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Unit of Study FORS6001 - Forest Modelling and Management (2023)

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Unit Snapshot

  • Enrolment information

    This is an advanced unit, and students need to be competent in Excel (or in handling mathematical equations) and need familiarity with forestry (or ecological) concepts such as those convened in the pre-requisite units or similar experience.

Unit description

Develops the skills needed to estimate the sustainable harvest from a forest or other natural resource, to use simulation modelling in a decision support framework, in the context of forest management and environmental planning. Students will complete the design and implementation of a simulation model as part of major assignment that will prepare them for oversight of environmental management projects.

Unit content

Context of modelling and prediction in management planning.

Interplay between people, institutions, plans and models in resource management.

Modelling approaches, languages and tools.

Introduction to the Visual Modelling Environment, Simile.

Basic concepts of modelling in system dynamics approaches.

Individual-based modelling.

Population-based modelling.

Advanced modelling techniques.

Testing and presenting models.

Availabilities

Not currently available in 2023

Learning outcomes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

understand the role of simulation modelling in forest management and environmental planning

identify forest and environmental issues that simulation modelling can help to resolve

design and implement a suitable modelling approach for a specified environmental context

gather and synthesise relevant information and calibrate a model for a practical application

complete simulations, document outcomes, and present & discuss findings

identify model limitations and define research needed to strengthen model.