Handbook : Unit informationEdith Cowan University

Faculty of Health, Engineering and Science

School: Natural Sciences

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

• Unit Title

  Conservation Biology

• Unit Code

  SCM3201

• Year

  2015

• Enrolment Period

  2

• Version

  2

• Credit Points

  15

• Full Year Unit

  N

• Mode of Delivery

  On Campus
  Online

Description

This unit critically analyses the scientific basis of conservation practice and applies key biological theories to the special problems encountered in conservation. It deals primarily with the concept of biodiversity, and the application of population, evolutionary and landscape ecologies in conservation management.

Prerequisite Rule

Students must pass 2 units from SCI2116, SCI2117, SCI2118

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

1. Apply the principles of ecological, evolutionary and population genetics to the management of animal and plant populations, introduced or pest species, threatened species and communities, reserves and human impacts upon them.
2. Critically analyse key biological theories and how they are applied to biodiversity and conservation.
3. Demonstrate competency in their learning and technical skills, with an emphasis on problem solving skills through experimental design and case study analysis, descriptive statistics, scientific writing, and knowledge of occupational health issues relating to fieldwork.
4. Design, plan and execute a field study, including logistic arrangements and relevant risk assessments.
5. Identify, gather, manipulate and interpret key forms of population and species data relevant to conservation practice.
6. Use key analytical methods and technologies applicable to conservation science.

Unit Content

1. Choosing strategies and priorities for conservation; In-situ and ex-situ strategies for species management. Landscape ecology, species-area relationships and island biogeography in reserve design. Translocation; captive breeding; close order management and recovery plans.
2. Concepts and patterns of biodiversity; biodiversity informatics; species definitions; structure and components of populations, metapopulations and communities; methods for measuring diversity, population size and structure and relatedness.
3. Cultural rights and community-based conservation. Ecosystem health.
4. Rare species; the nature of threatening processes; exotic and invasive species; climate change; ecosystem fragmentation; identifying threatened species and habitats; extinction and assessing extinction probability using population viability analysis.
5. The roles of science in conservation; the philosophy of science as it applies to conservation biology; the reasons for conservation and conservation biology; conservation of biological processes.

Additional Learning Experience Information

Lectures, laboratory exercises, field work, workshops.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant Board of Examiners.

Text References

• ^ Lindenmeyer, D.B. & Burgmann, M.A. (2005). Practical conservation biology. Collingwood, VIC: CSIRO Publishing. Note: This text is available as an ebook.
• Ennos, R. (2007). Statistical and data-handling skills in biology (2nd ed.). UK: Pearson/Prentice Hall.
• Fiedler, P.G. & Karieva, P.M. (1998). Conservation biology for the coming decade (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Chapman and Hall.
• Schutlz, S.M., Dunham, A.E., Root, K.V., Soucy, S.L., Carroll, S.D. & Ginzburg, L.R. (1999). Conservation biology with RAMAS EcoLab. Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates.
• Meffe, G.K. & Carroll, C.R. (1997). Principles of conservation biology (2nd ed.). Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates.
• Morris, W.F. & Doak, D.F. (2002). Quantitative conservation biology. The theory and practice of population viability analysis. Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates.
• New, T.R. (2006). Conservation biology in Australia: an introduction. Melbourne, VIC: Oxford University Press.
• Avise, J.C. & Hamrick J.L. (Eds.). (1996). Conservation genetics: case histories from nature. London, UK: Chapman & Hall.
• Hanski, I.A. & Gilpin, M.E. (Eds.). (1997). Metapopulation biology: ecology, genetics and evolution. San Diego, CA: Academic Press.

^ Mandatory reference