Soils support agricultural and natural ecosystems and regulate environmental interactions between the hydrosphere and atmosphere. It is the quality of our soils that affect productivity, the environment, health and ultimately sustainability. However, challenges such as those presented by lack of plant nutrient supply, soil acidification, physical degradation, soil contamination, and loss of soil biodiversity are problems at a global scale that threaten the sustainability of the environment and society. As well as the threats the importance of maintaining a quality soil that regulates environmental interactions will be explored, such as soil as a sink for carbon affecting climate interactions or understanding how a rich soil biodiversity can contribute to food production affecting food security. To do this, this unit of study is concerned with exploring the key pedology, soil chemistry, soil physical and soil biological processes that drive these challenges to soil quality. Time will be spent investigating how the quality of the soil can be assessed, using the indicators of the mentioned soil processes, and how the resulting data can be aggregated and communicated in a meaningful way. Working with case studies, the students will identify problems that are assessed using soil quality or function analysis with the aim of identifying management options. The management options will be evaluated to determine their adoptability and implement ability. By investigating the case studies using soil quality or function analysis students will develop their research and enquiry skills. Assessing and developing adoptable management strategies the students will develop their skills in synthesising material from multiple sources and enhance their intellectual autonomy. By producing reports and presenting seminars the students will develop their communication skills.

This unit provides students with an overview of current debates and approaches to understanding and quantifying interactions between the biosphere, oceans and atmosphere, as used around the world, and the consequences of those interactions for climate. The unit considers climate change on a variety of timescales.

Plants have food, fibre and industrial uses in our societies. Successfully growing plants and their products for our use involves a large and very diverse mix of industries and therefore requires a wide spectrum of people with specialized skills in production and protection techniques for different types of plants and in the skills required to breed better varieties over time. Within this framework, the diversity of uses for plants is increasing, it is evident that the use of inputs such as water, nutrients and energy in the production chains must become more efficient and all industry sectors need to monitor and respond to the impact of climate change. In this unit you will be able to choose to study, from a list of alternatives, three different aspects or industries involved in plant production. This choice of modules enables you to develop targeted advanced knowledge and skills in your areas of interest, alongside building your knowledge and understanding of plant production industry processes and challenges in general. This will be achieved through a combination of interactive theory development, inquiry-led practicals, field work and field trips. By undertaking this unit you will gather a deeper knowledge of the specific technical and social issues that challenge the chosen aspects/industries while garnering an understanding of the linkages and integration of specialties required in modern crop production systems. This will empower you to further explore and contribute to plant production industries through a range of production or research-based avenues.

This unit introduces students to essential knowledge, frameworks and tools to manage strategically and innovatively. The unit begins by providing students with a mindsets framework for managing responsibly and sustainably. The core concepts and central frameworks of strategic management are introduced and applied to current case studies. Students are then introduced to the complexity of innovation processes and models for assessing and maximising value for innovation. The concepts and frameworks from across the unit are then brought together as students explore the challenges of managing ethically and responsibly in complex environments.

This unit of study is designed to provide an understanding of the underlying forces driving agricultural markets. It addresses price analysis and efficiency, including aspects of form, time and space in agricultural marketing; information and contracts; changing consumer concerns (food safety, ethical production); futures market and other risk sharing devices. Building on the application of microeconomic theory to both production and consumption in agricultural markets, its content is analytical. The unit also investigates some of the forces which prevent the efficient operation of world agricultural markets, including impediments to trade, imperfect markets for inputs and outputs and market power along the agricultural supply chain.

This unit develops knowledge and skills in natural resource economics built on previously gained economics training. The economics of dynamic natural systems is studied through application of advanced modelling approaches. Particular emphasis is given to the economic mechanisms for managing water and biological resources including property rights, water allocation, and water markets. Key policy instruments, taxes, quotas, standards are analysed; Institutional and policy aspects will also be considered via analysis of water policy reform in Australia and elsewhere.

Agricultural production is typically risky, adding complexity to decision analysis and increasing need of risk consideration in agricultural policy design. This unit explores this theme, and has two related components: risk and risk management in agriculture, and issues of agricultural producer finance. These two components cover a broad range of topics that incorporate production risk and other sources of risk in agriculture.

