BIO401 River and Floodplain Ecology (8)

In this subject students gain in-depth knowledge about rivers, how they function, and the types of animals and plants that inhabit them. In doing so, it is assumed students already have some knowledge of analysing environmental data and animal identification. This subject builds on that knowledge to teach you about the diversity of freshwater habitats and the ecological models relevant to the management of freshwater ecosystems. At a residential school students will gain experience in field sampling techniques (flora and fauna), the identification of organisms, and the statistical analysis of ecological data. Students complete this subject with an in-depth understanding of the organisms and communities in aquatic environments and the effect people can have on inland aquatic ecosystems.

Availability

* Offering has a residential school. Please view following information for further details.

Session 1 (30)
Online *
Albury-Wodonga Campus

Continuing students should consult the SAL for current offering details: BIO401. Where differences exist between the Handbook and the SAL, the SAL should be taken as containing the correct subject offering details.

Subject Information

Grading System

HD/FL

Duration

One session

School

School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences

Enrolment Restrictions

This subject is only available to students enrolled in Postgraduate study.
This subject is not available to students who have completed either BIO310 or BIO323.

Assumed Knowledge

BIO2%%

Subject Relationships

BIO323 Paired Subject

Incompatible Subjects

BIO310, BIO323

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this subject, students should:
  • have a broad understanding of the hydrological cycle and properties of water
  • have a broad and coherent understanding of the physical, chemical and ecological processes that occur in inland water bodies
  • have in-depth knowledge about the ecological models used to explain river and floodplain function
  • have the ability use a variety of specialised techniques to sample aquatic organisms and to assess aquatic ecosystems
  • have specialised skills identification of organisms and communities in aquatic environments
  • be able to review, consolidate, and synthesise their knowledge about river and floodplain ecology in order to critically discuss the impacts of humans and the threatening processes affecting Australian inland waters

Syllabus

This subject will cover the following topics:
  • The hydrological cycle and properties of water
  • Physical and chemical processes in freshwater environments
  • Freshwater habitats and biota
  • Energy sources and primary production in freshwater ecosystems
  • Aquatic food webs and trophic linkages
  • Freshwater ecosystem models and concepts
  • Sampling and assessment of freshwater ecosystems
  • Human impacts and threatening processes

Indicative Assessment

The following table summarises the assessment tasks for the online offering of BIO401 in Session 1 2020. Please note this is a guide only. Assessment tasks are regularly updated and can also differ to suit the mode of study (online or on campus).

Item Number
Title
Value %
1
Discussion paper - part 1
20
2
Discussion paper - part 2
15
3
Practical report - running waters
35
4
Final exam
30

Residential School

This subject contains a 4 day Compulsory Residential School.

At a residential school students gain experience in field sampling techniques (flora and fauna), the identification of organisms, and the statistical analysis of ecological data. Such skills are a critical part of an in-depth understanding of the organisms and communities in aquatic environments.

The information contained in the CSU Handbook was accurate at the date of publication: May 2022. The University reserves the right to vary the information at any time without notice.

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