Geography and Human Ecology



	Geography and Human Ecology See also: Geography & Human Ecology, Faculty of Arts School of Resource Management & Environmental Science, Faculty of Science Human Sciences Program, Faculty of Arts Population Program, Faculty of Arts in this Handbook B.G. Lees, BA (Hons), PhD Syd Head of Department Introduction Geography and Human Ecology both deal with human-environment interactions. Geography is about Earth's diversity, its resources, and humankind's survival on the planet. Geographers analyse the associations of things and events that give special character to particular places; the interconnections between different areas; and the working of complex systems through time. Geography is the only academic discipline in which an integrative perspective focusing on spatial relationships and processes is a fundamental concern. Human Ecology focuses on the health and well-being of the environment using an ecosystems approach. The individual units apply ecological principles to the study of the ecosystems that supply us with biospheric services and renewable resources, as well as the essentially non-renewable resources that we have come to depend upon. The human use of biospheric systems is examined in the certain knowledge that the long term health and well being of people depends upon the continued healthy functioning of prehuman ecosystems. Both Geography and Human Ecology take an integrative approach to environmental problems and their solution, including the study of economic and social goals and processes that determine strategies of resource use and ecosystem management. The importance of literacy and numeracy, graphical, verbal and analytical skills, and competence in report preparation and presentation, are stressed in the Department's educational objectives. The Department has a particular focus on the practical application of GIS and computational methods. Tutorials, laboratory work and field work are an integral part of most units. Fieldwork usually involves weekend trips or a period of up to one week during the teaching breaks. Students will be expected to meet costs for meals, accommodation and some travel costs during fieldwork. Wherever practicable these costs are kept to a minimum by camping.



	Geography & Human Ecology Stream 2000

	* Not offered in 2000.

	Introduction to Global Change GEOG1005 (12 cp) Group A Annual Unit GEOG1005 may not be combined in a degree with previously offered Geography first-year units. Students who have completed 6 credit points of first-year Geography and require additional first-year credit points should consult the Head of Department. Three hours of lectures and a two-hour practical weekly, and up to five days in the field in first semester (equivalent to six practicals), up to two in second semester (equivalent to three practicals). Coordinators: Dr Lees, Dr Baker Syllabus: We live on a planet of extraordinary complexity. Throughout its history the atmosphere, oceans and land have interacted, producing environmental changes to which life has contributed and adapted. Today, one species of life, humankind, through increasing population and a quest for improved quality of life, has developed the capacity to change our global environment in ways that we are only beginning to perceive, but do not fully understand. 'Global Change' aims to provide students with an understanding of the complex inter-relationships between people and the environment, with insights into the origin, nature and implications of the dramatic global changes occurring in our biosphere and societies, and how these two aspects of global change are inextricably entwined. The unit is structured to look at the global scale prior to examining regional scale issues. The time scale considered is from the arrival of humankind in our region to the present day. Topics include: the impacts of atmospheric and oceanic circulation on human activities; population growth and its impacts on both the carbon and hydrological cycles; climate change and its impacts on population movement, early farming systems and the geographical spread of disease; the impacts of humans on vegetation change; the history of agriculture; food and famine; changing human conceptions of nature; "natural" disasters; colonialism and indigenous responses to it; geographic technology's role in colonialism; urbanisation, globalisation of capital, Australia's place in its region, and contemporary development issues. The principles underlying GIS, cartographic methods, qualitative methods, applications of spatial theory and data analysis are introduced in practicals. Assessment: A combination of short tests, essay, and examinations. Prescribed texts Aplin, G, et al, Global Environmental Crises an Australian Perspective, Oxford University Press, Australia, 1999 Bryant, E, Climate Process and Change, Cambridge University Press, UK 1997 Introduction to Landscape Ecology GEOG2001 (6cp) Group B Second semester Sixty-five hours contact comprising thirty nine hours of lectures, twenty-two hours of practicals and two days in the field (equivalent to three practicals). Course coordinators: Dr Mackey, Dr Lindenmayer Prerequisites: 18 Science Group A credit points Syllabus: This unit provides an introduction to understanding ecological pattern and process at the landscape-scale. Quantitative methods are examined for studying the inter-relations between the physical environment, plants and animals on a landscape wide basis, and deals with fundamental concepts underlying Landscape Ecology. Investigations of landscape ecosystems are undertaken during a major field trip. These are complemented during the semester by computer-based modelling exercises. Proposed assessment: This will include technical and field reports, performance in a range of class activities, and an examination. Students who fail to submit work by the due date or fail to participate in classes and field trips may be excluded from examination. Preliminary reading Burgman, M A and Lindenmayer, D B, Conservation Biology for the Australian Environment, Surrey Beatty and Sons Pty Ltd, Chipping Norton, NSW, 1998 Geographic Information and Intelligence GEOG2009 (6cp) Group B Summer School, February X1 Sixty-five hours contact comprising thirty-nine hours of lectures and twenty-six hours of practicals spread over four weeks. Lecturer: Mr Johnson Prerequisite: 18 first year credit points. Syllabus: The unit examines ways of creating and communicating information from data using exploratory methodology involving the interpretation of graphical representations of the output of analysis. The properties of intelligence essential for such analysis and graphic interpretation, and visualisation in particular, are explored in the class. Understanding integrated comprehensive analyses of spatial and temporal data commonly encountered in geography and environmental science is developed. The modelling of change over time and in space is a fundamental issue of the course. Interactive information technology systems support learning along with the analysis and graphical representation of data. The skills developed are of great value in other courses and the wider community.



