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Enhancing Biodiversity - ENV00051I

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  • Department: Environment and Geography
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: I
  • Academic year of delivery: 2024-25
    • See module specification for other years: 2023-24

Module summary

This module will provide practical training in how to assess, protect and enhance sites for biodiversity by looking at legislation, surveying methods and reporting.

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Semester 1 2024-25

Module aims

This module will:

Provide students with a background to the nature of biodiversity and how it is measured and assessed.

Provide an understanding of the current UK legislation for protecting and enhancing habitats and protecting species.

Provide training in the use of taxonomic keys and understand taxonomic relationships between species.

Provide practical industry standard training in how to assess sites for biodiversity and survey for species.

Provide students with training in how to compile and write effective survey reports to industry standards.

Module learning outcomes

Students will be able to access, read, understand and implement current UK legislation for site and species protected and biodiversity enhancement.

Students will be able to understand taxonomic relationships between species and be able to write about species using appropriate language.

Students will be able to assess the biodiversity value and conservation status of sites as well as the legislation protecting them.

Students will be able to use industry standard mapping and biodiversity databases to assess sites and report on their status.

Students will be able to write industry-standard reports, in this case a desk-study for an enhanced phase 1 survey.

Indicative assessment

Task % of module mark
Essay/coursework 100

Special assessment rules

None

Indicative reassessment

Task % of module mark
Essay/coursework 100

Module feedback

Written feedback will be provided on summative assessment in accordance with the University’s Policy on Assessment Feedback Turnaround Time. Ongoing verbal feedback provided throughout the module.

Indicative reading

Hill et al. (2005). Handbook of Biodiversity Methods: Survey, Evaluation and Monitoring. Cambridge University Press.


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University constantly explores ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary. In some instances it may be appropriate for the University to notify and consult with affected students about module changes in accordance with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.