Course Title: Collect and classify plants
Part B: Course Detail
Teaching Period: Term1 2012
Course Code: AGRI5008C
Course Title: Collect and classify plants
School: 155T Vocational Health and Sciences
Campus: City Campus
Program: C5161 - Diploma of Conservation and Land Management
Course Contact: Nevil Schultz
Course Contact Phone: +61 3 99254221
Course Contact Email: nevil.schultz@rmit.edu.au
Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff
Nominal Hours: 120
Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.
Pre-requisites and Co-requisites
There are no prerequisites
Course Description
This course is designed to provide opportunities for the development of plant classification, identification, collection and preservation skills. Learning opportunities are provided to acquire underpinning knowledge for these skills, and include study in:
fundamentals of biological taxonomy, evolutionary and taxonomic hierarchies, binomial classification, major phyla, common exotic plant families, common native plant families, vegetation associations, ethical and legal requirements before collection, collection in the field, plant hygiene, safety considerations, recognition of key features of common genera, field herbarium construction, field herbarium applications, correct choice of herbarium materials, preservation techniques, herbarium sample maintenance, hand-lens & stereomicroscope use and plant dissection, herbarium practises such as plant sterilisation, mounting, labelling, ordering of species specimens, type specimens, use of field guides, use of botanical keys, sub-species & varieties, authorities used in nomenclature.
The course will run in the first year of the diploma over the first two semesters
National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria
National Element Code & Title: |
RTC5011A Collect and classify plants |
Element: |
1. Prepare for plant collecting. |
Performance Criteria: |
1.1. Purpose and objectives for collecting range of plants is confirmed. |
Element: |
2. Collect plant specimens |
Performance Criteria: |
2.1. Collecting ethics are observed when selecting specimens for picking. |
Element: |
3. Identify plant specimens |
Performance Criteria: |
3.1. Preservation of specimen is undertaken while still fresh. |
Element: |
4. Preserve specimens |
Performance Criteria: |
4.1. Resources are identified and accessed to assist in identification. |
Learning Outcomes
This is a competency based program. Details of the competencies are provided above.
Details of Learning Activities
Introduction to plant taxonomy
Investigation of evolutionary background of plants
Laboratory session to examine Non-vascular & Vascular plants
Anglesea field trip
Investigation of families of Monocots & Dicots
Preparation for Plant Collection & Identification
Drying & pressing techniques
OHS of plant collection
Preparation of a field herbarium
Field trip to municipal reserve
Comparison of Indigenous vs exotics
Plant dissection - angiosperm anatomy
Using Dichotomous plant keys
Distinguishing subspecies, provenance & genetics of plants
Identifying Eucalypt s & Wattles using Random access keys
Plant sketching and application of specialised nomenclature
Examination of adaptive features of Coastal & Aquatic Plants
Teaching Schedule
Week commencing | Topic | Learning Activity | Assessment |
1 Feb 6 |
Plant Anatomy & Function | ||
2 Feb 13 |
Plant Evolution & Present Hierarchical Classification, Taxonomy & Nomenclature | ||
3 Feb 20 |
Non-vascular and vascular plants | ||
4 Feb 27 |
Anglesea field study preparation | ||
5 5 March |
Anglesea field study on Coastal Woodlands | ||
6 12 March |
Non Vascular & Vascular Plants 1a | practical 1a | |
7 19 March |
Non Vascular & Vascular Plants 1b | practical 1b | |
8 26 March |
Identification using on-line resources | Practical 1 a and 1b due | |
