Course overview
Students will develop an appreciation for the complexity of natural resource management issues and their impact on agricultural production and societal change. This will be achieved by providing an in-depth understanding of the impacts of global climate change on plant growth with specific focus on how climate change is likely to affect food production. Crops and agricultural systems of particular importance to Australian agricultural and horticultural production will be closely examined. The course will highlight the importance of understanding the mechanisms by which a changing climate will affect plant performance and food production. Changing phenology, plant species range shifts, changing pest pressure and variation in yield will be explored in the context of climate change. This course integrates concepts of physiology, biochemistry, genetics, agronomy, and pest management gained by students in previous courses thus developing an in-depth understanding of the drivers of climate change and how future prediction models are generated. Students will develop skills in critical analysis of data and literature to enable them to make informed decisions relating to future food production.
- Global cycles/models
- Water, Energy, Carbon
- Plants Buffering the atmosphere
- Future world
Course learning outcomes
- Describe the natural and anthropogenic causes for climate variation and the impacts on key plant processes such as phenology, photosynthesis, respiration and growth
- Understand the concepts and limitations in the global climate models that are used to predict future climate scenarios
- Understand the implications of changing climate on plant production in a range of cropping systems
- Apply knowledge about the response of plants to climate change to specific agricultural and horticultural species and predict the production outcomes or the locations best suited for production systems in future climate scenarios
- Source and critically analyse relevant peer reviewed literature
- Communicate aspects of climate change science to their peers in accessible language
Availability
Class details
Waite Campus
Class number 51117
Section LE01
Size 90
Available 90
Class number 51118
Section PR01
Size 90
Available 90
Class number 51119
Section WS01
Size 90
Available 90
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The Student Contribution amount displayed below is for students commencing a new program from 2021 onwards. If you are continuing in a program you commenced prior to 1 January 2021, or are commencing an Honours degree relating to an undergraduate degree you commenced prior to 1 January 2021, you may be charged a different Student Contribution amount from the amount displayed below. Please check the Student Contribution bands for continuing students here. If you are an international student, or a domestic student studying in a full fee paying place, and are continuing study that you commenced in 2025 or earlier, your fees will be available here before enrolments open for 2026.