Transport.
Access to Nature Reserves e.g.
Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Reserves: see http://www.wildlifetrust.org.uk/staffs/

Students will be required to complete 1 piece of summative assessment.

100% Written report containing sections produced as a group and by individual student members. Group component of report: 2000 words, individual component 1500 words/student.
Weighting within the report:
Group component: 30% (1,2,3)
Individual component: 70% (1,2,3)

The group mark will be moderated by a self/peer assessment exercise

Students will be provided with formative assessment and feedback via:
Formative feedback will be given in an assessment workshop

Assessment criteria: Level 3 criteria in the Award Handbook

This is a student-centred module supported by a small core of lectures (4x2h) and two site visits (2x4h). In addition to the nature reserve project, students will be expected to carry out directed reading into UK Biodiversity Action Plan species in order to examine the habitat requirements of a range of UK species. Independent learning time in relation to the assessment will include selection of study area, visits to study area, organisation of group and independent work, researching selected species for management planning, production of integrated report.

1. The ecology and management relevant to major UK biotopes will be reviewed together with methods for controlling invasive species.
2. Students, in small-groups, will choose a local nature reserve for independent study. Each student will select a particular group of species appropriate to their chosen site and award (e.g. bats, small mammals, orchids, songbirds) for individual study. The group will produce a management report: The Introduction will consist of a group-produced overview of the reserve: important species, habitats and generalised management overview. Students will produce an individual section on their chosen species group that evaluates their essential habitat requirements and uses that information to make management proposals for all biotopes present at the reserve. The final group-produced discussion will attempt to reconcile the requirements of the different taxa.

Pullin, A. (2003) Conservation Biology, CUP, Cambridge
Sutherland and Hill (1995) Managing habitats for conservation. CUP, Cambridge
Sutherland, W.J. (2000) The Conservation Handbook: Research, Management and Policy, Blackwell Scientific, Oxford
Relevant papers in journals such as British Wildlife, Journal of Applied Ecology, Biological Conservation.

Relevant publications from English Nature, JNCC etc.

Study of Level 2 Ecology of Habitats