Unit Outline

This unit is essential for those working towards a career managing natural environments and people in protected areas. While protected areas are essential for conserving biodiversity, key threats to biodiversity - fire, weeds, and ferals - operate at landscape scale. The conservation of nature must therefore occur at the landscape scale as well as within protected areas. 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. Field work is used to familiarise students with the management problems of a protected area and to collect data relevant to the formulation of the management plan. The plans we produce are usually used by the protected area managers. We further explore how to move plans at landscape scale considering policy and funding.

Intended Learning Outcomes

As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.

On completion of this unit, you will be able to:


1.	Examine biodiversity conservation management requirements
2.	Develop biodiversity conservation policies for protected areas
3.	Create a comprehensive biodiversity management plan for a protected area
4.	Collaborate in multi-disciplinary groups to produce policies and plans for protected areas

Requisites


REQUISITE TYPE	REQUISITES
Anti-requisite (mutual excl)	KGA331

Alterations as a result of student feedback

Face-to-face and online resources have been revised in response to student feedback.

Teaching arrangements


ATTENDANCE MODE	TEACHING TYPE	LEARNING ACTIVITY	CONTACT HOURS	FREQUENCY
On Campus	Workshop	On-Campus workshops provide an opportunity to discuss content from your learning materials and to then complete practical activities to consolidate your learning and build core components of your assessment tasks. These are participatory and discursive in nature and require students to have demonstrated that they have met the online individual led learning prior to attendance.	3	Weekly
	Fieldwork	On-Campus and local interested students will attend a 3-day field trip in the Tasmanian Midlands, where we will explore aspects of landscape conservation and then complete field work on a single property to guide all management plan activities.	24	Once only
	Independent Learning	You will be required to spend at least 3 hours a week undertaking independent learning. This includes advanced preparation (watching lecture content and reading core reading materials) and contribute to the weekly posts for each topic in MyLO. Engagement with required lecture and reading content by students will be tracked through online learning material progress and completion of required MyLO learning activities.	3	Weekly
Online	Workshop (Online)	Recordings of workshops and activities are provided to distance students or those not ready for the participatory activities on campus for self-guided learning and MyLO posting for feedback	3	Weekly
	Fieldwork	Online students are provided an equivalent set of digital data acquisition and analysis steps with spatial data to complete. This information will be used to inform and develop management plan activities for the study site.	24	Once only
	Independent Learning	In addition to watching the workshop recording, you will be required to spend at least 3 hours a week undertaking independent learning. This includes advanced preparation (watching lecture content and reading core reading materials) and contributing to the weekly posts for each topic in MyLO. Engagement with required lecture and reading content will be tracked through online learning material progress and completion of required MyLO learning activities.	3	Weekly

Attendance / engagement expectations

If your unit is offered On campus, it is expected that you will attend all on-campus and onsite learning activities. This is to support your own learning and the development of a learning community within the unit. If you are unable to attend regularly, please discuss the situation with your course coordinator and/or our UConnect support team.

If your unit is offered Online, it is expected you will engage in all those activities as indicated in the Unit Outline, including any self-directed learning.

If you miss a learning activity for a legitimate reason (e.g., illness, carer responsibilities) teaching staff will attempt to provide alternative activities (e.g., make up readings) where it is possible.

How will I be Assessed?

For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.

Assessment schedule


ASSESSMENT TASK #	ASSESSMENT TASK NAME	DATE DUE	WEIGHT	LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:	Plan objective and action	Week 2	10 %	LO1, LO3
Assessment Task 2:	Management plan map	Week 5	15 %	LO1, LO3
Assessment Task 3:	Plan logic - map and results chain presentation	Week 8	10 %	LO1, LO2
Assessment Task 4:	Management plan	Week 9	35 %	LO1, LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 5:	Group management plan	Week 13	10 %	LO3, LO4
Assessment Task 6:	Grant application	Week 14	20 %	LO1, LO2, LO3

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Plan objective and action

Task Description:

You will be provided with a conservation value for a case study area. You will be tasked with writing a plan objective for the conservation value and you will also write and suggest a related management action.
As part of your assessment feedback, all values, objectives, and actions will be anonymised and shared with the class for reflection and inclusion in the management plan.

Task Length:

500 words.

