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This Unit is archived with an end date of 25/03/2022

Overview

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Academic contacts

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Offerings

MURDOCH-S2-EXT-2019-2021

MURDOCH-S2-INT-2019-2021

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Enrolment rules

Specific admission requirements apply. Please see Academic Chair

Other learning activities

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Learning activities

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Learning outcomes

1.
Communication – public/client communication, professional communication, written literacy
2.
Professionalism and life skills – professional development, ethics and welfare, legal and professional responsibilities, personal skills, interpersonal skills
3.
Scientific rigour – research appreciation, evidence-based practice, information literacy, data and statistical analysis, scientific numeracy
4.
Applied skills – robust experimental design, operational coordination, fieldwork preparation/organisation, interagency collaboration, public involvement

Assessments

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Additional information

Unit content:

This unit will cover 6 core concepts (Learning Objectives) of vertebrate pest species management.    1. History of invasive species (global and Australian case studies)

The concept of invasive species and the fundamental traits that lead to successful invasion.

  • Distinction between invasive and pest species, using a number of well-known examples from around the world (as well as some of the lesser known species).
  • The role of intentional and accidental actions as drivers behind the introduction and spread of invasive species.
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  • 2 Environmental impacts of invasive and pest species
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  • Impacts of invasive and pest species on natural ecosystems, including both short- and long-term modification.
  • Direct impacts (e.g. competition and predation) as well as indirect impacts (e.g. altered fire regimes).
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  • 3 Biosecurity
  • Major pathogens/pests of concern for Australia, including insects, parasites, bacteria and viruses.
  • Introduction pathways for pathogens/pests.
  • Threats to trade, livestock and wildlife in Australia.
  • Role of surveillance and modelling in protecting Australia from pathogens/pests.
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  • 4 Monitoring techniques
  • Review of survey methods applicable for a range of invasive and pest species.
  • Application of various population survey and monitoring methods.
  • Use of relevant software (e.g. program Mark(R), Distance Sampling(R)) as well as techniques such as removal estimates and quadrat surveys.
  • Use of citizen science pest species monitoring (e.g. via Feral Scan app).
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  • 5 Invasion management
  • Invasion timelines, when associated costs dictate whether to eradicate, control or manage.
  • Invasive and pest species viewed as a cultural and economically valuable resource.
  • Cost-benefit analysis of invasive and pest species control strategies.
  • Reporting procedures for new populations of invasive or pest species, including associated government agencies and their role in invasive and pest species management.
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  • 6 Control methods
  • Control techniques currently available for managing invasive species, including intensive control methods (i.e. spraying, trapping, poisoning, shooting) as well as more passive control methods (i.e. fire regimes, promotion of native predators).
  • Ethics of control, humaneness and animal welfare issues associated with each of these approaches.
  • Importance of public perception towards both control methods and the invasive species itself.
  • Case studies highlighting the sensitivity of these techniques to a range of variables commonly encountered when undertaking control efforts.