	Proposed assessment: To be agreed in consultation with students. This may include an essay, a field report, and an examination. Regular attendance and participation in class work is required. Students who fail to submit set work by the due date or fail to participate in classes and field excursions may be excluded from examination. Preliminary reading Hay, I, Communicating in Geography and the Environmental Sciences, Oxford University Press, 1996 The annotated listing of Internet sites on the GEOG 2009 Netsite. Atmosphere, Weather and Climate GEOG2011 (6cp) Group B First semester Sixty-five hours contact comprising thirty-nine hours of lectures, twenty-two hours of practicals and two days in the field. Lecturers: Dr Lindesay Prerequisite: 18 Science Group A credit points. Syllabus: This unit is concerned with developing understanding of the atmospheric components of the Earth system, and the interactions among all parts of the system that influence weather and climate on global, regional and local scales. The unit covers energy in the system; the structure, composition and physics of the atmosphere; atmospheric circulation on macro and meso scales; an introduction to boundary layer climates and air pollution meteorology; weather processes and systems; the climates of the Earth, particularly the southern hemisphere and Australasia; ocean-atmosphere interactions; the nature, causes and impacts of climatic variability and change; and current issues in climatology (including increasing climatic variability, the El Niño Southern Oscillation, the enhanced greenhouse effect and ozone depletion). A primary focus of the course is on the relationship between humans and the atmosphere, particularly in the context of climatic change. Practical work is directed towards understanding atmospheric data collection, processing and interpretation. Preliminary reading Barry, R.G. & Chorley, R.J., Atmosphere, Weather and Climate, Routledge, 1992 Linacre, E. & Geertz, B., Climates and Weather Explained, Routledge, 1997 Also consult Department for further information. Proposed assessment: To be agreed in consultation with students. This may include an essay, a field report, and an examination. Regular attendance and participation in class work is required. Students who fail to submit set work by the due date or fail to participate in classes and field excursions may be excluded from examination. People and Environment GEOG2013 (6cp) Group B Second semester Sixty-five hours contact comprising thirty nine hours of lectures, twenty-two hours of practicals and two days in the field (equivalent to three practicals). Lecturer: Mr Johnson Prerequisite: 18 first year credit points. Incompatible with GEOG2004 Syllabus: The unit studies human beings and their environment; how we make places, and how we are influenced by the places where we live. The course reviews ideas and theories from the social sciences to develop an understanding of the allocation of space, through studying patterns and processes. Reading the landscape is an integral part of the study. Attention is centered on Australia in its global setting, looking particularly at the complex interconnections of the global economy. Debate is generated about the nature and implications of contemporary trends in society. The disparities people experience in different places and times are a central concern. The course addresses problems of different scales of view. Study of the formulation and effect of policy and planning and management systems integrates work in the course. The practical part of the course studies the creation of information from quantitative and qualitative sources as well as field work. Proposed assessment: To be agreed in consultation with students. This may include an essay, a field report, and an examination. Regular attendance and participation in class work is required. Students who fail to submit set work by the due date or fail to participate in classes and field excursions may be excluded from examination. Preliminary reading Fagan, R H and Webber, M, Global Restructuring: The Australian Experience, 2nd edn, Oxford, 1999 Population and Resources GEOG2014 (6cp) Group B First semester 65 hours of contact made up of 26 hours of lectures, 26 hours of tutorials and 2 days of fieldwork.



