Bushfire Planning & Management

Subject FRST90017 (2011)

Note: This is an archived Handbook entry from 2011.

Credit Points: 12.50
Level: 9 (Graduate/Postgraduate)
Dates & Locations:

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2011:

April, Creswick - Taught on campus.
Pre-teaching Period Start not applicable
Teaching Period not applicable
Assessment Period End not applicable
Last date to Self-Enrol not applicable
Census Date not applicable
Last date to Withdraw without fail not applicable

Intensive teaching, Creswick

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

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

Coordinator

Assoc Prof Kevin Tolhurst

Contact

Melbourne School of Land & Environment Student Centre
Ground Floor, Land & Food Resources (building 142)

Enquiries
Phone: 13 MELB (13 6352)
Email: 13MELB@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.
Objectives:

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%, Literature review assignment (2000 words) - 30%, Major assignment (3500 words) - 50%
Prescribed Texts: None
Recommended Texts:
  • Bradstock, R.A., Williams, J.E. and Gill, A.M. (eds.) (2002) 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://www.forests.unimelb.edu.au/subjects.html
Notes: This subject can be taken as part of the Postgraduate Certificate in Bushfire Management and the
Postgraduate Diploma in Bushfire Management http://www.forests.unimelb.edu.au/bushfire-management/
Related Course(s): Bachelor of Science (Degree with Honours)
Master of Forest Ecosystem Science
Postgraduate Certificate in Bushfire Management
Postgraduate Diploma in Bushfire Management

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