Overview:

Landscape restoration involves several stages, such as planning, execution (on-site restoration), and evaluation of restoration success. In Assessment Task 1, you will gain experience in evaluating the success of a restored landscape. You will produce a research report that is informed by a review of recent literature and contains the methods, results, discussion, and conclusions of a Landscape Function Analysis that you will conduct using data that you will collect from the field.

Assessment Task 1 consists of three activities that build on each other and directly relate to practical components of the compulsory Residential School. The Residential School will include visit(s) to restored, rehabilitated or undisturbed land site(s). Summaries of the Assessment 1 activities are given below. Full detail is given in the Assessment tile and pages within the EVST13015 Moodle site.

Activity 1 – Planning and report drafting:

• Collect information (from scientific literature, the prescribed textbook, and other unit learning resources) about various approaches used in restoring disturbed sites, particularly in evaluating the success of such restoration efforts. Emphasis should be on Landscape Function Analysis (LFA) and case studies where LFA has been applied to assess the success of rehabilitation.
• Review the collected literature, read about principles and procedures of LFA, and locate suitable templates for LFA data collection.
• Prepare a field protocol that can be used during the Residential School for collecting field data for LFA.
• Write-up the literature review and planning to-date as a Draft Report.
• When preparing the Draft Report (approx. 1500 words) consider the expected layout of the Final Report (Activity 3). The draft report should include introduction, materials and methods (the protocol), and the review of literature. It should list any templates you will use in data collection.
• The draft report (especially the draft protocol) must be submitted prior to the residential school. i.e., by Monday Week 4, 31 July 2023 11.45 PM.
• Lecturers will review the draft report and return any comments on or before Day 1 of the Residential School.
• The lecturer-reviewed LFA field protocols are to be used when executing Activity 2.

Activity 2 – Data collection, Landscape Function Analysis:

• On Day 1 of the Residential School, note the lecturer’s comments on the Draft Reports.
• Discuss the LFA protocol with group members and get ready to collect the data during the site visit(s).
• Visit restored/rehabilitated and undisturbed field site(s) during the residential school.
• Collect LFA data using the protocols and templates identified during Activity 1 (use the lecturer-amended Draft Report).
• Collect the data from the field site as a group activity.
• Inspect and begin to analyse the collected LFA data with guidance from teaching staff and the provided unit learning resources.

Activity 3 - Results interpretation and preparation of Final Report:

• After the residential school, carry out further review of literature including via database searches.
• Further analyse and interpret the LFA data. Write-up all results (independently), in the form of a Final Report.
• When writing the final report consider the assessment criteria and the targeted discussion points provided on the Assessment Task 1 pages in Moodle.
• The format of the Final Report should include title, author details, affiliation, abstract, key words, contents page, materials and methods, results, discussion, conclusions, acknowledgments, references, and appendices (approx. 3000 words excluding tables, photos, and figures).
• Submit the Final Report by Friday, 8 September 2023 11.45 PM.

For the full details on Assessment Task 1 see the Assessment tile and pages within the EVST13015 Moodle site.

1. Planning of restoration evaluation task - including level of effort and standard of completion of Activity 1 by the draft report due date (20%).
2. Information literacy skills – including evidence of appropriate database searches, accurate review of literature from a broad range of credible sources, and correct referencing style, including in-text citations (20%).
3. Data analysis and presentation – including how well the data were collected, processed, and presented (in tables and graphs), using appropriate software packages (20%).
4. Communication skills – including use of an appropriate academic writing style, presenting the work as per the specified report layout, and providing an accurate and succinct interpretation of results (20%).
5. Critical thinking skills – including evaluation of findings, critique of the restoration work and responses to the targeted discussion questions (20%).

For Assessment Task 2 – You are required to prepare a discussion paper (approx. 2500 words) that identifies and assesses actual or potential impacts of commercial activities on landscapes in the city/shire/region where you normally live (within 100 km radius). Examples of commercial activities include forestry, quarrying, land filling, mining, smelting, dredging, grazing, power generation, aquaculture, tourism, intensive horticulture, development of new housing estates and construction of transportation infrastructure. Choose any FOUR activities occurring in your local area, to research for this Landscape Impact Assessment Task.

The goal of this written assessment is for you to demonstrate your understanding of the observed or potential environmental impacts of the selected activities and the possible solutions to those impacts.

You may use Google Earth/Queensland Globe maps, on-line information, news articles, company reports, or (if possible) first-hand visits and photos, to describe the impacts of your selected 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 rehabilitation/remediation plans (historic, current, and best practice) to suggest possible improvements to minimise or avoid the identified impacts and/or to find solutions for rehabilitating the impacted sites.

Journal articles, technical scientific reports, environmental consultancy reports, and other credible sources of information should be used to support your descriptions and explanations. Natural Resource Management groups, as well as local and state government environment departments are appropriate contact points to become familiar with land management and rehabilitation practices, policies, and procedures.

For the full details on Assessment Task 2, see the Assessment tile and pages within the EVST13015 Moodle site.

1. Description of your studied area, identification of appropriate sources of impacts, provision of photos/ map images and description of the impacts (50%).
2. Information literacy skills - correct and appropriate referencing, and evidence that you have referred to a minimum of FIVE credible sources of information, such as journal articles (10%).
3. Communication skills - clear and succinct style, within the word count, use of appropriate formatting skills (20%).
4. Critical thinking skills - consideration of several possible scenarios that might mitigate the impacts, and discussion of positive and negative aspects of each scenario (20%).

Assessment Task 3 is an Open Book, Online Written Test.

The test is timed. The maximum time to complete the test is 3 hours (180 minutes).

The test will open for a 24-hour period from 9:00 am (AEST) Friday 6 Oct.  Test time starts when you open the test.

The Open Book, Online Written Test has been designed to assess your understanding of concepts covered throughout the term.

Online typed written answers to short answer and long answer questions will be required. Answers must be of your own work, and they will be checked by 'Turnitin'. Any potential collusion will result in a breach of academic integrity.

Further detail on Assessment Task 3 will be provided in the Assessment tile and pages within the EVST13015 Moodle Site.

The 3-hour Online Open Book Test will be marked out of 180 marks.

The maximum marks available for each question will be clearly indicated in the online test.

The number of marks allocated for a question will give an indication of the time (number of minutes) to spend on that question.

Marks will be awarded in accordance with the level of understanding demonstrated, the level of detail provided, and the appropriateness of the answer to the question.