	Lecturer: Dr van Diermen Prerequisite: GEOG1005 or SREM1003 or GEOG1006 or any Faculty of Arts Population Study major or with the written agreement of the lecturer. Incompatible with GEOG2005. Syllabus: The concern in this unit is to account for the distribution of the human population and its relation to the resources of the Earth. Particular attention is given to the geographical aspects of the demography of populations and contemporary trends. The development of nations in their particular environments provides perspectives on the relationship between population and resources. Attention is centred on the Australian-Asian hemisphere. The limitations of resources, the role of technology, affluence and social policy are central topics. The methodology for understanding population dynamics support the discussion of issues and problems. The course also studies policy and how it seeks to keep pace with rapid socio-economic change. Preliminary reading Sarre, P and Blunden, J (Eds.), An Overcrowded World? Population, resources and the Environment, United Kingdom: The Open University/Oxford, 1995 Proposed assessment: To be agreed in consultation with students. This may include an essay, a field report, and an examination. Regular attendance and participation in class work is required. Students who fail to submit set work by the due date or fail to participate in classes and field excursions may be excluded from examination. Associated Program: Population Studies in Faculty of Arts Introduction to GIS and Remote Sensing GEOG2015 (6cp) Group B First semester Sixty-five hours contact comprising thirty-nine hours of lectures, twenty-two hours of practicals and two days in the field (equivalent to three practicals). Lecturer: Dr Lees Prerequisites: 18 Group A Science credit points Incompatible with GEOG3009 completed prior to 1999. Syllabus: There has been a rapid growth in the use of digital spatial data in many areas of resource management and the environmental sciences. This unit aims to develop both a solid theoretical understanding and a comprehensive practical introduction to the use of geographic information systems and remote sensing in the analysis of digital spatial data, simple modelling using digital spatial data and in decision support. The practical exercises take the form of an Environmental Impact Study in a small coastal catchment. On the satisfactory completion of this unit, students will have processed and field checked digital analyses of remotely sensed data, integrated the results into a geographic information system, and completed realistic hydrological, erosion, conservation, wildlife habitat, forest, agriculture, fire and building economic models within the geographic information system. The integration of these components will be carried out using Multi-criteria Evaluation and Multiple Objective Land Use Allocation models within the GIS. Recommended reading Richards, J.A., Remote Sensing Digital Image Analysis, Springer, 1993 Burrough, P. & McDonnell, R., Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Oxford, 1998 Proposed assessment: To be agreed in consultation with students. This may include an essay, a field report, and an examination. Regular attendance and participation in class work is required. Students who fail to submit set work by the due date or fail to participate in classes and field excursions may be excluded from examination. Rivers and Catchments GEOG3001 (6cp) Group C First semester Two one-hour lectures and one two-hour practical weekly and up to three days in the field. Lecturer: Mr Laffan Prerequisite: GEOG2001, GEOL2007, or 18 Science Group B credit points. Syllabus: Rivers and catchments cover most of the land surface of the Earth, and are natural entities for natural resource management. The unit is based on a geomorphic understanding of rivers and catchments. Topics include: major theories of Geomorphology; spatial organisation of rivers and hillslopes; responses to tectonic, climatic and land use change; global patterns of sediment transport; catchments as cascading systems; and a geomorphic basis for catchment management. Examples are drawn from Australia, South East Asia, and the Indian Subcontinent. The unit is useful for physical geographers, geologists, catchment managers, archaeologists, and forest managers. Preliminary reading Summerfield, M.A., Global Geomorphology, Longman, 1991



