Conservation Biology

Catalog description

The goal of this class is to provide you an entry into the field of conservation biology. Since conservation biology is an interdisciplinary field, we will touch upon topics from many disciplines, such as biology-related ecology, genetics, statistics, botany, zoology, biogeography, but also social studies, economics, and political science. As an applied science, conservation biology necessarily works in the fault lines between pure science that attempts to be value-free and objective, and management that attempts to balance the needs and ideologies of all stakeholders and may even employ advocacy that attempts to influence the public and decision makers using the best knowledge and techniques available. Given the two challenging aspects of this class, namely its interdisciplinary and applied nature, the format will also be unusual, blending traditional lecture-style instruction with class discussion, activities and projects. Examination of the scientific theory and applied research focused on the sustained preservation of global biological diversity.