SLE349 - Catchments to Coasts
Year: | 2023 unit information |
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Enrolment modes: | Trimester 2: Warrnambool |
Credit point(s): | 1 |
Previously coded as: | SLE232 |
EFTSL value: | 0.125 |
Prerequisite: | SLE111 |
Corequisite: | SLE010 |
Incompatible with: | Nil |
Study commitment | Students will on average spend 150 hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit. |
Scheduled learning activities - campus | 2 x 1 hour classes per week, 4 x 3 hour practicals per trimester, 1 x full day field trip. |
Content
Catchments to Coasts provides an overview of the biotic and abiotic links between freshwater, estuarine and marine environments, and the impacts of catchment scale processes on these highly connected ecosystems. The students are introduced to freshwater habitats (rivers, lakes, wetlands), the structure and function of freshwater biological communities (bacteria, algae, macrophytes, invertebrates and vertebrates), physical factors that shape our river catchments (climate and geology), and the physical and biological connections between river headwaters and our oceans. The unit also looks at the continuum of impacts of catchment scale disturbances (deforestation, water extraction and regulation, agriculture, artificial barriers, climate) on aquatic ecosystems and associated socio-economic and cultural values. Catchments to Coasts includes a combination of interactive classes, field and practical exercises, and direct engagement with environmental managers and Traditional Owners. This unit has a strong focus on knowledge and practical skill development centred around assessing aquatic environmental health and informing management aimed at improving environmental outcomes and associated values.
Unit Fee Information
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