BIO3111 - Ecological Management

• Unit information
• General Unit Information & Objectives
• Specific Unit Information

General Unit Information

Ecological management is concerned with managing the impact of human activities on the natural environment, such that the effects of human disturbance are minimised and protection and preservation of ecological communities is maximised.  The course will focus on teaching core skills in applied ecology that should inform any management process.  There is less emphasis on policy and legislative issues, except where they directly impact on management decisions.

The course will focus on three major issues: chemical pollution, impacts of biological invasions, and management of vertebrate populations (both terrestrial and aquatic), and link them to generic ecological management skills. The practical component will consist of three projects that directly relate to the three lecture units within the unit. We hope that you enjoy this unit and find that it enhances your ecological skills and gives you enthusiasm for ecological research in general.

Objectives

On completion of this unit students will have a grounding in the principles of landscape ecology, the application of the adaptive management process in natural resource management including ecological-economic trade-offs, issues and possible solutions to threats posed by invasive species, methods of wildlife management and an understanding of the need to cater for genetic variation and evolutionary potential. Students will have a firm grounding in the ecological theory on which natural resource management is based. Students will become familiar with some of the techniques available to managers, be able to critically evaluate management techniques, be aware that management is conducted within a socio-economic framework, and be familiar with some of the main issues confronting biological resource managers today. They will be able to express informed opinions on the economic, ethical and political considerations of resource management

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Specific Unit Information

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