Faculty of Science

Animal Biology

Unit Outline

Plant and Animal Biology

BIOL1131
SEM-2, 2015
Campus: Crawley
Unit Coordinator: Dr Nicki Mitchell

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(Cth).
Copying of this material by students, except for fair dealing purposes under the Copyright Act, is prohibited. For the purposes
of this fair dealing exception, students should be aware that the rule allowing copying, for fair dealing purposes, of 10% of the
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the course material itself
The University of Western Australia 2001

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Unit details
Unit title
Unit code
Availability
Location

Plant and Animal Biology

BIOL1131
SEM-2, 2015 (27/07/2015 - 21/11/2015)
Crawley

Credit points

Mode

Face to face, Multimode

Contact details
Faculty
School
School website
Unit coordinator
Email
Telephone
Consultation hours
Lecturers

Faculty of Science
Animal Biology
http://www.animals.uwa.edu.au/
Dr Nicki Mitchell
nicola.mitchell@uwa.edu.au
6488 4510
The two unit coordinators are available by appointment.

Name

Position

Email

Dr Nicola Mitchell

Unit Coordinator and

Lecturer
Lecturer
Lecturer

nicola.mitchell@uwa.edu.au 6488 4510

Unit Coordinator and

Lecturer
Lecturer

timothy.colmer@uwa.edu.au 6488 1993

Lecturer

steve.hopper@uwa.edu.au

Lecturer

hans.lambers@uwa.edu.au

Dr Jane Prince
Professor Philip
Withers
Professor Tim Colmer
Professor Kingsley
Dixon
Professor Steven
Hopper
Professor Hans
Lambers

Tutors
Unit contact hours
Lecture capture system
Online handbook
Unit website
Other contact details

Telephone
Number

jane.prince@uwa.edu.au
philip.withers@uwa.edu.au

kdixon@bgpa.wa.gov.au

Contact details for Practical class demonstrators can be found in the LMS
Lectures (or Lectorials): 3 hrs per week
Practical classes: 9 x 2.5 hrs (on average), including some field excursions. Practicals begin in week two.
LCS is implemented for this unit.
http://units.handbooks.uwa.edu.au/units/BIOL/BIOL1131
http://www.lms.uwa.edu.au/course/view.php?id=4301
Teaching and student support is provided by Sarah Thoms (sarah.thoms@uwa.edu.au) and Josh Brown
(josh.brown@uwa.edu.au).

Unit rules
Advisable prior study

BIOL1130 Frontiers in Biology (formerly BIOL1130 Core Concepts in Biology) or WACE Biological Sciences
or TEE Biology

Unit description
This unit explores diversity of form and function of animals, plants and fungi, in marine, freshwater and terrestrial habitats. It considers
their origins, taxonomic relationships, structural, physiological and behavioural adaptations, their lifestyles, reproductive modes and life
history strategies. There is an emphasis on how these characteristics allow living organisms to exploit a wide range of environmental
conditions, and on the impact of changes in those conditions, through either natural occurrences or anthropogenic effects. It provides
the basic knowledge required for field-based biology such as ecology, eco-physiology or environmental management. The unit provides
a comprehensive introduction to organismal biology and demonstrates the process of biological enquiry via engaging students in an
online journal project.
This unit is also identified as a Service Learning Unit through a partnership with ClimateWatch (an initiative of EarthWatch). BIOL1131
students provide a service to ClimateWatch, both by working as 'citizen scientists', and by conducting research on phenological data
that has been submitted to ClimateWatch since the program's inception. Student research is published in the open-access student
journal Cygnus and features the best research conducted each year.

Further information
Service Learning: http://www.teachingandlearning.uwa.edu.au/staff/curriculum-management/service-learning
ClimateWatch: http://www.climatewatch.org.au/
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Citizen Science: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science

Cygnus: http://cygnus-biologystudentjournal.wikispaces.com/Journal+Home

Learning outcomes
Students are able to (1) recall and articulate the diversity of ways that living organisms live and how functional adaptations allow
organisms to exploit a wide range of environmental conditions; (2) understand how knowledge of biological processes can be used to
make management decisions in natural or altered ecosystems; (3) describe how structural, physiological and behavioural adaptations
allow organisms to exploit a wide range of environmental conditions; (4) demonstrate the principles of experimental design and analysis
through application to practical exercises and assignments; (5) demonstrate critical thinking through practical assessments; and (6)
work cooperatively in practical classes and in the field, handling biological materials and equipment in a proficient and safe manner.

Unit structure
Lectures and Lectorials
Three 45 minute lectures per week, held in the Wilsmore Lecture Theatre. An 'overflow' venue is available next door in the Tattersals
Lecture Theatre, where the lecture will be live-streamed. Otheriwse, all lectures and lectorials are recorded and made available through
Echo on the LMS.

Practical sessions (compulsary)

Nine classes in the semester, ranging between 2-3 hours duration, usually held in laboritories in the Biology Building or on in the
university grounds.

Other (compulsary)
There is one optional field trip held off-campus at night to encompass observations on nocturnal animals. There is an alternative field
exercise on campus, and students must elect to participate in one of these exercises

Unit schedule
Week Dates

Lecture Topics

Lecturer

Lectorial this week?

Practical this
week?

1.

