Bushfire Planning & Management

Subject FRST90017 (2015)

Note: This is an archived Handbook entry from 2015.

Credit Points: 12.5
Level: 9 (Graduate/Postgraduate)
Dates & Locations:

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2015:

March, Creswick - Taught on campus.
Pre-teaching Period Start 09-Mar-2015
Teaching Period 23-Mar-2015 to 03-Apr-2015
Assessment Period End 19-Jun-2015
Last date to Self-Enrol 11-Mar-2015
Census Date 10-Apr-2015
Last date to Withdraw without fail 15-May-2015

During the pre-teaching period, students will be required to read materials provided via LMS.



Timetable can be viewed here. For information about these dates, click here.
Time Commitment: Contact Hours: 24 hours lectures and 36 hours practical work delivered in one two-week intensive teaching block
Total Time Commitment:

170 hours

Prerequisites: None
Corequisites: None
Recommended Background Knowledge: None
Non Allowed Subjects: None
Core Participation Requirements:

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. This course requires all students to enrol in subjects where they must actively and safely contribute to field excursions and laboratory activities. Students who feel their disability will impact on meeting this requirement are encouraged to discuss this matter with the Subject Coordinator and Disability Liaison http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/ students email: disability-liaison@unimelb.edu.au

Coordinator

Dr Trent Penman

Contact

Graduate School of Science

Enquiries

Phone: 13 MELB (13 6352)
Email: 13MELB@unimelb.edu.au

Coordinator

Dr Trent Penman
Email: trent.penman@unimelb.edu.au

Subject Overview:

The course covers the fundamentals of setting and achieving bushfire management objectives for ecological and fire protection purposes in natural ecosystems. It covers the contents of a fire management plan, setting objectives, developing fire prescriptions, undertaking monitoring and evaluation of the management process, and review.

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the subject students should:

  • Be able to set fire management objectives for individual burns and for broader management areas.
  • Be able to develop burning prescriptions to achieve fauna, flora, and protection objectives.
  • Be able to use a knowledge of plant and animal life history attributes to devise sustainable fire regimes.
  • Be able to devise fire management strategies and plans that maintain water quality and yield.
  • Be able to use GIS programs to develop fire management plans.
  • Be able to establish and run a monitoring program to assess the effectiveness of a fire management plan.
  • Be familiar with the use of Codes of Practice to achieve world best practice in fire management.
  • Be familiar with some key legal responsibilities related to fire management including the maintenance of biodiversity, protection from damaging fires and fire suppression.
Assessment:

Several small daily "quizzes" - 20% during intensive teaching period (1000 word equivalent)

Literature review assignment (1500 words) - 30% due 13 April 2015

Major assignment (2500 words) - 50% due 18 May 2015

Prescribed Texts:

None

Recommended Texts:
  • Bradstock, R.A., Williams, J.E. and Gill, A.M. (eds.) (2012) Flammable Australia - The Fire Regimes and Biodiversity of a Continent. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, U.K.. 462 pp.
  • Cheney, N.P. and Sullivan, A. (1997) Grassfires - fuel, weather and fire behaviour. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne, Australia. 102 pp.
  • Finney, M.A. (1998) FARSITE: Fire Area Simulator - Model Development and Evaluation. U.S. Dept. Agriculture, Forest Service. Rocky Mountain Research Station, Research Paper RMRS-RP-4. 47 pp.
  • Gill, A.M., Groves, R.H. and Noble, I.R. (eds.) (1981) Fire and the Australian Biota. Australian Academy of Science, Canberra, Australia.
  • Pyne, S.J., Andrews, P.L, and Laven, R.D. (1996) Introduction to Wildland Fire. John Wiley and Sons Inc., New York. 769 pp.
  • Tolhurst, K.G. and Cheney, N.P. (1999) Synopsis of the Knowledge Used in Prescribed Burning in Victoria. Dept. Natural Resources and Environment, Victoria. 97pp. ISBN: 0 7311 4446 5.
Breadth Options:

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

Fees Information: Subject EFTSL, Level, Discipline & Census Date
Links to further information: http://graduate.science.unimelb.edu.au/bushfire-planning-management
Notes:

This subject can be taken as part of the Postgraduate Certificate/Diploma in Bushfire Management and the
Postgraduate Certificate/Diploma in Bushfire Planning and Management http://land-environment.unimelb.edu.au/about-us/our-departments/dfes/

Related Course(s): Graduate Certificate in Bushfire Planning and Management
Graduate Certificate in Forest Systems Management
Graduate Diploma in Bushfire Planning and Management
Graduate Diploma in Forest Systems Management
Master of Forest Ecosystem Science
Master of Urban Planning
Postgraduate Certificate in Bushfire Planning and Management
Postgraduate Diploma in Bushfire Planning and Management
Related Majors/Minors/Specialisations: Honours Program - Forest Science

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