CQUniversity Unit Profile
EVST13015 Landscape Ecology & Management
Landscape Ecology & Management
All details in this unit profile for EVST13015 have been officially approved by CQUniversity and represent a learning partnership between the University and you (our student).
The information will not be changed unless absolutely necessary and any change will be clearly indicated by an approved correction included in the profile.
General Information

Overview

This unit will cover essential knowledge of landscape features and their management. Students will obtain theoretical and practical understanding of landforms, biogeography, effects of natural and man-made impacts (eg mining) on the sustainability of local ecosystems, erosion control, vegetation surveys, modern techniques of remediation, productive use of degraded land and rehabilitation success criteria. They will gain practical experience through field visits during residential school. Emphasis will be placed on Central Queensland landscapes with a broader understanding of Australian landscapes. All students are required to attend a Residential School.

Details

Career Level: Undergraduate
Unit Level: Level 3
Credit Points: 6
Student Contribution Band: 8
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load: 0.125

Pre-requisites or Co-requisites

Students must have completed 72 units of credit.

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 - 2020

Mixed Mode

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.

Class and Assessment Overview

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

Bundaberg, Cairns, Emerald, Gladstone, Mackay, Rockhampton, Townsville
Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney

Assessment Overview

1. Written Assessment
Weighting: 20%
2. Practical and Written Assessment
Weighting: 30%
3. Online Test
Weighting: 50%

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.

Previous Student Feedback

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

Feedback

The residential school was very beneficial

Recommendation

This unit will continue to have the residential school to allow the students to practice what they learn in theory.

Feedback from Have your say

Feedback

Field trips were useful to learn Landscape Function Analysis (LFA)

Recommendation

LFA is a new technique to assess how a restored ecosystem is recovering. Field demonstration is essential and this will be continued.

Feedback from Have your say

Feedback

Ashwa's knowledge in local ecosystems, and his enthusiasm to pass on this to students was appreciated. His comments on the field trip were excellent.

Recommendation

Thank you. I have been working in this field for more than 30 years, and I would love to explain the part I know to the students

Feedback from Have your say

Feedback

The second assignment needs further explanation

Recommendation

The second assignment instructions will be re-written to highlight the protocols to be used and the involvement of team work.

Feedback from Have your say

Feedback

It is good to know in advance what all the measurements will be taken during residential school

Recommendation

Thank you.for this suggestion. These details will be added to second assignment description, On day one of res school, I will briefly explain about the tests to be conducted in the field.

Unit Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
  1. Describe the key features of the biogeographic landscape
  2. Discuss the impacts of various activities such as tree clearing and mining on the sustainability of local ecosystems
  3. Conduct land and vegetation surveys, simulate erosion events and describe land remediation techniques
  4. Analyse techniques used in the remediation of degraded landscapes and discuss those relevant to Australian ecosystems
  5. Design a protocol for remediation and/or sustainable management of a disturbed landscape
  6. Assess the criteria used to determine cost effectiveness and success of remediation process.
Alignment of Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Graduate Attributes
N/A Level
Introductory Level
Intermediate Level
Graduate Level
Professional Level
Advanced Level

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes

Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 - Written Assessment - 20%
2 - Practical and Written Assessment - 30%
3 - Online Test - 50%

Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes

Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5 6
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 - Written Assessment - 20%
2 - Practical and Written Assessment - 30%
3 - Online Test - 50%
Textbooks and Resources

Textbooks

Prescribed

Restoring distrubed landscapes: Putting principles into practice

Edition: 2011 (2011)
Authors: Tongway, D & Ludwig, J
Island Press
Washington Washington , DC , USA
ISBN: 9781597265812
Binding: eBook

Additional Textbook Information

This textbook is available to students in electronic format through the CQUniversity library. If you would like to order a print copy, please contact the university bookshop directly and ask them to order it in.

IT Resources

You will need access to the following IT resources:
  • CQUniversity Student Email
  • Internet
  • Unit Website (Moodle)
  • GIS - download free software
  • Microsoft Excel or similar
  • RUSLE (Universal Soil Loss Equation) software to be downloaded onto Uni computers.
Referencing Style

All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: Harvard (author-date)

For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.

Teaching Contacts
Nanjappa Ashwath Unit Coordinator
n.ashwath@cqu.edu.au
Schedule
Week 1 Begin Date: 13 Jul 2020

Module/Topic

Landscape ecology, biogeography and restoration approaches.

Tools to assess vegetation and ecosystem condition.

Indicators of ecosystem functions.

Chapter

Tongway & Ludwig, Chapters 13 and 16

Online Readings.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 2 Begin Date: 20 Jul 2020

Module/Topic

Geology, soils and impacts of disturbance on soil systems.

Tools to assess vegetation and ecosystem condition.

Indicators of ecosystem functions (except erosion).

Chapter

Tongway & Ludwig, Chapter 14

Readings online.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 3 Begin Date: 27 Jul 2020

Module/Topic

The soil-water interface: soil loss and planning to reduce erosion.

Landform design and erosion control, and tools to assess erosion.

