biol 2612 introduction (1)

8/3/2019 BIOL 2612 Introduction (1)

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CONSERVATION ECOLOGY

BIOL 2612

Rajan, Cynthia Yau and Prof Yvonne

School of Biological Sciences

The University of Hong Kong


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Learning outcomes

Describe thescientific principles that underpinthe theoryofconservationbiology and thesocial,

legal and politicalframeworkswithin which

practitioners must operate

Know howvarious factors,individuallyor

collectively, that havelead to thehuman caused

6th mass extinction crises

Applyreflective and argumentative thinking to

find solutions toovercomeconflictingscientific,

societal and personalviews that impact on

conservation outcomes


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Reference Text Books

for BIOL2

612


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Date Lecturer Lecture Topic Readings1

Part 1: Biodiversity and Its Importance

17 Jan VT What is conservation ecology? Chapter1

19 Jan VT The three forms of biodiversity Chapters 2-5

31 Jan VT How to measure biodiversity? Chapters 2-5

02 Feb VT How is global biodiversity distributed? Chapters 2-5

07 Feb VT Why is biodiversity important? Chapters 2-5

09 Feb VT Climate change and biodiversity TBA

Part 2: Threats to Biodiversity

14 Feb CY Extinction processes and rates Chapters 6,7

16 Feb CY Habitat degradation and loss Chapters 6,7

21 Feb CY Pollution Chapters 8-10

23 Feb CY Collection and overharvesting Chapters 8-10

28 Feb CY Exotic species Chapters 8-101 Mar CY Disease Chapters 8-10

13 Mar CY Small populations Chapters 8-10

15 Mar YS Case study: marine and freshwater fishes TBA

Part 3: Maintaining Biodiversity

20 Mar CY Zoos and gardens Chapters 11-14

22 Mar CY Species reintroductions and translocations Chapters 11-14

27 Mar CY Designing and managing protected areas Chapters 11-14

29 Mar CY Conservation refugees Chapters 15-17

03 Apr LK Case study: marine mammals TBA

Part 4: Human Dimensions of Conservation

05 Apr VT Conservation organizations and legal foundations Chapters 15-17

10 Apr VT Economics of conservation Chapters 15-17

12 Apr VT Conservation and Restoration TBA

17 Apr YS Marine Conservation TBA

19 Apr YS The future of conservation Chapters 15-17

Syllabus

LecturesSchedule


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BIOL2612 Unique Practical's

Thursdays: 1330-1755

Mar 15, 29,

Apr 12, 26


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This is what we expect you to be at the end of this

course

Conservation Biologist/Ecological

Economist in GOV/NGO/other

organization

Serve as medical doctor for

Biodiversity crisis

Motivated student to pursue higher

education in Conservation Biology


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Introduction to Conservation Biology

Outline

What is Conservation Biology?

Why we need a Conservation Biology?


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Conservation Biology = thescience ofconservingbiological diversity

Population biology is thestudyofecological and

evolutionaryprocesses that create and maintain

biological diversity.

Conservation biology is the application ofpopulation biologyprinciplesforthe management

and conservation ofendangered orthreatened species,

biodiversity and naturalresources.


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Conservation biologyis

not purely descriptive; it

is a prescriptive science.


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Conservation Biology Goals

1. Document fullrangeofbiodiversity

2. Investigate Human impactson

biodiversity

3. Developpractical approaches toprevent

speciesextinction, maintain geneticvariation within species,protect and

restore biodiversity


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Conservation Biology Goals

Generalgoalisconserving natural

resourcesforthis and future

generations

Primarygoalis themanagement of

biodiversityforsustainable usebyhumans


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Conservationists who?

Conservationists:advocatesorpractices thesensible and

careful useofnaturalresources. E.g.foresters, hunters, and

farmers

Preservationists:advocatesforhabitat protection fromhuman interference

Environmentalists:who areconcerned about negative

impactsofhuman on environment

Ecologists:whostudy therelationshipbetween organisms

(including human,plants and animals) and environment


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Conservation Biologistsview their

main taskasproviding theintellectualand technological tools that will

anticipate,prevent, minimize, and

repair ecological damage

Conservationists main task 1


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Conservation biologists studyphenomena

such asinbreeding depression, habitat

fragmentation,demographicstochasticity,and metapopulation structurein orderto

betterunderstand the nature and rateof

anthropogenicallycaused massextinctions.

Conservationists main task2


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The quickeningpaceofenvironmental

degradation and biologicalimpoverishment inthe 1960s and 1970swould outstrip the

abilityofthevariousconservation related

sciences, actingin isolation torespond

Conservation Biology: a new discipline


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Conservation Biology: a new discipline

At 5 p.m., 8 May 1985,

in Ann Arbor, Michigan,at theend ofthe Second

Conferenceon

Conservation Biology


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Conservation Biology: an Interdisciplinary Science


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Conservation Biology: an Interdisciplinary Science

A casestudywith biodiversity/environment conservation/restoration inVictoria Harbor

Marinebiology

Engineering

Modeling

Conservation Biologists

Policy makers


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Conservation Biology: Is a Crisis Discipline

Sever Time Pressure time constraints

Management without through scientific

knowledge

Long-term vision

As a Conservation Officer in AFCD what youwould do?


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The Guiding Principles of Conservation Biology

Evolutionary Change

Evolutionary-Ecological land ethics

Dynamic Ecology

Human Change

Ref:Knight 1999


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This is based on the work of populationgeneticist Theodosius Dobzhansky.

He stated that "nothing in biology makes

sense except in the light ofevolution".

Evolution is the most plausible explanation

for the immense pattern ofbiodiversity

that exists on the planet.

The genetic composition of organisms is

continuously changing.

Consequently the goal of this principle is to

allow populations to change in response to

environmental changes through

adaptations.

Evolutionary Change

(Lookat thereading material)


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Theecologicalworld is

seen as dynamic; largelyfunctioning through non-

equilibriumprinciples.

Dynamicecologyspecificallyrejects theequilibrium viewpoint.

This non-equilibrium viewsees the

regulation ofecologicalstructure as notbeing maintained through internally

generated processesbut through external

processes,in theform ofnaturalprocesses.

Dynamic Ecology

E.g. Victoria Harbor


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Humans are participants within both natural and perturbed ecosystems

and their presence within ecosystems needs to berecognized and accounted for.

Native human cultures form historical

components of the landscape and must

be explicitly recognized as a form of

diversity in the same way that biodiversity is.

Conservation efforts cannot wall off nature to

safe guard it from humans because:

Ecosystems must be seen as open systems,

Nature reserves inevitably exist within a surrounding landscape that

is intensively utilized by humans.

This principle explicitly integrates humans into conservation practice.

The Human Presence


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Between 1985-87 Conservation Biology

emerged as an individualscientificdiscipline - Biodiversitybecameits

focus

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