Conservation biology helps explain how ecosystems function and why biodiversity matters. This course introduces key concepts in ecology and conservation, exploring threats to species and habitats and the scientific approaches used to protect them. We examine human impacts on the natural world alongside practical conservation responses, making the course suitable for anyone interested in nature, sustainability and evidence-based environmental thinking.
- What is Biology, Conservation and Biodiversity
- Cell Biology
- Taxonomic Classification
- The History of our Planet
- Ecology
- Conservation Genetics & Statistics
- Biodiversity Conservation
- What you can do to help
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
- Have a basic understanding of cell biology: what are prokaryotes and eukaryotes, how does our cells make energy vs plants, the differences and similarities of humans as a species compared to other species (e.g. homologous structures)
- Understand how species are classified in science, the history of classification and what are phylogenies
- List the main geological time periods, what the earth was like at this time and the species that lived
- Describe what is ecology, and how this influences the patterns in the world we see on various levels such as population, community and ecosystem.
- Understand how vital genetics is to conservation through genetic variation among individuals, populations and species and how it influences evolutionary processes.
- Have a thorough understanding of conservation biology including the patterns of biodiversity, principles of conservation and management in biodiversity and conservation
