Module Information

Module Identifier
BR37920
Module Title
Wildlife Conservation & Biodiversity
Academic Year
2026/2027
Co-ordinator
Dr Niall Mckeown
Semester
Semester 2
Other Staff
 

Course Delivery

 

Assessment

Assessment Type Assessment length / details Proportion
Semester Assessment Field report  Students will collect and analyse field data and interpret this with a view to prioritising sites for conservation. 2000 Words  50%
Semester Exam 2 Hours   Exam  Exam  50%
Supplementary Assessment Field report  Students will collect and analyse field data and interpret this with a view to prioritising sites for conservation. 2000 Words  50%
Supplementary Exam 2 Hours   Exam  Exam  50%

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:

Discuss global patterns of biodiversity at different levels (genetic, species and ecosystem) and the causes and implications of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation.

Identify and critically evaluate conservation policies at the local, national and global level using retained knowledge.

Appraise the approaches to in situ and ex situ conservation using retained knowledge of ecological, socio-economic, and legal/policy factors.

Brief description

The module considers the nature and extent of biodiversity from the level of genetic diversity to ecosystems and how this information can be applied to the conservation of endangered flora and fauna in terrestrial and aquatic habitats. The module is designed to allow the student to critically evaluate the need for species conservation and the information and methods that need to be applied to species conservation, including the concepts of genetic diversity, population genetics, extinction and rarity, population dynamics, species habitat requirements, introduction/reintroduction, metapopulations, invasive species etc. It will also cover the administrative framework and initiatives for conservation internationally, in Europe and the UK. The role of local communities / indigenous peoples and the use of Traditional Knowledge in the conservation of global biodiversity is assessed. International policies, treaties and systems for conserving biodiversity are critically appraised. Predicting future trends in biodiversity and options for reducing loss are discussed.

Aims

To provide students with the information needed to apply effective conservation in different contexts.

Content

This will cover patterns and processes of biodiversity at different scales and how biodiversity can be monitored. Subjects to be covered include the importance of conservation, current threats to global biodiversity(habitat destruction/fragmentation/degradation, overexploitation, global climate change, invasive species, international trade in endangered species), valuing biodiversity - Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, methods used to measure biodiversity, general aspects of conservation biology - issues of rarity, extinction, vulnerability, habitat specificity.

The module will describe conservation methods including in situ and ex-situ conservation programmes, introduction and reintroductions, and restoration ecology.
Techniques used in species conservation are introduced with the application of population dynamics and genetics to conservation. Firstly, population dynamics, population structure and metapopulations will be discussed, followed by an in-depth study of genetic diversity, genetic consequences of rarity, inbreeding and the molecular techniques commonly used by conservation geneticists.


International, European and UK species conservation initiatives and obligations are considered, as is the role of community science and local ecological knowledge.

Module Skills

Skills Type Skills details
Creative Problem Solving Appraising conservation methods and designing evidence gathering methods
Critical and analytical thinking Appraising conservation approaches in different contexts.
Real world sense Knowledge of policy landscape.
Subject Specific Skills Species identification (field) and data collection, conservation genetics and applications to taxonomy.

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 6