9 2 April |
Monocot & Dicot Structures | Practical 2a |
|
10 9 April |
Easter break |
|
|
11 16 April |
Monocot & Dicot Structures |
Practical 2b |
|
12 23 April |
Four Monocot Families | Practical 2a & 2b due | |
13 30 April |
Four Dicot Families | Banyule Exc’n | |
14 7 May |
Plant keys I | Anglesea report due | |
15 14 May |
Plant Keys II |
Plant Key assessment in-class |
|
16 21 May |
Plant Collection Specifications |
|
|
17 28 May |
Plant Collection & preservation techiques | Indigenous vs exotic plants | |
18 4 June |
Revision | ||
11 June | Test | Test | |
18 June - 8 July | VACATION | ||
9 July | Eucalypts Intro | Launch Plant Collection | |
1 16 July |
Eucalypts II | ||
2 23 July |
Wattles | ||
3 30 July |
Extended Australian dicot families & Nomenclature |
Plant Id Practical 3a keys,field guides |
|
4 Aug 6 |
Extended Australian Monocot families & Nomenclature |
Practical 3b keys, field guides |
|
5 Aug 13 |
Updating species names, Presentation of plant collections & Herbaria Plant Collection update | Practical 3 & 4 due | |
6 Aug 20 |
Plant provenance, subspecies & cultivars | Field Trip to Local Reserve, Banyule | |
7 Aug 27 |
Advanced plant Nomenclature & taxonomy | ||
8 Sept 3 |
Aquatic Plants | ||
9 Sept 10 |
Riparian plants | Update on plant collection | |
10 Sept 17 |
Exotic species | Melbourne Flora Assemblages Grasses & Sedges | |
Sept 24 | VACATION | ||
11 1 Oct |
Finalise work on plant collection | ||
12 8 Oct |
Regional Biome Vegetation | Plant Collection due | |
13 15 Oct |
Grasses & Sedges | St Alban’s Trip | |
14 22 Oct |
Coastal & aquatic Vegetation | Log Book with St. Alban’s responsesdue | |
29 Oct | Revision | ||
31 Oct | Exam Tues 13 Nov | Exam 13 Nov |
Please note that this schedule is subject to alteration over the academic year
as some topics will vary in times required to receive adequate coverage.
Students should check emails often & regularly and maintain a high level of attendance at classes
to ensure they are aware of any changes to the scheduling of topics or assessment dates
Learning Resources
Prescribed Texts
Costermans, L. (1998), Trees of Victoria and Adjoining Areas, Costermans Publishing (A 164 page pocket field guide) |
References
Costermans, C, (2007) Native Trees & Shrubs of South-Eastern Australia, Reed New Holland |
|
Australian Plants Society Maroondah, Inc. (2001), Flora of Melbourne, Hyland House, Melbourne |
|
Clarke, I. & Lee, H., (2004), Name That Flower, Melbourne University Press, Carlton, Vic |
Other Resources
Australian National Botanical Gardens plant data Base :
http://www.anbg.gov.au/cpbr/databases/index.html
Euclid CD ROM
Overview of Assessment
Assessment for this course may include a Plant Collection, reports, practical assessments and tests.
Assessment Tasks
Anglesea Woodland Plant report Due 10 th May
Practical 1 Vascular vs Non-vascular plants Due 29 March
Practical 2 Monocots & Dicots Due 26 April
Test on Plant Function, Evolution, Hierachies, Vascular & Non-vascular plants, Monocots & Dicots 12 June
Plant Key In-Class Task : Tuesday 15 May
Practical 3a Australian Dicots, Keys & Nomenclature Due 16 Aug
Practical 3b Australian Dicots, Keys & Nomenclature Due 16 Aug
Plant Collection Graded Assessment Due 11 Oct
Exam Date to be advised
Students must achieve 50% or greater in the combined test & exam grade to pass the course
NOTE: The assessment staregy for this course is currently under review and may change. Current information will be placed on Blackboard.
Assessment Matrix
Other Information
This course denotes 120 nominal hours of student learning.
This comprises:
76 Face to Face Classroom hours
10 Hours Anglesea Fieldwork
4 Hours St Alban’s Grassland Fieldwork
8 Preparing Reports
8 Self-Directed Learning
14 Plant Collection Preparation
Course Overview: Access Course Overview