Availability | Semester 1 |
---|---|
Fees | Look up fees |
This subject examines the critical roles that plants play in life on earth. It explores how plants capture energy and carbon in the biosphere and influence the atmosphere; absorb almost all mineral nutrients that enter our ecosystem and underpin the nutrition and food supply of animals and people; have a major effect on hydrology and climate due to their water use; and produce a wealth of products ranging from food on our plates to fuel for our cars. Weekly practicals allow hand-on experience with plants and involve experiments with light, gravity, nutrients and additional factors that affect plant growth. Topics covered include:
- Carbon and energy: gas exchange and atmosphere, plant productivity, carbon crediting, climate change, artificial environments;
- Water: uptake and loss, plants and the hydrological cycle, coping with drought, salinity and temperature extremes;
- Nutrition: essential elements, metabolic requirements, plants as part of the global nutrition cycle, biofortification to produce nutrient-enriched food;
- Renewable energy: biohydrogen, biofuels such as bioethanol and biodiesel, future directions for the biofuel industry.
Intended learning outcomes
The objectives of this subject are to:
- introduce plant structure and function in relation to the physical environment;
- demonstrate how a fundamental knowledge of plant structure and function is critical to understanding major global processes such as climate change, hydrology and agriculture;
- understand how plants adapt to natural environments and how they can be modified to survive in new environments and/or provide new products;
- increase awareness of environmental issue that affect plants in Australia;
- provide skills in laboratory-based experimental plant science.
Generic skills
At the completion of the subject students should have:
- knowledge of plant structure and function in relation to the physical environment;
- knowledge of how plants can be used to solve environmental problems;
- knowledge of environmental issues that affect plant function in Australia; and
- skills in laboratory-based experimental plant science.
Last updated: 11 April 2024
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
Students must complete one of the following:
Code | Name | Teaching period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
BIOL10004 | Biology of Cells and Organisms | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
BIOL10002 | Biomolecules and Cells | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
BIOL10008 | Introductory Biology: Life's Machinery | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
BIOL10009 | Biology: Life's Machinery | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
Students may not gain credit for this subject and
Code | Name | Teaching period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
AGRI20026 | Plant Growth Processes | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
This subject requires all students to actively and safely participate in practical class activities. Students who feel their disability may impact upon their participation are encouraged to discuss this matter with the Subject Coordinator and Student Equity and Disability Support.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 11 April 2024
Assessment
Due to the impact of COVID-19, assessment may differ from that published in the Handbook. Students are reminded to check the subject assessment requirements published in the subject outline on the LMS
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Written Assignment
| Week 7 | 20% |
Mid Semester Test | Week 8 | 20% |
Poster Presentation | Week 12 | 10% |
A written examination
| During the examination period | 50% |
Laboratory logbook Hurdle requirement: Satisfactory completion of a laboratory logbook during practical classes from weeks 1 - 11. The logbook will be due in week 12. | Week 12 | N/A |
Last updated: 11 April 2024
Dates & times
- Semester 1
Coordinator Berit Ebert Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 2 x one hour lectures per week, 1 x three hour practical class per week Total time commitment 170 hours Teaching period 2 March 2020 to 7 June 2020 Last self-enrol date 13 March 2020 Census date 30 April 2020 Last date to withdraw without fail 5 June 2020 Assessment period ends 3 July 2020 Semester 1 contact information
Time commitment details
Estimated total time commitment of 170 hours
Additional delivery details
This subject requires all students to actively and safely participate in laboratory activities.
Last updated: 11 April 2024
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
None
- Subject notes
This subject is available for science credit to students enrolled in the BSc (both pre-2008 and new degrees), BASc or a combined BSc course.
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Informal specialisation Science-credited subjects - new generation B-SCI Informal specialisation Botany Informal specialisation Selective subjects for B-BMED Major Botany - Breadth options
This subject is available as breadth in the following courses:
- Bachelor of Arts
- Bachelor of Commerce
- Bachelor of Design
- Bachelor of Environments
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Acting)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Animation)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Film and Television)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Music Theatre)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Screenwriting)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Theatre)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Visual Art)
- Bachelor of Music
- Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
This subject is available to students studying at the University from eligible overseas institutions on exchange and study abroad. Students are required to satisfy any listed requirements, such as pre- and co-requisites, for enrolment in the subject.
Last updated: 11 April 2024