| Unit name | Ecology and Conservation |
|---|---|
| Unit code | BIOL20025 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Andy Wakefield |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None. |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None. |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
N/A |
| School/department | School of Biological Sciences |
| Faculty | Faculty of Life Sciences |
Description:
One of the biggest and most challenging problems facing biologists is the long-term conservation of biological diversity. A knowledge and understanding of ecological patterns and processes is key to understanding and tackling this problem. In this unit students will explore what we mean by biodiversity, why it is important to conserve biodiversity, and consider the main drivers of biodiversity loss. Students will then be equipped with a broad suite of ecological knowledge and skills which are useful from both pure and applied perspectives. As students progress through the main levels of ecology (individuals, populations, communities, ecosystems, biosphere), they will encounter botanical, zoological, terrestrial, and aquatic examples and consider both biotic and abiotic features of the environment. Throughout the unit students will be encouraged to use their newfound ecological insight to suggest and debate solutions to environmental challenges; great challenges require great solutions!
Aims:
To provide a core understanding of ecology and how it can be used to underpin the study and application of conservation biology.
Attendance at the practical sessions for this unit is required.
By the end of this unit you should be able to:
1) Explain the causes of ecological patterns and the mechanisms underpinning ecological processes;
2) Explain why it is worth conserving biodiversity;
3) Debate solutions for conserving biodiversity;
4) Explore the inter-disciplinary nature of ecology and conservation;
5) Communicate conservation biology issues using digital media.
Teaching on the unit will be blended (online and in-person). The first half of the unit (ecology focused) will follow a flipped-classroom structure. This means that you will work through the core material (interactive videos and additional learning tasks) in your own time before reinforcing knowledge and acquiring new skills in the in-person practical sessions. The second half of the unit (conservation focused) will be taught via a traditional, in-person lecture format, with 2 lectures and 1 practical per week.
The continuous assessment (40%) comprises of two short podcasts (one formative, one summative). Students will create and submit podcasts in pairs. Membership of formative pairings will be randomly selected by staff, but students will choose their summative podcast partners. The remaining 60% of marks is derived from the summer written assessment, with one essay question to be selected from a choice of three. Both assessments test all ILOs.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. BIOL20025).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
