ENV BIOL 2502 - Ecology II
North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2020
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General Course Information
Course Details
Course Code ENV BIOL 2502 Course Ecology II Coordinating Unit School of Biological Sciences Term Semester 2 Level Undergraduate Location/s North Terrace Campus Units 3 Contact Up to 5 hours per week, plus field trip Available for Study Abroad and Exchange Y Incompatible ENV BIOL 2005 Assumed Knowledge BIOLOGY 1202 or BIOLOGY 1001 Assessment Practical, field work, exam Course Staff
Course Coordinator: Dr Steven Delean
Course Timetable
The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from .
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Learning Outcomes
Course Learning Outcomes
A successful student in this course should be able to: 1 Understand and apply fundamental ecological concepts; 2 Analyse simple ecological problems using conceptual frameworks; 3 Understand the basic requirements of the design of ecological studies 4 Interpret graphs and tables reporting results of ecological studies 5 Demonstrate knowledge of the basic statistical tools used to analyse the data obtained in ecological studies 6 Conduct simple searches of ecological literature in journals devoted to the discipline of Ecology 7 Report results of ecological studies in a clear, precise, and succinct way. University Graduate Attributes
This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:
University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s) Deep discipline knowledge
- informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies
- acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1
- accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)
1, 6 Critical thinking and problem solving
- steeped in research methods and rigor
- based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development
- demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment
4, 6, 7 Teamwork and communication skills
- developed from, with, and via the SGDE
- honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies
- encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning
4, 7 Career and leadership readiness
- technology savvy
- professional and, where relevant, fully accredited
- forward thinking and well informed
- tested and validated by work based experiences
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 ,7 Intercultural and ethical competency
- adept at operating in other cultures
- comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts
- able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes
- demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges
7 Self-awareness and emotional intelligence
- a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal
- open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers
- able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate
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Learning Resources
Recommended Resources
RECOMMENDED TEXTBOOKS
There is no textbook required for this course. While many books provide a good coverage of the main topics approached during lectures, they are not an alternative to attending to the lectures and taking good notes.
Most advanced Ecology textbooks provide a reasonable coverage of the topics included in the course, but the emphases and examples will be determined by the lecturers. Reading the same topic from different sources is recommended for better understanding of complex concepts. Some books worth considering are:
Krebs, C. J. Ecology. The experimental analysis of distribution and abundance. 5th edition. Benjamin Cummings.
Morin, P.J. Community Ecology. Blackwell Science.
Attwill, P. and B. Wilson (eds.). Ecology. An Australian perspective. 2nd edition. Oxford.
Begon, M. Townsend, C.A. and J.L. Harper. Ecology: From Individuals to Ecosystems, 4th edition. Blackwell Science
Lecture outlines and recordings of the actual lectures will be available through MyMedia. Please note that this material (particularly Lecture outlines alone) is not an alternative to attendance at lectures. For specific aspects of the course there will be Discussion Boards set up in MyUni. Their use is strongly encouraged to enhance the learning experience. -
Learning & Teaching Activities
Learning & Teaching Modes
The course uses a combination of lectures, practicals and field work. Attendance at lectures is highly recommended. There is a component of directed practicals (sampling and data analyses) and directed
group field work followed by independent reporting.
Lectures: 2 x 1-hour lectures perweek
Practicals:1 x 3-hour practical per week - selected weeks only
Field Trips: 3 x one-day field trips - selected weeks only. Students unable to attend field trips will receive an alternative desk-top assignment.
Workload
The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.
A student enrolled in a 3 unit course, such as this, should expect to spend, on average 12 hours per week on the studies required. This includes both the formal contact time required for the course (e.g., lectures and practicals), as well as non-contact time (e.g., reading and revision).
Learning Activities Summary
Lectures
Week 1 Sampling and experimental design
Week 2 Population dynamics I
Week 3 Population structure
Week 4 Ecological interactions I
Week 5 Ecological interactions II
Week 6 Ecological Communities
Week 7 Community dynamics
Week 8 Factors that control diversity
Week 9 Resources and conditions
Week 10 Food webs and trophic interactions
Week 11 Nutrients and energy in the ecosystem
Week 12 Ecosystem management: freshwater ecology
Field Camp
Second week of the mid-semester break
Practicals
Week 1 Sampling
Week 3 Regression and Correlation
Week 5 Means, ANOVA, graphs
Week 9 Field data Tutorial/Alternative assigment briefing
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Assessment
The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:
- Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
- Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
- Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
- Assessment must maintain academic standards.
Assessment Summary
Assessment Task Task Type Hurdle Weighting Learning Outcome Final Exam Summative No
50% 1,2,4 Practicals Formative No 35% 3,4,5,6 Field Data (or Desktop) Report
Formative/Summative
No15% 3,4,5,6,7 Assessment Detail
Lab Workshops
There will be five lab workshops in practical sessions with short quizzes that will be worth 7% each. Quizzes will be short answer written quizzes 20 minutes in duration. Written feedback will be provided prior to the following practical.
Assignment
There will be one assignment worth 15%. The assignment will consist of several problem based questions that will require some computing work for data analysis and short answer type responses (half to one page). Assignments are to be submitted using TurnItIn.
Exam
A 3-hour exam at the end of semester exam period which will draw on material from both lectures and practicals. It will require simple calculations, but it will not involve computing.Submission
All assignments must be SUBMITTED BY THE DUE DATE and accompanied by the corresponding Cover sheet, signed. They are available from the Course MyUni site. If your assignment is late, email the course coordinator.
Extensions for Assessment Tasks
Extensions of deadlines for assessment tasks may be allowed for reasonable causes. Such situations would include compassionate and medical grounds of the severity that would justify the awarding of a replacement examination. Evidence for the grounds must be provided when an extension is requested. Students are required to apply for an extension to the Course Co-ordinator before the assessment task is due. Extensions will not be provided on the grounds of poor prioritising of time.
Late Submission
If an extension is not applied for, or not granted then a penalty for late submission will apply. A penalty of 10% of the value of the assignment for each calendar day that the assignment is late (i.e. weekends count as 2 days), up to a maximum of 50% of the available marks will be applied. This means that an assignment that is 5 days late or more without an approved extension can only receive a maximum of 50% of the marks available for that assignment.
Course Grading
Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:
M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme) Grade Mark Description FNS Fail No Submission F 1-49 Fail P 50-64 Pass C 65-74 Credit D 75-84 Distinction HD 85-100 High Distinction CN Continuing NFE No Formal Examination RP Result Pending Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.
Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.
Final results for this course will be made available through .
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Student Feedback
The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.
SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
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Student Support
- Academic Integrity for Students
- Academic Support with Maths
- Academic Support with writing and study skills
- Careers Services
- Library Services for Students
- LinkedIn Learning
- Student Life Counselling Support - Personal counselling for issues affecting study
- Students with a Disability - Alternative academic arrangements
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Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
- Academic Credit Arrangements Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progress by Coursework Students Policy
- Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy
- Copyright Compliance Policy
- Coursework Academic Programs Policy
- Intellectual Property Policy
- IT Acceptable Use and Security Policy
- Modified Arrangements for Coursework Assessment Policy
- Reasonable Adjustments to Learning, Teaching & Assessment for Students with a Disability Policy
- Student Experience of Learning and Teaching Policy
- Student Grievance Resolution Process
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