"Assignment 1\r\nWeight: 20%\r\nLength: 1500 words\r\nTopic/question The Biology and Ecology of a Plant\r\nChoose one plant from the following list; Blackberry, Potato, River red gum \r\n(Eucalyptus camaldulensis), Waratah (Telopea speciosissima).\r\nThis essay will encourage you to think about how all the aspects of biology of an \r\norganism are linked - from the basic anatomy and physiology, through its interactions \r\nwith other organisms, to its human significance. It will also give us an opportunity early \r\nin the semester to assess your grasp of biological concepts, so that we can provide you \r\nwith specific help during the Intensive School.\r\n\r\nSources of information:\r\nYou should aim to obtain information from at least 4-5 sources, preferably print rather \r\nthan web-based. You should include at least 1-2 articles from scientific journals. The \r\nonline version of a printed journal counts as print-based rather than web-based! All \r\nsources of information used in the essay must be cited (and references provided, see \r\nbelow). Your textbook will provide only limited help – do not be tempted to include lots \r\nof general information about plants from your textbook to pad out a poorly researched \r\nessay!\r\nGood initialsources will be books about the general type of plant. For example, lantana\r\nis a weed and you will find information on lantana in most books that describe weeds. \r\nYou are unlikely to find a book specifically on the plant. For more detailed, scientific \r\ninformation, use Chapter 2 of Knisely (2009) to guide you on how to do a literature \r\nsearch. Web of Science is accessible as part of the Web of Knowledge package through \r\nthe library. If you access Google Scholar through the library page, it should give you \r\ndirect links to articles available in full text through the library.\r\nIf you do use information from the web, make sure that it comes from an authoritative \r\nsource, such as a state Department of Primary Industries, a botanical garden, research \r\norganisation, university and so on.\r\n\r\nStructure of the essay:\r\nYou must use headings within your essay to help organise the material in logical \r\nsequence. The headings you should use are:\r\nIntroduction\r\nThis should be brief – one (or two short) paragraph(s) that indicate to the reader what \r\nthe essay will be about. Do not include too many specific facts – this may lead to \r\nrepetition later on.Unit Information\r\n\r\nTaxonomy\r\nHere you should give the scientific name (if not done so already) and say something \r\nabout how the plant is classified. This will include the family that the plant belongs to, \r\nand whether the plant is a gymnosperm, monocot, or eudicot. You should say something \r\nabout the genus – for example, is this plant one species in a large genus, or the only \r\nspeciesin the genus, or does the common name include a number of related species.\r\nGrowth form and appearance\r\nProvide a word-picture of the plant that would allow someone to imagine what it looks \r\nlike – its general appearance (e.g., herb, shrub, vine, tree), size, what the leaves look \r\nlike and so on. There is no need to include detailed measurements. \r\nReproduction and dispersal\r\nThink first of the natural means of reproduction and dispersal – you can mention human \r\nintervention later. When does it flower? How is it pollinated? What are the fruits like? \r\nHow are the seed or fruits dispersed? Are there any environmental factors that influence\r\nseedling establishment? Does asexual reproduction play a role?\r\n\r\nDistribution\r\nThis must include where the plant occurs in the wild, or centre of origin for a crop \r\nspecies. For crops and weeds you should also indicate where it is currently found or \r\ngrown. For most plants this will be a general description of geographical extent, but for \r\nsome you may be able to relate distribution to climatic or other factors.\r\n\r\nNatural habitat\r\nThis heading includes the specific situations in which the plant would be found in its \r\nnatural range. For example, this could be rainforest margins, along river beds, as part of \r\nthe understorey in an open forest, etc.\r\n\r\nEcological role\r\nThe main points to cover here are the place of the plant within the community in its \r\nnatural habitat. Is it a dominant tree, or a colonist of disturbed spaces? What other \r\norganisms does in interact with, for example by providing habitat or food?\r\n\r\nHuman significance \r\nThis can include any role as a crop, weed, ornamental, or in the landscape. Obviously \r\nmore can be written here about crops and weeds than most natives, but keep this section \r\nin balance with the rest of the essay.\r\n\r\nManagement of populations and/or genetic resources\r\nAgain the size of this section will vary greatly, but for weeds in particular you should \r\navoid writing too much! You can include things like conservation of rare or threatened \r\nplants, weed management, or conservation or prospecting for genetic resources of crop \r\nplants. Try to link these to the features of the biology, ecology and distribution you have \r\ndescribed earlier.\r\n\r\nConclusion\r\nYour essay should have a short conclusion (one paragraph) to indicate that it has \r\nfinished. Do not leave the end ‘hanging’.\r\n\r\nEucalyptus camaldulensis Table of ContentsIntroduction .................................................................................................................................................. 3Taxonomic classification ............................................................................................................................... 