Overview
In Environmental Monitoring you will learn the basics of ecosystem science as well as the research and industry skills necessary to carry out surveys and research in natural and impacted ecosystems. Your study will focus on two iconic Australian ecosystems, the Great Barrier Reef and the Brigalow Belt. The field skills you acquire in this unit will enable you to perform both academic research and industry surveys in ecosystems anywhere in the world. You will apply your knowledge of ecosystems, and animal and plant biology to sample collection, vegetation surveys, animal trapping and identification. You will also begin to learn some basic project management skills including how to legally document your work and to prepare and plan for safe field work. The residential school in this unit will involve animal trapping and will abide by the approved ethics proposal that includes the destructive sampling of some fish and, if caught, the euthanisation of pest species (e.g. cats) as required by law. Students are advised to contact the unit coordinator if they have any concerns with regard to this aspect of the unit. There is an additional cost for the off-campus component of the residential school in this unit.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
There are no requisites for this unit.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 2 - 2022
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Residential Schools
This unit has a Compulsory Residential School for distance mode students and the details are:
Click here to see your Residential School Timetable.
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback – Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Have Your Say
Clearer rubrics and expectations of Assessment 3 (the Residential School Report)
Develop a better rubric for Assesssment 3, with clear graphical examples of appropriate figures, captions, and inline citation.
Feedback from Faculty
Another assessment is needed to be better used as an online quiz to prepare students for the residential school rather than as a record of attendence.
Add an online quiz assessment focused on Residential School pre-readings and understanding the work to be undertaken. The intent is to increase the number of students who have read the Residential School preparatory materials and methods.
- Describe the basic concepts of ecological populations and communities
- Identify the defining characteristics of biomes and ecosystems
- Measure biotic and abiotic characteristics of ecosystem communities using appropriate field methods
- Collate, summarise and present data collected in the field
- Adhere to Australian environmental and work, health and safety legislation.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Online Quiz(zes) - 30% | |||||
| 2 - Laboratory/Practical - 20% | |||||
| 3 - Report - 50% | |||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Communication | |||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | |||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | |||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | |||||
| 5 - Team Work | |||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | |||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | |||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | |||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | |||||
| 10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | |||||
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
| 1 - Online Quiz(zes) - 30% | ||||||||||
| 2 - Laboratory/Practical - 20% | ||||||||||
| 3 - Report - 50% | ||||||||||
Textbooks
Ecology: The Economy of Nature
Edition: 8th edn (2018)
Authors: Rick Relyea and Robert Ricklefs
W.H. Freeman & Company,
New York New York , NY , USA
ISBN: 9781319187729
Binding: Paperback
Additional Textbook Information
Both paper and eBook versions of the books can be purchased at the CQUni Bookshop here: http://bookshop.cqu.edu.au (search on the Unit code)
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: Harvard (author-date)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
n.english@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Ecology and the Scientific Method
Adaptations to Terrestrial and Aquatic Environments
Chapter
Chapter 1. Introduction: Ecology, Evolution, and the Scientific Method (p 1-29).
Chapter 2. Adaptations to Aquatic Environments (p 30-53).
Events and Submissions/Topic
Text Book (any edition from 6th up should be ok)
Ecology: The Economy of Nature
by Robert E. Ricklefs and Rick Relyea
W.H.Freeman & Co Ltd, United States
ISBN:9781319187729
CQU Library 577.39 1/2018
Module/Topic
Selection, Evolution and Limiting Factors.
Chapter
Chapter 7. Evolution and Adaptation (p 152 - 175).
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Life Histories and Reproductive Strategies.
Chapter
Chapter 8. Sex and Evolution.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Theory Quiz A will open Wednesday Week 3, 9:00AM AEST.
Module/Topic
Competition and Dispersal.
Populations and Population Growth.
Chapter
Chapter 11. Population Distributions (p 240 - 263).
Chapter 12. Population Growth and Regulation (p 264 - 287).
Chapter 16. Competition (p 360 - 405).
Readings on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Theory Quiz A will close on Wednesday Week 4, 11:59PM AEST.
Residential School Payment due by 5PM AEST Friday, Week 4.
Module/Topic
Survey and Sample Design & Techniques
Preparation Residential School Activities: Terrestrial and Aquatic sampling
Chapter
Readings on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Residential School A
No Lectures this week.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Theory Quiz B will open Wednesday Week 6, 9:00AM AEST.
Residential School A begins August 22rd at 8:30AM at the Keppel Bay Marina and continues on Woppa (Great Keppel Island Hideaway resort) for five days/four nights of field work. Students return by ferry to Keppel Bay Marina at 2:30PM on August 26th.
Module/Topic
Biogeochemical Cycles
Zoom Drop In For Residential School Recap for Residential School A students.
Chapter
Chapter 21. Movements of Elements in Ecosystems (p 481-505).
Readings on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Theory Quiz B will close on Wednesday Week 7, 11:59PM AEST.
Module/Topic
Trophic Levels and Food Webs
Chapter
Chapter 18. Community Structure. (p406 - 433).
Events and Submissions/Topic
For students attending Residential School A, Residential School Results and Discussion are due Monday Week 8, 11:59PM AEST.
Module/Topic
Terrestrial Ecosystems and Biomes: Brigalow Belt.
Chapter
Chapter 6. Terrestrial and Aquatic Biomes (p 130 - 151).
Events and Submissions/Topic
Theory Quiz C will open Wednesday Week 9, 9:00AM AEST.
Residential School B begins Sept 11th at 8:30AM at the Keppel Bay Marina and continues on Woppa (Great Keppel Island Hideaway resort) for five days/four nights of field work. Students return by ferry to Keppel Bay Marina at 2:30PM on Sept 15th.
