Natural Resource Mathematics (MATH3070)

Course overview

The biggest challenge facing our planet is how to maintain and manage our natural systems such as fisheries, forestry and biodiversity in the face of habitat destruction, climate change, pollution and over harvesting. In this course you will learn how to apply deterministic differential and difference equation models to real world examples, and how to solve them using numerical methods. You will also learn how to quantify system uncertainties with the help of statistical and probabilistic methods. Students will be taught a range of methods that are employed in industry, research, consultancies and government to model complex natural resource problems. In the process, students will learn how certain fundamental mathematical concepts such as critical points, orthogonality, eigenvalues and singularity recur in different mathematical frameworks with different but, invariably, vitally important physical interpretations.

Mathematics is fundamental to managing the natural resources—such as fisheries, forests, water, and biodiversity—on which we depend. In this course, we will build mathematical models that are used to manage natural systems subjected to threats such as climate change, habitat destruction, pests, pollution and overexploitation. Students enrolling in this course will study systems of deterministic differential and difference equation models applied to real-world problems. Students will also learn some probability theory and statistical methods for model fitting, validation, and uncertainty quantification. Students will develop programming skills and also learn the entire modelling process; how to formulate, parameterise, code, visualise, test, interpret, and communicate mathematical and statistical models relevant to management and policy decisions. Emphasis will be placed on the appropriate choice of mathematical model for a given situation and the correct interpretation of results. These models allow us to investigate and forecast the response of systems to future conditions, of which there may be no prior experience.ﾠThe R programming language will be taught in this course to enhance learning and to enable students to analyse real-life mathematical problems. However, for assessments, students are welcome to program in anyﾠlanguage they choose, such as MATLAB or Python. Skills developed in this course are in high demand in government, industry and research sectors.

Course requirements

Prerequisites

You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:

(STAT1201 or STAT1301), (MATH1052 or MATH1072)

Incompatible

You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:

MATH2070, MATH7130 (co-taught).

Course contact

Course staff

Timetable

The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.

Additional timetable information

All classes will be conducted on campus. Consult your personal timetable for times and locations.

Students are expected to attend these sessions in person unless they have a valid reason for being unable to attend (such as illness).

Important: if you are ill, do not attend any classes in person. Videos will be available to aid students in catching up when sick. There will be no recording of practicals to encourage in-person attendance. However, solution sketches will be posted to help students catch up when ill.

Lectures or practicals will be cancelled on public holidays. However, a quick video may be posted for you to watch if we are running behind.

Aims and outcomes

Mathematics is fundamental to managing the natural resources—such as fisheries, forests, water and biodiversity—on which we depend. In this course we will build mathematical models that are used to manage natural systems subjected to threats such as climate change, habitat destruction, pests, pollution and overexploitation. Students enrolling in this course will use systems ofﾠdeterministic differential and difference equation models applied to real world problems and solve them using numerical methods. You will also learn some statistical methods for model development and parameter estimation.ﾠ You will develop programming skills and also learn the entire modelling process; how to formulate, parameterise, code, visualise, test, interpret, and communicate models relevant to management and policy decisions. Emphasis is placed on the appropriate choice of mathematical model for a given situation and the correct interpretation of results. These models allow us to investigate and forecast the response of systems to future conditions, of which there may be no prior experience.ﾠThe R programming language will be used throughout to enhance learning and to enable students to analyse real-life mathematical problems. Skills developed in this course are in high demand in government, industry and research sectors.

Learning outcomes

After successfully completing this course you should be able to:

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment details

Assignments

Mode

Written

Category

Computer Code, Tutorial/ Problem Set

Weight

55%

Due date

5% of course mark: 8/08/2024 2:00 pm

25% of course mark: 29/08/2024 2:00 pm

25% of course mark: 17/10/2024 2:00 pm

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L04

Task description

Submission guidelines

To be submitted electronically with specific details to be announced on blackboard.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

Solutions for assessment item/s will be released 7 days after the assessment is due and as such, an extension after 7 days will not be possible.

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

You are required to submit assessable items on time. If you fail to meet the submission deadline for any assessment item then the listed penalty will be deducted per day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point any submission will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each 24-hour block is recorded from the time the submission is due.

Final Assignment

Mode

Written

Category

Computer Code, Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Essay/ Critique, Tutorial/ Problem Set

Weight

45%

Due date

11/11/2024 3:00 pm

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L04

Task description

Submission guidelines

To be submitted electronically with specific details to be announced on blackboard.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

Late submission

You will receive a mark of 0 if this assessment is submitted late.

Course grading

Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.

Supplementary assessment

Supplementary assessment is available for this course.

