Conservation Biology-E2
| Numbering Code | U-LAS14 20021 LE68 | Year/Term | 2022 ・ First semester |
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| Number of Credits | 2 | Course Type | Lecture |
| Target Year | All students | Target Student | For science students |
| Language | English | Day/Period | Mon.3 |
| Instructor name | Andrew MacIntosh (Wildlife Research Center Associate Professor) | ||
| Outline and Purpose of the Course | With the onrushing of human development at the expense of the Earth's natural resources, we have now entered a new geological epoch: the ‘Anthropocene’. The human footprint on the Earth has never been greater and it is said that the world's biodiversity is now in the midst of a ‘sixth mass extinction’. This is where the relatively new science of conservation biology comes in. In this course, students learn about threats to biodiversity, loss of ecosystem services, extinction, and the importance of conserving nature, from individual species to entire ecosystems. | ||
| Course Goals |
In this course, students will learn to: - assess how human activities contribute to biodiversity loss and what can be done to prevent it - weigh the costs and benefits of exploiting natural resources while considering social, economic, political and ecological factors simultaneously - appreciate the importance of nature and natural reserves from various perspectives from ecosystem functions to human health and well-being - consider and engage in the design of conservation strategies to reduce threats to biodiversity |
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| Schedule and Contents |
The course material is structured into four units, as described below. The order and spacing of topics within these units will depend on the flow of the course itself. Unit 1 - introducing conservation biology - what is conservation biology - biodiversity: how it is measured and why it matters - the biodiversity crisis and biological extinctions Unit 2 - threats to biodiversity - habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation - over-harvesting and human use of natural products - invasive species - climate change - infectious disease Unit 3 - conservation strategies and action - endangered species protection - protected and unprotected conservation areas - in situ versus ex situ conservation - sustainable development - public outreach and education Unit 4 - the future of conservation - conservation perspectives and priorities - student project presentations *The course will follow a hybrid model of classroom time and on-demand videos, borrowing from the idea of flipped education. |
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| Evaluation Methods and Policy |
course participation - 10% student projects (report and presentation) - 30% midterm exam - 30% final exam - 30% |
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| Course Requirements | None | ||
| Study outside of Class (preparation and review) | This course will use Kyoto University's online Learning Management System (LMS) PandA. Please get familiar with the system before starting the course. There will be required content in PandA during the course, including on-demand video lectures, additional videos and readings, as well as ongoing discussion in the forums. For the course project, students are expected to conduct research or survey the literature and write a report, as well as produce a presentation from this project given in the final class. | ||
| References, etc. | An Introduction to Conservation Biology, Richard B. Primack and Anna A. Sher , (Sinauer Associates, Inc. 2016), ISBN:9781605354736, Recommended, not required. Material in textbook enhances learning. | ||