This unit of study is concerned with the application of microeconomic principles to management decisions in agricultural production systems. It builds on the theoretical knowledge acquired in previous studies and introduces the methods of applied economic analysis through a range of topics including: production, cost and profit functions; methods for the measurement of productivity; optimisation in biological production systems; and production under risk. The unit introduces the linear programming technique to solve decision making problems encountered by agribusiness and natural resource firms and managers in public agencies.

Foundational concepts in welfare economics, such as economic efficiency, criteria for assessing social welfare improvements, and economic surplus measures, are analysed in detail and applied to project evaluation and policy assessment. Procedures of conducting a benefit-cost analysis are presented, and tools of non-market valuation for public goods and environmental assets are covered in detail. These techniques include both stated and revealed preference techniques, including contingent valuation, choice modeling, hedonic pricing and travel cost methods.

The natural environment is invariably affected by production and consumption in our modern economy. In particular, environmental outcomes are important in the presence of market failures (externalities and public goods). This unit focuses on developing a student's detailed understanding of the economic techniques used by policymakers to address environmental issues. These techniques include: Pigovian taxes and subsidies; regulation with asymmetric information; marketable permits; pricing contributions for public goods; optimal damages; and the allocation of property-rights and market failures.

This unit builds on knowledge gained in undergraduate plant or crop science units to develop an understanding of horticultural cropping systems management. The unit covers topics on the production of high-quality food from perennial fruit crops, wine grapes, vegetables and key aspects of the postharvest handling and quality assurance. Particular focus will be on intensive production systems and will provide students with a broad overview of current issues affecting the horticultural industries. Emphasis is on minimising the environmental impact of horticultural enterprises and introduces students to current themes and thinking in sustainable practices in horticultural science. The unit runs alongside lectures and practicals in Production Horticulture HORT3005.

This unit of study is aimed at developing advanced skills in spatial predictive modelling including mapping of environmental properties and image classification. The units begins with an introductory module on key concepts in GIS, and the use of the R ecosystem for spatial science. In this module you will learn how to process spatial data in a reproducible manner and get it into a format ready for spatial modelling. In the second module we will cover spatial modelling approaches including geostatistics, statistical and machine learning models. Finally, in the third module you will have an opportunity to apply your knowledge in a spatial modelling project of your choice.

This unit of study is designed to provide students with an advanced understanding of new and emerging livestock technologies in Australia and overseas. Examples of these technologies include (1) next-generation infrared and laser scanning to determine physiological status and whole body composition, (2) diet formulation to enhance the nutritional and eating quality of livestock food products, (3) new vaccines and other therapeutics to regulate fertility, growth and behaviour whilst enhancing welfare and wellbeing, (4) microRNA technology to influence cellular, endocrine and physiological processes, (5) new genomics and laboratory-based reproductive technologies for advanced livestock breeding, (6) technologies to monitor and control animal behaviour, (7) unmanned ground and aerial vehicles to monitor livestock and the environment, (8) sensors and advanced image-capture technology to record the attributes of soil, air and the feedbase, (9) data-fusion science to integrate, analyse and interpret collected data, and (10) modelling of livestock systems. Students will gain research and inquiry skills through research based group projects, information literacy and communication skills through on-line discussion postings, laboratory reports and presentations, and personal and intellectual autonomy through working in groups. At successful completion of the unit students will have a sound knowledge of new and emerging technologies that will shape the livestock industries in Australia and overseas. This will provide valuable grounding for students preparing for postgraduate study and other learning and career paths.

The aim of the course is to introduce students to the major physical and chemical processes that control the concentration and dispersion of chemical pollutants in natural and impacted environments. The course will demonstrate how to use contaminant data effectively and how to judge the quality of chemical data. This knowledge will be used to design and to assess environmental projects, and to judge the magnitude of impact by human activity on environments and the risk posed by contaminants to ecosystem functioning. The course aims to provide present and future managers employed in environmental professions with the skills to use data with confidence and to make management decisions knowing the risks inherent in variable data quality. A field trip will be undertaken early in the semester.

The unit builds on previously acquired economics training and develops advanced understanding of the economics of minerals exploration, extraction and marketing and the economics of energy generation, distribution and use. The implications of mineral extraction and energy generation activities for natural resources and the environment are explored. The unit will foster in-depth knowledge of the markets for minerals and energy, their industry structure and business environment, including the role of markets for derivatives on minerals and energy commodities.