	Proposed assessment: To be agreed in consultation with students. This may include an essay, a field report, and an examination. Regular attendance and participation in class work is required. Students who fail to submit set work by the due date or fail to participate in classes and field excursions may be excluded from examination. Applied Geographic Information Systems GEOG3009 (6cp) Group C Second semester Three one-hour lectures and one two-hour practical weekly and up to three days in the field. Lecturer: Mr Laffan Prerequisite: GEOG2015, or GEOL3009, or FSTY4001, or FSTY4003. Syllabus: Geographic Information Systems have improved considerably over the past decade and geography has become very much richer in digital information. The requirement to build complex applications and simulations has become more urgent with the need to plan for a changing climate, to feed an increasing population and to provide pinpoint marketing analysis for business. This unit explores a toolbox of conceptual approaches and methods to model and analyse a range of highly complex, often non-deterministic problems. It provides a true enabling technology for the natural sciences and a rich source of computational and representational challenges for the computer sciences. Preliminary reading Richards, J.A., Remote Sensing-Digital Analysis, Springer, 1993 Burrough, P.A. & R McDonnell, Principles of Geographical Information Systems for Land Resources Assessment, Oxford, 1998 Proposed assessment: To be agreed in consultation with students. This may include an essay, a field report, and an examination. Regular attendance and participation in class work is required. Students who fail to submit set work by the due date or fail to participate in classes and field excursions may be excluded from examination. Environmental Policy and Planning GEOG3010 (6cp) Group C Second semester Sixty-five hours contact comprising twenty-six hours of lectures, thirteen hours of tutorials, a two-hour workshop and a five-day field class Lecturer: Dr Baker Prerequisite: At least 96 credit points towards a degree, including 2 later year units in Geography and/or Human Ecology; or the written approval of the Lecturer. Syllabus: The unit considers environmental policy and planning theory and practice at scales from the local to the global. Field classes and workshops provide students with opportunities to analyse specific environmental planning and policy issues in theoretical frameworks and over different time scales. Case studies explored include Landcare, Total Catchment Management, the Murray-Darling Basin Agreement and the role of indigenous people in environmental policy and planning. Preliminary reading Barr, N. & Cary, J., Greening a Brown Land: The Australian search for sustainable land use, Macmillan, 1992 Blaikie, P. & Brookfield. H., Land degradation and society, Methuen, 1987 Doyle, T. & Kellow, A., Environmental politics and policy making in Australia, Macmillan, 1995 Walker, K.J., The political economy of environmental policy: an Australian introduction, New South Wales University Press, 1994 Text Walker, K.J., Crowley, K, Australian Environmental Policy 2 Studies in Decline and Devolution, UNSW Press, Australia, 1999 Proposed assessment: Tutorial paper, facilitation of tutorial, learning portfolio and exam. Landscape Ecology GEOG3011 (6cp) Group C Second semester Sixty-five hours contact comprising thirty-nine hours of lectures, twenty-two hours of practicals and two days in the field (equivalent to three practicals). Course coordinators: Dr Mackey, Dr Lindenmayer Prerequisites: 18 Science Group B credit points. Incompatible with SREM3011. Syllabus: Landscape Ecology is concerned with the space-time analysis and modelling of ecological phenomena on a landscape-wide basis. The advent of GIS, remote sensing and environmental modelling enable ecological process and pattern to be analysed at hitherto unavailable scales. Larger scaled processes, in particular, can now be readily incorporated into analyses. These include the effects of climate, catchment hydrology, fire and the spatial configuration of habitat resources. A particular focus of the unit is the role played by the primary environmental regimes in determining the composition, structure and productivity of terrestrial ecological systems. The unit covers theory dealing with agent-based simulation, complex adaptive systems, and ecological hierarchy theory. The concepts of niche and habitat are examined from a landscape perspective. The spatial and environmental controls on the meta-population dynamics of both plants and animals are considered. Computer exercises utilise models for quantifying plant-animal- environment relations and predicting potential biotic response. The computer-based practicals are complemented by field-based investigations.



