There are no prerequisites for this course. Students are assumed to have a satisfactory level of achievement in secondary English (or equivalent) and reasonable general knowledge. GEOS1100 is taught largely by lectures (3 each week), with supporting tutorials/practicals and a 1-day field trip.
 

3. Graduate Attributes:

The following graduate attributes will be addressed during this course of study:

IN-DEPTH KNOWLEDGE OF THE FIELD OF STUDY
 

4. EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
 

5. INDEPENDENCE AND CREATIVITY
 

CRITICAL JUDGEMENT
 

ETHICAL AND SOCIAL UNDERSTANDING
 

6. Recommended texts and references:

TEXTBOOK:
Miller, G.T., 1999 (2002). Living in the environment: principles, connections and solutions. Eleventh (Twelfth) Edition

ADDITIONAL SOURCES:
 Environmental Protection Agency (Queensland) http://www.epa.qld.gov.au
 Environment Australia http://www.ea.gov.au
 The Australian State of the Environment Report 2001 http://www.ea.gov.au/soe/index.html
 Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au
 Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality http://www.napswq.gov.au/
 Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, http://www.affa.gov.au/
 Population Reference Bureau http://www.prb.org
 World Resources Institute http://www.wri.org/
 International Union for the Conservation of Nature http://www.iucn.org
 United Nations Fund for Population Activity http://www.unfpa.org/swp/2001/english/index.html
 Australian Natural Resources Atlas http://audit.ea.gov.au/ANRA/atlas_home.cfm
 Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations http://www.fao.org

7. Resources available and required:

Additional resources will be notified during semester.

8. Assessment program:

Assessment of GEOS1100 is by Examination (50%), Written Assignment (20%), Poster or written assignment 2 (20%) and Tutorial Participation (10%).

Purpose of assessment:
The main focus of the examination will be to assess your knowledge of the course content, as presented in lectures and the recommended readings.
The assignment and poster are intended to develop, and will assess, higher order skills including your ability to:
 

Examination:
The 2-hour end-of-semester examination will consist of multiple-choice questions. The purpose of the examination is to test your knowledge of the course matter. The examination will be multiple choice and consist of 100 - 150 questions. There will be no ‘trick’ questions. There is only one correct answer for each question. You should bring several 2B pencils, pencil eraser and pencil sharpener to the exam. No other materials are needed or should be brought to the exam room.

Assignments:
(1) The task: The Australian environment has undergone dramatic change in the last 150 years as its natural resources have been exploited to support the development and growth of the nation. However, we now face the challenge of combating the effects of humanity’s impact on the Australian environment such as sedimentation of waterways and reef systems, salinization, air and water pollution, loss of biodiversity and climate change. Write an essay that reviews the development of ONE (1) of Australia’s natural resources (such as Queensland’s coalfields, the Great Barrier Reef, the Brisbane River, the Mitchell Grasslands or the Murray/Darling Basin). You should provide a brief history of the development (exploitation) of the resource, associated environmental impacts, and then present your argument as to whether continued development of the resource is sustainable.

The essay: The essay should be 2000 words in length (plus or minus 10% of this length is acceptable; penalties apply to under length or over length assignments). Illustrate your essay with graphs, maps, tables and diagrams as appropriate. Photocopied illustrations do little to enhance the work. Use original illustrations wherever possible (Note: if you wish to use the colour maps distributed in tutorials to illustrate aspects of your assignment, that’s fine; there is no need to redraw them). Your essay should be prepared in report format, with headings and subheadings as necessary. It is important to proof read your work, making sure that you have said what you want to say in a logical sequence with correct grammar and spelling. Your essay should be typed/printed on plain white A4 paper, stapled in the top left corner, with the assignment cover sheet attached. The assignment cover sheet is attached to the back of this Course Outline.

