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.
Venue Room 43 (end room) Prefab section BCB Dept.
Course outcome
Practicals
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.
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.
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 blog
page.
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.
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.
Lectures

Location of the factory to reduced its ecological footprint
Monday 1st Period (8:30 - 9:30)

Materials Inventory: sourcing, processing and disposal of waste
Thursday 2nd Period (9:40-10:40)

Factory production & Environmental Management System
Thursday 1st Period (8:30 - 9:30)

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
Standardised penalties for the Science Faculty
Late submission of assignments 15% off per 24 hours
Plagiarism
50% 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 tests
As 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
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 socioeconomics 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. These
articles 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 assignments will 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.
Lecture Schedule
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Start
08/09/2008
15/09/2008
22/09/2008
29/09/2008
06/10/2008
13/10/2008
Lecture 1 (Monday 08h30)
Introduction
Habitat Loss & Fragmentation
Environmental Issues
Conservation and the Internet
Ex situ conservation & local communities
Biomes and Biodiversity Hotspots
Week 7 20/10/2008 NEMA/EIA & Agriculture & Enforcement
Week 8
Week 9
Lecture 2 (Thursday 09h40)
Social Aspects (Cradle to Cradle and Triple Bottom Line)
Over-exploitation
Extinction
Reserve Design
Restoration ecology & environmental monitoring
Ecological footprint
Lecture 3 (Friday 08h30)
Using the BCB Blogs
Invasive Alien Species
Extinction & conservation
Reserve and Resource management
Ecotourism
National and International Treaties
Environmental Management Systems/audits
Green Politics
Study
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 on CD
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)