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Landscapes and Diversity (GEOG20009)
Undergraduate level 2Points: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
Semester 2
Overview
Availability | Semester 2 |
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Fees | Look up fees |
This subject focuses on the relationship between landforms and the diversity of plants and animals they host. It investigates the way in which certain landscapes support particular types of ecosystems and the roles played by climate, time and earth surface processes in maintaining and forcing change in those ecosystems. The key systems covered include river, wetland, groundwater, karst, desert and alpine. The subject also considers human impacts and climate change and how these may determine biodiversity and geomorphological trajectories of these systems. Field work (of up to 5 days through the semester) will be a key learning mode. Through lectures, practicals and field exercises, skills will be developed in a range of analytical techniques used to investigate relevant environmental processes and changes.
Intended learning outcomes
Students will develop an understanding of how key ecosystems function in the landscape. Through lectures, practicals and field exercises students will gain knowledge and develop skills in the following:
- how ecosystems are controlled by processes operating over catchment and regional scales;
- how ecosystems are important for the maintenance of biodiversity and the quality of human life; and
- how changes due to climate change or human impacts affect the timing and scale of environmental processes.
Generic skills
Be able to:
- understand the broad-scale relationships between landforms and ecosystem diversity;
- understand the influence of human impacts, time and climate on these relationships;
- critically evaluate the published literature concerning river, lake, groundwater, cave, desert, alpine and wetland systems;
- write clear and concise reports and reviews;
- understand important methods of environmental analysis; and
- conduct library-based research.
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Recommended background knowledge
Completion at least 25 points of first- and/or second-year subjects from one or more of the following study areas or equivalent subjects with the approval of the co-ordinator: Agriculture, Australian Indigenous Studies, Atmosphere and Ocean Sciences, Biology, Botany, Ecology, Environmental Engineering, Environmental Studies, Environments, Earth Sciences, Forest Science, Geography, Natural Resource Management, Science, Zoology.
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Assessment
Additional details
- Laboratory practicals (35%).
- Field report, 1,500 words, due in week 9 (30%).
- One 2-hour examination (35%).
Students must submit 8/10 of the laboratory practical assignments and attend the field trip to be eligible to pass the subject.
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Dates & times
- Semester 2
Principal coordinator Barbara Downes Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 24 hours of lectures, 16 hours of practicals and a field trip. Total time commitment 170 hours Teaching period 24 July 2017 to 22 October 2017 Last self-enrol date 4 August 2017 Census date 31 August 2017 Last date to withdraw without fail 22 September 2017 Assessment period ends 17 November 2017 Semester 2 contact information
Time commitment details
170 hours.
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
There are no specifically prescribed or recommended texts for this subject.
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Informal specialisation Integrated Geography Informal specialisation Physical Geography Major Integrated Geography Major Physical Geography Informal specialisation Science-credited subjects - new generation B-SCI and B-ENG. Informal specialisation Environments Discipline subjects Informal specialisation Selective subjects for B-BMED Major Environmental Geography - Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
Last updated: 3 November 2022