Course Title: Ecology

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Ecology

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

ENVI1009

City Campus

Undergraduate

135H Applied Sciences

Face-to-Face

 Sem 2 2014,
Sem 2 2015,
Sem 2 2016

ENVI1009

City Campus

Undergraduate

171H School of Science

Face-to-Face

 Sem 2 2017,
Sem 2 2018,
Sem 2 2019,
Sem 2 2020,
Sem 2 2021,
Sem 2 2022,
Sem 2 2023

ENVI1210

City Campus

Postgraduate

135H Applied Sciences

Face-to-Face

 Sem 2 2014,
Sem 2 2015,
Sem 2 2016

ENVI1210

City Campus

Postgraduate

171H School of Science

Face-to-Face

 Sem 2 2017,
Sem 2 2018,
Sem 2 2019,
Sem 2 2020,
Sem 2 2021,
Sem 2 2022

Course Coordinator: Dr Catherine Leigh

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 1945

Course Coordinator Email: catherine.leigh@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: Bundoora 223.1A.6A

Course Coordinator Availability: by appointment and during office hours (schedule will be made available when semester commences)


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

Required Prior Study

You should have satisfactorily completed following course/s before you commence this course.

Alternatively, you may be able to demonstrate the required skills and knowledge before you start this course.

Contact your course coordinator if you think you may be eligible for recognition of prior learning.

Assumed Knowledge

Additionally beneficial courses include BIOL2258 Animal Structure & Function; BIOL2151 Animal Diversity; BIOL2156 Plant Structure & Function; BIOL2270 Plant Diversity.


Course Description

This course covers theoretical ecology and practical skills in ecological surveying, analysis, critical evaluation and report writing, enabling the study of ecological systems and applied ecological problems. Topics covered are:

  • Basic ecological principles – individual to population level. Evolution, natural selection and adaptation, population sizes and distributions, population growth and dynamics.
  • Basic ecological principles - community to ecosystem level. Biotic interactions and food webs, community structure and dynamics, biodiversity, disturbance and succession, energy flows, productivity and nutrient cycling, large-scale ecology.
  • Practical ecology. Experimental design, survey techniques for aquatic and terrestrial habitats, assessment of environmental quality and factors influencing populations, communities and ecosystems.
  • Applied ecology. Environmental degradation and management, invasive species, biodiversity loss, habitat loss and fragmentation, climate change and extreme climatic events.


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

This course contributes to the following Program Learning Outcomes at AQF level 7:

  • PLO 2 Scientific knowledge
  • PLO 3 Inquiry and problem solving
  • PLO 4 Communication

 


On completion of this course you should be able to:

  1. Explain the key structural components and energy flows for a variety of ecosystems and the principles of population and community ecology.
  2. Explain major factors affecting ecosystems and describe the main features of ecosystem degradation, management of species and habitat, and ecosystem health assessment.
  3. Select and apply appropriate methods to survey terrestrial and aquatic habitats for their important biological, physics and chemical components and environmental quality.
  4. Analyse and critically evaluate ecological data.
  5. Postgraduate students should also be able to critically evaluate published scientific literature.


Overview of Learning Activities

You will be actively engaged in a range of learning activities such as lectorials, tutorials, practicals, laboratories, seminars, project work, class discussion, individual and group activities. Delivery may be face to face, online or a mix of both. 

Excursions or online equivalents will introduce you to various habitats and methods of conducting surveys, identifying organisms, and collecting and analysing data.

You are encouraged to be proactive and self-directed in your learning, asking questions of your lecturer and/or peers and seeking out information as required, especially from the numerous sources available through the RMIT library, and through links and material specific to this course that is available through myRMIT Studies Course. 


Overview of Learning Resources

RMIT will provide you with resources and tools for learning in this course through myRMIT Studies Course. 

There are services available to support your learning through the University Library. The Library provides guides on academic referencing and subject specialist help as well as a range of study support services. For further information, please visit the Library page on the RMIT University website and the myRMIT student portal.


Overview of Assessment

Assessment Tasks

Assessment 1: Quizzes
Weighting 15%
This assessment supports CLOs 1,2,3 & 4

Assessment 2: Excursion and practical reports
Weighting 50%
This assessment supports CLOs 1, 2, 3 & 4

Assessment 3: Authentic Assessment: understanding and applying concepts
Weighting 35%
This assessment supports CLOs 1, 2 & 4

If you have a long-term medical condition and/or disability it may be possible to negotiate to vary aspects of the learning or assessment methods. You can contact the program coordinator or Equitable Learning Services if you would like to find out more.