	Proposed assessment: This will include technical reports, performance in a range of class activities, and an examination. Students who fail to submit work by the due date or fail to participate in classes and field trips may be excluded from examination. Preliminary reading Cox C., Barry and Moore P.D., Biogeography - an ecological and evolutionary approach, Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford, 1980 Forman, R.T.T. and Gordon, M., Landscape Ecology, Wiley and Sons, New York, 1986 Turner, M.G. and Gardner, R.H., Quantitative Methods in Landscape Ecology, Springer-Verlag, New York, 1992 Climatology GEOG3013 (6cp) Group C First semester (not offered in 2000) Sixty-five hours contact comprising thirty-nine hours of lectures and twenty-six hours of practicals. Lecturer: Dr Lindesay Prerequisite: 18 Science Group B credit points or GEOG2011 Syllabus: At the mesoscale, human-atmosphere interactions in urban environments are investigated, including characteristics and impacts of urban climate modifications, air pollution potential and related issues, and the role of complex terrain in modifying the climate near the ground. The second topic explores the larger-scale interactions between the oceans and atmosphere that are a critical link in the functioning of the climate system, from regional to global scales. Ocean atmosphere dynamics and interaction processes and their role in inter-annual and low frequency climate variability are considered in the context of current research on the El Niño Southern Oscillation and its impacts. Finally, the ways in which conceptual and dynamical models are used to develop our understanding of the climate system and climate change at all scales are studied. The focus is on understanding the uses and limitations of such models, and on interpreting their output in ways that are useful for policy formulation, decision making and management. Practical work is focused on the manipulation and interpretation of climatological data in the context of climatic variability and change, including observational data and model-generated future climate scenarios. Preliminary reading Henderson-Sellers, A. and McGuffie, K., A Climate Modelling Primer, Wiley, London, 1987 Oke, T.R., Boundary Layer Climates, Routledge, London, 1987 Sturman, A. and Tapper, N., The Weather and Climate of Australia and New Zealand, Oxford, Melbourne, 1996 Proposed assessment: To be agreed in consultation with students. This may include an essay, a field report, and an examination. Regular attendance and participation in class work is required. Students who fail to submit set work by the due date or fail to participate in classes and field excursions may be excluded from examination. Special Topics in Geography GEOG3014 (6cp) Group C Either semester, subject to the availability of a suitable supervisor. Coordinator: Dr Baker Students are expected to devote at least eight hours a week to a research topic. Prerequisite: The completion of at least 32 credit points at 2000/3000 level. Admission to this unit is at the discretion of the Head of Department and normally will be open to prospective honours students who have obtained a Credit or better in relevant areas of study. Taught individually or in small groups by members of academic staff. Syllabus: Special programs of study designed to enable students to gain skills in self directed research in geography or resource and environmental management. Proposed assessment: By arrangement, but likely to include an extended essay or research report and the presentation of a seminar. South-East Asia Field School GEOG3015 (6cp) Group C Four weeks in-country field school Offered every second year (Mid January 2002 next offered). Lecturer: Dr van Diermen Prerequisite: Entry with the written agreement of the lecturer.



	Syllabus: This unit explores the development of South East Asia through an intensive 4-week field school. Students are exposed first hand to the economic, social and environmental conditions in several South-East Asian countries, including Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand. By intensive teaching in the field, visits to projects and institutions and contact with local cultures, students will develop an understanding of development in the region. In addition to the in-country lectures, students are expected during the four weeks to research a topic chosen in consultation with their lecturer. Note: Because the subject is offered only every second year it can be taken either in second or third year. The cost of the field work will be charged directly to students. Associated Program: Development Studies in Faculty of Arts. Preliminary reading Taylor, C. et al, South-East Asia on a Shoestring, Melbourne, Lonely Planet, 1997. Vervoorn, A., Re-Orient: Change in Asian Societies, Singapore, Oxford, 1998 Proposed assessment: to be agreed in consultation with the students. Geography of South-East Asia GEOG3016 (6cp) Group C First semester 65 hours contact made up of 39 hours of lectures and 26 hours of tutorials. Lecturer: Dr van Diermen Prerequisite: GEOG2014 or GEOG2013 or with the written agreement of the lecturer. Syllabus: This unit explores the geography of South East Asia. It is a region of remarkable economic growth and more recently financial turmoil. These developments have associated problems of economic inequity, migration, pollution, ethnic tensions, institutional corruption and political instability. All of these and other issues will be explored within the context of the relationship between cultural, economic, political and environmental factors and processes. The underlying aim of the unit is to explore how far we can explain patterns of human activity in this region, using both spatial and temporal analyses. This unit will provide an advanced level synthesis of issues within human geography, and will be useful for geographers, consultants, business