ENVS6525
10 units
6000 level
Course handbook
Description
Sustainability and Ecosystem Health offers a systematic examination of an emergent paradigm in environmental management, ecosystem health and resilience thinking. It explores these concepts via the theoretical perspectives and methodologies of complexity and transdisciplinarity. The ecosystem health paradigm examines environmental issues using key indicators of system health such as integrity, resilience, vigour, diversity, stability and adaptability. Major environmental issues are analysed from a complex adaptive systems perspective with humans and their institutions seen as integral parts of socio-ecological systems, i.e. a 'humans in the ecosystem' approach. The Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Australia provides a rich setting for case studies at the regional level. Other case studies are explored, including human induced climate change and global warming at the biosphere scale. Links between complex adaptive socio-ecological systems at varied scales are also explored. All case studies are used to highlight interdependencies and opportunities for diagnosing, maintaining or restoring ecosystem and human health and resilience.
Availability2024 Course Timetables
Online
- Trimester 1 - 2024
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of the course students will be able to:
1. Articulate the difference between complicated systems and complex adaptive systems;
2. Explain why complex adaptive systems change the way they do;
3. Use ecosystem health and resilience theory to interpret, understand and analyse real world case studies;
4. Justify approaches to managing complex adaptive systems;
5. Critique the management of complex adaptive systems and recommend best practice approaches that respond to the behaviour of complex adaptive systems;
6. Explain the relationship between resilience and sustainability.
Content
Theme 1: Basic Concepts
- Resilience: and indicator of sustainability
Theme 2: Complex Adaptive Systems
- Ecological and social systems as linked complex adaptive systems
- Feedback, thresholds and tipping points
- Panarchy and scale
- Resilience, adaptability and vulnerability
- Sustainability indicators: a systems approach
Theme 3: Case Study in Sustainability
- Social learning, adaptive management and governance for ecosystem health and sustainability
- The Hunter region of NSW, Australia
Theme 4: Creating Sustainable Futures
- Individual case studies identified by students
Assessment items
Presentation: Audio/visual Blackboard Collaborate presentation and facilitation of discussion board
Essay: Essay
Report: Applied major report
Contact hours
Trimester 1 - 2024 - Online
Self-Directed Learning-1
- Online 10 hour(s) per week(s) for 13 week(s) starting in week 1
Course outline
- ENVS6525 - Trimester 1, 2024 (Ncle) (PDF, 176.9 KB)
- ENVS6525 - Trimester 1, 2024 (Online) (PDF, 176.9 KB)
The University of Newcastle acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands within our footprint areas: Awabakal, Darkinjung, Biripai, Worimi, Wonnarua, and Eora Nations. We also pay respect to the wisdom of our Elders past and present.