This unit examines the economic transformation of less-developed countries from microeconomic and macroeconomic perspectives. It covers applied topics such as education, health, nutrition, demographics, labour, agriculture and the private sector, focusing on how policies attempt to overcome market and institutional failures that are particularly acute in the developing world. Focus is given to applying theoretical and empirical tools necessary to conceptualise, analyse and interpret various issues in economic development. Applied examples from developing countries are used throughout the unit.

This unit of study examines the nature of inter-firm rivalry in industries with market power. It explores the various ways in which firms can increase their market power by: extracting more surplus from consumers, by colluding with rivals or by excluding entrants. The unit also analyses the international competitiveness of industries in the context of industry assistance and the prevalence of foreign multinationals. Competition policy is also discussed.

The natural environment is invariably affected by production and consumption in our modern economy. In particular, environmental outcomes are important in the presence of market failures (externalities and public goods). This unit focuses on developing a student's detailed understanding of the economic techniques used by policymakers to address environmental issues. These techniques include: Pigovian taxes and subsidies; regulation with asymmetric information; marketable permits; pricing contributions for public goods; optimal damages; and the allocation of property-rights and market failures.

This unit presumes no prior exposure to economics and aims, by the end of the unit, to bring a proficiency equivalent to that of students with an intermediate level microeconomics unit in an Honours degree program. Many economic principles developed in this unit are routinely used in several other units in the program. Microeconomics studies how economic agents make choices in a variety of environments. The unit covers theory and applications of the principles of consumer choice, of firm behaviour, and of strategic interaction among economic agents. Equipped with these theories of decision making, students can address a range of interesting and important questions. Examples are: What market strategy should a firm adopt with its competitors? How might one create a market to deal with externalities such as pollution? What are the implications of different kinds of taxes? What compensation scheme will provide the right incentives to work?

This unit of study introduces participants to the power of simulation modelling in understanding and predicting behaviour of natural systems. It covers fundamental concepts, logic, and techniques (including sensitivity analysis), and develops skills in application to environmental problems such as catchment management and population dynamics.

The aim of the course is to introduce students to the major physical and chemical processes that control the concentration and dispersion of chemical pollutants in natural and impacted environments. The course will demonstrate how to use contaminant data effectively and how to judge the quality of chemical data. This knowledge will be used to design and to assess environmental projects, and to judge the magnitude of impact by human activity on environments and the risk posed by contaminants to ecosystem functioning. The course aims to provide present and future managers employed in environmental professions with the skills to use data with confidence and to make management decisions knowing the risks inherent in variable data quality. A field trip will be undertaken early in the semester.

This unit examines the environment as a political and policy issue. Although relatively recent, the environment has become a full-fledged public policy issue exerting influence in local, national and international arenas. The unit will first focus on the specific features of the policy that influences the capability of contemporary societies to enhance the management of environmental resources and of public goods in general. Second, it discusses the development of environmental policy in Western countries, with a particular emphasis on the European Union. Third, a grid for the analysis of environmental policy will be presented, with a discussion of the main actors (political, institutional and socio-economic) involved in it and of the factors (interests and ideas) influencing their positions. Fourth, the unit briefly discusses environmental conflicts and consensual approaches used for tackling them.

This unit of study introduces contemporary topics from Ecological Economics and Sustainability Analysis, such as metrics for measuring sustainability; planetary boundaries and other natural limits; comparisons between ecological and environmental economics; valuing the environment; intergenerational discounting; global inequality with a focus on the climate change debate; and links between theories of well-being, human behaviour, consumerism and environmental impact. This unit includes guest lecturers from industry and academia. The lectures for this unit include interactive activities and group-exercises on a range of concepts related to Ecological Economics. The unit sets the scene for the more detailed and specific units PHYS5032, PHYS5033, and PHYS5034.