3Distribution ................................................................................................................................................... 7Habitat .......................................................................................................................................................... 8Ecological Role .............................................................................................................................................. 8Human significance ....................................................................................................................................... 8Management of population ........................................................................................................................ 10Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................... 10 Introduction Eucalyptus camaldulensis is commonly called red gum tree due to the red colour of thetimber and belongs to the genus eucalyptus. This is a common and widespread tree in themainland of Australia beside the inland water source. The other names of the tree areMurray red gum and river gum. The tree mainly helps in stabilizing the river banks atextreme temperatures by providing breeding place for fishes and reptiles. During springtime, the snow melts and causes floods along the river and they last for several monthswhich help in regenerating the ecosystem. It is frequently the dominant tree ofriparian communities, and is an iconic species of the Murray-Darling catchment.Taxonomic classificationKingdom:PlantaeClass: EquisetopsidaSubclass:MagnoliidaeSuper order:RosanaeOrder:MyrtalesFamily:MyrtaceaeGenus:EucalyptusSpecies: camaldulensis The plant is an angiosperm and eudicot; the genus eucalyptus has two species E.obustaand E.simulata. E.simulata is mostly found in North Queensland. Eucalyptuscamaldulensis is commonly found in the waterways of AustraliaThey are mostly perineal trees which grow to a height of 45m with long twisted trunksand large branches. The bark of the tree is smooth and rages in colour from white to red.The tree has large dense crown shaped leaves; they are broad at the base and tapertowards the tip. They are dull green in colour with numerous clear yellow oil glands. Theflowers are white in colour found in clusters and borne on a short stalk. The fruits aresmall and hemispherical in shape.The breeding pattern of eucalyptus is mixed mating with preferential out crossing. Attimes self pollination also takes place. The male and female parts are present inside theoperculum of the flower. The male part consists of the stamen and an anther; two pollensacs are present in the top of the stamen which releases the pollen through the anther. Thefemale part consists ovaries in ovary chamber; from top of the ovary a structure calledstyle extends in the receptacle to form the stigma.During flowering the pollen from the anthers fall into the stigma and leads to self- pollination. Fertilization will occur with the other flowers of the same tree or other tree.Insects, birds and small mammals which reside in the trees help in pollination to otherflowers. After fertilization the stamen detaches and the fruit is formed, it enlarges, driesand becomes woody. The fruit has triangular valves which disperse yellow, cuboids seedswith two seed coats. They fall on the ground and are carried away by wind and water. The dispersion mostly occurs in spring and summer. The seedlings germinate and formadventitious roots that results in immersion into the soil. They reach a plant size in 6-8weeks and become a tree within 4 months.Fig.1. Bark of Eucalyptus camaldulensis Fig.2. Leaves of Eucalyptus camaldulensis Fig.3. Flowers and Fruits of Eucalyptus camaldulensisFig.4. Seeds of Eucalyptus camaldulensisDistributionEucalyptus camaldulensis is mainly distributed in mainland of Australia except southernWestern Australia, south-western South Australia and the eastern coastal areas ofQueensland, New South Wales and Victoria. E. camaldulensis var. camaldulensis has amainly temperate distribution in the Murray-Darling River system, extending fromsouthern Queensland to Victoria. E.obtusa comprises all other populations occurringoutside the Murray-Darling Basin. It occurs extensively throughout tropical andsubtropical Australia. E.simulata occurs along a few river systems in northeasternQueensland. Apart from Australia the trees are distributed along the Mediterranean,South East Asia, Mexico and Brazil.HabitatThe trees are basically riparian trees widespread along flood-plains, heavy clay soils ofvolcanic plains and on the edges of salt lakes and swamps. The tree has moderatetolerance towards salinity. It also grows in arid and semi-arid inland area. In northAustralia the tree grows in sandy alluvial soil and in southern Australia it grows incalcareous clay loams.Ecological RoleThe association of the tree with the river provides a natural breeding habitat for fishesduring the flooding season; it also benefits aquatic bird life which depends on fish as foodsource during their breeding season. Snags are formed on the river by the branches fallen,these become an important part of the river ecosystem. Hollows are created in old treesand create a habitat for many wildlife species like bats, carpet pythons, birds like galahs,sulphur-crested cockatoos, gang-gang cockatoos and cockatiels. The leaves fallen fromthe trees provides nutrients for other species. Two rare species of parrots; Superb Parrot(Polytelis swainsonii) and Regent parrot (Polytelis anthopeplus) are found in these trees.The tree's preferred habitat of floodplains and watercourses also gives it the role of floodmitigator, which slows silt runoff.Human significance "