people, policy makers, and anyone interested in the region. Preliminary reading Rimmer, P.J. Pacific Rim Development: Integration and Globalisation in the Asia-Pacific Economy, Canberra, Allen and Unwin, 1997 Rodan, G, et al, The Political Economy of South-East Asia, Melbourne, Oxford University Press, 1997 Proposed assessment: To be agreed in consultation with students. This may include an essay, a field report, and an examination. Regular attendance and participation in class work is required. Students who fail to submit set work by the due date or fail to participate in classes and field excursions may be excluded from examination. Associated Program: Development Studies in the Faculty of Arts Readings in Environmental History GEOG3017 (6cp) Group C First semester Weekly seminar, of one hour, during which oral presentation of a critical review and/or major essay will be presented. Students are expected to devote at least eight hours a week to seminars and written work. Lecturer: Dr Dovers Prerequisite: Entry requires the written approval of the lecturer. Syllabus: Environmental History explores the changing relationship between people and their environment through time, taking account of shifts in value systems, knowledge and economic context. This unit will familiarise students with the literature, methods, content and likely future development of this emerging transdisciplinary field. The unit is structured around student readings, reviews and essays, and weekly seminars. Likely seminar topics are: environmental history of Terra Australis; indigenous history; community history, and environmental history; biohistorical perspectives, environmental history and the humanities; environmental history for catchment management; long-term environmental history in East Asia; and reconstructuring forests. Preliminary reading Dovers, S, (ed.), Australian Environmental History, OUP, Melbourne,1994 Proposed assessment: To be agreed in consultation with students. Geographic Research Methods GEOG3018 (6cp) Group C Second semester Sixty-five hours contact comprising thirty-nine hours of lectures and twenty-six hours of practicals.



	Lecturer: Mr Johnson Prerequisites: 18 second-year credit points and 6 third-year credit points. Syllabus: The unit studies the methodology of research involving human beings and their environment. It provides an introduction to the means by which geographers conduct their research and generate knowledge. It addresses the range of data sources, techniques, modes of analysis, approaches to explanation, and practical problems applicable to both human and physical geography. Seminars in the philosophy and methodology of research and data modelling and analysis provide an overview of issues and ideas; individual research projects provide practical experience of the creation and communication of information. Proposed assessment: To be agreed in consultation with students. This may include an essay, a field report, and an examination. Regular attendance and participation in class work is required. Students who fail to submit set work by the due date or fail to participate in classes and field excursions may be excluded from examination. Northern Australian Field School GEOG3019 (6cp) Group C Four weeks field school Offered every second year (July 2001 next offered). Lecturer: Dr Lees Prerequisite: Entry with the written agreement of the lecturer. Syllabus: This unit explores the environments of Central and Northern Australia. Students are exposed first hand to the vegetation, landforms, land uses and environmental problems of these two important regions. By intensive teaching in the field, visits to projects and institutions and contact with local people, students will develop an understanding of the important issues facing these regions. In addition to the in-field lectures, students are expected during the four weeks to research a topic chosen in consultation with their lecturer. Note: Because the subject is offered only every second year it can be taken either in second or third year. The cost of the field work will be charged directly to students. Preliminary reading: TBA Proposed assessment: to be agreed in consultation with the students. Palaeo-Environmental Reconstruction GEPR3001 (6cp) Group C Second semester Subject to availability of staff One lecture and one two-hour class throughout semester and attendance at selected seminars. Up to 26 hours additional project work by arrangement. One field day. Prerequisite:* At least 96 credit points in a degree including two later-year units in Biology, Resource and Environmental Management or Archaeology or written approval of the lecturer. Syllabus: The unit reviews techniques commonly used to provide a reconstruction of the past ecology, climate, and surface processes of a region with an emphasis on the potential resources and constraints that may have affected human populations. Biological techniques to be studies include analyses of pollen, charcoal, wood, seeds, isotopic biochemistry and biogenic silica and a range of geomorphological and chronological methods will also be considered. The contribution of these techniques to particular prehistoric problems such as the role of human activity in environmental change is assessed. Associated programs: Environmental and Human Histories, Geoecology. Proposed assessment: To be agreed in consultation with students. Human Ecology ECOS2001 (6cp) Group B First semester 65 hours of class contact work throughout the semester, including 26 hours of lectures, 12 hours of tutorials, 12 hours of practical sessions, and 15 hours in field classes. Lecturer: Mr Dumaresq/Dr Keen Prerequisites (a) two points selected from GEOG1005, 1006, SREM1002, 1003, BIOL1001, 1002, 1003, ANTH1002, ANTH1003, PREH1111, 1112, or (b) approved qualifications in the biological and social sciences, eg a unit of biology with PSYC1001 or a social science or humanities unit.