This unit of study will provide students with practical skills for carrying out environmental footprinting calculations: for individuals, companies, organisations or nations. In particular, this unit will provide a comprehensive introduction to input-output analysis for identifying impacts embodied in regional, national and global supply chains. This unit focuses on contemporary environmental applications such as emissions, energy-use, water, land, loss of animal and plant species; and also social applications such as employment, poverty and child labour. The unit first explores national and global economic and environmental accounting systems and their relationships to organisational accounting. Second, it presents cutting-edge techniques enabling the global analysis of environmental and social impacts of international trade. Third, it offers hands-on practical activities for mastering the input-output techniques conceived by Nobel Prize Laureate Wassily Leontief, and provides a step-by-step recipe for undertaking boundary-free environmental and social footprinting for sectors and organisations. Students will walk away from this unit equipped with useful skills needed to calculate footprints, and prepare sustainability reports for any organisation, city, region, or nation, using organisational data, economic input-output tables and environmental accounts. Students will also benefit from enrolling in PHYS5034 for a sound understanding of the role of input-output analysis within the field of Life-Cycle Assessment.

This unit of study covers philosophy, techniques, applications and standards of Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA). It introduces methods from engineering (Process Analysis) and economics (Input-Output Analysis), and discusses current popular LCA tools. The unit places importance on practical relevance by including real-world case studies and business applications as well as global standards such as the GHG Protocol for accounting for scopes -1, -2 and -3 emissions and ISO standards. The unit of study will culminate with practical exercises using software tools to provide students with hands-on experience of preparing a comprehensive Life-Cycle Assessment of an application of their choice. Students will also benefit from enrolling in PHYS5033 for a sound understanding of input-output analysis as the basis of hybrid LCA methods.

The aim of the unit is to introduce students to basic statistical concepts and methods for further studies. Particular attention will be paid to the development of methodologies related to statistical data analysis and Data Mining. A number of useful statistical models will be discussed and computer oriented estimation procedures will be developed. Smoothing and nonparametric concepts for the analysis of large data sets will also be discussed. Students will be exposed to the R computing language to handle all relevant computational aspects in the course.

This unit of study will introduce students to the concepts and multidisciplinary nature of sustainability, starting with the physical basis of climate change and its impact on the environment and human development. This will be followed by several case studies covering Energy, Health, Development and Environment. The case studies will be presented by industry professionals and will illustrate sustainability issues currently before Australia- their origins, impacts and industry responses. The unit of study will provide students with a holistic systems lens through which to view their learning throughout the Masters program. This will underpin understanding of the integrated nature of sustainability and facilitate the challenging of silo-based assumptions- their own and those of others. The intention is to ground understanding of complex systems in the real world through the use of case studies that will demonstrate organisational change and problem solving in a world with competing values and conflicting views of what it means to live sustainably. Students completing the unit of study will have a "sustainability tool kit" to apply to sustainability issues in their professional and community activities.

This aims to develop a student's ability to review the literature with the view of developing a major research project in an area of specialization. The student will work with an academic advisor on a mutually agreed topic for research to be undertaken and the subsequent writing of a literature review. The literature review will advance the student's ability to identify existing knowledge, define research problems, demonstrate a sound grasp for presenting a research question, and begin to define a research strategy. Students will develop their research and inquiry skills through sourcing a wide range of literature and improve their written communication skills.

This unit of study aims to develop a student's ability to write a detailed research proposal and develop a strategy combined with the appropriate methodology to execute their research. Working with their academic advisor students will prepare a proposal describing; the background and aims, its significance and innovation, the justification of the methodology, the national benefit, and considerations of the required budget and project timeline. This unit will enable students to develop their ability to define a research project to be managed within a suitable research framework. Students will develop their skills in solving research problems and enhance their intellectual and personal autonomy through managing a research program.

This unit of study builds on the major research project proposed in AFNR5904. Working with their academic advisor students will execute their research strategy that provides data and subsequent data analysis towards solving the research question. The results and analysis will be presented in a format suitable for submission as a research paper to a relevant journal. Students will build their research skills, develop a strong analytical capacity, demonstrate a sound grasp of the topic, and ability to interpret results in a broad framework. Students will demonstrate their ability to draw reliable conclusions and identify future areas of research. Students will continue to develop their skills in solving research problems and enhance their intellectual and personal autonomy by means of managing a research program. Students will improve their communication skills through presentation of the research paper.

This unit of study provides students with the opportunity to present the research findings of their major research project using several communication media appropriate for different audiences. Using poster and oral presentations students will communicate their research in a format suitable for the academic or professional conference environment. Students will build on their skills to use several modes of communication to demonstrate their ability to produce high quality results, draw reliable conclusions and identify future areas of research.

