This is an archived handbook for a previous year. The current undergraduate and postgraduate handbooks can be viewed using the links above.

Undergraduate Handbook 2009-2010 (archived)

Module BIOL3551: Conservation Biology

Department: Biological and Biomedical Sciences

BIOL3551: Conservation Biology

Type	Level	Credits	Availability	Module Cap	Location
Open	3	20	Available in 2009/2010	None.	Durham

Pre-requisites

Ecology AND Evolutionary Biology.

Corequisites

At least one other Level 3 Biology module.

Excluded Combinations

None.

Aims

Introduce the scope and aims of conservation biology in the modern world.
Introduce the concept of biodiversity at a range of resolutions, from genes to biomes.
To promote an appreciation of some of the major issues affecting biodiversity.
To provide an understanding of how theory can be applied to practical problems.
To develop the knowledge and skills to solve real-world conservation problems.

Content

An introduction to conservation & biodiversity.
The individual species in conservation.
Multi-species considerations.
Landscape-scale considerations.
Integrating conservation into the global landscape.

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge

Understand how to define and measure biodiversity.
Understand current extinction rates in the context of earlier extinction events.
Be able, in principle, to apply ecological concepts (metapopulation and PVA models, species-area relationships etc) to conservation problems.
Understand the role of conservation biology in a human-modified landscape.
Have an insight into the practicalities of in-situ and ex-situ conservation.

Subject-specific Skills

Acquire knowledge on the major threats to biodiversity.
Develop skills to produce species action plans.
Critically assess the potential application of different approaches to conservation problems.
Gain knowledge of a variety of techniques that can be applied to threatened populations/communities.

Key Skills

Scientific writing.
Report writing.
Group work.
Acquire, interpret and critically analyse theoretical, experimental and applied data and literature.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

Lectures, Workshops, Unseen exam and Data handling.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Activity	Number	Frequency	Duration	Total Hours
Lectures	37	Weekly	1 hour	37
Preparation & reading				163
Total				200

Summative Assessment

Component	Component Weighting	Element	Length/Duration	Element Weighting	Resit Opportunity
Examination	90%	Unseen formal examination	3 hours	100%
Continuous Assessment	10%	Data handling		100%

Formative Assessment

None.

Students who do not attend monitored activities shown under Teaching Methods and Learning Hours, or who fail to complete the summative or formative assessment(s) specified above, may be subject to the Academic Progress procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University.