Chapter

Tongway & Ludwig, Chapter 15

Online readings

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 4 Begin Date: 03 Aug 2020

Module/Topic

Restoration of mine sites - with a particular focus on open-cut mining.

Chapter

Tongway & Ludwig,

Chapters 4 and 8.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 5 Begin Date: 10 Aug 2020

Module/Topic

Restoration of mine sites - waste-rock dumps and tailings management.

Chapter

Tongway & Ludwig, Chapters 6 and 7.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Landscape Impact Assessment Due: Week 5 Friday (14 Aug 2020) 11:45 pm AEST
Vacation Week Begin Date: 17 Aug 2020

Module/Topic

Please work on your draft report which outlines how you will endeavor to evaluate the success of a rehabilitated landscape, in accordance with the guidance provided in your text book and the Moodle resources.

Submit this report on time so the lecturer can correct and hand it back to you on day 1 of the residential school.

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 6 Begin Date: 24 Aug 2020

Module/Topic

Restoring damaged range lands, with a particular focus on range lands that are encroached by an overabundance of woody shrubs and trees.

Chapter

Tongway & Ludwig,

Chapters 5 and 9.

Events and Submissions/Topic


Week 7 Begin Date: 31 Aug 2020

Module/Topic

Restoration of farmland to enhance biodiversity and productivity.

Restoration of former farmlands and forests in the peri-urban development zone.

Chapter

Tongway & Ludwig,

Chapters 10 and 11

Events and Submissions/Topic

Submit DRAFT Report of your second assignment

Due Date: 4th September 2020, 11.45 pm, AEST

Week 8 Begin Date: 07 Sep 2020

Module/Topic

Restoration of roadside verges after road construction.

Restoration of managed native vegetation transition zones.

Chapter

Tongway & Ludwig,

Chapter 12

Readings online (Spooner and Lunt ).

Events and Submissions/Topic


Week 9 Begin Date: 14 Sep 2020

Module/Topic

Restoration of waste management facilities, dumps and other zones requiring capping, burial or removal.

Chapter

Online readings

Events and Submissions/Topic

Compulsory Residential School at Rockhampton.

15th September to 17th September 2020

(Bldg 8 Room LG 07; Time 8 am to 6 pm; except during field trips)

Week 10 Begin Date: 21 Sep 2020

Module/Topic

Criteria used in determining cost effectiveness and success of rehabilitation - budgets, scoping, planning, monitoring and evaluation when working on a restoration project.

Chapter

Online readings

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 11 Begin Date: 28 Sep 2020

Module/Topic

GIS and mapping in integrated landscape assessment and planning.

Chapter

Online readings

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 12 Begin Date: 05 Oct 2020

Module/Topic

Statistical analysis of plant and landscape parameters

Summary and conclusions.

Chapter

Online readings

Events and Submissions/Topic

Submit FINAL Report of your second assignment

Due: 12th October 2020; 10 am AEST

Review/Exam Week Begin Date: 12 Oct 2020

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Evaluation of a Restored Landscape Due: Review/Exam Week Monday (12 Oct 2020) 10:00 am AEST
Exam Week Begin Date: 19 Oct 2020

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Term Specific Information

The residential school involves field visits and whole day mine site visits. Please come prepared to take part in these trips by wearing appropriate cloths and PPE,  including steel cap boots.

Assessment Tasks

1 Written Assessment

Assessment Title
Landscape Impact Assessment

Task Description

Landscape Impact Assessment (20% of unit marks).

You are required to identify actual or potential impacts of commercial activities, such as mining, smelting, industrial development, agriculture, aquaculture and tourism on landscapes of the place where you currently live (within a radius of 100 km). You will then choose any FOUR of these impacts for this assignment by giving preference to those impacts that will be studied in the residential school.

You may use Google Earth/Queensland Globe maps, on-line information, news articles, company reports of your choice to describe the impacts of such commercial activities on local landscapes.

You will then explain the way those impacts/disturbances are being managed at present, with some indication of their effectiveness. Finally, you will research suitable remediation plans (historic and ideal), and suggest possible improvements to minimise or avoid those impacts (report size: 2500 words).

Journal articles and other credible sources of information would be helpful in finding solutions to remediating impacted sites (see the Moodle site for details).


Assessment Due Date

Week 5 Friday (14 Aug 2020) 11:45 pm AEST


Return Date to Students

5th September 2020


Weighting
20%

Minimum mark or grade
45% of the marks allocated for this assignment

Assessment Criteria

The marker will assess the following skills and attributes of your work:

  1. Identification of appropriate sources of impacts, provision of photos and explanation of the impacts (50%).
  2. Information literacy skills - correct and appropriate referencing, and the evidence that you have referred to a minimum of FIVE credible sources of information, such as journal articles (10%).
  3. Communication skills - write clearly and succinctly within the word count, and use appropriate formatting skills (20%).
  4. Critical thinking skills - consider several possible scenarios that might mitigate the impacts, and discuss positive and negative aspects of each scenario (20%).


