BCB341: Principles of Conservation Biology

This course will introduce you to some of the basic concepts surrounding conservation biology. This is an extensive field, and there is a considerable amount of material to review. Conservation Biology extends beyond the biological framework and this course will embrace aspects of Social, Political and Economic Sciences. An international to local framework is used. Consequently we will use examples from elsewhere in the world and then apply them to the local situation.

Course outcome

An emphasis is placed on non-qualitative analysis, and assimilation/integration of information into scientifically based formal report writing. Important aspects are preparation of clear and concise writing and referencing. Increasingly you will see even Internet articles have a list of source or reference material provided at the end. The focus of writing will include report-backs from workshops through to preparation of a term project. Preparation of material should be suitable for sharing under a Creative Commons license or equivalent.

Course Material

There are no “formal” lectures – you will be given material at the beginning of the course (Power Points with additional reading) on a CD. Other than this outline no material will be printed out – so what is not on the CD will be distributed electronically via our course blogpage.

Lectures

Monday 1st Period (8:30 - 9:30)

Thursday 2nd Period (9:40-10:40)

Thursday 1st Period (8:30 - 9:30)

Venue Room 43 (end room) Prefab section BCB Dept.

You are expected to attend lecture sessions as there will be some form of evaluation of your participation in the lectgure and the contributions you make. You are expected to have gone through material prior to each lecture as we discuss them in class. All full breakdown of the lectures is provided.

Practicals

The practicals are divided into a Tuesday “workshop” and a Thursday “research” sessions. The Tuesday workshop with have a unified theme of “Best Practice” and we will explore various “industries” such as the Wine to see how it is produced with as little environmental/ecological impact. My intention is to invited outside people to the debate and as a consequence we have not finalised the programme but they will probably be selected from the following: transport, building/architecture, wine/potato/meat, information technology, energy production, land use, international affair and politics.

On the research day will be where there is dedicated time to use the Internet to get information for course project which is entitled “A blue print for greening the automobile industry”. This is divided into the following components:

  • Defining the concept, its markets and production scales.
  • Location of the factory to reduced its ecological footprint
  • Materials Inventory: sourcing, processing and disposal of waste
  • Factory production & Environmental Management System
  • Distribution, Operation and Servicing

If required we can workshop these aspects as well during the practical session.

Practicals Tuesday 14h00 - 17h20 and Thursday10h50-13h00 – we will start in Z29 and possibly use other venues such as UWC AV studios

General Content Structure

The start of course is biologically-based review of threats to biodiversity. In this review global issues will be introduced, but in class we attempt to link these to local issues. In the next part of of course we will explore the broader environmental context in which conservation biology operates and in the final part we explore socio-economics with respect to the actual costs and benefits appropriately applied conservation biology offers. Within this section includes sustainable industries such as eco-tourism, selection of protected areas and for future generations of inheriting a sustainable world.

Each week you will be presented with a reading list of articles. Thesearticles must be read and the content is examinable in tests and exams.

Assessment

Year Mark is 60 and Final Exam Mark is 40%. The year mark is divided into a ratio of structured to unstructured assignments of 60/40

Structured assignmentswill include Project (30%), Test(s) (15%) and Practical write-ups (a Wiki-styled prepared article) (15%)

Unstructured assignments will include your participation in lectures and in practicals, on the blog pages and in the Wikis. This will be summarised into 5 phases, at the end of the first two weeks, at the end of the week for weeks 3-5, at the end of week seven for the last two weeks.

Standardised penalties for the Science Faculty

Late submission of assignments15% off per 24 hours

Plagiarism50% off for undergraduates for a first offence in a year, submission of disciplinary action for second offence.

“Sick tests”Each programme will set One Day Only per term on which all sick tests and special occasion tests will be written. A doctor’s certificate stating that the student was unfit to write the test/exam on the set date will have to be supplied to the department

Special occasions testsAs above. The student needs to provide documentary proof of the special circumstances that prevented the writing of and/or preparation for the test.

Special exams: These are in addition to the supplementary exams and can only be set by the department in the exam period at the discretion of the Chairperson of the department. Outside the exams period the Student Affairs Committee needs to make a recommendation to the Senate Exams Office

Lecture Schedule

Start / Lecture 1 (Monday 08h30) / Lecture 2 (Thursday 09h40) / Lecture 3 (Friday 08h30)
Week 1 / 08/09/2008 / Introduction / Social Aspects (Cradle to Cradle and Triple Bottom Line) / Using the BCB Blogs
Week 2 / 15/09/2008 / Habitat Loss & Fragmentation / Over-exploitation / Invasive Alien Species
Week 3 / 22/09/2008 / Environmental Issues / Extinction / Extinction & conservation
Week 4 / 29/09/2008 / Conservation and the Internet / Reserve Design / Reserve and Resource management
Week 5 / 06/10/2008 / Ex situ conservation & local communities / Restoration ecology & environmental monitoring / Ecotourism
Week 6 / 13/10/2008 / Biomes and Biodiversity Hotspots / Ecological footprint / National and International Treaties
Week 7 / 20/10/2008 / NEMA/EIA & Agriculture & Enforcement / Environmental Management Systems/audits / Green Politics
Week 8 / Study
Week 9 / Exam
This schedule is subject to amendment.

Most material will be on the CD as new material is found during the exploration of the subject it will be put up on the course blog. Your are expect to visit the Blog/Wiki each day after the first week. You can subscribe to email notifications of new stuff using the FeedBlitz subscription services.

DEADLINES

19th Sept –Participation in class, on blogs/wikis with comments and feedbacks on wikis – first assessment*

26th Sept - Participation in class, on blogs/wikis with comments and feedbacks on wikis – second assessment*

2nd Oct – Class test (held in prac class)

3rd Oct - Participation in class, on blogs/wikis with comments and feedbacks on wikis –third assessment*

10th Oct - Participation in class, on blogs/wikis with comments and feedbacks on wikis –fourth assessment*

17th Oct – Completion of the Wiki report based on a discussion of additional topic

24th Oct - Participation in class, on blogs/wikis with comments and feedbacks on wikis – final assessment*

24th Oct - Completion of the “A blue print for greening the automobile industry” course report.

* Based on what you have done for the period under review no lateness can be considered – illness will be evaluated under the sick test condition.

Resources supplied onCD

21 Power Point Lectures

Food Production (best practice Meat, Potato and Wine industries)

Shelter (best practice home and office accommodation with emphasis on energy efficiency)

Manufacturing (best practice private transport between office and home)

Livelihoods (ecotourism benefits local cost global - tool for sustainable development)

Information Communication Technology (Information travel - virtual meetings versus real meetings, training etc)