Overview
Catchment to Reef Management is a capstone unit in which you will synthesise the skills and knowledge developed in your degree to date. You will study how abiotic and biotic factors affect ecosystem development in the major regions of a catchment and examine anthropogenic issues in catchment management. During an extended field trip, you will work in teams to quantitatively and qualitatively examine and evaluate a Central Queensland catchment and then develop elements of a whole of catchment management plan. While planning and undertaking field work you will consider the role and needs of stakeholders, including Traditional Owners, Australian legislative and ethical requirements, and environmental and economic factors.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Students must successfully complete 96 credit points of study before undertaking this unit.Prerequisites: 96 credit points in an allied discipline (e.g. CV85, CU18, CC13 or other STEM courses).
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 - 2024
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 SUTE feedback
One student suggested more information about the expectations of the assessment could be provided.
As for the previous year's offering, more time will be spent explaining the expectations surrounding the assessment pieces in 2024.
Feedback from SUTE feedback In-person feedback
Feedback suggested some students found the lectures too long on occasion.
I agree with this assessment and avenues to trim down the length of lectures without adversely compromising the content will be explored for 2024.
Feedback from SUTE feedback In-person feedback Moodle
Students again noted the residential school as a highlight of the unit, with the twin aspects of meeting local practitioners, and further developing skills in scientific sampling, being most appreciated.
Retain the residential school within the unit as a critical hands-on experience that facilitates personal skills and intellectual development, while also offering unique networking opportunities for employment prior to graduation.
- Differentiate the ecology of the major regions within a catchment system
- Articulate the major drivers of issues in catchment management
- Critically explain ecosystem structure and abiotic changes along the length of a catchment system
- Evaluate current catchment management programs and practices
- Plan and complete elements of a whole of catchment survey
- Assess disturbances caused by natural and anthropogenic processes within a catchment system
- Develop elements of a whole of catchment management plan that considers environmental and economic factors, Australian legislative frameworks, community stakeholders and traditional knowledge.
Not applicable.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
| 1 - Research Assignment - 30% | |||||||
| 2 - Learning logs / diaries / Journal / log books - 20% | |||||||
| 3 - Portfolio - 50% | |||||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
| 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 - Research Assignment - 30% | ||||||||||
| 2 - Learning logs / diaries / Journal / log books - 20% | ||||||||||
| 3 - Portfolio - 50% | ||||||||||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
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.
a.irving@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Unit overview
• What are catchments?
• Multiple users, multiple needs
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Profile of a catchment
• Water & geology
• Physical, chemical, & biological characteristics
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL
**No lectures will run this week**
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Catchment Issues
• Modification of flow
• Algae and algal blooms - A/Prof. Larelle Fabbro, guest lecture
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Catchment issues
• Sedimentation
• Nutrients & Eutrophication
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Catchment issues
• Over-fishing
• Coastal and reef impacts
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Guest lectures:
Dr Megan Ellis - Gladstone Ports Corporation
Dr Adam Rose - "Slow The Flow"
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Catchment solutions
• Managing Flow
• Over-fishing & Aquaculture
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Catchment solutions
• Detecting the Problems part 1 - Adequacy of Sampling
• Detecting the Problems part 2 - Impact Assessment
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Guest lectures:
Dr Leigh Stitz - Fitzroy Partnership for River Health
Dr Julie Malan - Carbon Link
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Catchment Management
• The DPSWR Framework
• What is the Future for Catchment
Management?
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Unit Readings (available on Moodle)
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
This unit will comprise a weekly series of live online content and guest lectures, as well as a compulsory 4-day residential school (run during week 3). The residential school will involve considerable travel over land, river, and sea associated with the Fitzroy River Basin, and will involve a healthy amount of field work. The residential school will be essential to your
ability to successfully complete the assessment components of the unit.
1 Learning logs / diaries / Journal / log books
You are required to submit a copy of your field data log and observation notebook based on the activities completed during the residential school. Your log book needs to be a thorough and accurate daily account of the activities you have completed, any data obtained (including traceable records such as GPS points), observations made, and people you have interacted with for your research purposes. Importantly, the log book needs to be signed and dated by an independent person who can attest to its veracity (this will be one of your fellow students on your residential school). You will be using your log book as the foundation for the remaining assessment pieces for the unit, so keeping an excellent record of activities, observations and thoughts is going to help you to complete your remaining assessments to a high standard. There is no word limit for this assessment, though note that the more thorough log books tend to attract higher marks as they are a more complete reflection of the residential school and your individual activities and thoughts. You will need to submit copies of your log book shortly after finishing the residential school.
Week 4 Monday (29 July 2024) 11:45 pm AEST
Please submit your work through Moodle as either scanned copies of your notes or photographs of your notes embedded into Word or Powerpoint in their correct order.
