BIOL8750 Contemporary Conservation in Australia

Question:

This Assessment Task relates to the following Learning Outcomes:

• Communicate scientific research and issues in conservation to various target audiences

• Identify how research in conservation biology influences environmental management practices and assess how effectively this is undertaken

• Demonstrate a capacity for undertaking literature-based research into key topics in conservation biology and synthesising the current state-of-knowledge Many conservation strategies lack up-to-date insights from recent research findings due to poor communication of science outside of academia. It is just as important that scientific research is understood by practitioners as it is to published it.

Task:

For this assessment, you are required to choose a specific topic of conservation interest recent (in the past five years) in Australia (or New Zealand/ Oceania). The topic you choose may, e.g., be in relation to a threatened/invasive species, a threatened habitat, or threatening processes such as fire, disease spread or human disturbance. Your task is to give a 10-minute pre-recorded presentation to pitch an update on a conservation issue of interest, integrating scientific literature published in the last FIVE years around your topic. Focus on the aspects of the scientific literature that relate to research insights related to conservation management of the topic you have chosen. The aim of your presentation is to provide a Research Update And Synthesis of a specific conservation topic, supported by the peer-reviewed scientific data. 

To be tractable and informative, your topic should be specific to a region, community or species. For example, a suitable research topic meeting these criteria might be “Recent advances in industrial technology to minimise environmental impacts caused by pollution in Australia”.

Specifically, you will:

• Pitch your presentation to conservation decision-makers (e.g. land managers) who are scientifically literate, and have an interest in your chosen conservation topic. Keep it scientific, but relevant for management.

• Do a recent scientific literature search on the topic, provide brief background to your topic, collate and synthesise findings and conclusions.

• Communicate the contribution of recent research towards the understanding and management of your chosen conservation issue.