We expect you to develop your own argument/explanation based on information, which you research from the relevant literature. It is important that you develop the skill of critical analysis of the literature, followed by development of your synthesis, and by presentation of your argument in a reasoned and clear manner. A possible framework for presenting your report is as follows:

i. Introduction 10%
ii. Overview of the natural resource and its historical development 25%
iii. In depth review of environment impacts associated with development/exploitation of your selected natural resource 25%
iv. A critique of environmental management strategies as they relate to the sustainable development/use of your selected natural resource 30%
v. Conclusion 10%
(Suggested weightings are only given for your guidance in writing the report; they do not represent a marking scheme.)

It is important that you refer to the Assessment Handbook for guidance in the preparation of your essay: Neil, D., 1999. Assessment Handbook for Undergraduate and Postgraduate Students. Teaching and Learning Committee, Dept. of Geog. Sci. & Plann., Univ. Qd: Brisbane. This handbook is available in the Library and on the Departmental Home Page on the Web. The handbook contains important information, eg. on how to go about writing assignments, the criteria and standards used for marking, submission of assignments, late penalties etc. (http://www.geosp.uq.edu.au/students/Assess_Handbook.htm)

Your essay should:
i. use the relevant literature - e.g. as a source of background information, as a source of ideas, as an authority to support your argument, as an alternative viewpoint to contrast with your observations / argument; and
ii. follow the general assignment specifications as set out in this Course Outline; and
iii. follow the guidelines for assignment writing as set out in the General Guide to Writing Essays and Reports (Part 1 of the Assessment Handbook).

Plagiarism. “Plagiarism is the action or practice of taking and using as one’s own the thoughts or writings of another without acknowledgment. The following practices constitute acts of plagiarism:
 Where paragraphs, sentences, a single sentence, or significant parts of a sentence are copies directly, and are not enclosed in quotation marks and appropriately referenced.
 Where direct quotations are not used, but are paraphrased or summarised, and the source of the material is not acknowledged either by footnoting or other simple reference within the text of the paper; and
 Where an idea which appears elsewhere in printed, electronic or audio-visual material is used or developed without reference being made to the author or the source of that material.

Full details of the University’s policy on plagiarism are set out in Policy Number: 3.40.12 and are available at http://www.uq.edu.au/hupp/contents/view.asp?s1=3&s2=40&s3=12

Poster
(2) The task: On the weekend of the 12/13 April it is expected that each student will participate in a 1-day field trip to the Redland Shire. A small fee will be payable for this exercise. The purpose of the trip is to explore many of the issues discussed in lectures, which affect our own ‘backyard’. In particular, the field trip will focus on land use in and around Cleveland and implications for catchment management (Ross Creek), wildlife conservation (i.e. Koalas) and urban development. The tutorial programme has been designed to introduce students to the Redland Shire/Cleveland area and will assist you in developing your own ‘resource kit’. The objectives of the tutorials are to prepare you for the field trip and a group based project of creating a Poster on one of the following topics.
 

The Poster: A poster is simply a static, visual medium that you use to communicate ideas and messages, when you may not have the time to give an oral presentation, or when the presentation must be ongoing over a long time frame and it is not possible or practical for you to be present. Therefore, the poster does most of the 'talking' for you or in this instance your group; that is, the material presented should convey the essence of your message.
This exercise will require you to work in groups of 6 to 7 to create an informative, logically structured, concise and professional poster based on your field trip to the Redland Shire. The poster will be of A1 size (594  841mm). Poster groups will be finalised before the field trip so that you can organise, for example, members of your group who may be responsible for taking photographs or collating resource material that your group will use in creating your presentation. Specific details relating to the production of the posters will be given in the second tutorial, while the tutorials in weeks 10 and 11 will also be devoted to assisting you in the presentation of your poster. However, much of this work will be left to you and your group to organise, as you will most likely need to meet several times outside of class to work on the content, structure and presentation of your poster. Don’t be fooled, good posters do take a lot of effort and time and as your posters will be the collective product of 6 to 7 individuals we expect to see high quality products. Remember, this is a group exercise and the grade awarded for each poster will also be given to each member of the group. Therefore, it is up to all members of the group to ensure that everyone contributes equally to this task.