Week 6 Monday (19 Aug 2024)
This marked assessment will be returned through Moodle.
Your field data log and observation notebook will be marked against the following criteria:
- Presentation of a thorough and accurate daily record of activities (40 %)
- Presentation of a clear record of the raw data you have collected, as well as other field observations and thoughts (e.g. qualitative, anecdotal) (40 %)
- Presentation of any interpretive notes and other important relevant information (e.g. GPS points, equipment brand used, contact names and organisations worked with) (10 %)
- Having your log book verified by an independent person each day (10 %)
- Plan and complete elements of a whole of catchment survey
- Assess disturbances caused by natural and anthropogenic processes within a catchment system
- Problem Solving
- Information Literacy
- Team Work
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Ethical practice
2 Research Assignment
For this assessment, you are required to produce a Catchment Health Report Card based on the data and information you have gathered during the residential school. Your report card should be in the format of a brochure/pamphlet, which presents, at least, the relevant processed data (graphs, tables etc.) and their associated high-level conclusions, along with appropriate justification and background information that explains the purpose of the report card. Your report card is to be no longer than three A4 pages. The Fitzroy Basin Report Card (discussed during term) will be a useful guide for this assessment.
Week 7 Monday (26 Aug 2024) 11:45 pm AEST
Please submit your work as either a Word, Powerpoint, or PDF file via Moodle.
Week 9 Monday (9 Sept 2024)
This marked assessment will be returned through Moodle.
Your assessment will be marked against the following criteria:
- Appropriate and succinct background information needed to interpret your report card (10 %)
- Clear presentation of relevant processed data and summary findings (30 %)
- Reasoned and justified interpretation of your data in the context of river/catchment health, including a succinct report card grade (30 %)
- Consistent and engaging formatting, including diagrams/photographs where appropriate (10 %)
- Correct presentation of reference list (including in-text citations) (10 %)
- Correct spelling and grammar (10 %)
- Differentiate the ecology of the major regions within a catchment system
- Articulate the major drivers of issues in catchment management
- Critically explain ecosystem structure and abiotic changes along the length of a catchment system
- Evaluate current catchment management programs and practices
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Information Technology Competence
3 Portfolio
Your task for this assessment is to prepare an in-depth catchment management plan for the area sampled during the residential school. You plan must include a background describing the broad environmental conditions of the catchment, and outline contemporary stakeholder use and current issues/conflicts. Against this context, you will present and summarise your residential school data to highlight specific parameters of interest or concern. Using your residential school data and any relevant historical data available, you will then propose management actions aimed at addressing the parameters you identify. You will need to clearly justify your proposed management plan with respect to key factors, such as environmental outcomes (both locally and across the broader catchment), sustainable economic use and development, societal well-being (including Traditional Owners and practices), and meeting State and Federal legislative requirements. You are encouraged to refer to relevant report cards to support your work (including your own report card produced in assessment 2), as well as those produced by other entities (e.g. Gladstone Healthy Harbour Partnership, Fitzroy Basin Association, etc.).
There is a limit of 3000 words (+/- 10 %) for this assessment.
Week 12 Friday (4 Oct 2024) 11:45 pm AEST
Please submit your assessment as a Word document through Moodle. No PDF files will be accepted.
Exam Week Friday (18 Oct 2024)
Marked assessments will be returned through Moodle.
Your catchment management plan will be assessed against the following criteria:
- An executive summary identifying the key messages (particularly the identified problems and their solutions) of your catchment management plan (10 %)
- A clear and concise summary of background information for the catchment area (10 %)
- A description of the range of stakeholder interests and contemporary issues associated with the catchment (15 %)
- Presentation and summary of key residential school data and any additional relevant data (20 %)
- A catchment management plan that presents and justifies proposed solutions to key issues identified in the report, explained in the context of environmental, economic, societal, and legislative considerations within the catchment (25 %)
- Engaging formatting and presentation, including appropriate use of graphs, tables, figures, and photographs (5 %)
- Clear communication of your ideas, with correct spelling and grammar (5 %)
- A reference list of appropriate literature and information sources cited within the text of your report (5 %)
- Within word limits (3000 words +/-10 %) (5 %)
- Critically explain ecosystem structure and abiotic changes along the length of a catchment system
- Evaluate current catchment management programs and practices
- Plan and complete elements of a whole of catchment survey
- Assess disturbances caused by natural and anthropogenic processes within a catchment system
- Develop elements of a whole of catchment management plan that considers environmental and economic factors, Australian legislative frameworks, community stakeholders and traditional knowledge.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Team Work
- Information Technology Competence
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Ethical practice
- Social Innovation
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?