Should you fail a course with a grade of 3, you may be eligible for supplementary assessment. Refer to my.UQ for information on supplementary assessment and how to apply. 

Supplementary assessment provides an additional opportunity to demonstrate you have achieved all the required learning outcomes for a course.  

If you apply and are granted supplementary assessment, the type of supplementary assessment set will consider which learning outcome(s) have not been met.  

Supplementary assessment in this course will be an oral examination. A passing grade is required in this oral examination to be granted a passing grade in the course. A question will be selected verbatim from one of your previous practicals, assignments, or your final assignment, and you will present an attempted solution orally. To receive a passing grade of 3S4, you must obtain a mark of 50% or more on the supplementary assessment. 

Additional assessment information

Artificial Intelligence

The assessment tasks in this course evaluate students’ abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Students are advised that the use of AI technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.

Applications for Extensions to Assessment Due Dates

Extension requests are submitted online via my.UQ – applying for an extension. Extension requests received in any other way will not be approved. Additional details associated with extension requests, including acceptable and unacceptable reasons, may be found at my.UQ.

Please note:

• Requests for an extension to an assessment due date must be submitted through your my.UQ portal and you must provide documentation of your circumstances, as soon as it becomes evident that an extension is needed. Your application must be submitted on or before the assessment item's due date and time.
• Applications for extension can take time to be processed so you should continue to work on your assessment item while awaiting a decision. We recommend that you submit any completed work by the due date, and this will be marked if your application is not approved. Should your application be approved, then you will be able to resubmit by the agreed revised due date.
• If an extension is approved, you will be notified via your my.UQ portal and the new date and time for submission provided. It is important that you check the revised date as it may differ from the date that you requested.
• If the basis of the application is a medical condition, applications should be accompanied by a medical certificate dated prior to the assignment due date. If you are unable to provide documentation to support your application by the due date and time you must still submit your application on time and attach a written statement (Word document) outlining why you cannot provide the documentation. You must then upload the documentation to the portal within 24 hours.
• If an extension is being sought on the basis of exceptional circumstances, it must be accompanied by supporting documentation (eg. Statutory declaration).
• For extensions based on a SAP you may be granted a maximum of 7 days (if no earlier maximum timeframe applies). See the Extension or Deferral availability section of each assessment for details. Your SAP is all that is required as documentation to support your application. However, additional extension requests for the assessment item will require the submission of additional supporting documentation e.g., a medical certificate. All extension requests must be received by the assessment due date and time.
• An extension for an assessment item due within the teaching period in which the course is offered, must not exceed four weeks in total. If you are incapacitated for a period exceeding four weeks of the teaching period, you are advised to apply for Removal of Course.
• If you have been ill or unable to attend class for more than 14 days, you are advised to carefully consider whether you are capable of successfully completing your courses this semester. You might be eligible to withdraw without academic penalty - seek advice from the Faculty that administers your program.
• Students may be asked to submit evidence of work completed to date. Lack of adequate progress on your assessment item may result in an extension being denied.
• There are no provisions for exemption from an assessment item within UQ rules. If you are unable to submit an assessment piece then, under special circumstances, you may be granted an exemption, but may be required to submit alternative assessment to ensure all learning outcomes are met.

Applications to defer an exam

In certain circumstances you can apply to take a deferred examination for in-semester and end-of-semester exams. You'll need to demonstrate through supporting documentation how unavoidable circumstances prevented you from sitting your exam. If you can’t, you can apply for a one-off discretionary deferred exam.

Deferred Exam requests are submitted online via mySi-net. Requests received in any other way will not be approved. Additional details associated with deferred examinations, including acceptable and unacceptable reasons may be found at my.UQ.

Please note:

• Applications can be submitted no later than 5 calendar days after the date of the original exam.
• There are no provisions to defer a deferred exam. You need to be available to sit your deferred examination.
• Your deferred examination request(s) must have a status of "submitted" in mySI-net to be assessed.
• All applications for deferred in-semester examinations are assessed by the relevant school. Applications for deferred end-of-semester examinations are assessed by the Academic Services Division.
• You’ll receive an email to your student email account when the status of your application is updated.
• If you have a medical condition, mental health condition or disability and require alternative arrangements for your deferred exam you’ll need to complete the online alternative exam arrangements through my.UQ. This is in addition to your deferred examinations request. You need to submit this request on the same day as your request for a deferred exam or supplementary assessment. Contact Student Services if you need assistance completing your alternative exam arrangements request.

Learning resources

You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.

Library resources

Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.

Additional learning resources information

This course is self-contained and does not require any mandatory external resources.

Learning activities

The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.

Policies and procedures

University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:

• Student Code of Conduct Policy
• Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
• Assessment Procedure
• Examinations Procedure
• Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure

Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.