Wildlife Conservation

Study in Wildlife Conservation is offered by the School of Life and Environmental Sciences. Units of study in this minor are mostly available at standard and advanced level.

About the minor

The fields of Ecology and Evolution intersect at multiple levels and are critically relevant to real-world challenges, including Wildlife Conservation. Students will learn explicitly about evolutionary and ecological processes and how these influence the population dynamics of animals, plants, and other organisms. This knowledge forms the basis for the effective management and conservation of biodiversity, ecosystems, and habitats.

Requirements for completion

A minor in Wildlife Conservation requires 36 credit points, consisting of:

(i) 12 credit points of 1000-level core units
(ii) 12 credit points of 2000-level core units
(iii) 6 credit points of 3000-level core units
(iv) 6 credit points of 3000-level selective units

First year

The core units in first year Biology, Life and Evolution (BIOL1XX6) and From Molecules to Ecosystems (BIOL1XX7), provide students with an understanding of the concepts that are central to Wildlife Conservation. These units will provide a broader context within which these concepts can be interpreted, including the scientific framework, hypothesis testing, and experimental design. First year Biology units also provide sufficient background in (bio)chemistry for this major.

Second year

In the second year, Biology Experimental Design and Analysis (BIOL2X22) provides students with sufficient background to design complex ecological and evolutionary experiments in the field, including multifactorial experiments, and to analyse and interpret their data. Ecology and Conservation (BIOL2X24) builds on the broad introduction to Wildlife Conservation in the first year.

Third year

AVBS3004 and 6 credit points from a selection of: BIOL3X07 and BIOL3034

In the third year there will be selective units on Ecology (BIOL3X07) and Australian Biodiversity and Systematics (BIOL3X34). Throughout, there will be emphasis on experimental design and analysis, building on the material taught in the second year.

Contact and further information

W sydney.edu.au/science/life-environment/
E

T +61 2 9036 5417

Address:
School of Life and Environmental Sciences
Level 5, Carslaw Building F07
University of Sydney NSW 2006

Associate Professor Dieter Hochuli
E
T +61 2 9351 3992

Learning Outcomes

Students who graduate from Wildlife Conservation will be able to:

1. Use biological language to discuss, explain and apply ecological and evolutionary processes and their role in wildlife conservation.
2. Independently identify and interpret ecological and evolutionary literature.
3. Use statistical tools and concepts to analyse and interpret ecological and evolutionary data.
4. Describe and explain the meaning of ecological and evolutionary experimental results within the context of the current literature.
5. Communicate the objectives and hypotheses being tested in experimental investigations.
6. Create coherent arguments in oral presentations and written reports using evidence from experiments and the literature.
7. Analyse the effectiveness of species conservation strategies and conflicts from multiple perspectives.
8. Analyse conservation issues using ecological and evolutionary principles from individual species to global populations and communities.