Course content
We welcome students on this course for both full-time and part-time study.
For those wishing to complete the course on a part-time basis, the course is studied over two years. Students will be expected to study a minimum of three units per year, plus their dissertation (usually towards the end of their second year). The timetable of when the units take place vary each year, however, the units are timetabled during daytime hours, and will be studied with fellow full-time students.
Year 1 - Level M
Field Ecology Skills
Develop field observation and survey techniques that will equip you with skills that are relevant to professional biodiversity conservation, monitoring and research. You will explore how such skills may be applied to support practical conservation management. Based around a field course, you will develop your skills in a variety of terrestrial, freshwater and marine environments, supported by seminars and demonstrations.
Frontiers in Biodiversity Science
Explore the latest theories and concepts in conservation science, develop in-depth subject specialism as well as advanced literature-based research and reporting skills. This unit will be delivered as a series of group discussions, at which guided reading will be critically evaluated. You will also be required to undertake literature evaluation tasks as individuals and sub-groups, including class presentations.
Nature Conservation Management
Understand how scientific principles relating to the structure and function of ecosystems can be applied to the management, conservation and restoration of biodiversity. Factors explored will include edaphic constraints, metapopulation structure, and landscape permeability to species movement, habitat networks and anthropogenic constraints.
Research Project
Your choice of research project is one of the key ways of tailoring the course to your needs and strengthening your subject specialism. Research projects can involve detailed experiments, habitat or community studies, or broad analyses of national or international conservation policies. They are supervised by a staff member with appropriate subject expertise and students may link to our active research agenda or develop their own interests.
Optional units: choose 3 of the following:
Geographical Information Systems
Develop advanced skills in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and geo-spatial analysis for environmental professionals. You will cover the principles of GIS and undertake practical training in GIS operation, potentially using both commercial and open source software packages. You will develop the ability to manipulate and interrogate spatial data of various kinds, whilst developing expertise in GIS and modelling.
Quantitative Ecology
Acquire the essential numerical and modelling skills for designing, conducting and interpreting research for biodiversity conservation. You will gain an understanding of statistical issues that will allow you to select and apply appropriate analytical techniques when working with environmental data sets. Methods taught will range from simple data visualisation with appropriate statistical tests, classic techniques such as regression and analysis of variance, through to contemporary model-based approaches and multivariate techniques, including ordination and cluster analysis.
Career Development in Biodiversity and Conservation
Engage with professions in biodiversity and conservation by developing core professional skills through seminar-based learning and discussions. Seminars will cover the development of commercial awareness through seeking/bidding for funds, managing projects, presenting material in an appropriate and professional format and identifying how science and research can be used to underpin policy and regulation.
Past Environmental Change
Cover the principles and practice of palaeoenvironmental reconstruction and how palaeoecological data (from archaeological and geological sites) can inform our understanding of human evolution and the conservation science. Data on past environmental change is beginning to be used to a greater extent, as a base-line to understand what the environment was like before the increase in human influence. Palaeoecological data from different proxy organism remains (animals and plants), also provide a longer timescale over which to understand ecological processes that operate beyond the length of a human lifetime. Both climate change and other forms of environmental change such as human changes to the landscape will be covered.
Assessment
Assessment is through coursework, including presentations, essays, critical reviews and scientific reports. It is designed to test the communication and interpretive skills required for a career in biodiversity conservation.
