Key facts
UNE unit code: BOTY202
*You are viewing the 2027 version of this unit which may be subject to change in future.
- Trimester 1 - On Campus
- Trimester 1 - Online
- Armidale Campus
- Yes
- Yes
- Yes
- 6
Unit information
Plants play a critical role in the function of nearly all ecosystems, using energy from the sun to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen and food. In this unit, you explore the vital link between plant function and plant traits, and how traits contribute to survival in rapidly changing environments.
You explore the use of plant traits and how they are used to understand how plants interact with their environment and affect ecosystem processes. Moving beyond species identity, you focus on functional strategies to help predict community assembly, responses to environmental change, and ecosystem functioning.
You examine the processes and resources that drive plant growth and development, including seed germination and dormancy, seedling development, photosynthesis, plant growth regulators, plant water use, mineral nutrition, source–sink relations and resource allocation, stress physiology, and plant defences, as the physiological basis for functional trait expression. From cells and tissues to whole plants and communities, you examine the physiology, morphology, functional ecology, and adaptations of plants in natural and managed Australian ecosystems.
Offerings
For further information about UNE's teaching periods, please go to Principal Dates.
| Teaching period | Mode/location |
|---|---|
| Trimester 1 | On Campus, Armidale Campus |
| Trimester 1 | Online |
*Offering is subject to availability
Intensive schools
| Start | Finish | Duration | Attendance | Offerings | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TBA | TBA | 4 days | Mandatory Intensive School | All offerings | The intensive school is mandatory for ALL students. Dates to be advised. |
Enrolment rules
Notes
The School of Environmental and Rural Science considers all practical/laboratory/tutorial activities as essential to student learning. Attendance and participation in all practical/laboratory/tutorial classes (sessions) is mandatory - exemptions will not be granted without supporting evidence.
Please refer to the student handbook for current details on this unit.
Unit coordinator(s)
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of this unit, students will be able to:
- demonstrate an understanding of and analyse the fundamental basis of plant growth and development, including symbiotic relationships and nutritional adaptations of plants, emphasising the primary basis of plant-water relations and movement of water and nutrients in the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum;
- evaluate and explain information at different levels of integration, from cells, tissues to whole plant to ecosystems, plant function and structure with regard to how plant traits contribute to survival and ecosystem functioning;
- apply appropriate skills in the handling and interpreting of plant material and data for scientific study; and
- communicate scientific information about plant structure, function, and ecosystem processes to others, using verbal or written formats.
Assessment information
Assessments are subject to change up to 8 weeks prior to the start of the teaching period in which you are undertaking the unit.
| Title | Must Complete | Weight | Offerings | Assessment Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final Examination - Assurance Task | Yes | 60% | All offerings | There is a supervised exam at the end of the teaching period in which you are enrolled. The exam will be offered online with supervision via webcam and screen sharing technology. Coordinated by UNE Exams Unit. To pass this unit, you must achieve a minimum of 50% in this task, and meet all other passing requirements in the unit. |
| Online Quizzes | Yes | 10% | All offerings | A series of plant physiology quizzes. No. Words: 500 |
| Practical | Yes | All offerings | The School of Environmental and Rural Science considers all practical/laboratory/tutorial activities as essential to student learning. Attendance and participation in all practical/laboratory/tutorial classes (sessions) is mandatory - exemptions will not be granted without supporting evidence. | |
| Report | Yes | 10% | All offerings | Plant Physiology Scientific report based on practical data collection. No. Words: 500 |
| Scientific Presentation - Assurance Task | Yes | 20% | All offerings | Plant Anatomy - involves PowerPoint presentation and lead discussion conference style. No. Words: 1800 To pass this unit, you must achieve a minimum cumulative total of 50% across Scientific Presentation - Assurance Task, and Final Examination – Assurance Task, and meet all other passing requirements in the unit. |
Learning resources
Textbooks are subject to change up to 8 weeks prior to the start of the teaching period in which you are undertaking the unit.
Note: Students are expected to purchase prescribed material. Please note that textbook requirements may vary from one teaching period to the next.
Plant Physiology and Development
ISBN: 9780197577240
Taiz, I., Zeiger, E., Max Moller, I. and Murphy, A., Oxford University Press 7th ed. 2022
Text refers to: All offerings
Note: Recommended material may be held in the University Library — purchase is optional.
Unravelling the Secret Lives of Plant Root Systems
ISBN: 9781760800208
John Pate, Tina Bell and Bill Verboom, UWA Publishing 2020
Text refers to: All offerings
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