GSE854 Biodiversity Survey and Habitat Assessment Techniques
About this Unit
Semester 1, 2008
Offered: X1 - External/online delivery; First Half-Year
Convenor: Adam Fawcett
Prerequisites/corequisites: None
Credit Points: 4
'Biodiversity survey & habitat assessment techniques' aims to provide students with the level of training that is required to efficiently find and enumerate fauna and flora. The important skills of observation and interpretation will be emphasised (how to form a search image, how to interpret ecosystem features visually). Appropriate field experience in taxonomy will be tailored to each class enrolment to ensure pragmatic value from the unit. To carry out safe and efficient wildlife surveys and research, it is necessary to plan logically and know the limitations of the landscape and personnel involved. All factors must be considered in putting together the design of a wildlife project, including the appropriate attention to study design, data entry and storage, and analysis.
Teaching Staff
Convenor: Adam Fawcett
Phone: (02) 4931 6574
Fax: (02) 4933 0772
Mobile: 0428 668 490
Email:mailto:adamf@sf.nsw.gov.au
Classes
The unit has two components:
- A distance component using web-based delivery through Blackboard. Supporting written material will be provided to deliver concepts and principles outlined in the learning objectives.
- A one-week field trip. This will provide experience and further learning input to deliver the practical skills described in the learning objectives (an alternative is offered for those who are unable to attend the field trip).
Unit web page
Login to the unit through Blackboard (http://learn.mq.edu.au/)
Learning Outcomes
This unit is designed to enable you to:
- Gain awareness of the range of specialist methods available to quantify plant and animal communities or populations, including methods of sampling, measurement and analysis.
- Have an understanding of the methods used for measuring and analysing wildlife habitats (includes abiotic variables).
- Develop a working knowledge of planning and undertaking flora and fauna surveys.
- Develop the skills necessary to report (verbal and written) on the fieldwork undertaken.
- Acquire practical skills during the field-based component.
- Ensure that procedures are safe for personnel and ethical with regard to flora and fauna.
Generic skills
Upon completion of the course, you should be able to:
- critically review the results of wildlife surveys in a variety of environments
- organise and complete a field-based project safely and efficiently.
- work as a part of a field based team.
- access learning resources readily.
- successfully deal with government agencies in relation to permits and access to information.
Teaching and Learning Strategy
The main content for each topic will be delivered online. The topics are divided into the semester weeks. Other material will be sent out and given as handouts during the field trip. Content most closely related to field work will also be delivered as part of the field trip. A basic description of contents and principles follows.
Schedule of Lectures
| Week | Topics |
|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction |
| 2 | Understanding the question: why are you doing the field work/task? |
| 3 | Preparation for field work |
| 4 | Field and lab taxonomy |
| 5 | Flora survey |
| 6 | Habitat assessment |
| 7 | Invertebrate studies |
| 8 | Field techniques for reptiles and amphibians |
| 9 | Field techniques for mammals |
| 10 | Field techniques for bats |
| 11 | Field techniques for birds |
| 12 | Maintaining the results of field work: data archiving, field station maintenance and equipment storage |
| 13 | Report writing and presentations |
The weekly topics provide the basic information input for the assignments. At the end of the unit, this should provide you with a good background for professional biodiversity surveys and habitat assessment.
Required and Recommended Texts/Materials
Relationship between Assessment and Learning Outcomes
The assessment tasks are designed to allow you to demonstrate your understanding of the course content. The allocation of marks within each task reflects the relative importance of each task.
There are three components to assessment in this unit:
- four (4) written assignments
- participation during field trip including oral presentation
- participation in online discussion.
If you are unable to attend the field trip please discuss with me the options available for you to be able to complete the relevant assessment components.
| Assignment | Max. Length | Marks | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Review of Wildlife Field Surveys (Essay/report) | 1000 words | 10% | |
| Selection of a Study Site (Essay/report) | 2000 words | 20% | |
| Field Trip Report (Scientific report) | 1500 words | 25% | |
| Biodiversity Survey and Habitat Assessment report (Scientific report) | 3500 words | 35% | |
| Participation in Discussions Forum | 10% |
Plagiarism
The University defines plagiarism in its rules: "Plagiarism involves using the work of another person and presenting it as one's own." Plagiarism is a serious breach of the University's rules and carries significant penalties. You must read the University's practices and procedures on plagiarism. These can be found in the Handbook of Postgraduate Studies or on the web at: http://www.student.mq.edu.au/plagiarism/
The policies and procedures explain what plagiarism is, how to avoid it, the procedures that will be taken in cases of suspected plagiarism, and the penalties if you are found guilty. Penalties may include a deduction of marks, failure in the unit, and/or referral to the University Discipline Committee.
The GSE recommends that students familiarise themselves with the information contained on the Georgetown University Honor Council website which discusses plagiarism in an easy to understand and comprehensive manner.
University Policy on Grading
Academic Senate has a set of guidelines on the distribution of grades across the range from fail to high distinction. Your final result will include one of these grades plus a standardised numerical grade (SNG).
On occasion your raw mark for a unit (i.e., the total of your marks for each assessment item) may not be the same as the SNG which you receive. Under the Senate guidelines, results may be scaled to ensure that there is a degree of comparability across the university, so that units with the same past performances of their students should achieve similar results.
It is important that you realise that the policy does not require that a minimum number of students are to be failed in any unit. In fact it does something like the opposite, in requiring examiners to explain their actions if more than 20% of students fail in a unit.
The process of scaling does not change the order of marks among students. A student who receives a higher raw mark than another will also receive a higher final scaled mark.
For an explanation of the policy see:
http://senate.mq.edu.au/rules/Guidelines2003.doc or
http://senate.mq.edu.au/rules/detailedguidelines.doc
Student Support Services
Macquarie University provides a range of Academic Student Support Services. Details of these services can be accessed at http://www.student.mq.edu.au.
Advice for Students with Disabilities/Health Conditions
The Equity Support Unit (ESU) provides support and assistance to students with a disability/health condition in aiming to ensure that they do not experience disadvantage in reaching their academic potential. Service provision is determined on a case-by-case basis following an assessment of a student's needs and the provision of supporting documentation. Service provision is also dependent on the availability of resources.
To register with ESU, download an Advice of Disability/Health Condition form from http://www.reg.mq.edu.au/academic-index.html. This form must be completed annually, irrespective of whether a disability/health condition is temporary, long-term or permanent. Students wishing to request support services from the ESU should make an appointment to see a Disability Advisor immediately after enrolling at Macquarie University.
Phone: (02) 9850 6494/7497
Fax: (02) 9850 6063
TTY: (02) 9850 6493
Email: equity@mq.edu.au
In person: Level 2, Lincoln Building (C8A), Macquarie University
Website: http://www.sss.mq.edu.au/equity