Elements and Performance Criteria

The range statement relates to the Unit of Competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.
Energy flows may include:
primary production of the system
imported energy
energy moving to and from production parts of the farm agro system
movement to entropy.
Nutrient cycles may include:
existing nutrients
imported nutrients
movement to and from production parts of the farm agro ecosystem.
Disturbance points
These are points in the ecosystem succession where the ecosystem processes are disturbed and move the system back to the start of the succession. These points may include:
cultivation
heavy or crash grazing
herbicides
fire
slashing
invasion.
Interactions between elements may include:
predator - prey relationships
movement of energy, nutrients water between elements
symbiotic relationships
neutral relationships
one way relationships.
Health of existing farm ecosystems could be measured by:
biodiversity
identifying indicators
niche development.
Methods that encourage niche development may include:
increasing diversity of abiotic elements within a system
increasing biodiversity
increasing energy and nutrient flow through system
poly-cultures
multiple animal/plant relationships
succession as a management tool.
Appropriate parts of the ecosystem may include:
biological diversity
plant succession
water cycle processes
nutrient cycles
energy capture and use
soil health.

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.
Overview of assessment
A person who demonstrates competency in this Unit must be able to provide evidence that they can manage an Agro-ecology production system
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this Unit
The evidence required to demonstrate competency in this Unit must be relevant to workplace operations and satisfy holistically all of the requirements of the performance criteria and required skills and knowledge and include achievement of the following:
identify the farm agro ecosystem functions at a systems level
assess the health of existing farm ecosystems
develop plans to enhance farm agro ecosystem
manage and monitor the development of a farm ecosystem
review ecosystem and farm production performance.
Context of and specific resources for assessment
Competency requires the application of work practices under work conditions. Selection and use of resources for some worksites may differ due to the regional or enterprise circumstances.
Method of assessment
Assessment methods must satisfy the endorsed Assessment Guidelines of the AHC10 Training Package and can be assessed holistically with other Units.
Assessment methods must confirm consistency and accuracy of performance (over time and in a range of workplace relevant contexts) together with application of required knowledge.
Assessment must be by direct observation of tasks, with questioning on required knowledge and it must also reinforce the integration of employability skills.
Assessment methods must confirm the ability to access, interpret and apply the required knowledge.
Assessment may be applied under project-related conditions (real or simulated) and require evidence of process.
Assessment must confirm a reasonable inference that competency is able not only to be satisfied under the particular circumstance, but is able to be transferred to other circumstances.
Assessment may be in conjunction with assessment of other Units of Competency.
The assessment environment should not disadvantage the candidate.
Assessment practices should take into account any relevant language or cultural issues related to Aboriginality, gender or language backgrounds other than English.
Where the participant has a disability, reasonable adjustment may be applied during assessment.
Language and literacy demands of the assessment task should not be higher than those of the work role.
Guidance information for assessment
To ensure consistency of performance, competency should be demonstrated on more than one occasion over a period of time in order to cover a variety of circumstances, cases and responsibilities, and where possible, over a number of assessment activities.