Fire in Australian Ecosystems
ENSY3002
This unit of study is intended to describe fundamental scientific knowledge relating to fire behaviour and ecological and social effects of bushfire in Australian ecosystems. The student will gain a greater understanding of how fire has shaped the landscape and the people. It is an elective unit that builds on basic knowledge gained in junior-level biology and chemistry and intermediate-level plant biology and soil science subjects. Firstly, fire behaviour including the elements of weather, fuel and landscape will be explained and examined in relation to predictive modelling and climate change. Secondly, the fire response of flora, fauna, fungi and microorganisms will be described at a range of different scales and analysed against a background of current land management practices in Australia. Social aspects of bushfire will be discussed and analysed according to contemporary policies and practices. At the end of this unit, students will be able to apply fire behaviour and ecological principles for planning purposes and to integrate scientific information from a range of sources to assess fire impacts on the environment and human communities. The students will gain research, literacy and communication skills through field-based data collection, essay and report writing and oral presentations.
Unit of study details
Unit of study level: Senior
Credit points: 6
Commencing semesters: 1
Further unit of study information
Unit of study handbook: ENSY3002
Costs and scholarships information: Costs and Scholarships
Final dates to withdraw from units of study: Census Dates
Available for study abroad and exchange: Yes