 Conservation
Biology is run concurrently with the two ecology and conservation
courses (terrestrial and marine) and integrates conservation theory
and practice across all the ecosystems we visit. Course
activities focus on human impacts, threats, conservation problems
and management solutions within the biological, ecological and
social context of each site. The goal is to address first-hand
the complex and interdisciplinary nature of conservation in practice,
and teach students how to devise creative solutions to environmental
problems.
 Theoretical
topics covered during this course include population biology,
conservation genetics, landscape ecology, island biogeography,
habitat fragmentation and climate change. We also cover
topics in applied conservation and environmental economics, such
as population monitoring, reserve design and management, in-situ
and ex-situ conservation, community-based resource management,
ecotourism, agroforestry and alternative/sustainable production
systems, and market-based approaches such as carbon credits and
ecosystem service payments.
Students have the opportunity to learn methods of biological and social assessment
for conservation planning, and design their own conservation and
resource management plan for the projects we visit. This
course uniquely bridges conservation science and practice in real-life
settings to build skills for careers in conservation.
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