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The successful student should be able to:

1	critically evaluate written and visual material on environmental problems;
2	understand the scientific bases for current ecological problems, including water resources and conservation issues, in an Australian and global context;
3	apply the principles of the scientific method to collect, analyse and interpret ecological data;
4	present experimental results in a written form that aligns with conventions for scientific reports;
5	discuss scientific matters of current international interest in an informed manner.

No resources are required to be purchased externally. Readings are supplied throughout the course on MyUni.

Students may find the following works helpful:

• Attiwil, P. and Wilson, B. (eds) (2006). Ecology: An Australian Perspective. 2nd edn. (Oxford University Press, New York.) – great general ecology text that comprehensively covers Australian systems
• Australia State of the Environment (2021). (Australian Government). Available on-line at  
• Diamond, J. (2005). Collapse. (Penguin, London.) – an interesting and informative account of conflicts between societies and their environments. 
• Krebs, C. (2008). The Ecological World View. (CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne) – recommended for those with limited ecological background knowledge, or who are planning to continue in ecology courses. PDF available at this link:  
• Recher, HF, Lunney, D, Dunn, I (1995) A Natural Legacy: Ecology in Australia' (SNP Printing: Auckland) – great general ecology text with emphasis on Australian systems
• Wright, R. (2004). A Short History of Progress. (Text Publishing, Melbourne) – concise, thought-provoking book giving examples of past mistakes made by civilisation, and how we can learn from them
• Steffensen, V. (2020). Fire Country. (Hardie Grant Explore) - Delving deep into the Australian landscape and the environmental challenges we face, this is a powerful account of how the revival of cultural burning practices, and improved 'reading' of country, could help to restore our land.
• Indigenous and cross-cultural ecology - perspectives from Australia (Ecological Management and Restoration Journal, special issue) - a collation of papers on topics ranging from Indigenous stewardship, culturally appropriate ecological research protocols, sharing knowledge and decolonising ecology. Full issue available here:  

Teaching materials and course documentation will be posted on the MyUni website (http://myuni.adelaide.edu.au/).

This course will be delivered by the following means:

• 3 X 1-hour lectures per week
• 1 X 3-hour practical/tutorial per week (some sessions will be a local field trip)

A student enrolled in a 3 unit course, such as this, should expect to spend, on average 12 hours per week on the studies required. This includes both the formal contact time required to the course (e.g., lectures and practicals), as well as non-contact time (e.g., reading and revision).

Lecture topics will include: 

• Australian terrestrial ecosystems: how they work and their problems
  
  • Fire and Australian ecosystems 
  • Arid lands; shrublands and grazing; heath and mallee systems; mangroves; rainforests; Gondwana and ecosystems through time
• Australian freshwater ecosystems: how they work and their problems
  • Aquatic ecosystems
  • Salinisation; environmental flows; Karrawirra Parri (River Torrens); total catchment management; pollution (point and diffuse); the Coorong
• Australian marine ecosystems: how they work and their problems
  • The marine environment
  • Science-based marine management; marine protected areas; invasive species; effects of global change on marine systems; adaptation and marine conservation options
• Global ecological perspectives
  • Climate and climate change in Australia
  • Global biogeochemical cycles: carbon pools, processes and climate change; landscape soil development and degradation, biodiversity and soil ecosystem function; humans and ecological footprints; resource use; solutions to problems – science, ecological, social and economic integration
  • Restoration ecology and urban green space
  • Climates of the past and extinction events; global change ecology
  • Land clearance and terrestrial wildlife exploitation; impacts of invasive species on land

Practical and tutorial content:

The course includes field and lab-based practicals on fire ecology, freshwater ecology, urban ecology and marine ecology. Students have assignments associated with each practical, which may include data collection, analysis, presentation/communication and written reports. There are also group tutorials where students will reinforce the knowledge from lectures and have the opportunity to ask questions and get advice on assignments.

There are three x 3h field trips in this course that are in weeks 2, 5 and 7.
All field trips are compulsory. However an alternative assessment is provided in the event a student is unable to participate for legitimate reasons (medical, compassionate, disability, exceptional circumstance). Permission to do the alternative assessment needs to be approved by the Course Co-ordinator

Assessment Task	Task Type	Percentage of total assessment	Hurdle Yes/No	Date for Assessment	Learning Outcome Assessed/Achieved
Practical Reports	Summative	35%	No	See MyUni	1-4
Lecture Tests/MCQs	Summative	60%	No	See MyUni	1,2,5
Tutorial Participation	Formative/Summative	5%	No	See MyUni	1-5

Anstey Hill Fire Report (10%)
Students collect data on vegetation patterns at differing time intervals after a fire event at Anstey Hill Recreation Park in a field trip in week 2. These data are combined into class data, which will be analysed and presented to students. Students then write up the report as a scientific article, discussing the results of that year’s findings with reference to those of years past.

Torrens Report (10%)
In the Torrens excursion in week 5, students identify potential points of impact to the Torrens River system along its length up to the St Peters billabong. Students then summarise the main threats to the river, as well as the suitability and effectiveness of current and proposed management actions, in a report. The report is in the style of a media release, pitched at a general, non-scientific audience, with an aim to encourage debate and participation from members of the general community.

Marine Report (15%)
Students will undertake a field trip to the local area area in week 7 to observe coastal settings adjacent to the metropolitan area to examine threats to the marine environment (sewage discharge, saline discharge from the desalination plant, runoff from the land). The report is written as in a scientific style, as in a govt-based scientific submission.

Tutorial presentation and participation (5%)
Tutorials of two types will be held throughout semester: ‘skills’ tutorials and ‘content’ tutorials. Skills tutorials will familiarise students with techniques common to scientists in their collection, analysis, interpretation and communication of research findings. Content tutorials will reinforce knowledge presented in lectures, and allow students to communicate their opinions and interpretations of the material in the context of a key ecological question of contemporary relevance. The tutorial mark, assigned by individual tutors, will be based on attendance, participation, and the completion of pre-tutorial tasks and worksheets.

Tests (60%)
Three tests will be given to address understanding of the lecture material. Each test will be given at the end of a set of lectures that form one of the three themes. These tests will be in week 5, 8 and 12 of the semester
Test 1 in lecture – 15%
Test 2 in lecture – 20%
Test 3 in lecture – 25%

If an extension is not applied for, or not granted then a penalty for late submission will apply. A penalty of 10% of the value of the assignment for each calendar day that the assignment is late (i.e. weekends count as 2 days), up to a maximum of 50% of the available marks will be applied. This means that an assignment that is 5 days late or more without an approved extension can only receive a maximum of 50% of the marks available for that assignment