Semester 2, 2023 Toowoomba On-campus | |
Units : | 1 |
School or Department : | School of Agriculture and Environmental Science |
Grading basis : | Graded |
Course fee schedule : | /current-students/administration/fees/fee-schedules |
Staffing
Course Coordinator:
Overview
Present and future decision-makers require knowledge of the principles of ecological sustainability and sustainable development. As options for sustainable land and resource uses become more constrained, the need for integrated regional resource planning becomes more urgent and more crucial to Australia's future. Students from a range of programs will benefit from this course which provides an overview of natural resource management and resource use in Australia, with a particular emphasis on environmental impacts.
The course provides an explanation of ecological principles as a basis for managing Australia's land and water resources sustainability. The effects of economic growth and traditional management approaches on land use for agriculture, mining, forestry, protected areas, water catchments and urban expansion are analysed and explained. Environmental impacts are studied and compared economically, ecologically and socially. Current approaches to land and resource use are evaluated in terms of their contribution to a sustainable Australian society. A major component of the course is a student project which examines a local resource management issue in detail.
Course learning outcomes
On successful completion of this course students will be able to:
- Describe the Australian environment and biota;
- Analyse the potential and limitations of Australian land resources;
- Examine the history of human settlement in Australia and evaluate early human and contemporary impacts on the Australian environment;
- Critically assess the relative advantages and disadvantages of agriculture, mining, forestry, conservation reserves and other land uses;
- Evaluate and apply the principles of ecologically sustainable development to sustainable resource use issues;
- Apply knowledge of development and conservation.
Topics
Description | Weighting(%) | |
---|---|---|
1. | The Australian Environment and Biota | 20.00 |
2. | Human Impacts in Australia: Impacts and Land Use in Early Australia; Overview of Recent Human Impacts | 20.00 |
3. | Major Land Issues in Australia: Forestry; Agriculture & Pastoralism; Mining; Energy & Atmospheric Pollution; The Urban Environment | 40.00 |
4. | Sustainability in Australia: Communities & Sustainability; Policy & Legislation; Integrating Sustainability | 20.00 |
Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed
Student workload expectations
To do well in this subject, students are expected to commit approximately 10 hours per week including class contact hours, independent study, and all assessment tasks. If you are undertaking additional activities, which may include placements and residential schools, the weekly workload hours may vary.
Assessment details
Description | Group Assessment |
Weighting (%) | Course learning outcomes |
---|---|---|---|
Quiz A1 of 3 | No | 10 | 1,2,3,4 |
Essay | No | 35 | 1,2,3,4,5,6 |
Quiz A2 of 3 | No | 10 | 1,2,3,4 |
Presentation (ind, grp, mltmd) | No | 35 | 1,2,3,4,5,6 |
Quiz A3 of 3 | No | 10 | 1,2,3,4 |