Plant Identification & Vegetation Classification (BIOL3227)

Course overview

Laboratory and field-based course aimed at developing professional skills in plant identification and community classification. Focus on identification of major plant families and regional ecosystems from South-east Queensland. 1 day field trip.

‘Whether beautiful, or only strange, I doubt I shall ever forget their flowers'

Fringe of Leaves (Patrick White)

This is a laboratory and field based course to develop skills in plant identification and biodiversity assessment.ﾠOne full day, and one part day excursion areﾠplanned to develop skills in habitat assessment and identification of the flora in Queensland plant communities.

Students will learn to recognise species belonging to the dominant Angiosperm families of Australian plants, and practice using keys for identification. Identification in the lab will cover major plant families and genera from the diverse flora of south-east Queensland. There will also be lectures and practicals for plant community assessment including the identification of regional ecosystems and their relevance to conservation.

Specific topics will include: the identification of rainforest trees, Acacia, Eucalyptus, grasses and sedges, regional ecosystems and Queensland environmental policy.

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STUDENT FEEDBACK

Good interaction with lecturer and tutors, very knowledgeable and enthusiastic.

This was the most engaging and worthwhile course I have taken at UQ.

The field trip was great and very fun.

All university courses should be taught this way.

We actually learnt skills. Vital for any Botanist.

Course requirements

Assumed background

BIOL2010 Ecology and BIOL2203 are recommended courses.

Plant Identification will begin with basic flower structure and build on this knowledge.

Incompatible

You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:

BOTN3004 or PLNT3804

Course contact

Course staff

Timetable

The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.

Aims and outcomes

This course aims to develop professional skills in plant identification.

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment details

Ecosystems or rare plants

Mode

Written

Category

Essay/ Critique

Weight

30%

Due date

20/09/2024

Other conditions

Student specific.

See the conditions definitions

Task description

Submission guidelines

The Assessment submission procedure is as follows:
Students are required to submit through Turnitin which can be found on the course Blackboard site.

Students are required to submit through Turnitin on Blackboard by the due date - failure to submit will result in the late penalty being applied - 10% of maximum marks per day will be imposed.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

Subject to School of Environment Administration approval

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

Plant collection and key to collection

Mode

Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia

Category

Creative Production/ Exhibition, Presentation

Weight

40%

Due date

18/10/2024

Other conditions

Student specific.

See the conditions definitions

Task description

Submission guidelines

The Assessment submission procedure is as follows:
1. You will be sent the cover sheet for your assignment by e-mail approximately 2 weeks before it is due.
2. You must submit your assignment, with the coversheet attached to the front, through the assignment slot at the SIB Help Desk (Room 229, Goddard Building) by 4.00pm on the above date/dates.
3. You will then receive a receipt. Please retain this receipt as proof of submission. If assessment submission is disputed, you MUST produce this receipt.
4. Please ensure that you keep an electronic copy of every piece of assessment you submit.

PENALTY FOR LATE SUBMISSION:
Submission of assessment items after the stated due date and time (including extension due dates and times) will incur a deduction of 5% of maximum marks per day. Weekends will be considered as two days.

Deferral or extension

You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

Practical exam

Mode

Activity/ Performance, Written

Category

Examination

Weight

30%

Due date

End of Semester Exam Period

2/11/2024 - 16/11/2024

Other conditions

Student specific.

See the conditions definitions

Task description

Exam details

Submission guidelines

The exam involves identifying and answering questions about live plant material

Deferral or extension

You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.

Late submission

You will receive a mark of 0 if this assessment is submitted late.

Course grading

Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.

Supplementary assessment

Supplementary assessment is available for this course.

Supplementary assessment is only granted under exceptional circumstances usually related to health. Students who do not have a high attendance rate at practical sessions will not be granted a Supplementary assessment for non-health grounds

Should you fail a course with a grade of 3, you may be eligible for supplementary assessment. Refer to my.UQ for information on supplementary assessment and how to apply.

Supplementary assessment provides an additional opportunity to demonstrate you have achieved all the required learning outcomes for a course.

 If you apply and are granted supplementary assessment, the type of supplementary assessment set will consider which learning outcome(s) have not been met.

