Conservation Biology

Catalog description

The application of biological principles to issues in the conservation of biodiversity. FOR (W F S) 430 Conservation Biology (3) This course applies basic principles of ecology and genetics to issues regarding the conservation forested ecosystems and their associated fisheries and wildlife. The objective of this course is to provide a broad appreciation of the concepts in conservation biology that are important to solving contemporary natural resources problems. Students will be exposed to the history of conservation biology, values of biodiversity, definitions of species concepts, protecting the genetic structure of species, extinction as a natural process, vulnerability to extinction, biodiversity at the community, ecosystem, and landscape levels, habitat fragmentation, metapopulations, legal aspects of conservation, ecosystem management, exotic species, pollution, human population issues, measuring genetic diversity, attitudes towards nature, ex-situ conservation, and ecosystem restoration.