Why? Because...

Every 'Do this' activity has a 'Why' link that brings you to this page. Each activity title down this page links back to the page where the activity can be found.

You do not have to complete these activties in the order they appear here, your own order will depend on the pathways you choose through the learning materials.

Although these explanation and tips are limited to the 'Do this' activities. You will also find a lot of value in thoroughly thinking through the 'Think' tasks, and even noting or diagraming the ideas you have as a result of them.

Landscape ecology concepts

• Identify a landscape
  Like a number of activities you will complete this one helps you link words and pictures which gives your brain two ways to recall a concept. In this instance, your initial ideas about landscape might be challenged.
You will need to get the label in the middle of the picture for it to 'snap' to its position.



• Landscape views
  This activity gives you a chance to step into someone else's shoes and think about how different perspectives value a landscape, apart from the one you have been shown as an example. You might like to take the opportunity to think about the landscapes around you from these perspectives. Conflict over land use often arises from these different perspectives






• Why study landscapes
  
  This reading might extend your own ideas about why studying landscapes is valuable. Without being convinced of this, you will find it difficult to make sense of much of this unit. Actively identifying the key ideas from the reading, rather than just being told them, will help you remember them better.
  
  

• Landscape drawing
  
  'Seeing' pattern in the landscape is important, and this activity helps you focus on different parts of the landscape that make up that pattern. You will later be asked to identify these different parts.
  
  A line drawing is more like a diagram than a sketch - it doesn't rely on you being able to draw beautifully, and clever shading techniques are likely to be distracting rather then helpful, so stick to simple lines and shapes. Some people find it useful to imagine a grid over the image, and draw in the details a small square at a time.

  
  

• Label patches
  
  This is where you need the line drawing you did of the Kellerberrin landscape. The patches will obviously be shapes rather than lines. You could label them by writing directly on the drawing, creating lines to labels outside the boundaries of the drawing, or colour coding shapes inside and adding a key on the outside.

• Classify patches
  
  In this activity you are expected to apply the knowledge you have gained. You can use it as a check point. Do you 'know' the criteria for deciding the types of patches in each location, or do you need to refer to your notes? Can you 'work out' the classifications, rather than immediately recognising them? If you can't recall information straight away it is comforting to know that you have ways of working it out.

  
  

• Classify corridors
  
  Did how you worked in the patches section affect how you worked in the corridors section? Obviously, this is a similar activity with a new area of content and the same strategies apply. You should also be able to predict what the next activity might be.

• Identifying the matrix
  
  This is another application task that also shows that the distinctions we make are not always easy to apply in the field. Adding labels to the diagram means that you should now have a clear image of how these three elements work together to create the srtructure of the landscape.

  
  

• Applying measures
  
  This is the type of task you may be faced with in the workplace: selecting the appropriate 'tools' to use, in this case landscape measures. Use your own problem solving skills to work this out logically, and discuss your ideas in the discussion forum if you would like confirmation of your thoughts or assistance from someone with a different set of strategies.

• Identify appropriate measures
  
  Now you get to extend your understanding by applying the ideas and strategies of the previous activity to different locations. This is another real life 'tool selection' task to help you see how what you have learnt can be used.

  
  

• Linking changes in function to changes in structure
  
  Use this as a checkpoint to check your recall of the interrelationship between landscape functions, landscape structure and the impact of change.

• Comparing patch changes
  
  In this activity you look at the concept of structural change in two locations and compare the degree and type of change. Ability to identifychange trends are significant in land management.

  
  

• Comparing fragmentation
  
  Now you are encouraged to think beyond the facts, to make judgements about degree of fragmentation in different locations and predict what might be the impact of severe fragmentation. This activity reinforces the interralationship between elements of the environment and the impact of change over time.

• Contrasting structural changes
  
  This is an information gathering and thinking activity. You can obtain information to list the structural changes by reading and/or examining the illustrations. When you do the thinking part, don't let yourself get away with a simple yes/no answer. Work out how they might be quanitified, and what would be the benefits and difficulties of doing it one way rather than another, how effective it would be to apply the same techniques to each?

  
  

• Comparing causes of landcsape structure
  
  The table provides 3 categories for you to break down to identify the factors affecting both regions. When it is complete you have a visual comparison of factors affecting the two sites. You can benefit from this further by mentally listing the similarities and differences you can observed in each category and the balance between categories.

• Classifying modifications
  
  This is a straight forward application task asking you to use the noted categories to describe human modification in each location. It helps you make a connection between theory and its application.

  
  

• Recall disturbance types and results
  
  Here is another checkpoint where you are asked to recall some of the key information you have covered. Does the checkpoint indicate that you have been paying close attention, reading too superficially, or have not understood what has been covered? Consider what action you need to take as a result of this.

