Lecture room suitable for class discussions

Students will be required to complete 1 piece of summative assessment.
2-hour examination (100%) consisting of two seen questions, each addressing one of the learning outcomes.

Students will be provided with formative assessment and feedback via in-class discussions.

Pullin, A. 2003. Conservation Biology
Meffe and Caroll. 1997. Fundamentals of Conservation Biology
Journals: Conservation Biology, Environmental Conservation, Biological Conservation

Conservation biology has been described as a `crisis discipline? and as one of the most value-laden areas of biology. During this module we will examine both of these descriptors, and the implications for how we go about conserving biodiversity.

We will look at the various meanings of terms such as biodiversity, conservation and rarity. We will critically examine the role of zoos, biotechnology and species reintroductions as conservation strategies, as well as the role of ecological theories and concepts (e.g. Island Biogeography Theory, metapopulation theory, landscape ecology, population viability analysis). This will include a more general look at the role of theories and models in science. The single-species (e.g. flagship and umbrella species) and habitat-based (e.g. biodiversity hotspots) approaches will be examined.

Having covered the topics outlined above you will be in a better position to evaluate the ethical and pragmatic arguments for nature conservation and to reach informed opinions.

Lectures (8 x 2hrs) will be used to introduce the various topics covered. These will be interspersed by class activities (4 x 2hrs) such as class discussions, debates, and group presentations that will address the questions raised in the lectures. Independent study time will be used to prepare in advance for the lectures, in particular the class activities, and for revision