Conservation Biology
WFSC 689


DATE (T-TH) COURSE SEGMENT
Tentative lecture title
TENTATIVE LECTURER
THE REALM OF CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
Sept 1 Introduction, course details
The fundamental problems facing biodiversity
Focus: tragedy of the commons & human population growth
Fitzgerald
Sept 3 Is Conservation Biology Real?
Mythology and History of Conservation Biology
Fitzgerald
PROCESSES THAT CREATE BIODIVERSITY AND
THE CURRENT LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY
Sept 8 What is biodiversity and how much is there? Fitzgerald
Sept 10 Processes that create biodiversity:
speciation, endemism, hot spots, role of systematics
Honeycutt or Fitzgerald
Sept 15 Mass extinctions and extinction theory Honeycutt
Sept 17 Current loss of biodiversity Honeycutt
CONSERVATION GENETICS
Sept 22 Conservation genetics Lecture 1 Honeycutt
Sept 24 Conservation genetics Lecture 2 Honeycutt
Sept 29 Conservation genetics Lecture 3 Honeycutt
POPULATIONS
Oct 1 Population biology: demography, structure, and viability I Winemiller
Oct 6 Population biology: demography, structure, and viability II Winemiller
Oct 8 Population biology: demography, structure, and viability III Winemiller
Oct 13 Contribution of long-term studies: case studies Winemiller
Oct 15 Application of behavioral ecology to conservation biology Packard
Oct 20 Mid-Term Exam
Oct 22 Endangered species conservation and management Slack
COMMUNITIES, ECOSYSTEMS AND LANDSCAPES
Oct 27 Application of the theory of island biogeography to conservation biology Slack
Oct 29 Habitat fragmentation Slack
Nov 3 Community level processes and conservation Slack
Nov 5 Ecosystem approaches Gelwick
Nov 10 Ecosystem approaches Gelwick
Nov 12 Landscape ecology and conservation biology Lacher
Nov 17 GAP analysis Lacher
Nov 19 Ecological restoration Lacher &
Guest (job seminar?)
ECOLOGICAL SUSTAINABILITY
Nov 24 Economic Issues and Conservation Biology Lacher & guest
Nov 26 Holiday, no class
Dec 1 Harvesting wild species: implications for biodiversity conservation Lacher
Dec 3 The morass of ecological sustainability Fitzgerald or Lacher or Packard
Dec 8 Indigenous perspectives; TAKE-HOME FINAL DUE Packard & Guest