Conservation Biology
This course is designed to prepare future practitioners in evidence-based conservation of biological diversity. As a context for conservation actions, we critically review what is known about the causes of current biodiversity loss and the likely consequences of that loss for ecosystem functions and services. The course then focuses on the underlying concepts and actual approaches used to conserve biological diversity at multiple levels, from genes to ecosystems. This includes planning and management techniques such as seed banks, captive breeding, sustainable harvest models, population viability analysis, species recovery plans, protected area design, and reconciliation ecology, as well as approaches beyond a wildlife focus, such as conservation of invertebrates, soil, and ecosystem processes. Students will build skills relevant to a conservation-related career, including critical review of scientific evidence, quantitative and conceptual modeling, and real-world decision-making.