Field trips
Mt Hotham
Plant communities
Best known for its ski resorts, Mt Hotham also offers ecologists stunning vistas in which to study native plants. The summit is the perfect place to consider the effects of harsh environmental gradients on species distributions – some plants can tolerate harsh buffeting by wind on exposed slopes, while others are only found on the opposite, protected side of the summit where snow persists through the spring thaw. Students work together to investigate species distributions in relation to these gradients, and to debate whether or not we can recognize distinct plant communities.The Otways
Fungal foray
The magnificent tall wet eucalypt forests and cool temperate rainforests of the Otway Ranges harbour a diverse array of fungi. Some of these rot wood and leaf litter and are important components of the decomposer ecosystem, while others form intimate associations with plants and are important in plant nutrition. This field trip runs in May when the first rains of autumn and warm soils cue mushrooms to emerge. Students learn to identify larger fungi, and to appreciate the diversity of roles they play in natural forests and managed pine and eucalypt plantations.
Natimuk
Plant Diversity and Ecology
Understanding the factors that influence the distribution and abundance of plants is a basic skill for a botanist. In this subject, we introduce students to plant identification, the description of soils and vegetation sampling on a 3.5 day field trip to Natimuk in far western Victoria. Here, the desert country meets the eucalypt forests, making it an excellent place to discover how plants are distributed in the landscape.
Cape Conran
Ecology, Systematics and Evolution (Evolution, Ecology and Conservation 2013)
Increasingly, humans are impacting the abundance and distribution of native flora. This subject includes a three day field trip to Cape Conran in East Gippsland to examine the role that fire regimes play on plant diversity. Students work in small teams on a Major Research Project that focuses on understanding how conservation management of heathlands, forests and rainforests is intimately tied to fire regimes.
