Fire in the Australian Landscape (FRST20015)
Undergraduate level 2Points: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
Overview
| Availability | Semester 2 |
|---|---|
| Fees | Look up fees |
Australia is the most fire-prone continent on Earth. This subject explores the important role of fire in Australian landscapes. Students will learn how fire has shaped the diversity of life in Australia over millions of years, how people have been using fire to modify Australian landscapes for millennia, and how contemporary fire patterns influence human society and ecosystems. Topics include combustion and fire behaviour, prediction of fire patterns, fire ecology of plants and animals, Indigenous burning, climate change and future fire, and approaches for using fire, managing fire and sustaining biodiversity.
Intended learning outcomes
By the end of the subject, students should be able to:
- Discuss the role of fire in Australian society.
- Explain the process of combustion and what determines fire behaviour.
- Communicate factors affecting the frequency, intensity, seasonality and size of fires.
- Analyse how fire shapes the ecology and evolution of plants and animals.
- Examine the role of Indigenous burning in past and present Australian landscapes.
- Explore potential changes to fire patterns under future climates.
- Evaluate actions to promote human well-being and sustainability in areas that experience fires.
Generic skills
Students will develop the following generic skills throughout this subject:
- Ability to access and critically evaluate information from a range of sources including the sciences and humanities
- Ability to collect, analyse and interpret data.
- Ability to apply scientific principles to practical problems.
- Working effectively in small and large groups.
- Applying written and oral presentation skills for communication with a range of audiences.
Last updated: 9 April 2025
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
One of
| Code | Name | Teaching period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIOL10001 | Biology of Australian Flora & Fauna | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| BOTA20002 | Plant Biodiversity | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| ECOL20003 | Ecology | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| ENST20001 | Human Behaviour and Environment | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| ENVS10001 | Natural Environments | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| FRST20014 | Forests in a Global Context | No longer available | |
| GEOG20001 | Environment and Society | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| LARC10001 | Natural History for Design | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
Corequisites
Non-allowed subjects
| Code | Name | Teaching period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| FRST30002 | Fire in the Australian Landscape | No longer available |
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: 9 April 2025
Assessment
| Description | Timing | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
Five practical reports, due in weeks 1, 3, 6, 10, 12 (10% per practical report)
| From Week 1 to Week 12 | 50% |
Written Assignment
| Due end of Week 1 of examination period | 50% |
Last updated: 9 April 2025
Dates & times
- Semester 2
Coordinator Luke Kelly Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 52 hours; 11 x 2 hr lectures, 11 x 2 hr Practicals, 1 x 8 hr day field trip (in week 9) Total time commitment 170 hours Teaching period 28 July 2025 to 26 October 2025 Last self-enrol date 8 August 2025 Census date 1 September 2025 Last date to withdraw without fail 26 September 2025 Assessment period ends 21 November 2025
What do these dates mean
Visit this webpage to find out about these key dates, including how they impact on:
- Your tuition fees, academic transcript and statements.
- And for Commonwealth Supported students, your:
- Student Learning Entitlement. This applies to all students enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP).
Subjects withdrawn after the census date (including up to the ‘last day to withdraw without fail’) count toward the Student Learning Entitlement.
Last updated: 9 April 2025
Further information
- Texts
- Breadth options
This subject is available as breadth in the following courses:
- Bachelor of Arts
- Bachelor of Commerce
- Bachelor of Design
- Bachelor of Environments
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Acting)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Animation)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Film and Television)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Music Theatre)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Production)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Screenwriting)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Theatre)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Visual Art)
- Bachelor of Music
- 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.
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
Last updated: 9 April 2025