Environmental Management is the application of science to predict, prevent and solve problems related to human-environment interactions. The aspect of environmental management on which we will particularly focus is ecological impact assessment (EcIA), which is the process of identifying, quantifying and evaluating the potential impacts of defined actions on ecosystems or their components. For a defined development, you will identify, quantify and communicate the impacts of development on organisms and the ecosystem. You will investigate ways in which impacts can be reduced (mitigated) and make recommendations supported by the best available evidence. Ecological impact statements are used as a basis for decisions about whether development should go ahead and in what form; therefore, you will be engaging with a crucial mechanism for habitat conservation and sustainable development. You will practice field survey techniques, engage with standard approaches to prioritising species and habitats for conservation, report findings concisely in a way that is appropriate to a wide audience and exercise a scientifically defensible approach to ecosystem management. You will learn how to find data on the species which occur at a site and on the designated features of protected areas. Through this, you will discover much about the wildlife and habitats present in and around Scotland. You will experience an aspect of ecological consultancy practice (in modified form) and you will be supported to analyse, reconsider and question your experiences in the context of wider issues in conservation.Subject matter includes habitat surveying, methods for surveying fauna, species protection legislation, application of geographic information systems (GIS), valuing/prioritising habitats and species, characterising impacts on ecosystems, impact mitigation, conservation ethics and reflective professional practice.