This unit builds on knowledge gained in undergraduate plant or crop science units to develop an understanding of horticultural cropping systems management. The unit covers topics on the production of high-quality food from perennial fruit crops, wine grapes, vegetables and key aspects of the postharvest handling and quality assurance. Particular focus will be on intensive production systems and will provide students with a broad overview of current issues affecting the horticultural industries. Emphasis is on minimising the environmental impact of horticultural enterprises and introduces students to current themes and thinking in sustainable practices in horticultural science. The unit runs alongside lectures and practicals in Production Horticulture HORT3005.

This unit of study is aimed at developing advanced skills in spatial predictive modelling including mapping of environmental properties and image classification. The units begins with an introductory module on key concepts in GIS, and the use of the R ecosystem for spatial science. In this module you will learn how to process spatial data in a reproducible manner and get it into a format ready for spatial modelling. In the second module we will cover spatial modelling approaches including geostatistics, statistical and machine learning models. Finally, in the third module you will have an opportunity to apply your knowledge in a spatial modelling project of your choice.

Soils support agricultural and natural ecosystems and regulate environmental interactions between the hydrosphere and atmosphere. It is the quality of our soils that affect productivity, the environment, health and ultimately sustainability. However, challenges such as those presented by lack of plant nutrient supply, soil acidification, physical degradation, soil contamination, and loss of soil biodiversity are problems at a global scale that threaten the sustainability of the environment and society. As well as the threats the importance of maintaining a quality soil that regulates environmental interactions will be explored, such as soil as a sink for carbon affecting climate interactions or understanding how a rich soil biodiversity can contribute to food production affecting food security. To do this, this unit of study is concerned with exploring the key pedology, soil chemistry, soil physical and soil biological processes that drive these challenges to soil quality. Time will be spent investigating how the quality of the soil can be assessed, using the indicators of the mentioned soil processes, and how the resulting data can be aggregated and communicated in a meaningful way. Working with case studies, the students will identify problems that are assessed using soil quality or function analysis with the aim of identifying management options. The management options will be evaluated to determine their adoptability and implement ability. By investigating the case studies using soil quality or function analysis students will develop their research and enquiry skills. Assessing and developing adoptable management strategies the students will develop their skills in synthesising material from multiple sources and enhance their intellectual autonomy. By producing reports and presenting seminars the students will develop their communication skills.

This unit provides students with an overview of current debates and approaches to understanding and quantifying interactions between the biosphere, oceans and atmosphere, as used around the world, and the consequences of those interactions for climate. The unit considers climate change on a variety of timescales.

Plants have food, fibre and industrial uses in our societies. Successfully growing plants and their products for our use involves a large and very diverse mix of industries and therefore requires a wide spectrum of people with specialized skills in production and protection techniques for different types of plants and in the skills required to breed better varieties over time. Within this framework, the diversity of uses for plants is increasing, it is evident that the use of inputs such as water, nutrients and energy in the production chains must become more efficient and all industry sectors need to monitor and respond to the impact of climate change. In this unit you will be able to choose to study, from a list of alternatives, three different aspects or industries involved in plant production. This choice of modules enables you to develop targeted advanced knowledge and skills in your areas of interest, alongside building your knowledge and understanding of plant production industry processes and challenges in general. This will be achieved through a combination of interactive theory development, inquiry-led practicals, field work and field trips. By undertaking this unit you will gather a deeper knowledge of the specific technical and social issues that challenge the chosen aspects/industries while garnering an understanding of the linkages and integration of specialties required in modern crop production systems. This will empower you to further explore and contribute to plant production industries through a range of production or research-based avenues.

This unit of study is designed to provide students with an advanced understanding of new and emerging livestock technologies in Australia and overseas. Examples of these technologies include (1) next-generation infrared and laser scanning to determine physiological status and whole body composition, (2) diet formulation to enhance the nutritional and eating quality of livestock food products, (3) new vaccines and other therapeutics to regulate fertility, growth and behaviour whilst enhancing welfare and wellbeing, (4) microRNA technology to influence cellular, endocrine and physiological processes, (5) new genomics and laboratory-based reproductive technologies for advanced livestock breeding, (6) technologies to monitor and control animal behaviour, (7) unmanned ground and aerial vehicles to monitor livestock and the environment, (8) sensors and advanced image-capture technology to record the attributes of soil, air and the feedbase, (9) data-fusion science to integrate, analyse and interpret collected data, and (10) modelling of livestock systems. Students will gain research and inquiry skills through research based group projects, information literacy and communication skills through on-line discussion postings, laboratory reports and presentations, and personal and intellectual autonomy through working in groups. At successful completion of the unit students will have a sound knowledge of new and emerging technologies that will shape the livestock industries in Australia and overseas. This will provide valuable grounding for students preparing for postgraduate study and other learning and career paths.

