CONSERVATION ECOLOGY
- Overview
- Assessment methods
- Learning objectives
- Contents
- Full programme
- Delivery method
- Teaching methods
- Contacts/Info
it is recommended to have previously attended Ecology course. However, there is no mandatory
The exam is written and structured in multiple choice questions and open questions; all the required topics will be covered in an expanded way using diagrams, graphs and summary illustrations. All the topics covered during the course, uploaded to the E-learning platform, will be the subject of the exam. The questions will focus on all the topics covered, in order to allow a complete evaluation of the didactic preparation The exam will take place in a 1,30 hour The exam will be positively evaluated if a score of 18/30 is reached
The goal in this course is to learn and understand basic principles of ecology and conservation biology. The general aim is that the student 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 five topics associated with the principles and methods of conservation ecology: 1. Biodiversity structure and function 2. threats for biodiversity 3. legislative supports linked to conservation 4. introduction on molecular ecology 5. conservation genetics All topics are key attributes to be considered in the design and implementation of biodiversity conservation and management. Several applied exercise will be discussed, estimating through genetic metrics, as threatened species are suffering the reduction in population size. the genetic signature of population stricture will be so useful to reflect the status of health of the whole ecosystem genetic tools will be discussed in order to concretize conservation strategies
The extended topics of the course will be: i) Biodiversity structure and function through the definition of the biological conservation constraints (8 hours) ii) threats for biodiversity, assessing 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) legislative supports linked to conservation 8european, national and regional rules) (4 hours) iv) introduction on molecular ecology, analysing molecular ecology tool (8 hours) v) conservation genetics, useful tool to estimate the structure of the populations by means of structure and connectivity indicators (10 hours) Management of threatened species will be discussed introducing also exercises and case-studies (8 hours)
24 frontal lectures (48 hours) All the lectures are prepared in power point and written in English.
Students can meet with the professor in her office by previous phone or email appointment (e-mail: serena.zaccara@uninsubria.it phone number: 0332422421).