CONSERVATION ECOLOGY
- Overview
- Assessment methods
- Learning objectives
- Contents
- Full programme
- Bibliography
- Teaching methods
- Contacts/Info
For the best use of the course it is recommended to have previous knowledge related to Ecology. However, there is no preliminary requirement of any kind.
The aim of the final exam is to verify the level of achievement of the educational objectives, evaluating in the first place the possession of the basic cognitive elements and therefore the student's ability to use them autonomously for the resolution of real problems. The evaluation of the exam is based on a written exam in which the course content is required. The exam is structured in 30 questions, related to all the topics proposed in the course. The typology of the questions is both multiple choice and short term. Two more open questions are presented. The exam performance is 1 hour
The goal in this course is for students to learn and understand basic principles of ecology and conservation biology. The general aim is that the student after the course should have advanced knowledge within ecology and conservation genetics to extent be able to use them in nature conservation applications.
The course will develop various topics associated with the principles and methods of conservation of ecology, applied to aquatic and terrestrial species and ecosystems with emphasis on the concepts of evolution, genetics, population ecology, interactions between species and models and ecosystem processes as key attributes to be considered in the design and implementation of biodiversity conservation and management. This course emphasizes the application of basic biological research to problems in conservation and management with an eye toward the conservation genetics. The course offers skills in developing analysis of ecological data useful for testing hypotheses, critically reviewing research results / theories and formulating new questions
The course will develop various topics associated with the principles and methods of conservation of ecology, applied to aquatic and terrestrial species and ecosystems with emphasis on the concepts of evolution, genetics, population ecology, interactions between species and models and ecosystem processes as key attributes to be considered in the design and implementation of biodiversity conservation and management. This course emphasizes the application of basic biological research to problems in conservation and management with an eye toward the conservation genetics. The course offers skills in developing analysis of ecological data useful for testing hypotheses, critically reviewing research results / theories and formulating new questions
The extended topics of the course will be:
i) define the biological conservation constraints (8 hours)
ii) assess the reversibility and irreversibility of threats, the causes of threats of demographic and extinction reductions through genetic, environmental and cultural assessments; evaluate the effects of introduced species (including invasive species) also by means of 'hybridization' estimates (8 hours)
iii) deepen conservation techniques, in particular using the molecular ecology tool (8 hours)
iv) estimate the structure of the populations by means of structure and connectivity indicators (8 hours)
v) presentation of conservation strategies in order to maximize genetic variability (8 hours)
Primack r., Boitani L. (2013) Biologia della conservazione. Ed. Zanichelli.
Groom et al., 2006. Principles of Conservation Biology 3rd edition, Sinauer Publ.
Frankham, Ballou, and Briscoe. 2013. Introduction to Conservation Genetics 2nd edition,
Cambridge press
The purchase of textbooks is recommended but not mandatory.
24 frontal lectures (48 hours)
All the lectures are prepared in power point and written in English. The presentation of lectures is in English language spoken when Erasmus students attend to the lecture
The teacher is available for interview with students by appointment via e-mail (serena.zaccara@uninsubria.it)