	Syllabus: The unit applies the principles of evolutionary biology and ecosystems analysis to the study of the human environment. The emphasis is on the significance and function of natural ecosystems, and how humans have affected these systems over time. The theories covered are exemplified by case studies which include a critical assessment of the human-nature interactions which have occurred over human history, including hunter gatherer societies in Australia, early agricultural societies in the Pacific and Central America, and modern industrial societies in the Asia-Pacific region. Fundamental ecological principles are used in an examination of the problems of, and the policies affecting, resource use associated with farmland, forests, wilderness and urban areas. Field trips are used to allow students to see first hand, the complexity of managing these areas sustainably. This unit lays the foundations for later year units in human ecology. Preliminary reading McMichael, A. J., Planetary Overload, Cambridge 1993 Assessment: This may include an essay, a field report, and an examination. Regular attendance and participation in class work is required. Students who fail to submit set work by the due date or fail to participate in classes and field excursions may be excluded from examination. Agroecology ECOS2002 (6cp) Group B First semester 65 hours of class contact work throughout the semester, including 22 hours of lectures, 10 hours of tutorials, 15 hours of practical sessions, and 18 hours of field classes. Lecturer: Mr Dumaresq Corequisite or Prerequisite: ECOS2001 Syllabus: The unit focuses on the study of agricultural ecosystems at the farm level. World-wide examples are used; however, investigation is concentrated on Australian farming systems. The persistence of these human managed ecosystems is a central issue. Topics include the ecological processes and problems of different farming strategies, soil conservation and fertility maintenance, agrichemicals and pest and disease management, tillage and herbicides, plant and animal integration on-farm, monocultures versus polycultures, and energy use. Preliminary reading Jordan, C.F., Working with Nature, Harwood Academic Publishers, 1998. Prescribed text Gliessman, S.R., Agroecology: Ecological Processes in Sustainable Agriculture, Ann Arbour Press, 1997 Assessment: This will include evaluation of a research project, field and laboratory work and an examination. Regular attendance and participation in class work is required. Students who fail to submit set work by the due date or fail to participate in laboratory classes and field excursions may be excluded from examination. Urban Ecology ECOS2004 (6cp) Group B Second semester 65 contact hours made up of 26 hours of lectures, 22 hours of workshops/tutorials, 16 hours of field work. Lecturer: Dr Keen Prerequisite: ECOS 2001 Syllabus: The unit applies the core human ecology concepts developed in ECOS2001 to the urban environment. The emphasis is on how human activities affect ecological processes and human well being in urban areas. Students will study the effect different policies and urban planning practices have on energy and material flows through the city. Case studies covered by the unit include: urban water management, urban waste management, and urban planning processes affecting transport and settlement patterns. For each of these topics, different human interventions such as regulations, pricing, education and government expenditures will be considered. Preliminary reading Girardet, H., The Gaia Atlas of Cities: New directions for sustainable urban living, London, Gaia Books (revised edition), 1996 White, R., Urban Environmental Management: Environmental change and urban design, Brisbane, John Wiley and sons, 1994 Assessment: This will include a reflective field trip report, a poster with summary pamphlet, and an exam or essay. Regular attendance and participation in workshops are required. Every student will be expected to take an active role in organising and leading one workshop. Students who fail to submit set work by the due date or fail to participate in workshops/field trips may be excluded from examination. Sustainable Urban Systems ECOS3001 (6cp) Group C Second semester 65 contact hours made up of 26 hours of lectures, 22 hours of workshops/tutorials, 16 hours of field work.



