Sustainable Landscapes (NRMT90014)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
Overview
| Availability | Semester 1 |
|---|---|
| Fees | Look up fees |
This subject will consider the wider landscape issues associated with:
- rural and urban land use and land use change, clearing, fragmentation and modification of native vegetation, and the influences of these on biodiversity, and ecosystem services and processes;
- utilisation, degradation and management of rural and urban biophysical resources, especially in regard to the soil and water;
- climate change and sustainable rural futures;
- population - the regional, the service town, the rural, urban fringe;
- agriculture - agro-ecology, trends in modern agricultural production, and the sustainability of production, food sovereignty, post-production landscapes;
- industrialisation - intensification and pollution;
- the commons - public and private good;
- environmental security and institutions;
- governance - deliberative democracy, empowerment; community based natural resource management; and
- economics.
These issues will be situated within the systems theory paradigm. Theories of complex adaptive systems, social-ecological systems, uncertainty, complexity, and emergence will frame the investigation of these issues and provide the foundation for a critique of command and control approaches to landscape management. Central to the framework explored in this subject are notions of resilience and community based knowledge systems. Students will engage deeply with the literature that informs these ideas and develop a critical understanding of their value and limitations.
Students will analyse the meaning of landscape through landscape sciences (ecology, resource management, extension, etc) and policy frameworks.
This subject uses a combination of Australian and overseas case studies to provide a framework for student analysis.
- At the completion of this subject, students should:
- be able to discuss the implications in landscape changes for urban and rural or regional populations;
- be able to map agro-ecological and social community interrelations;
- be familiar with policy and planning tools that influence biodiversity, community and ecological resilience and governance; and
- be familiar with methodologies and methods to analyse and process issues of uncertainty and risk in landscape decision making and landscape management practice.
Intended learning outcomes
The aim of this unit is to extend the participant’s ability to:
- Assess and evaluate rural and urban land use and land use change associated with fragmentation and modification of native vegetation, biodiversity issues, ecosystem services and processes.
- Assess the significance of urban, urban fringe and rural landscapes in terms of their landscape futures, and their impacts on biophysical resources.
- Describe the principles and practices of socio-ecological systems, complexity, and resilience thinking underpinning ideas about sustainable landscapes; and apply these to critical analysis of socio-ecological system interactions.
- Describe and evaluate issues of governance, property, ethics and economics as they relate to environmental security, the commons, and sustainable regional futures.
- Describe and consider indigenous contributions to landscape futures.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the political and social constraints on the intelligent management of the wider landscape, and its interface with the peri-urban.
- Consider policy and planning issues with regard to the design and management of rural and regional landscapes.
- Consider how rural and regional social and ecological systems connect to the urban environment (urban cology, community gardens, public open space and urban agriculture).
Generic skills
Students in this unit should:
- enhance their discipline skills in the area of landscape policy and planning;
- further develop their critical thinking through readings, lectures, assessment; and
- further develop their ability to think through issues of complexity by developing methodological approaches and methods to assist decision processes and practice.
Last updated: 11 October 2023
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
Admission into the Graduate Environmental Program (OEP), Masters of Urban Planning, Masters in Urban Horticulture, Masters of Forest and Ecosystem Science or Masters of Geography or into Honours in the Melbourne School of Land & Environment. Students who have already undertaken Building Resilient Communities may wish to discuss taking this subject with coordinator.
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
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: 11 October 2023
Assessment
Additional details
One Literature Review (2000 words) due approximately in week 5 or 6 (40%)
Revision of the previous literature review applied to a case study (3000 words) due approximately in week 12 (60%).
Last updated: 11 October 2023
Dates & times
- Semester 1
Principal coordinator Ruth Beilin Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 7 weeks of 2 hour/week lectures during the semester, plus a one hour optional discussion group each of those weeks that will follow the lectures. The field trip is a weekend field school away and leaves Friday at 4pm and returns Sunday approx 4pm. Please note that the website may not show the correct weekend for the field trip as it is decided at the start of each year but the timetable goes in the previous year. Individual tutor meetings throughout the semester by appointment. Total time commitment 170 hours Teaching period 26 February 2018 to 27 May 2018 Last self-enrol date 9 March 2018 Census date 31 March 2018 Last date to withdraw without fail 4 May 2018 Assessment period ends 22 June 2018 Semester 1 contact information
Time commitment details
Total Time Commitment:Field trip is not compulsory but includes +16 contact hours with lecturer and additional staff and local experts, and is highly recommended. It is capped at 50 participants. It is recommended that students need to do 3 hours of reading for each hour of contact. Estimated total time commitment = 170 hrs.
Additional delivery details
Students maybe asked to contribute to, travel, and food expenses while in the field
Last updated: 11 October 2023
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
Walker, B. and D. Salt 2006. Resilience Thinking: Sustaining Ecosystems and People in a changing World. Island Press: Washington.
Walker, B. and D. Salt, 2012. Resilience Practice: Building Capacity to Absorb Disturbance and M Maintain Maintain Function.
Recommended texts and other resources
Harris, G. 2007 Sustainability in an age of complexity. Cambridge Press.
Other readings will be provided through LMS.
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Course Master of Environmental Science Course Master of Urban Horticulture Informal specialisation Landscape Management Major Climate Change Major Climate Change Major Climate Change Major Conservation and Restoration Major Conservation and Restoration Major Sustainable Cities, Sustainable Regions Major Tailored Specialisation Major Tailored Specialisation Major Conservation and Restoration Major Sustainable Cities, Sustainable Regions Major Sustainable Cities, Sustainable Regions Major Tailored Specialisation Major Tailored Specialisation Major Tailored Specialisation Major Tailored Specialisation - 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.
Please note Single Subject Studies via Community Access Program is not available to student visa holders or applicants
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
Last updated: 11 October 2023