Due Date:

Week 2

Weight:

10 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Language technically appropriate - objectives and actions are appropriately phrased for a management plan and have clear and logical relationships to one another.	LO1, LO3
2	Objective specificity - objectives and actions are appropriately specified for the case study ecosystem and specified conservation value.	LO1, LO3
3	Communication - language conventions are used appropriately, and the work is written for a general, non-specialist audience. Writing is original and constructed by the author, with appropriate reference to published works.	LO3

Assessment Task 2: Management plan map

Task Description:

An essential element of a management plan is a series of maps that communicate the spatial distribution of conservation values, threats, and recommended actions.
Using available digital datasets (e.g. spatial data supplied from remote sensing and other datasets) alongside field-collected data, analyse this data and diagnose key threats to conservation values. Create a map that communicates this and complements your management plan objectives and actions.

Task Length:

Map and legend

Due Date:

Week 5

Weight:

15 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Map style chosen communicates findings in a manner that is useful and applicable to a protected areas conservation audience.	LO1, LO3
2	The cartographic components of the map produced have been used appropriately and using expected disciplinary norms.	LO1, LO3
3	The map symbology chosen is suitable to the context and communication of the data and themes expressed in the final output.	LO1, LO3

Assessment Task 3: Plan logic - map and results chain presentation

Task Description:

To begin to develop a shared understanding of our overall plan objectives and recommended results chains as the core of a management plan, you will individually present a data analysis. You will show how this data analysis relates to our class management plan and results chain.
Presentations will be made in-class for on-campus students and recorded and shared online for distance students.

Task Length:

5-minute presentation

Due Date:

Week 8

Weight:

10 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Technically sound diagnosis of management problem	LO1, LO2
2	Well-analysed relationship between management plan, plan objective, and recommended actions	LO1, LO2
3	Competent manipulation of software and other data analytical and presentation tools to communicate findings.	LO1

Assessment Task 4: Management plan

Task Description:

This task is a field-based management plan. Using your field-collected data and/or class-generated products to diagnose the threats to conservation values and appropriate management actions, you will present a professional management plan. Key elements of a management plan that must be presented logically are plan values, context (e.g. relevant policy), objectives, and actions. These should be supported by core figures including maps, results chain, and analyses of field data.

Task Length:

~1500-2000 words plus required visual figures such as map, results chain, and other supporting analytical figures.

Due Date:

Week 9

Weight:

35 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Plan consistency and feasibility: your plan is achievable and can be implemented by a land holder or manager, using the logical steps provided in your management plan.	LO2, LO3
2	Management plan elements: you have included plan values, context (e.g. relevant policy), objectives, and actions using the conventions and techniques demonstrated in this unit.	LO1, LO3
3	Professionally presented: core figures including maps, results chain, analyses of field data and written elements have been produced using the conventions and techniques demonstrated in this unit, and are of your own creation.	LO2, LO3

Assessment Task 5: Group management plan

Task Description:

In this task, you will contribute to a group management plan for the property holder. The final group management plan will be professionally presented and returned to the property holder. Learning how to work as a group will occur in the final module of the unit.

As a group we will use our shared understanding of the management problem to develop a set of objectives and actions and a group results chain as the core of our group management plan.

Individuals will then contribute assigned sections of the management plan as agreed upon in class.

Task Length:

Due Date:

Week 13

Weight:

10 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Plan consistency and feasibility: you will prepare an individual contribution that is internally-consistent and logical in application.	LO3, LO4
2	Individually contributed management plan element is clearly and logically related to others to create a single coherent set of recomendations	LO3, LO4
3	Your contribution to the final plan abides by professional standards set in the unit for technical, written and group communication.	LO3, LO4

Assessment Task 6: Grant application

Task Description:

Moving from a written plan to on-ground conservation action requires resources. Funding is an essential element of plan implementation. Funding for conservation management is available through a range of sources and is often highly competitive.

The objective of this task is to equip you with the important skill of writing a grant application to fund landscape conservation. We will provide you with the grant guidelines for a current grant call and you must choose one plan action from your management plan that is aligned with the grant guidelines and write a short, mock competitive grant application to fund this activity.

Task Length:

~750 words

Due Date:

Week 14

Weight:

20 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	You show how your proposal addresses the grant selection criteria, including the benefits to the conservation value specified.	LO2
2	Articulate how your proposal satisfies the grant criteria and enhances conservation in place.	LO3
3	Your work shows how you have evaluated a diversity of sources of information in order to argue the importance of the funding to conservation outcomes.	LO1

How your final result is determined

To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.

Submission of assignments

Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.

Requests for extensions

If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.

A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.

The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.

Late penalties

Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.

Review of results and appeals

You are entitled to ask for a review of the marking and grading of your assessment task if there is an irregularity in the marking standards or an error in the process for determining the outcome of an assessment. Details on how to request a review of a mark for an assignment are outlined in the Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Procedure.