env3me mountain ecosystems field course b
MOUNTAIN ECOSYSTEMS FIELD COURSE B
ENV3ME
2020
Credit points: 15
Subject outline
This subject is based around a six-day field trip in late February (prior to the start of Semester 1) at Falls Creek, Victoria. The field work will explore alpine and sub-alpine ecosystems in detail during daytime excursions, team based research work in the Alpine National Park, and through evening discussions and lectures. Pre-trip materials including background reading and assessments will be provided online one month prior to the field trip. Your knowledge of the concepts and details will be assessed before the residency at Falls Creek. Post field trip commitments will involve completion of a report based on the project work you have conducted. Aspects of alpine geology, hydrology, soils, and aquatic and terrestrial plant and animal communities will be considered in detail. Potential and real threats to alpine ecosystems will be addressed. This subject is an introduction to field research and will be suitable for aspiring park rangers, ecologists and anyone interested in a career working in science and the environment.
SchoolLife Sciences
Credit points15
Subject Co-ordinatorEwen Silvester
Available to Study Abroad/Exchange StudentsYes
Subject year levelYear Level 3 - UG
Available as ElectiveNo
Learning ActivitiesN/A
Capstone subjectNo
Subject particulars
Subject rules
Prerequisites Students must have completed 45 credit points of second year science subjects
Co-requisitesN/A
Incompatible subjectsENV2ME
Equivalent subjectsN/A
Quota Management StrategyMerit based quota management
Quota-conditions or rulesStudents selected from provisionally enrolled list, based on previous results.
Special conditionsStudents MUST check details of field trip dates, costs and reimbursement cut-off dates with the Subject Coordinator / SHE AW Admin. This field subject incurs additional costs. The field trip start point is from Wodonga campus and students are expected to make their own way there or travel independently to Falls Creek directly - both of these options are at the students own cost.
Minimum credit point requirementN/A
Assumed knowledgeN/A
Learning resources
Australian Alps: Kosciuszko
Resource TypeBook
Resource RequirementRecommended
AuthorAlpine and Namadgi National Parks
Year2016
Edition/VolumeN/A
PublisherCSIRO Publishing
ISBNN/A
Chapter/article titleN/A
Chapter/issueN/A
URLN/A
Other descriptionN/A
Source locationN/A
Career Ready
Career-focusedNo
Work-based learningNo
Self sourced or Uni sourcedN/A
Entire subject or partial subjectN/A
Total hours/days requiredN/A
Location of WBL activity (region)N/A
WBL addtional requirementsN/A
Graduate capabilities & intended learning outcomes
Graduate Capabilities
Intended Learning Outcomes
Subject options
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Melbourne (Bundoora), 2020, Week 04-12, Blended
Overview
Online enrolmentNo
Maximum enrolment size40
Subject Instance Co-ordinatorEwen Silvester
Class requirements
Field TripWeek: 4 - 12
One 7.00 days field trip per study period on any day including weekend during the day from week 4 to week 12 and delivered via face-to-face.
The subject is based at the alpine resort of Falls Creek, Victoria, approximately 130 km from the A-W campus. It will be conducted onsite at Falls Creek in the third week of February.
Unscheduled Online ClassWeek: 4 - 12
One 15.00 hours unscheduled online class per study period from week 4 to week 12 and delivered via online.
Online components for preparation and assessment will be conducted from early January until mid-March.
Assessments
| Assessment element | Category | Contribution | Hurdle | % | ILO* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Field work report (2500-words due four weeks after field trip) Hurdle Requirement: Students must achieve a minimum of 50% in this assessment in order to pass the subject. The on-line components and group activities allow students to pass the subject without passing the major report. The hurdle requirement for this assessment item allows students who initially fail the report to re-submit a new report at an acceptable standard, using the feedback provided. | N/A | N/A | Yes | 50 | SILO1, SILO3, SILO4 |
| Pre-trip assessment-1 (Species description; 300-words equivalent) Students provide description of attributes and distribution of an allocated alpine animal or plant species | N/A | N/A | No | 10 | SILO4 |
| Pre-trip assessment-2 (Climate Change; 300-words equivalent) Students provide a synopsis of four (4) documents dealing with evidence for climate change in the Alps | N/A | N/A | No | 10 | SILO4 |
| Teamwork (250-words equivalent groups of 4-5 students) Student performance and engagement in small project groups assessed by academic staff | N/A | N/A | No | 10 | SILO2 |
| Oral presentation (750-words equivalent) Oral presentations summarizing their projects/results are prepared in groups and delivered in groups on the penultimate day of the field trip. | N/A | N/A | No | 20 | SILO2, SILO4 |