Students enrolled in CHEM11044 (Chemical Rxns) and travelling from outside the Rockhampton region are encouraged to enrol in Res School B as it occurs time-adjacent to the CHEM11044 res school in Week 8 or Week 9.
Module/Topic
Palaeoclimate Proxies: Tree-rings and Climate
Micrometeorological Monitoring & the BOM
Chapter
Readings on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Theory Quiz C will close on Wednesday Week 9, 11:59PM AEST.
Module/Topic
Aquatic Ecosystems and Biomes: The Great Barrier Reef
Chapter
Chapter 6. Terrestrial and Aquatic Biomes (p 130 - 151).
Events and Submissions/Topic
For students attending Residential School B, Residential School Results and Discussion is due Monday of Week 11, 11:59PM AEST.
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Zoom Drop In For Residential School Recap for Residential School students.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Students are required to attend a scheduled residential school to complete this unit and the associated assessment. Payment (TBD and announced in Week 1 or before, payment includes accomodation, return ferry and meals) must be made by the end of Week 4 (after the census date).
1 Online Quiz(zes)
These periodic quizzes are based on lecture and study material from previous weeks (so please revise the lecture and reading material associated with the weeks covered by the quiz).
For ALL students, Theory Quizzes open the Wednesday after the weeks' covered in the quiz (e.g. Theory Quiz A covers Weeks 1-3, so opens on Wednesday in Week 3) and is open for 1 week.
The Theory Quizzes are limited to 30 minutes for completion; make sure to submit within the 30 minutes.
You can attempt each quiz once.
Questions are true/false, multiple choice, mix-and-match and other formats. Because the questions are drawn at random from a question bank, you will most likely receive different questions if you make a second attempt, and you will likely receive different questions from your peers. You must not share your quiz questions or answers with other students as this may disadvantage other students and it will be considered academic misconduct.
3
Other
Theory Quiz A will close on August 4, 11:59PM AEST. Theory Quiz B will close on Sept 1, 11:59PM AEST. Theory Quiz C will close on Sept 22, 11:59PM AEST.
Theory quiz results will be made available to students upon completion of the quiz.
No Assessment Criteria
- Describe the basic concepts of ecological populations and communities
- Identify the defining characteristics of biomes and ecosystems
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Critical Thinking
2 Laboratory/Practical
Students will complete a pre-residential school online quiz and then a series of tasks in the field and associated activities during the residential school (10%). The quiz will cover material and knowledge needed to carry out field work effectively, ethically, and in a culturally appropriate manner.
Field work activities at the residential school will address animal monitoring skills (e.g. trapping and handling), aquatic monitoring skills, (e.g. water sampling for chemical analysis), vegetation monitoring skills (e.g. vegetation transects and specimen collection and ID), and peripheral skills (e.g. GPS and Chain of Custody). During or after each field activity, students will present their work to a supervisor for marking and feedback. It is important that students make sure that all required skills checks are completed and signed off on at the end of each activity or day. These sheets are due at the end of the residential school before students depart (10%).
Pre-residential school online quiz will open on Friday, Week 5 and close the day before Residential School begins. Skills checks and workbooks will be checked/marked during or at the end of each activity during the residential school. It is the student's responsibility to make sure all checks/marking is completed at the time indicated in the field workbook.
Pre-residential school online quiz will be returned immediately. Students will be marked/checked off on skills and workbooks throughout the residential school.
Pre-residential school online quiz questions cover material provided on moodle and in lecture and must be answered correctly.
The assessment criteria for each field work activity will vary, but assessment criteria will generally revolve around the following:
- Safety;
- Accuracy;
- Completeness;
- Compliance;
- Active participation and teamwork within the group.
After receiving feedback, and at the instructors discretion and within the limits of field work, students will be given an opportunity to demonstrate proficiency in skills they were not able to receive full marks on in the field or workbook.
- Measure biotic and abiotic characteristics of ecosystem communities using appropriate field methods
- Collate, summarise and present data collected in the field
- Adhere to Australian environmental and work, health and safety legislation.
- Problem Solving
- Team Work
- Ethical practice
3 Report
During your ENVR11014 residential you will undertake survey and monitoring field work activities that require the application of scientific and industry standard environmental monitoring methodologies and technologies. These activities will be across three areas: 1) terrestrial animal; 2) brackish-water aquatic; and 3) terrestrial vegetation. Following the residential school you will use the data collected to write up and present the results of each activity and then discuss those results with reference to accepted ecological theory(ies). Written reports must use both figures, tables and text and include a relevant discussion around each of the field work activities (600 words ±10% per activity report, 1800 words ±10% total). To assist you with the task of writing up the results, general assistance with the interpretation and analysis of data will be provided at the end of field work activities.
For students attending Residential School A, Residential School Results and Discussion are due Monday of Week 8, 11:59PM AEST. For students attending Residential School B, Residential School Results and Discussion are due Monday Week 11, 11:59PM AEST.
Both Res School A and Res School B assessments will be returned to students during Exam Week.
The Residential School Results and Discussion will be marked on:
- Completeness (relevant observations and results presented from all three activities);
- Clarity, grammar, punctuation and organisation;
- Presentation of figures and tables (figures and tables should be publication ready);
- Correct inline referencing of figures/tables;
- Discussion of the results (are all the results included discussed?);
- Appropriate application of ecological theory to the results in the discussion;
- At least two appropriate and correctly-cited references with appropriate author-date citation (look up "parenthetical referencing" i.e. Harvard Referencing).
- Describe the basic concepts of ecological populations and communities
- Identify the defining characteristics of biomes and ecosystems
- Measure biotic and abiotic characteristics of ecosystem communities using appropriate field methods
- Collate, summarise and present data collected in the field
- Communication
- Critical Thinking
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