• Comparing regional fragmentation
  
  This is mainly a recall activity where you are asked to bring together some of the information you have covered about fragmentation in different places, and apply it to the study of two locations. In reading the case studies to complete this task, you should note the different amounts of information they provide, and the way fragementation is discussed, and consider whatthis means for the relative oimpotance of the issue in each location. You could extend this by thinking about how you would desribe fragmentation in your own region.

  
  

• Managment rationale and decisions
  
  At this point you are asked to bring a lot of ideas together and make recommendations. This is a higher order thinking task and you should give yourself more than just a few minutes, and push yourself to record the details of your ideas rather than just a few brief points. The more thorough your answers at this point, the easier you will find the assessment work.

Technical issues

• Start thinking about environnmental management
  
  This is a point for summing up and moving forward. You are making predictions which you can test and add to as you continue through the topic. Clearly establishing the relevance of GIS to environmental management is an important concept for this unit, so don't be tempted to treat this activity lightly.

  
  

• GIS diagram
  
  Reshape the information you have been reading into something that makes visual connections, to give yourself a different way of thinking about it, and check your understanding of the relationship between GIS components.

• Inputs and outputs
  
  Apply your knowledge of how GIS works to a scenario of an environmental GIS to examine land use and land change over time. Identifying appropriate inputs and outputs is necessary for anyone working with GIS, and environmental applications are the most common use of GIS in the NT. Many of you may find this directly relevant to current or future work. If you can see yourself working in another application of GIS, you could extend this activity to considering input and outputs for other applications, marketing, for instance.

  
  

• Background investigation
  
  The most up to date information about these changing technologies can often be obtained from the Internet. In this exercise you need to access a source outside of CDU to find the background information you need about remote sensing. The general categories of information you need are provided in question 1, but it is question 2 that will move your thinking into the application of this information. Again, you are encouraged to think deeply and make aas many connections as possible.

• Specific GIS uses
  
  The two readings you are directed to describe environmental studies that used GIS. Completing this activitiy will allow you to check some of your previously noted ideas about how GIS can be applied to environmental work.You may find this particularly helpful for your final assignment.

  
  

• Justifying raster or vector
  
  Selecting raster or vector data is something you are likely to need to do on multiple occassions and you need to have a thorough understanding of when one is more appropriate than the other, and be able to defend the choices you make.

• Researching suppliers
  
  At some time you are likely to need to get data from a commercial supplier or private organisation. This activity helps to make you familiar with the suppliers, the types of data they offer, and the practicalities of obtaining and using that data. It gives you practice in considering the appropriateness of data and an undertsnading of the logisitcs of obtaining it. You might also want to consider how you could streamline this process, if, for instance, the project that needed this data was urgent.

  
  

• Summarising referencing
  
  Georeferencing affects the quality of your output and in this activity you are efectively being asked to explain what the impact would be of not doing it, or not getting it right. GPS is a tool that can help but you might also want to think about what else could help.

• Predicting error
  
  This is another application activity relating the concepts you have been reading about to a system which uses three particular data types with different entry charactersitics. Without identifying the potential causes of error, you will not be able to plan to avoid errors or minimise them. Obviously minimising error has an impact on the quality of your output and it is important to get it right.

  
  

• Finding the error source
  
  In this higher level task you are asked to apply your understanding to a particular hypothetical situation.

• Managing error and uncertainty
  
  This reading contains some suggestions for how to deal with the problems you have been reading about. While listing the suggestions in the reading you should also be critically analysing the approach that is being taken to see if you agree or can suggest something better.

  
  

• Review database structures
  
  The first part of this a simple listing task to help you review important information, but don't forget to attend to the connection part. For most benefit you should try to explain why (or when) each database structure might, or might not, be useful.

• Investigating a real GIS
  
  This is another introductory activity to get you thinking about the areas that will be covered, only this time you can get your starting ideas from the case study. Mind you, you can still be critical of what has been done in this case study and think about what might have been better.

  
  

• Relating functions to purpose
  
  Selection of functions is another commonplace task that you are likely to have to do.This is a practice acitvity.

• Real questions and answers
  
  This activity helps you review the reasons for using a GIS by seeing the way that it has been used to answer particular questions.

  
  

• Internet research
  
  Searching the internet for environmental medelling begins to prepare you for the final assignment as well as extending your understanding of this section

• Applying spatial analysis
  
  Another application activity, you are asked to evaluate the usefulness of a particular technique with the needs of a specific study.

  
  

• Using Patch Analyst
  
  In this activity you are almost doing the reverse of the previous activity by considering the effectiveness of the case study without the patch statistics available through the noted tools. This helps to reinforce the significance of selecting appropriate tools and techniques.

• Possible applications
  
  This is a preparation activity for the final assignment and an extension acitvity that moves you beyond the initial thoughts you had about how GIS might be used. Try to make comprehensive notes for all of these specific landscape ecology applications. You could treat this as a culminating activity that draws together your initial understandings and the areas you have covered in this course without the pressure of an assessment grade.
  
  

• More possible applications
  
  This reading extends the list of possible applications used in the previous activity.You might select your final assignment topic from this list.