James Cook University Subject Handbook - 2003

EV5251:03

Environmental Impacts of Human Activities in Protected Areas

Cairns HECS Band 2

26 hours lectures, 13 hours seminars, 26 hours workshops, 16 hours field work. July block mode.

Staff: Assoc. Professor S Turton.

This subject examines the applicability and techniques derived from ecological and earth sciences which are of particular value in protected area management; environmental and human-induced impacts in protected areas; factors affecting human impacts in protected areas; management strategies and concepts; research design for measuring and monitoring human impacts in protected areas; visitor and site management; applications in terrestrial and marine ecosystems (especially tropical rainforest); biological and physical environment field survey; data analysis and interpretation techniques; reviews of previous work undertaken in northern Australian protected areas. The main emphasis is on terrestrial ecosystems (especially tropical environments) but marine and ocean island systems are also included.

Learning Objectives:

  1. the aim of this subject is to familiarise students with the nature of protected areas and development of techniques for measuring and monitoring human impacts in protected areas as a basis for ecologically sustainable management.

Assessment by examination (40%); essay (20%); seminar (10%); field report (30%).