91270 Plant Physiology and Climate Change

Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.

Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.

UTS: Science: Life Sciences
Credit points: 6 cp
Result type: Grade and marks

Requisite(s): ( 91123 Nature and Evolution OR ((65212 Chemistry 2 OR 65213 Chemistry 2 (Advanced))))

Recommended studies:

Students are strongly advised to have previously completed a subject or training in basic ecology and/or biological science.

Description

This subject provides a comprehensive understanding of plant physiology and ecophysiology, crucial for careers in environmental science. Students learn about plant productivity and the key role of land plants in water, carbon, nutrient, and energy cycles. These concepts are central to understanding how ecosystems and agriculture affect the climate and vice versa. Through self-paced videos, peer interaction, and practical experiments, including a major group-led glasshouse project, students master concepts such as how plants fix carbon in photosynthesis, transport water from soil to atmosphere, absorb nutrients, transport the carbohydrates they produce, and what happens when they are exposed to environmental stress. This knowledge is essential for understanding how plants interact with the environment and a respond to our changing climate.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

Upon successful completion of this subject students should be able to:

1.	Distinguish and evaluate different plant strategies for capturing light and fixing carbon, transporting water, taking up nutrients and responding to environmental stress associated with climate change.
2.	Design and conduct a glasshouse experiment to investigate the effects of environmental stress on plants, using current ecophysiological methodologies and techniques.
3.	Actively and respectfully engage with peers and team members in collaborative learning and professional research contexts.
4.	Apply an understanding of plant physiology and ecophysiology to critically interpret experimental findings and effectively communicate these insights in an appropriately framed and referenced scientific research report.
5.	Identify and explain important cultural considerations for working effectively with and for Indigenous Australians in plant ecophysiological research on Country.

Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)

This subject also contributes specifically to the development of following course intended learning outcomes:

Demonstrate theoretical and technical knowledge of the principles of biodiversity and ecosystem function and evaluate and integrate principles of sustainability and conservation to protect biodiversity. (1.1)
Critically evaluate scientific evidence and literature and apply effective and appropriate experimental design and analytical techniques to discover and hypothesise solutions to new and emerging environmental issues. (2.1)
Demonstrate professionalism, including personal organisation, autonomy, teamwork, literacy and quantitative skills, while ensuring due consideration to ethical guidelines, work health and safety and environmental impact requirements. (3.1)
Evaluate evolving concepts in environmental science and apply scientific skills to design creative solutions to contemporary or complex environmental issues by incorporating innovative methods, reflective practices, and self-directed learning. (4.1)
Communicate effectively and professionally (oral, written, visual), generating defensible, convincing arguments for relaying research findings or articulating complex issues, concepts or skill around environmental science, within a multi-disciplinary setting. (5.1)
Acquire knowledge of Indigenous Australian and Torres Strait Islander people's unique connection to the environment, developing professional cultural capability to work effectively with and for, Indigenous Australians within environmental professions. (6.1)

Contribution to the development of graduate attributes

Learning in this subject contributes to the graduate profile through developing the following Graduate Attributes:

1. Disciplinary knowledge in terms of the underlying theories of plant physiology and plant responses to environmental factors are learnt through lectures, PeerWise exercises, practical classes (pracs) and project work and assessed through all three assessment tasks. The development of logical thought and problem solving will be fostered through interactive lectures and laboratory exercises, including data collection, analyses and interpretation.

2. A Research, inquiry and critical thinking approach is assessed through the data reports and the execution of a self-initiated group project:

In the water regulation data report, you will develop and be assessed on skills in statistically analysing a unique dataset collected during the pracs. In the group project report, you will apply these skills to critically interpret and communicate your research findings.
An important aspect of this graduate attribute is formulating well-supported hypotheses. For your group project, you will develop hypotheses about a particular aspect of plant function that interests your group and address this hypothesis by designing and conducting a plant physiological experiment drawing on the core lab skills learned in the directed pracs.
Additionally, you will apply your learned insights to critically evaluate scientific evidence in the quizzes.

