Studying at York
Biodiversity & Society - ENV00036H
Module summary
Biodiversity is threatened by global environmental change due to human society, however, it provides many ecosystem services required by humans. Within urban areas, for example, opportunities to interact with biodiversity may be rare but can have cultural and health benefits to humans. This module will also provide an overview of the principles and techniques involved in the management of wild vertebrate populations, both the problems caused by wildlife and the conservation of wildlife populations. This is an interdisciplinary module concentrating on the importance of biodiversity to human society, resolving conflicts between human society, conservation goals and institutions for biodiversity management.
This module is designed to:
Equip students with the frameworks and approaches demanded for effective ecosystem-based management that includes both people and environment.
Develop an understanding of experimental approaches for collecting and analysing biodiversity data
Introduce a range of topical case studies may include urban ecology, pollinator ecology and conservation, birds in agricultural landscapes, Issues related to in situ conservation and managing wildlife for harvesting.
Prepare students for a range of future careers in research and ecosystem or wildlife management.
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Semester 2 2023-24 |
Module aims
The module provides understanding and hands-on experience of some key methodologies of environmental management used in a wide range of sectors:
Environmental impact assessment
Ecological assessment
Nature conservation
Countryside management
Agriculture and environment
Wildlife management
Generic / Employability Skills:
Through group discussions and problem based learning approaches, the students will develop skills in critical thinking, real world problem solving and presentation skills
Coursework assessment will develop skills in scientific and non-technical writing.
Field practicals will develop an appreciation of the issues involved in designing research projects .
More, generic skills that will arise from this are:
Ability to devise methodologies for collecting relevant data.
Ability to give oral presentations.
Ability to work in a group.
Ability to think critically about research methods.
Development of independent research skills.
Problem analysis and task prioritisation.
Time management.
Module learning outcomes
On completion of this module, a student will be able to:
Demonstrate an understanding of the range of approaches available for studying and linking ecological and social systems in the real world;
Explain basic ecological principles and demonstrate knowledge of the tools of the trade involved in wildlife conservation and management.
Demonstrate an understanding of the methods available for identifying, managing and resolving conflicts between different stakeholder groups in ecosystem management;
Explain the potential and challenges of interdisciplinary approaches to solving real-world problems.
Demonstrate knowledge of a range of approaches used to analyse and disseminate environmental data
Indicative assessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Closed/in-person Exam (Centrally scheduled) | 100 |
Special assessment rules
None
Indicative reassessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Closed/in-person Exam (Centrally scheduled) | 100 |
Module feedback
Verbal feedback during a timetabled feedback session. Written feedback on summative assessment.
Indicative reading
Hooper,D.U.et. al. (2005) Effect of Biodiversity on Ecosystem Functioning: A Consensus of Current Knowledge. Ecological Monographs, 75 (1), 2005, pp 3 P 35.
Post, ERO et al (1999). Ecosystem consequences of wolf behavioural response to climate. Nature 401(6756): 905P907.
Raffaelli, D and Frid, CJ (2010). Ecosystem Ecology: a New Synthesis. Cambridge University Press.
Sutherland W.J. (2006) Ecological Census Techniques: A Handbook. Cambridge University Press
Caughley, G. & Gunn, A. (1996) Conservation biology in theory and practice. Blackwell Science, Oxford.
Caughley, G. & Sinclair, A.R.E. (1994) Wildlife ecology and management. Blackwell Science, Oxford.
Hudson, P.J., Rizzoli, A., Grenfell, B., Heesterbeek, H. & Dobson, A.P. (2002) The ecology of wildlife diseases. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0 19 850619 8.