BIO3070 Trends in ecology
Faculty of Science
BIO3070 Trends in ecology is a level 3, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Science, offered in 2020 in Semester 2 at Clayton. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2020
- Semester 2
- Clayton
- Assessment
- Exam 50%
- and 4 other tasks
This is the 2020 handbook entry. See the 2023 entry.
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Requisites
Before BIO3070
No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.
After BIO3070
No unit lists BIO3070 as a prerequisite in the 2020 handbook.
Enrolment rules
PREREQUISITE: BIO2011 and BIO2022 or by permission from the unit coordinator
Overview
This unit will investigate what's hot in the science of ecology and how we got there by following the history of ecological ideas and the people behind them through to the big questions that remain unanswered in ecology today. The ecological dimensions of space and time will be a common theme running through the unit as we explore the ecology of fitness, interaction networks and the four 'M's - metacommunity ecology, metasystems, metabolic ecology and macroecology. Underpinning all of this will be the recognition of the interplay between ecology and evolution that is blurring the distinction between the two disciplines. Each topic and its core concepts will be covered in lectures and the relevance of these topics to the changing world and to conservation will be discussed. Material presented in lectures will be supported by practical and tutorial sessions. Together we will read and interpret 'hot off the press' ecology research papers, debate controversial topics in the field, delve into live data and design experiments to answer unsolved problems.
Offerings in 2020
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Second semester | Clayton | On campus |
Assessment
- Ecological interactions - Sonoran desert ecosystem12.5%
- Evolutionary ecology meets disease: Mitochondrial replacement policy debate12.5%
- Evolutionary models and simulations12.5%
- InfoGraphics for ecology and evolution12.5%
- Examination (2 hours and 10 minutes) - Theory50%
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Explain and describe current topics in ecology and their core concepts;
- 2
Discuss the development of ecological ideas and current questions in the field;
- 3
Gather, analyse, interpret and discuss primary data and research publications in the topics covered;
- 4
Design experiments and develop hypotheses to test contextually-relevant research questions;
- 5
Present and debate unanswered questions and controversial ideas in the field;
- 6
Work effectively in individual and peer or team contexts.
Workload and teaching
- Lectures24 hours
- Laboratories36 hours
- Teaching approachActive learning
- Two 1-hour lectures
- One 3-hour practical or tutorial per week
This unit involves exposing you to new and cutting edge research in ecology and evolution, with an emphasis on understanding the underlying theory. We reinforce this lecture-based content with active laboratories where students take concepts presented in lectures and engage with them via science communication avenues that are different to a standard lab report. The exact mode of science communication used might differ year-to-year but some examples are short communications, policy papers or policy debates, assessments of ecological management decisions and infographics for public out-reach.
Learning resources
Required resources
There is no prescribed textbook for the unit. All required resources are recent research papers that are accessible via the university library.
Bring your own device
Where it fits
BIO3070 is part of 6 areas of study in the 2020 handbook.
- ECOLOGY05Level 2 and 3 unitsEcology and conservation biologyNo reviews yet
- ECOLOGY06Biology elective unitsEcology and conservation biologyNo reviews yet
- ECOLOGY07Level 2 and 3 unitsEcology and conservation biologyNo reviews yet
- ENVIROSC03Ecology elective unitsEnvironmental scienceNo reviews yet
- PLNTSCI05Plant sciences elective unitPlant sciencesNo reviews yet
- ZOOLOGY05Zoology elective unitZoologyNo reviews yet
Contacts
- Chief Examiners
- Dr Christopher Johnstone
- Unit Coordinators
- Dr Christopher Johnstone
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for BIO3070?
BIO3070 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is BIO3070 offered?
In 2020, BIO3070 runs in Semester 2 at Clayton.
Does BIO3070 have an exam?
Yes. The exam is worth 50% of the final mark, alongside 4 other tasks.
Which majors and minors include BIO3070?
BIO3070 is part of Ecology and conservation biology; Environmental science; Plant sciences; and Zoology.