3. Professional, ethical and social responsibility will be core to your approach to the group project when applying the techniques and skills gained through pracs; however, these aspects also are important for the PeerWise and two data report activities. Professional, ethical and social responsibility will be developed and assessed in a range of ways, including:

Group work is central to the successful implementation of the group project. Allocation of tasks and responsibilities across group members, good time management and meeting obligations of the team are critical to a successful project. Active engagement as a team member will form part of your assessment for the group project report.
Responsible data handling: fulfilling your professional obligation to the entire class will be reinforced through accurate recording and timely uploading of data for the two Applying Theory pracs.
Answering questions of your peers in Peer Wise, rating them and providing respectful written feedback will form part of your assessment for the PeerWise task.

4. Reflection, Innovation, and Creativity will be demonstrated (and assessed in the write-up) in the design of the content of the project, evaluation of its effectiveness relative to proposed hypotheses and reflection on how future experiments might improve outcomes.

5. Communication skills will be learned through a series of formative tasks, as demonstrated by the correct use of the English language in written assignments, written PeerWise questions and the quizzes. In the data report and the group project report, you will develop and be assessed on adherence to formal written requirements, including presentation and description of figures and tables in results according to scientific report guidelines, as well as through the, inference, discussion and presentation of logical arguments and conclusions.

6. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Knowledges and Connection with Country. You will learn from researchers about how western science plant physiological research and Indigenous Knowledges can be brought together to understand plant responses to climate change. You will have the opportunity to consolidate your learning in the PeerWise exercises and this graduate attribute will be assessed through the quiz component.

Teaching and learning strategies

So that your learning is iterative throughout the session, we have designed the activities and associated assessment tasks to continually test and build on your conceptual understanding. These activities comprise both timetabled and self-guided activities, which feed into one another, along with three assessed quizzes during the session. The timetabled activities are:

Weekly lecture modules (one 2-hr face-to-face and nine online 2-hr);
Face-to-face pracs on campus in the laboratory and glasshouse (four 2-hr and five 3-hr);
Self-guided tasks: a) PeerWise conceptual development, b) Canvas modules to scaffold pracs and assessment tasks and c) project team collaboration regular meetings.

The iterative, reflective structure is designed to support you in making new connections, to place details in broader contexts and to take responsibility for your own intellectual and scientific development – none of which an algorithm can do for you. There are some tasks for which we will suggest using Generative AI under certain circumstances. However, for other tasks, we will make it clear that this is not appropriate. Please carefully read the assignment information on Canvas for each task to understand Gen AI expectations for each task.

Using AI shortcuts not only means that you miss the opportunity for fully growing your brain, but also often results in wrong answers (remember – ChatGPT can’t think, and the material it generates is not only limited, but also often fictitious). So, please embrace the sometimes bumpy, but rewarding learning journey and growing your brain without AI shortcuts!

LECTURE MODULES

The backbone of your conceptual learning will be via pre-recorded lecture segments and associated material. Lecture components will contain practice questions to help you test your understanding and guide your review of the material. These questions will also be good practice for your assessed quizzes that occur during the session.

Online: At the beginning of each week, you will work through a total of approximately 2 hours’ worth of several shorter (5-30 minute) lecture videos before your prac session to be held in that same week. The lecture components will be made available to you as early as possible at the beginning of each week, so that you have time to work through the material before your prac session.
Face-to-face: There also will be an essential face-to-face introductory lecture on campus in Week 1.

PRACTICAL CLASSES (PRACS)

The hands-on pracs are absolutely central to learning and applying theory in a practical, research project and you are expected to attend all pracs in this subject. Experienced staff in the pracs will facilitate learning through discussion and question/answer dialogue throughout each session, with opportunities to talk to and receive feedback from teaching associates (TAs) on your work.

The nine pracs in this subject can be broadly defined into two categories: 1) group project and 2) applying theory.

1) Group project: 4 x 2-hr pracs and 3 x 3-hr pracs, commencing Week 2 (schedule varies - see weekly Canvas modules and announcements). Group project pracs will be run in the laboratory and the UTS Glasshouse Facility.

Collaborative research projects are no longer the exception in science – they are a necessity for high quality research outcomes. Group-run projects also allow us to appreciate the benefits and work with the challenges associated with working as a member of a team. A mature approach to teamwork is a greatly valued skill, highly sought by employers.