#NOTE: While all students are strongly encouraged to participate in the field trip, it is not compulsory. For students who are unable to participate in the field trip for whatever reason, you will be required to complete an alternative form of assessment. This task will take the form of a 2500 word essay (plus or minus 10% of this length; penalties apply to under length or over length assignments) that critically reviews society’s impact on a biophysical system of your choice located within 50 kilometres of your residence. Your essay should present a brief outline of your chosen biophysical system including its location, its significance in terms of the environmental services it provides, recreational, aesthetic and cultural values and any direct economic benefits gained from its use. In your review of society’s impact on your chosen system pay particular attention to issues associated with population growth, economic development and resource exploitation. Your essay should conclude with a discussion of the future prospects for your selected biophysical system in light of societal pressures, the effectiveness of relevant environmental management strategies and environmental sustainability.

The essay format, assessment criteria and sources to be consulted are generally as for Assignment 1. Note, however, that the essay length is 2500 words, the framework / structure will be different, and the sources for this essay may include materials from local libraries and personal communications from knowledgeable individuals (make sure you cite these in your reference list). A possible (but not compulsory) structure and weightings for the essay are as follows:
1. Introduction 12.5%
2. Description and analysis of the biophysical system 25%
3. Human impact on the biophysical system 25%
4. Future prospects for the biophysical system 25%
5. Conclusion 12.5%
6. References

You are strongly encouraged to consult with the course coordinator on your choice of system before proceeding too far with this essay.

9. Assessment criteria:
Your essay will be assessed on the basis of its performance in relation to the criteria outlined in the Guidelines for Criterion Referenced Assessment of Written Work, part 2 of the Assessment Handbook.
You should consider the following points when compiling your assignment and ensure that it performs well in relation to all of them: -
 

Posters are assessed using the following criteria.
 

Grading:
Examination: 50%
Assignment 1: 20%
Poster (Assignment 2:) 20
Tutorials 10%
Grade calculated on summation of marks from two assessment items on standard 7 point grading scale

Assessment policies:
see Assessment Handbook - Assessment Criteria
(http://www.geosp.uq.edu.au/students/Assess_Handbook.htm).

Assessment and disability:
The University has a policy which allows for special arrangements to be made for examinations for students with a disability, so that all students are provided a comparable opportunity to demonstrate knowledge and competency for assessment purposes.
Full details of the University’s policy are set out in Policy Number: 3.30.3 and are available at www.uq.edu.au/hupp/contents/view.asp?s1=3&s2=30&s3=3.

10. Plagiarism:

Plagiarism is the action or practice of taking and using as one`s own the thoughts or writings of another, without acknowledgment. The following practices constitute acts of plagiarism and are a major infringement of the University`s academic values:
 

11. Disability support:

Any student with a disability who may require alternative academic arrangements in the course/program is encouraged to seek advice at the commencement of the semester from a Disability Adviser at Student Support Services.

12. Employment screening:

Not applicable

13. Dictionaries in examination:

Not permitted

14. Availability of Feedback:

No progressive assessment, therefore no feedback during the semester; Feedback on assignment attached thereto (available at end of semester); examination scripts may be accessed.

15. Lecture schedule:

INTRODUCTION Week 1- L1, 2 Hamish McGowan

Introduction to the course- aims, content, tutorial program, assessment. Introduction to human pressures on resources and the current state of the global environment.

GLOBAL CLIMATE SYSTEMS Week 1 – L3 Hamish McGowan

Introduction to the composition and structure of the atmosphere.

Tutorial (Week 1): No tutorial in week 1.

REGIONAL AND LOCAL CLIMATE SYSTEMS Week 2 - L1,2,3 Hamish McGowan

Introduction to the energy balance, large-scale atmospheric motion and key features of Australia’s climatic zones.