 Supplementary assessment can take any form (such as a written report, oral presentation, examination or other appropriate assessment) and may test specific learning outcomes tailored to the individual student, or all learning outcomes.

 To receive a passing grade of 3S4, you must obtain a mark of 50% or more on the supplementary assessment.

Additional assessment information

SUPPLEMENTARY ASSESSMENTS

If you are awarded supplementary assessment then generally the supplementary assessment will be equivalent to the failed assessment piece. For example, If you failed the practical component, then you will be required to complete an additional practical report/exam. If you failed the exam component, then you will be required to complete an exam. If you failed both components, you will be required to complete both.

• A passing grade will be awarded only if you obtain at least 50% of the marks in all items of supplementary assessment that you undertake.
• The decision on the format of the supplementary assessment will be made by the course coordinator.
• For some assessment items, for example oral presentations, a different type of assessment may be substituted at the discretion of the course co-ordinator

Supplementary assessments will be designed to allow eligible students to demonstrate specific learning objectives of the course.

Information on supplementary assessment can be found on the MyUQ website.

Applications for Extensions

Information on applying for an extension can be found here - my.UQ Applying for an extension

Extension applications must be received by the assessment due date and time.

If you are unable to provide documentation to support your application by the due date and time you must still submit your application on time and attach a Word document outlining why you cannot provide the documentation and upload the documentation to the portal within 24 hours.

Please note: While your extension request is being considered, you should work towards completing and submitting your assessment as soon as possible.

If you have been ill or unable to attend class for more than 4 weeks in a semester, we advise you to carefully consider whether you are capable of successfully completing your courses. You might need to consider applying for removal of course. We strongly recommend you seek advice from the Faculty that administers your program.

Extensions with Student Access Plans (SAP)

For extensions up to 7 days, your SAP is all that is required as documentation to support your application. However, extension requests longer than 7 days (for any one assessment item) will require the submission of additional supporting documentation e.g., a medical certificate. A maximum of two applications may be submitted for any one assessment item, unless exceptional circumstances can be demonstrated. All extension requests must be received by the assessment due date and time.

APPLYING FOR A DEFERRAL OF AN EXAM

If you are unable to sit an exam you need to apply online through my-SiNet. Please read the information on theﾠMyUQ websiteﾠon how to apply for a deferral of your exam.

GROUP ASSIGNMENTS

Students may be required to work in groups and submit an assessment item as a group.

In some cases, students are expected to work in a group to gather data or generate ideas, but are expected to submit individual assessment items based on the group work. This means that you can use the group-generated ideas or data but you cannot collaborate to produce the individual written submissions. If the divisions are unclear, ask for clarification.

ALL group members MUST attach a signed coversheet to the group assignment and submit it by the due date. Late submission of a coversheet will result in a late submission penalty. If a coversheet is not attached the student will be recorded as not having submitted the item.

PLAGIARISM: You should be aware that the University employs purpose built software to detect plagiarism. It is very important that you understand clearly the practical meaning of plagiarism.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE USE (AI)

The assessment tasks in this course evaluate students’ abilities, skills, and knowledge without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Students are advised that the use of AI technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.

Learning resources

You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.

Library resources

Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.

Additional learning resources information

Additional handouts will be provided during the course. Interactive keys to plant taxa will be provided when needed.

Recommended but not essential text -ﾠACE Guide to Eucalypts Brisbane (Rod Fensham)

Most weeks we will be studying specific groups of plants but students should also feel free to bring in plants that they would like to identify. This will be done during the practical component of the course.

For field trips students need to have appropriate gear: hat, sunblock, notepad, hand lens, camera etc. and refreshments, in particular water. Wearing long trousers and covered footwear prevents scratches from shrubby undergrowth.

One 3-hour practical per week, and one full day field trip.ﾠ

The 3-hour course contact per week will begin with a talk about principles involved in the identification of plants and about specific plant groups to be dealt with in the day’s class. Techniques of collecting, pressing and preserving will be covered.

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Learning activities

The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.

Policies and procedures

University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:

• Student Code of Conduct Policy
• Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
• Assessment Procedure
• Examinations Procedure
• Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure

Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.