Practicing Conservation Ecology

Catalog description

This course provides an introduction to the scientific principles and concepts that are the foundation of conservation science, with a particular focus on human relationships with nature. A diversity of topics will be covered, including 1) environmental and anthropomorphic pressures that threaten populations and ecosystems, 2) the importance of biotic and abiotic interactions for stability and resilience, 3) combining ecological theory with empirical data and community engagement to protect, preserve, and restore endangered species and ecosystems. Students will build on their conceptual, analytical, and communication skills and practice real-world decision making through collaborative research projects, in which they will gather data and apply their findings to develop measurable conservation outcomes.