Tutorial (Week 2): Library information research skills; Location: Social Sciences & Humanities Library (Beach&McGowan)

LANDSCAPE SYSTEMS Week 3 - L1,2, 3 Neal Menzies

Introduction to landscape development; soil geomorphology (importance of parent materials, climate, water, and biotic factors in soil formation); physical, chemical and biological characteristics of soils; role of soils in the distribution of native vegetation and agriculture and on urban land use.

Tutorial (Week 3): Essay writing skills and poster presentations. (McGowan)

CATCHMENTS, RIVERS AND THEIR MANAGEMENT Week 4 – L1,2,3 David Neil

The concept of the river catchment; Introduction to the geomorphology, hydrology and ecology of rivers; the role of climate and climate variability in influencing river behaviour; direct and indirect impacts of human activity on the condition of rivers; downstream implications of river characteristics and condition.

Tutorial (Week 4): Map and air photo interpretation I – Redland Shire field area. (McGowan)

COASTS and COASTAL MANAGEMENT Week 5 – L1,2, 3 David Neil

Characteristics of the Australian coastline; Introduction to beach and dune systems - geomorphic processes and characteristics, human impacts, and management issues; introduction to coral reef systems - distribution, geomorphology, ecology, role of sea level change; human use of and impact on coral reef systems; management and planning in coastal ecosystems.

Tutorial (Week 5): Map and air photo interpretation II – Introduction to the Ross Creek Catchment. (McGowan)

FIELD TRIP BRIEFING Week 6 – L1 David Neil/ Hamish McGowan
Introduction to the Redland Shire and Moreton Bay – overview of development in this region and associated environmental issues. Field trip logistics will also be discussed.

POPULATION PATTERNS and PROCESSES Week 6 - L 2, 3; Week 7-L1 TBA

Spatial and temporal patterns of population change in the world, in Australia and in Southeast Queensland; the components and dynamics of population growth; births, deaths and the demographic transition; population momentum; population policy; immigration, internal migration and the growth of Southeast Queensland.

Tutorial (Week 6): Geology and Soils of the Moreton Bay catchment (Menzies)

FIELD TRIP 12/13 April

MANAGEMENT OF THE ATMOSPHERE Week 7 - L 2, No L3 ; Week 8 - L1,2 Hamish McGowan

Introduction to air quality management focusing on issues of urban air pollution in southeast Queensland, the Antarctic ozone hole and human induced climate change.

Tutorial (Week 7): Population pressures in southeast Queensland (TBA)

FORESTRY and AGRICULTURE IN CONTEXT Week 8 - L 3; Week 9- L3 (No L1,2)
Week 10 – L1 Neal Menzies

Ecological processes and vegetation types; energy flows and nutrient cycles; distribution of global and Australian forests; forest dynamics; values and the use of forests in traditional and industrial societies; clearing and degradation of forests.

Tutorial (Week 8): Land use and degradation in the Moreton Bay catchment (Menzies)
NO Tutorial Week 9

CROP and ANIMAL PRODUCTION SYSTEMS Week 10 - L 2, 3; Week 11 - L1, 2, 3 Neal Menzies

Food production for a growing population; crop and animal production systems worldwide and in Australia; history of rural land use in Australia; land degradation (soil erosion; salinization; nutrient decline and accumulation; soil acidification; soil contamination).

Tutorial (Week 10): Poster work

CITIES and the ENVIRONMENT Week 12 - L1, 2, 3; Week 13 – L1, 2, 3* TBA
Urbanisation and urban growth, the urbanising world, city structure and function; 'green' and 'brown' agendas; Cities as environments in which people live, measures of liveability, poverty, access to services, urban indicators; Cities as hotspots in the natural environment, transport, waste, water, and energy; Concept of sustainable cities, the ecological
footprint and urban metabolism.

Tutorial (Weeks 11) Poster work

EXAMINATION BRIEF Week 13 – L3 McGowan
Examination brief and course review

No Tutorials are run in weeks 12 and 13