BIMHAS: Habitat Assessment

Module code: BIMHAS

Module provider: School of Biological Sciences

Credits: 20

Level: Postgraduate Masters

When you'll be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Dr Jonathan Mitchley, email: j.mitchley@reading.ac.uk

Module co-convenor: Mr Simon Boulter, email: simon.boulter@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: No

Last updated: 21 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module aims to introduce students to habitat assessment based on UKHab vegetation survey and assessment in relation to development projects such as road, rail, housing and energy infrastructure.  Students will be encouraged to think about development case studies and questions about biodiversity net gain(using Biodiversity Metric 3.1) and which habitats should be retained or enhanced or if there is scope for habitat creation. Sessions will detail priority habitats and other UK conservation priorities.  The underpinning principles of ecological restoration will be introduced including the issue of feasibility and time scales - how long it might take and how much it might cost to achieve objectives of habitat enhancement, restoration and creation in different circumstances and settings. Students will be expected to use an appropriate evidence base to enable them to justify their assessment to a client and to the conservation agencies and the general public and other stakeholders. 

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to: 

1. Carry out habitat assessment for a case study associated with a development project using UKHab survey methodology 
2. Evaluate biodiversity net gain using the Biodiversity metric 3.1  
3. Prepare a habitat assessment report including recommendations for achieving net gain using enhancement, restoration and / or recreation 
4. Use the scientific evidence base to justify the recommendations based on feasibility, cost and timeframe  

Module content

• Habitat description and classification 
• UKHab survey methodology 
• Biodiversity net gain and the Defra Metric 3.1 
• The National Vegetation Classification and British Plant Communities  
• Ecological Restoration principles and practice 
• The evidence base and ecological and economic justification 

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

The module will be taught by lectures, seminar workshops and fieldwork. 

Study hours

At least 25 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 50% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Reassessment

Additional costs