In the group project pracs, you will work within your project teams to design and carry out your group experiment, which will run throughout most of the session and form the basis for your group project report. You will form project teams and commence planning your group project from as early as weeks 1 and 2. The group project pracs will involve working in your team to brainstorm and develop your experimental design, select and pot out your plant species, conduct the research, collect data and prepare results for the group project report. Individual commitment to and engagement in the group project forms an important component of this project and is individually assessed.

2) Applying theory: 2 x 3-hr pracs, both run in the laboratory.

These important sessions are vital to:

applying concepts explored in lectures in a hands-on setting,
developing your understanding of and skills in applying methods, equipment and techniques to consider for your group experiment and group project,
developing skills in rigorous data collection, statistical analysis and results reporting, valued by many employers, both in science and beyond.

These pracs are enquiry-based, where you will conduct plant physiology experiments designed to develop your ability to follow a line of scientific enquiry, i.e., you will learn by doing. Most practical exercises are conducted in small groups. The class data generated in these pracs will be used for your short individual data reporting assessment tasks, which are due at least two weeks after the corresponding prac. Note: some group project activities will also be covered in these two theoretical application pracs.

SELF-GUIDED TASKS

Aside from the lecture modules, above, there are three other important self-guided learning tasks in this subject, which run throughout the session.

PeerWise conceptual development. To develop understanding of key concepts in the subject, writing and answering practice questions is a valuable tool in learning and also helps test comprehension prior to the quiz assessment tasks. You will use an online interface called PeerWise to (i) write four questions for your class peers based on learning in the subject, (ii) to answer four questions by your peers and (iii) rate and provide feedback on peer questions. Activities in PeerWise can provide an excellent study experience, so use of PeerWise beyond the required questions/answers is encouraged.
Prac scaffolding. Prior to prac sessions, you will complete Canvas activities, including reviewing experimental design scenarios, to guide you through the core elements of each practical session and help identify known snag points in the pracs. These pre-work activities will provide the scaffolding framework needed to get the most from each practical session and to design a robust group experiment.
Project team collaboration. A key active learning element of this subject is generating and building on ideas for the group project, which are initially developed within your project team outside of scheduled class-time. This preparation is important for the interactive discussion and feedback with teaching staff during pracs in person, where you will critically evaluate and refine your ideas. The group project meetings outside class hours are greatly enhanced by in-person meetings with your team; in addition, each project team will be part of a team chat group for discussion and sharing resources related to your chosen plant physiology/eco-physiology topic aligned with your project. You will also use this site to keep your experimental data accessible to all members of your team and to keep on top of individual responsibilities and tasks within the group.

Content (topics)

The physiology of cells, tissues, organs and whole plants and the interaction of plants with their environment (i.e., ecophysiology) will be discussed using predominantly Australian examples. Core themes include:

Leaf and canopy uptake of carbon: photosynthesis across scales

Photosynthesis, light and gas exchange
Regional and global networks for monitoring photosynthesis, transpiration and global fluxes of carbon dioxide
Plant structure and function
Stomatal anatomy, morphology and dynamic responses
Anatomy of transport systems
Root structure and water and ion uptake
Leaf morphological traits and variation with environmental conditions
Plant water relations
Water potential and the movement of water into, through and out of plants
Ion, solute and sugar transport
Membrane transport, passive and active ion transport
Pathways of translocation in the phloem, source to sink

Plant ecophysiology: plant responses to climate extremes

Indigenous Knowledges and ecophysiology research
Plant responses to drought and temperature stress
Ecophysiology at catchment and global scales
Plant and community adaptations to fire

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Water regulation analysis and results

Intent:	This assessment task contributes to the development of the following graduate attributes: 1. Disciplinary knowledge 2. Research, inquiry and critical thinking 5. Communication
Objective(s):	This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): 1, 2 and 4 This assessment task contributes to the development of course intended learning outcome(s): 1.1, 2.1 and 5.1
Type:	Laboratory/practical
Groupwork:	Individual
Weight:	20%
Criteria:	Your disciplinary knowledge graduate attribute will be assessed via description of your results. Your development of the graduate attribute research, inquiry and critical thinking will be assessed via your appropriate use of statistical analysis of data collected during the prac and presentation of results following standard science conventions as per guidelines provided in Canvas. You will be assessed on your communication skills via appropriate use of English language and grammar. Detailed guidelines on preparation of the report and the grading rubric are provided on associated Canvas modules for this subject.