	Lecturer: Dr Keen Prerequisites: Two ECOS units. Syllabus: The unit applies the principles of human ecology to the study of the problems of industrial society and their ecological footprints. The emphasis is on the impact and sustainability of large modern conurbations and their industrial base in light of their ecological dependencies. Consideration is given to how we currently define 'progress' and how this impacts on urban systems around the globe. Means of addressing escalating social inequities and ecological imbalances are considered in relation to ecological economics, industrial ecology and global communication networks and alliances. The unit concludes by considering different visions for a sustainable future which will meet human and ecosystems needs in a globalised world. Preliminary reading Eckersley, R., (ed.), Measuring Progress: Is life getting better? Melbourne, CSIRO Publishing, 1998 Diesendorf, M. and Hamilton, C. (eds.), Human Ecology, Human Economy. (Part 1). St Leonards, Allen and Unwin, 1997 Assessment: A group project and presentation, an essay, and a final exam. Regular attendance and participation in workshops are required. Students who fail to submit set work by the due date or fail to participate in workshops/field trips may be excluded from examination. Agriculture and Sustainable Systems ECOS3002 (6 cp) Group C Not offered in 2000 65 hours of class contact work throughout the semester including 24 hours of lectures, 11 hours of tutorials, 12 hours of practical sessions, and 18 hours of field classes. Lecturer: Mr Dumaresq Prerequisites: Two ECOS units Syllabus: This unit applies the principles and techniques of human ecology to the study of the problems of agricultural systems in the production, transportation, storage, processing and distribution of food and fibre for modern industrial societies. The emphasis is on the impact and sustainability of the industrial food chain outside the farm. Topics will include the environmental impact of, and sustainability indices for, the production, transport, storage and processing of agricultural products; the composition of food; residues in food, fibre and water; supply of off-farm inputs; rural and urban linkages; and the structure of local and international agribusiness. Examples will be drawn from Australia where possible. Preliminary reading Pretty, J.N., Regenerative Agriculture, Earthscan, 1995 Assessment: This may include a technical report, an essay or research project, performance in a range of class activities, and an examination. Special Topics in Human Ecology ECOS3014 (6cp) Group C Available in each semester The unit will be available in each semester depending on the availability of suitable supervisors. Students are expected to devote at least five hours a week to lectures, seminars, laboratory and field studies, and other work as required. Coordinators: Mr Dumaresq, Dr Keen Prerequisite: The completion of 32 credit points at 2000/3000 level plus written approval of the lecturer in charge. Syllabus: Special programs of study designed to enable students to gain knowledge of a special topic in human ecology not otherwise covered in human ecology, geography or resource management courses. Proposed assessment: By arrangement, but is likely to include an extended essay or research report and the presentation of a seminar. The degree with Honours Honours Coordinators: Mr Johnson, Mr Dumaresq Entry to the fourth (honours) year is at the discretion of the Head of Department. Faculty requirements for the pass degree must be met. In addition, (1) Group B and C units to the value of at least 48 credit points. These units, at least 24 credit points of which must be from Group C, should be appropriate to the field of Geography or Human Ecology to be studied in the Honours year, and may include up to two units from a cognate discipline; (2) Performance in the later year units should be at Credit level or better. (3) Admission is subject to the availability of an appropriate supervisor. Admission to Geography IV (Honours) in the Faculty of Arts: see the entry for Geography and Human Ecology in the Faculty of Arts section of this Handbook.



	The honours program for each student is arranged to include a combination of reading, formal course work and research for a thesis. Students contemplating honours in Geography and Human Ecology should contact the honours coordinator early in their course. BSc Honours is a full-time degree which normally begins in the first week of February. Course Outline The fourth-year honours class meets in the first week of February. Prior consultation with members of staff should take place to determine a potential thesis topic and supervisor(s). A thesis proposal is presented in March. Honours students in the Department of Geography and Human Ecology are required to allocate 30% of their work in the honours year to course work, and 70% to work directly associated with the thesis. In first semester, course work consists of a seminar in the philosophy and practice of scientific research and a unit oriented to the thesis topic. The latter may be an appropriate 3000-level unit or a reading/essay unit. Coursework must be completed by the end of the first semester. For the course work component of the honours year, a grade of CRS (Course Requirement Satisfied) is required before a student may submit the honours thesis. Failure to complete course work satisfactorily may lead to termination of honours candidature. Honours students present a thesis progress report at the beginning of the second semester. The honours thesis has a limit of 15,000 words and is due at the end of the first week of November. Expenses incurred in field work and presentation of the thesis are borne by the student. The final grade for the honours year is determined by an examination panel of academic staff of the Department of Geography and Human Ecology including, at least, the supervisor, the Head of Department, the Honours Convener and one other staff member. The decision is made on the basis of advice given to the panel by two examiners, and by the supervisor. The examination panel may seek additional advice if necessary.