62111 LAND USE - DEVELOPMENT AND CONSERVATION

Year	No.	Offer	Mode	Description			Cred. Pts
01	62111 	S2  	D 	LAND USE DEV'T & CONS'N   	1.00

Contents

• Staffing
• Pre-requisite(s)
• Rationale
• Synopsis
• Objectives
• Topics
• Texts
• Reference Materials
• Student Workload
• Assessment Details
• Other Requirements

STAFFING:

PRE-REQUISITE(S)

62221/62114

RATIONALE:

Present and future Australian decision-makers require an understanding
of the principles of Ecologically Sustainable Development. Students in
all   major  subjects  will  benefit  from  an  appreciation  of   the
environmental impact of current land uses. As options for  sustainable
land  uses  become more constrained, the need for scientifically-based
catchment and regional resource planning, becomes more urgent and more
crucial to Australia's future.

SYNOPSIS:

The  unit  is  based on an explanation of ecological principles  as  a
basis  for  Australia's land and water resources  sustainability.  The
effects of population growth and traditional management approaches  on
land  use for agriculture, mining, forestry, water catchments, tourism
and  residential  expansion are analysed and explained.  Environmental
impacts  are  studied  and  compared  economically,  ecologically  and
socially. Current approaches to land use planning and resource use are
evaluated  in terms of their contribution to a sustainable  Australian
society.

OBJECTIVES:

On successful completion of this unit students will:

1. understand ecosystem structure and function as a basis of land
   use planning
   
2. appreciate the potential and limitations of Australian land
   resources
   
3. recognise the relative advantages and disadvantages of
   agriculture, mining, forestry, conservation reserves and other
   alternate land uses
   
4. understand and be able to apply the principles of ecologically
   sustainable development
   
5. demonstrate a significant contribution to an understanding of
   sustainable resource use issues through group tutorial
   sessions
   
6. be able to integrate knowledge of development and conservation
   into their major study
   

TOPICS:

 Description                                                    Weighting(%)

Land and Society -Ecological Principles                               23.00

History of Land Use and Ecologically Sustainable                      15.00
Development

Major Land Issues in Australia                                        54.00

Future Perspectives                                                   8.00

TEXT and MATERIALS required to be PURCHASED or accessed:

REFERENCE MATERIALS:

Reference materials are materials that, if accessed by students, may improve their knowledge and understanding of the material in the unit and enrich their learning experience.

Caro, T. Ed., 1998, Behavioural ecology and conservation biology,
Oxford Uni Press, New York.

Chapman, J. & Roberts, M.B.V., 1997, Biodiversity: the abundance of
life, Cambridge, CUP.

Flannery T. 1997, The Future Eaters, Reed Books, Sydney.

Jeffries, M.J. 1997, Biodiversity and Conservation, Routledge,
London.

Mercer, D., 2000, A Question of Balance, 3rd edn, Federation Press,
Sydney.

Roberts, B.R. 1995, The Quest for Sustainable Agriculture and Land
Use, UNSW Press, Sydney.

State of the Environment Advisory Council, 1996, State of the
Environment, Australia 1996, CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.

Cocks, D. 1992, Use With Care: Managing Australia's Natural Resources
in the 21st Century, UNSW Press, Sydney.

Urbanska, K.M., Webb, N.R. & Edwards, P.J. 1997, Restoration Ecology
& Sustainable Development, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Yencken, D. and Wilkinson, D., 2000, Resetting the Compass:
Australia's Journey Towards Sustainability, CSIRO.

VIDEOS:
ABC, Australia, 1990/1991 A Question of Survival: Bilbies.

ABC, Australia, 1990/1991, A Question of Survival: Salinity.

ABC, Australia, 1990/1991, A Question of Survival: Mother of
Invention.

ABC, Australia, 1990/1991, Living Australia: A case study in water
care in the Murray-Darling Basin.

Educational Media, Australia 1995, Biodiversity.

Educational Media, Australia, 1998, Biological Seatbelts.

Marcom Projects, Australia, Systems Energy and Matter.

Marcom Projects, Australia, Water Through the Ecosystem.

Marcom Projects, Australia, Succession & Climax Communities.

Marcom Projects, Australia, Interactions and Relationships Among
Organisms.

STUDENT WORKLOAD REQUIREMENTS:

	ACTIVITY				HOURS
Lectures                                      	26
Tutorials/Workshops                           	23
Report Writing                                	30
Private Study                                 	88
Examinations                                  	2

ASSESSMENT DETAILS:

No  *F/S Marks     Due        Description                              Wtg(%)    LBL WWW
1   S    35.00     PASSIM    ASSIGNMENTS                               35.00     N   N
2   S    25.00     WK 14     PROJECT                                   25.00     N   N
3   S    40.00     END S2    2HR CLOSED EXAM                           40.00     N   N

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

1    To be certain of obtaining a passing grade in this unit, students
     must:
1.1  gain at least 50% of the marks available for the unit; and
1.2  gain at least 50% of the total marks available for the unit; and
1.3  attend  at least 80% of the tutorial sessions for this  unit  and
     demonstrate  by involvement in these sessions and the assignments
     submitted that they have achieved the objectives of the unit.
2    Any  supplementary or deferred examinations for  this  unit  will
     normally be held in the Semester 3 examination period.
3    In   accordance  with  the  University's  Policy  on  Assignments
     (Regulation 5.6.1), the Examiner of a unit may grant an extension
     of  the  due  date of an assignment in extenuating circumstances.
     This  policy  may  be  found in the USQ  Handbook,  the  Distance
     Education  Student Guide and the Faculty of Sciences' Orientation
     Handbook for new on-campus students. All students are advised  to
     study and follow the guidelines associated with this policy.
4    Assignments  submitted after the due date without any extenuating
     circumstances  will  attract a penalty of  at  most  20%  of  the
     assignment mark for each working date late.
5    Closed Examination: A closed examination is an examination  where
     the  candidates  are  allowed to bring only writing  and  drawing
     instruments into the examination.