Assessment task 2: Conceptual proficiency

Intent:	This assessment task contributes to the development of the following graduate attributes: 1. Disciplinary knowledge 2.. Research, inquiry and critical thinking 3. Professional, ethical and social responsibility 6. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Knowledges and Connection with Country
Objective(s):	This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): 1, 3 and 5 This assessment task contributes to the development of course intended learning outcome(s): 1.1, 2.1, 3.1 and 6.1
Type:	Quiz/test
Groupwork:	Individual
Weight:	45%
Length:	The length of the quizzes will vary, depending on the quiz, but will range between 20-60 minutes, max.
Criteria:	Active participation with peers in PeerWise study development by writing and answering a minimum of eight questions and providing respectful feedback on peer questions, which develops the graduate attribute professional, ethical and social responsibility. In developing your disciplinary knowledge in a low stakes suite of tasks, the PeerWise process is about learning, so you're not being graded on whether you get the answers right, only on the extent to which you engage with the task! Therefore, you should not use GenAI tools such as ChatGPT to write or answer questions in PeerWise. Your disciplinary knowledge will be assessed via the clarity and accuracy of your answers to quiz questions. These quizzes will test your research, inquiry, and critical thinking through your ability to apply theory to new problems or scenarios. Your development of the graduate attribute Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Knowledges and Connection with Country in the context of plant physiology and climate change will also be assessed. The quizzes will consist of both multiple choice and short answer questions. Each quiz will be restricted open book, using your notes from lecture components and Canvas modules for this subject. Because the questions are based on material learned in class, seeking external answers, for example via AI tools like ChatGPT, will not be helpful for the quizzes and often results in wrong answers.

Assessment task 3: Group project report

Intent:	This assessment task contributes to the development of the following graduate attributes: 1. Disciplinary knowledge 2. Research, inquiry, and critical thinking 3. Professional, ethical and social responsibility 4. Reflection, innovation and creativity 5. Communication
Objective(s):	This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): 1, 2, 3 and 4 This assessment task contributes to the development of course intended learning outcome(s): 1.1, 2.1, 3.1, 4.1 and 5.1
Type:	Report
Groupwork:	Group, group and individually assessed
Weight:	35%
Criteria:	Your disciplinary knowledge graduate attribute will be assessed via your interpretation of results in the discussion that demonstrates a solid understanding of the biological underpinnings. Your abilities in the graduate attribute research, inquiry and critical thinking will be demonstrated through hypothesis-driven investigation supported by comprehensive review and understanding of relevant literature. Development of the graduate attribute professional, ethical and social responsibility will be assessed via your engagement as a collaborative team member, including the extent to which you upheld the Team Member Contribution Charter. This graduate attribute will also be assessed through appropriate use of statistical analysis of data collected during pracs, preparation of reports following standard science conventions provided in the guidelines in Canvas, including appropriate use of primary literature and the validity of sources cited (i.e., not invented by an AI platform, such as ChatGPT). Reflection, innovation and creativity will be evaluated in the discussion, particularly with respect to reflection of the key limitations of the study and well-considered suggestions for future research. You will be assessed on your communication skills via appropriate use of English language and grammar, sentence and paragraph structure, overall flow of the document, both between and within the different sections, demonstrating evidence of rigorous proof-reading. Detailed guidelines on preparation of the reports, evaluating individual engagement and grading rubrics will be provided on Canvas.

Minimum requirements

Attendance at all practical classes is critical to achieve subject learning outcomes for this subject. The glasshouse and laboratory components form the basis of >55% of your assessment, not only as an individual learner, but also as part of a team, to whom you have a responsibility for the major group project.

Regular class attendance is strongly recommended by the faculty and the university. For more information you can view the UTS website and policies 4.14 of the Student Rights and Responsibilities Policy.

A pass in this subject requires a cumulative mark of 50% or more when the individual marks for the items are added together.

Required texts

Taiz, L., Zeiger, E., Møller, I. M., & Murphy, A. S. (2022). Plant physiology and development (seventh edition). Sinauer Associates, Inc., Publishers, Sunderland, Massachusetts, USA.

NOTE: There are eight print copies of the 7th edition and several copies of 6th and earlier editions available in the UTS library.

Recommended texts

Other texts and recommended reading listed on the Canvas site reading list for this subject.