29 &
31July
5&7
August
12 & 14
August
19 & 21
August
26 & 28
August

Overview of BIOL1131, The advent of

animals
Staying Alive, Resources phenology and
climate change, Life in the Sea
Alternative lifestyles, Being a vertebrate,
Animal development and reproduction
Metabolism and energetics, Temperature
and thermoregulation
Digestion, Gas exchange

Nicki Mitchell

Introduction to the
Journal Project
NO

NO

2&4
September
9 & 11
September

Water and solute balance, Circulation,

Animal movement
Animal life histories, Animals in challenging
environments, The plant kingdom

16 & 18
September
23 & 25
September

The fungi, Plant diversity of south western

Australia
Conservation biology in old landscapes,
significance of fire, Plant-animal interactions:
co-evolution of flora and fauna
Plant-animal interactions: pollination,
herbivory and carnivorous plants, Rare and
endangered plants
How plants sense their environment,
Photosynthesis, Plant water use and dryland
salinity
Nutrient uptake in WA native plants, Nutrients
in agriculture, Symbiotic nitrogen fixation
Plant water relationships in forests and
deserts, Plant growth - how do
photosynthates get to where they are
needed? BIOL1131 Q&A and announcement
of published articles

2
3.
4.
5.

6.
7.

8.
9.

10.

7&9
October

11.

14 & 16
October

12.

21 & 23
October
28 & 30
October

13.

Nicki Mitchell,
Jane Prince
Jane Prince, Nicki NO
Mitchell
Phil Withers
Analysing your
ClimateWatch dataset
Phil Withers
NO - but E-tivity 'Fun
with Froguts' (virtual
dissection)
Phil Withers
NO

ClimateWatching
on Campus
Marine
Invertebrates
NO
Team talks on
Indicator Species
Vertebrate
Morphology
Studying Animals
in the Field

Nicki
Mitchell,Kingsley
Dixon
Kingsley Dixon

NO

Steve Hopper

NO

Steve Hopper

Peer review

NO

Tim Colmer

NO

Flowers & a
Pollen Puzzle

Hans Lambers

NO

NO

Writing for Cygnus

Hans Lambers,
NO
Nicki Mitchell, Tim
Colmer

Assessment
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Plant Leaves:
Adaptations
Plant Roots:
Adaptations

Presentations of
ClimateWatch
sightings

Assessment overview
Typically this unit is assessed in the following way(s): (1) continuous practical assessment via supplementary questions and written
assignments; (2) three online quizzes; and (3) final examination. Further information is available in the unit outline.
'The Journal Project' is a feature of BIOL1131, and many of the assessment items outlined below (and indicated with an asterisk*) form
part of this overarching project. Some components of the project are completed individually, while other parts are completed as a team
(usaully consiting of 4 students). The LMS contains comprehensive guidelines and marking rubrics for all aspects of the Journal
Project, but students are also directed to attend interactive 'Lectorials' where staff give specific advice and demonstrate the use of
online tools.

Assessment mechanism
Item (number)

Weight

Due Date

Relates To
Outcomes

Online quizzes (2)

15%

1, 2, 3

Supplementary exercises and assessments relating to practical

work (6)
*Presentation on a ClimateWatch Indicator Species (1)
*Data analysis (1)
*Journal article (1)
*Peer review (1)
*REVISED Journal article (optional)

15%

Weeks 7 and 13 (37 and

44)
Weeks 3, 6-9 and 11
(33, 36-9 and 42)
Week 5 (35)
Week 8 (38)
Week 10 (41)
Week 11 (42)
Week 12 (43)
Week 13 (44)
November examination
period

4,6
1, 2, 3

ClimateWatch dataset
Final Exam (1)

5%
5%
15%
5%
Bonus
5%
5%
35%

3,4,5,6
3,6
4,5
5,6
5
5,6

Assessment items
Item Title

Description

Submission Procedure for Assignments

Online quizzes (2)

Supplementary
Assessments (6)
*Presentation on a
ClimateWatch Indicator
Species (1)
*Data analysis (1)

Covers the preceding group of lectures

Short answer questions or exercises based on
practical work
Team presentation in practical class

Submitted via 'Connect'

Submitted in class

A short report consisting of the Methods and

Results sections of your journal article
A scientific article written as a team and correctly
formatted for 'Cygnus'
A review of a jorunal article written by a student
team
A revised version of your team's journal article that
has been improved following feedback from peers
and an editor.
Submission of at least 10 valid ClimateWatch
sightings

Submit online via the LMS

*Journal article (1)

*Peer review (1)
*REVISED Journal article
(optional)
ClimateWatch dataset

Final Exam (1)

Covers all lecture material

Assessed in class

Submit online via the LMS

Submit online via the LMS
Submit online via the LMS

Submitted to ClimateWatch, but sightings

presented for assessment in your practical
class
November examination period

Textbooks and resources

Recommended texts
Text
Knox, B., Ladiges, P., Evans, B. & Saint, R. (2014) Biology, An Australian Focus (5th ed.). McGraw-Hill Publishing, Sydney, Australia

Suggested alternate texts

Earlier editions of Knox et al. (2005, 2010) are useable, but we will refer to page numbers in the 5th edition.

Additional resources and reading

This unit has a Learning Management System (LMS) that is the single point of reference for all information and resources.
This unit uses 'Connect' - a McGraw Hill Publishing product that allows for self assessment of lecture material, as well as being the
platform for two online quizzes worth a total of 15% of the unit mark.
This unit also has a dedicted library guide for the Journal Project, which can be accessed from the LMS.
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Other important information

Students who have not taken BIOL1130 Frontiers in Biology should undertake some preliminary reading before the commencement of
the first lectures, as knowledge of general scientific, genetic and evolutionary principles (as covered in BIOL1130) is assumed.
We use the same textbook in BIOL1130 and BIOL1131, so students new to biology at UWA should read and understand the
Introductory Chapter and Chapters 7, 8 and 33 of Knox et al. 5th ed. (2014). The equivalent chapters in Knox et al. 4th ed. 2010 are
Chapters 7, 8 and 32.
At least 10 copies of the textbook are available on closed reserve in the Science library.

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