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Submission Instructions
Upload a word document via the Moodle site

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Describe the key features of the biogeographic landscape
  • Design a protocol for remediation and/or sustainable management of a disturbed landscape


Graduate Attributes
  • Communication

2 Practical and Written Assessment

Assessment Title
Evaluation of a Restored Landscape

Task Description

Evaluation of a Restored Landscape (30% of the unit marks).

This assignment requires the students to prepare a DRAFT report before the commencement of residential school, and they are required to convert the same report into FINAL report after adding the results of the work carried out during residential school. Please see the schedule for due dates to submit the DRAFT report.

Background:

Landscape restoration can occur in three stages, viz., planning, execution (on-site restoration) and evaluation of restoration success. In this assignment, you will gain experience in evaluating the success of a restored landscape. First, you will collect recent literature on the topic and prepare a protocol (procedure) for collecting the data. This will be written up and submitted as a Draft Report. You will then visit the field site to collect data during residential school. These data must be analysed and interpreted and added to your draft report along with the updated literature survey. The draft report will then become the Final report.

Phase 1 activity

Phase 1 is a planning exercise wherein you will collect information on restoration practices via SCOPUS literature search and through reading your text book to highlight various approaches used in restoring disturbed sites, particularly in evaluating the success of restoration work carried out in various situations (Please note: details of the site you will visit during residential school will be listed on the Moodle site within two weeks of the commencement of the Term).

You will then develop a protocol to collect relevant data from a restored field site according to Landscape Function Analysis (LFA). This includes compilation of relevant data collection forms which come as part of the LFA.

This draft report (approx 1500 words) must be submitted on-line by the 4th of September 2020 by 11.45 pm. Please note: you will not be reminded of this due date as it is only an interim report!. You will only be reminded for the final report.

The lecturer will review the report and return the hard copy of the report to students, along with his comments, on day 1 of the residential school. Protocols contained in this report, including those added by the lecturer (considering site conditions) are to be used in carrying out Phase 2 activities.

Phase 2 activity:

You will carry out the Landscape Function Analysis task on a restored site during residential school, based on the protocols you would have developed in Phase 1 (please use the lecturer-amended draft Report). You will collect the data from the field site, as a GROUP activity, but will analyse the data, and write up results, discussion and conclusions INDIVIDUALLY. You will all this information to the draft report and update literature search. The updated draft report will now become the Final report, and it should include title, author details, affiliation, abstract, key words, contents page, materials and methods, results, discussion, conclusions, acknowledgments, references and appendices (3000 words excluding tables, photos and figures).


Assessment Due Date

Review/Exam Week Monday (12 Oct 2020) 10:00 am AEST

The Final Report must be submitted on the 12th of October at 10 am AEST.


Return Date to Students

The corrected DRAFT report will be handed back to the students on day 1 of the residential school. The Final report will be returned to the students on the 25th of October 2020.


Weighting
30%

Minimum mark or grade
45% of allocated marks

Assessment Criteria

The marker will assess the following skills and attributes of your work when reading your submission:

  1. Planning of restoration evaluation tasks - how well the plan has been prepared taking into consideration the requirements of the project and the availability of resources.
  2. Information literacy skills - correct and appropriate SCOPUS referencing, and the evidence that you have referred to a broad range of credible sources (eg journal articles) of information, and represented these sources accurately
  3. Communication skills - did you write clearly, succinctly, within the word count and formatting skills? Did you present and communicate data as recommended in the unit lectures and tutorials?
  4. Information technology competence - did you use computer packages and tools appropriately to produce quality graphs, images, tables and statistical results?
  5. Critical thinking skills - have you considered the current trends in restoration of disturbed habitats within your initial project plan?
  6. Have you critiqued the management/restoration options appropriately, including positive and negative aspects of the work undertaken by the site owner?


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Submission Instructions
Students should upload a doc, docx or rft file via the Moodle site.

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Describe the key features of the biogeographic landscape
  • Discuss the impacts of various activities such as tree clearing and mining on the sustainability of local ecosystems
  • Conduct land and vegetation surveys, simulate erosion events and describe land remediation techniques
  • Analyse techniques used in the remediation of degraded landscapes and discuss those relevant to Australian ecosystems
  • Design a protocol for remediation and/or sustainable management of a disturbed landscape
  • Assess the criteria used to determine cost effectiveness and success of remediation process.


Graduate Attributes
  • Problem Solving

3 Online Test

Assessment Title
Open book online test

Task Description

An open book online written test will be conducted during examination week.

Duration of the test will be 3 hours. Please see the Moodle site for further details.


Assessment Due Date

The test will be conducted during review/exam week. Please check the examination division's announcement for the time table.


Return Date to Students

Weighting
50%

Assessment Criteria

Marks will be allocated in accordance with the length and appropriateness of answers.


Referencing Style

Submission

No submission method provided.


Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Describe the key features of the biogeographic landscape
  • Discuss the impacts of various activities such as tree clearing and mining on the sustainability of local ecosystems
  • Analyse techniques used in the remediation of degraded landscapes and discuss those relevant to Australian ecosystems
  • Assess the criteria used to determine cost effectiveness and success of remediation process.


Graduate Attributes
  • Critical Thinking
  • Information Literacy

Academic Integrity Statement

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?