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ENV503 - Ecological Restoration and Conservation

2023

Sector

Higher Education

Discipline

Environmental Science

Unit Description

This unit gives students a comprehensive introduction to the ecological processes that affect the conservation and restoration of vegetation, wildlife and landscapes. A focus of the unit is on rehabilitation of northern Australian systems but south east Asian and other Australian examples are discussed. It builds upon first-level and second-level biology units by developing the students' ability to apply biological and ecological knowledge to real land rehabilitation and species conservation issues. Issues range from the creation of stable vegetation communities on mined land, the rehabilitation of pastoral land, to the restoration of specific fauna habitat or the maintenance of threatened flora and fauna populations. Students will understand key ecological processes affecting plant growth, ecosystem sustainability and community development and how to utilise those processes by effective environmental management to achieve rehabilitation and ecological management aims. Assessment items develop the report writing skills a student would require as a professional working in this field.

Text Book

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Unit Learning Outcomes

1.	Define ecological processes that affect the conservation and restoration of vegetation, wildlife and landscapes
2.	Evaluate the range of land rehabilitation and conservation goals, community types and types of degrading processes and the differing challenges they impose for ecological restoration and management.
3.	Evaluate the key processes involved in plant growth, vegetation development and fauna establishment and evaluate how changing environmental conditions affect growth and sustainability
4.	Compare degraded and analogue ecosystems and evaluate ecological processes that are important for rehabilitation success.
5.	Critically review information and use that information to determine the most appropriate rehabilitation procedures to achieve rehabilitation goals which address environmental, social and cultural requirements.
6.	Work individually and in groups to assess rehabilitation and conservation issues and communicate their assessment of those issues in written reports of a professional standard.

Assessment Overview

	Assessment Task	Value (of total mark)	Related Learning Outcome/s
1.	Assignment 1: Report comparing two models of vegetation development	20%	1,2,3,4,5,6
2.	Assignment 2: Plant growth in hostile media report	15%	1,2,3,4,5,6
3.	Assignment 3: Population genetics assignment	10%	1,2,3,4,5,6
4.	Assignment 4: Fieldwork report	20%	1,2,3,4,5,6
5.	Assignment 5: Plan rehabilitation and evaluate its success	35%	1,2,3,4,5,6

Unit Availability

Year	Semester	Att Mode	Location	Learning Method	Timetable*
2023	Semester 2	Internal	Casuarina Campus	OLR
2023	Semester 2	External	External Studies	OLR,PB

* Timetable will be displayed in new tab or window depending on your browser's configuration; ensure Pop-ups are allowed for this site to view the timetable.

OLR: Internet access is required for this unit as students are required to access study materials provided on-line through Learnline. Please log into Learnline on the first day of each teaching period. For more information about Learnline, please click here.

PB: Print-based study material is mailed to students from External Student Support.

Critical Dates

Important Dates for Students

Fee Information:
Fees and Payments
Student Services and Amenities Fees
2023 Domestic Unit Fees (PDF)