Learning Partnerships, Unit Catalogue 2009/10 |
AS10191: Environment and heritage: past, present and future |
 Credits: |
10 |
| Level: |
Certificate |
| Period: | This unit is available in... |
| Academic Year at Wiltshire College |
| Assessment: |
CW 80%, EX 20% |
| Supplementary Assessment: | Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations) |
| Requisites: |
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| Description: | Aims: The aims of this unit are to: * provide an understanding of the influence of geological and climatic processes on the UK and European landscape. * provide an appreciation of the global distribution of biomes and an understanding of their importance in a UK and European context. * provide an understanding of key socio-economic events in the historyof the UK, that have contributed to our current land use patterns. * provide an understanding of the key types of land use in the UK.provide an appreciation of economic and political factors that influence land use policy. * promote critical thinking and an understanding of complementary working practice in land management. Learning Outcomes: At the end of this unit students will be able to: * describe key geological and climatic processes that influence landscapes. * apply knowledge of biome distribution to development of land use policy. * recognise the significant socio-economic events in environmental and cultural contexts. * describe and account for current land use in the UK. * apply knowledge of complementary working practice between land managers. Skills: During the unit students will gain the following skills: Intellectual: * gathering and processing technical information (A). * formulating outcomes (A). * making and defending decisions (A). Professional: * written and verbal presentation skills (A). * representing the interests of an organisation (A). * facilitating and negotiating skills (A). Practical: * making field assessments (T,). * using IT skills in the production of material (A). Key: * making appropriate calculations (T,A). * communicating effectively to a variety of audiences (A). * utilising problem-solving skills for decision making (A). * writing reports (T,A). Content: This unit concentrates on: * the geological structure of the earth, the development of landforms through the rock cycle, deformation, denudation, weathering, glaciation, hydrological processes and soil formation. * global and local weather systems, the use of weather maps and satellite data and the influence of weather on land use. * the distribution of vegetative zones and systems, defining the nature of ecosystems, environmental factors and the concept of ecological niches, vegetative development and succession, bare surfaces, sub-climax, climax, plagio-climax communities and ecotones. * key socio-economic events shaping land use, e.g. Norman invasion and domination, the expansion of royal forests, the enclosures, the development of agricultural systems and economy of scale, deforestation, the expansion of industry, the British Empire, the influence of World Wars I and II on agricultural and forest policy, and the agricultural land classification system. * major UK land use activities and an analysis of area, objectives and governmental policy in relation to agriculture (arable and livestock farming), the role of Government and NGOs; forestry and woodlands including an understanding of the timber industry within wider global and European contexts, plus local, national and international organisations and initiatives, e.g. Forestry Commission, Community and National Forests; role of NGOs in influencing policy, e.g. Tree Council, Royal Forestry Society, European Timber Trade Association, IUFRO, European Wood; water catchment and the role of private sector organisations; military use, impacts, conservation value and local economies; urban development for homes and industry, urban renewal policies and the urbanisation of the countryside; transport policy and infrastructure, with exercise on the impact of road networks on the countryside. * charitable land use such as RSPB, National Trust, Woodland Trust and organisational objectives; access to the countryside - history e.g. US National Parks, Commons and Footpaths, Kinder Scout trespass, National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act, Land Reform Act and CROW Act. * the European context and EU policy for land use; the influence of pressure groups and politics of land use. * examination of policy management through statutory instruments, e.g. Wildlife and Countryside Act; the application of grant aid and subsidies; holistic thinking, co-operative and complementary working examined through case studies. |