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Description
Humans are causing enormous changes in the natural environment, threatening the existence of many species and habitats. Conservation biology is the science behind efforts to stem this loss of natural diversity, drawing on a broad range of disciplines including ecology, evolution, and biogeography. This module uses a combination of lectures, discussions, and computer practical exercises to address key questions including:
- To what degree is biodiversity threatened?
- What are the main threats to biodiversity?
- What are the main tools (e.g., computer models) used to study conservation issues?
- Why should we conserve biodiversity?
- What are the future prospects for biodiversity?
In addressing these questions, students will learn about topics such as extinction risk, habitat fragmentation, climate change impacts, invasive species, and environmental ethics. Students will develop an individual project through a series of computer labs, which will provide hands-on experience with Geographic Information Systems, ecological modelling, and remote sensing. Class discussions will tackle tricky debates such as over the relative merits of utilitarian versus intrinsic arguments for the value of biodiversity.
You will develop skills including independent literature review, critical thinking, scientific writing, oral debating, and predictive modelling.
Learning Objectives:
Students will learn the fundamentals of conservation biology, will gain experience in practical computational methods, and will have the opportunity to debate key issues in conservation. Skills developed include independent literature review, critical thinking, scientific writing, oral debating, and predictive modelling. Students will also hear from conservation scientists from partner organizations.
Indicative lecture topics 鈥� based on module content in 2022/23
- Are we in the midst of a sixth mass extinction?
- GIS and modelling for biodiversity conservation
- Should we assign economic value to biodiversity?
- Data for biodiversity conservation
- Biodiversity in the Anthropocene
- Species distribution modelling (2 lectures)
- Population biology
- Indicators and extinction risk
- Applied conservation case studies
- Climate change impacts on biodiversity
- Science, the media, and public understanding: a case study of extinction risk under climate change
- Research Talk
- Diversity, Stability and Ecosystem Function
- Ecosystem services
- Invasive species
- Is halting biodiversity loss a fairy tale?
Module deliveries for 2024/25 academic year
Last updated
This module description was last updated on 19th August 2024.
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