Natural Environments
The Environment is a commodity that needs to be understood. Whether it be for Economic or sustainability purposes.
The subject is a great entry level subject that will give students a broad introduction into numerous areas of study within Natural systems in which there are many Breadth sequences available through the Melbourne School of Land & Environment.
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Tony Weatherley is a lecturer in the Dept of Resource Management and Geography. He has taught first year biogeography for a number of years, with particular emphasis on landscape formation. Additionally he teaches into a collaborative international program on sustainable food systems. His research involves the identification of and rates of phosphorus loss from dairy pastures. |
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An understanding of natural systems is crucial for sustainable management and design. This core subject of the Bachelor of Environments degree introduces students to the main systems that shape the natural world. The subject examines the evolution of the planet Earth, our climate and global weather and the formation and processes of our present landscapes and associated ecosystems.
Topics for discussion include: plate tectonics; climate change; the water cycle; major biogeochemical processes, such as soil formation, and the interactions and implications of these processes for the distribution, properties and functioning of tropical and temperate forests, grasslands, deserts, arctic and alpine landscapes; historical and current patterns of plant and animal biodiversity; ecological principles; the scales at which we examine natural systems. The subject utilises topical case studies from diverse discipline areas to emphasise key fundamentals underpinning sustainable management and design.
Skills you will learn
- An ability to utilise a systems approach to analysing natural systems
- A capacity for independent critical thought, rational inquiry and self-directed learning
- A profound respect for truth and intellectual integrity, and for the ethics of scholarship
- Begun to develop a technical competence in analysing natural systems
Contact Hours
120 Hours
More information
- Handbook entry for 880-101 Natural Environments