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Lismore Session 2 Session 2
Online Session 2 N/A

Unit Summary

Unit type

UG Coursework Unit

Credit points

12

AQF level

7

Level of learning

Intermediate

Unit aim

Examines principles of combustion and fire behaviour based on an understanding of meteorological events; the role of fire in ecosystem function; techniques of fire control including hazard reduction and other prescribed burning techniques; review of suppression strategies.

Unit content

  • The role of fire in the ecology of Australia's forests;
  • The basic principles of fire behaviour, including the impacts of climate, topography, fuel loads and past management;
  • The principles of fire management, including hazard reduction, fire control and suppression; and
  • The principles of fire control policy and planning in NSW, communications and the human safety factor.

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.

GA1: , GA2: , GA3: , GA4: , GA5: , GA6: , GA7:
On completion of this unit, students should be able to: GA1 GA2 GA3 GA4 GA5 GA6 GA7
1 understand the physical principles driving fire behaviour
2 demonstrate a broad and coherent understanding of the ecological role of fire, particularly in forested ecosystems in Australia
3 analyse opposing fire management systems for their impact on ecological health and community safety.

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

  1. understand the physical principles driving fire behaviour
    • GA1:
    • GA3:
    • GA7:
  2. demonstrate a broad and coherent understanding of the ecological role of fire, particularly in forested ecosystems in Australia
    • GA1:
    • GA7:
  3. analyse opposing fire management systems for their impact on ecological health and community safety.
    • GA1:
    • GA3:
    • GA7:

Prescribed texts

  • This book is available as an eBook only. It is not available as a print copy: Bradstock RA, Gill, AM & Williams, RJ (eds), 2012, Flammable Australia: fire regimes, biodiversity and ecosystems in a changing world, CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Victoria. ISBN: 9780643104846.
Prescribed texts may change in future teaching periods.