The aim of the course is to introduce students to the major physical and chemical processes that control the concentration and dispersion of chemical pollutants in natural and impacted environments. The course will demonstrate how to use contaminant data effectively and how to judge the quality of chemical data. This knowledge will be used to design and to assess environmental projects, and to judge the magnitude of impact by human activity on environments and the risk posed by contaminants to ecosystem functioning. The course aims to provide present and future managers employed in environmental professions with the skills to use data with confidence and to make management decisions knowing the risks inherent in variable data quality. A field trip will be undertaken early in the semester.

This unit of study introduces participants to the power of simulation modelling in understanding and predicting behaviour of natural systems. It covers fundamental concepts, logic, and techniques (including sensitivity analysis), and develops skills in application to environmental problems such as catchment management and population dynamics.

This unit of study will provide students with practical skills for carrying out environmental footprinting calculations: for individuals, companies, organisations or nations. In particular, this unit will provide a comprehensive introduction to input-output analysis for identifying impacts embodied in regional, national and global supply chains. This unit focuses on contemporary environmental applications such as emissions, energy-use, water, land, loss of animal and plant species; and also social applications such as employment, poverty and child labour. The unit first explores national and global economic and environmental accounting systems and their relationships to organisational accounting. Second, it presents cutting-edge techniques enabling the global analysis of environmental and social impacts of international trade. Third, it offers hands-on practical activities for mastering the input-output techniques conceived by Nobel Prize Laureate Wassily Leontief, and provides a step-by-step recipe for undertaking boundary-free environmental and social footprinting for sectors and organisations. Students will walk away from this unit equipped with useful skills needed to calculate footprints, and prepare sustainability reports for any organisation, city, region, or nation, using organisational data, economic input-output tables and environmental accounts. Students will also benefit from enrolling in PHYS5034 for a sound understanding of the role of input-output analysis within the field of Life-Cycle Assessment.

This unit of study covers philosophy, techniques, applications and standards of Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA). It introduces methods from engineering (Process Analysis) and economics (Input-Output Analysis), and discusses current popular LCA tools. The unit places importance on practical relevance by including real-world case studies and business applications as well as global standards such as the GHG Protocol for accounting for scopes -1, -2 and -3 emissions and ISO standards. The unit of study will culminate with practical exercises using software tools to provide students with hands-on experience of preparing a comprehensive Life-Cycle Assessment of an application of their choice. Students will also benefit from enrolling in PHYS5033 for a sound understanding of input-output analysis as the basis of hybrid LCA methods.

The aim of the unit is to introduce students to basic statistical concepts and methods for further studies. Particular attention will be paid to the development of methodologies related to statistical data analysis and Data Mining. A number of useful statistical models will be discussed and computer oriented estimation procedures will be developed. Smoothing and nonparametric concepts for the analysis of large data sets will also be discussed. Students will be exposed to the R computing language to handle all relevant computational aspects in the course.

This unit of study will introduce students to the concepts and multidisciplinary nature of sustainability, starting with the physical basis of climate change and its impact on the environment and human development. This will be followed by several case studies covering Energy, Health, Development and Environment. The case studies will be presented by industry professionals and will illustrate sustainability issues currently before Australia- their origins, impacts and industry responses. The unit of study will provide students with a holistic systems lens through which to view their learning throughout the Masters program. This will underpin understanding of the integrated nature of sustainability and facilitate the challenging of silo-based assumptions- their own and those of others. The intention is to ground understanding of complex systems in the real world through the use of case studies that will demonstrate organisational change and problem solving in a world with competing values and conflicting views of what it means to live sustainably. Students completing the unit of study will have a "sustainability tool kit" to apply to sustainability issues in their professional and community activities.