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Fire, Weeds and Ferals: Conserving Nature in Protected Areas unit (KGA331)

This unit is a fully face-to-face unit delivered on campus in Hobart. It includes a 3 day (2 night) field trip which will involve camping. All enrolled students are expected to attend all of the on-campus activities in Hobart and the 3-day field camp. You will need to supply your own camping equipment for the field camp, or check the MyLO site once enrolled to request to borrow equipment from our limited supplies as soon as the unit opens. Do NOT turn up for the field camp without equipment assuming that you can borrow it - none will be available by that time.
You must have completed KGA213 prior to enrolling in KGA331. Contact the unit coordinator if you would like to enrol for this unit but have not completed KGA213.

Introduction

This unit provides you with the knowledge and practical skills to prepare conservation management plans - a skill essential for those working towards a career managing natural environments and people in protected areas. For those with other vocational interests, the unit is a way to learn about natural ecosystems and the principles of conservation management. Fire, weed, feral and people management require the biophysical knowledge that this unit provides. They also require an understanding of planning, administrative and management systems, all of which can facilitate or impede the achievement of conservation outcomes. We develop this broad understanding of factors relevant to the conservation management of ecosystems and species in protected areas, and train students in the formulation of natural environment management plans. The plans we produce are usually used by the protected area managers. Field work is used to familiarise students with the management problems of a particular protected area and to collect data relevant to the formulation of the management plan.

Summary

Unit name Fire, Weeds and Ferals: Conserving Nature in Protected Areas
Unit code KGA331
Credit points 12.5
College/School Sciences and Engineering
School of Geography, Planning, and Spatial Sciences
Discipline Geography, Planning, and Spatial Sciences
Coordinator Doctor Kerry Bridle
Available as an elective? No
Delivered By University of Tasmania
Level Advanced

Sustainable Development Goals

The Unit Coordinator has identified that this unit aligns with the following UN Sustainable Development Goals. We welcome your thoughts and feedback on the alignment of the unit with these goals.

Availability

Specific information on 2027 unit availability will be available in August

Learning Outcomes

  • Engage in critical thinking about conservation in protected areas
  • Communicate effectively on the subject in maps and writing
  • Employ basic terminology and concepts in protected area management for nature conservation
  • Analyse and interpret basic spatial information and interpret spatial patterns in terms of management needs

Fee Information

2027 fee information will be available in August.

Requisites

Prerequisites

KGA213 Natural Environmental Field Techniques

Teaching

Teaching Pattern

Intensive over ten days starting on 3rd January 2027.

The intensive includes three days of fieldwork, five * 3-hour practical sessions and 20 mini-lectures/lectorials organised in the following sequence - days 1 & 2 (3-4 Jan): on-campus, lectorials/field prep; days 3-5 (5-7 Jan): field camp; day 6 (8 Jan): field data compilation; days 7-10 (9-12 Jan): on-campus practicals, lectorials and other work.

Classes start at 9 am and finish at 5 pm.
Field work starts at 8.30 am and finishes at 5 pm, followed by a post-dinner information session on both nights.

Please note, you must attend all 10 content delivery days in person face-to-face in the field and in on campus at Sandy Bay.

AssessmentField map (10%)|Field test - proficiency in data collection (10%)|Topic quizzes (30%)|Management plan (50%)
TimetableView the lecture timetable | View the full unit timetable

Textbooks

Required

Required readings will be listed in the unit outline prior to the start of classes.

The University reserves the right to amend or remove courses and unit availabilities, as appropriate.