Ecology and Conservation

Our planet supports an incredible variety of life. In this module you will explore this life in its many forms, from unicellular microbes and fungi to multicellular plants and animals. You will learn how to use morphological and molecular traits to classify any species within the tree of life. Together we will explore some of the grand evolutionary history and processes that underlie this phylogeny. By the end of this module, you will understand how animals are thought to have first evolved, how to practically classify bacteria, how plants first colonised land, and you will have begun to address many unresolved fundamental biological questions.

We are entering a period of immense environmental upheaval. This module will introduce a range of fundamental concepts that underpin our understanding of biodiversity and, therefore, the conservation of biodiversity and associated ecosystem services.

You’ll consider the differences and similarities between the multiple definitions for the term ‘biodiversity’ and examine how scientists are trying to assess the magnitude of biodiversity on the planet. You’ll investigate spatial and temporal patterns of biodiversity, including how past geophysical processes have shaped biodiversity as we see it distributed across biomes today. You’ll discuss the importance of biodiversity (both use and non-values) such as the global carbon cycle, how it links to biodiversity and ecosystem service provision.

You’ll then explore contemporary threats to biodiversity and the provision of associated ecosystem services, together with a broad overview of the methods conservationists use to protect and maintain biodiversity. This grounding in biodiversity is essential if you want to forge a career dedicated to conservation.

The environmental crisis we currently face - which results from human activities - is profoundly entangled with biological, ecological, geographical and geological processes. To make a difference, you need to engage with the issues and debates surrounding the Anthropocene such as the speed, scope and scale of human activities on the earth as a system. Further, you’ll look at the multi-dimensionality of the Anthropocene including environmental, social, political, and cultural issues.

A multidisciplinary approach is needed to understand and develop solutions for the current environmental crisis. We’ll therefore investigate fundamental skill sets that academics need to engage with other academics and society as a whole. These include skills such as data collection and analysis, accessing and critically reviewing literature, and presenting evidence in multiple formats (such as written, oral and visual). These skills are not only needed for academic careers, but for any career where you'll be hoping to raise awareness and have an impact in fighting the climate crisis.

How can we make sense of the relationships between plants, animals and their environment (ecology) and the geographical patterns of biological diversity around the world (biogeography)? This module explores this relationship by drawing on physical geography, evolutionary biology and reproductive biology to help understand how individuals, populations and communities are distributed, and how these organisms interact with their physical environment.

You'll begin by examining how the physiology and reproductive biology of plants have shaped the variety of habitats, ecosystems and biomes we see in the natural world. You’ll explore how these geographical patterns have been affected by both historical and current factors. You’ll get hands on, with practical classes and field work to study essential concepts in population ecology, community ecology and island biogeography.

By the end of this module, you'll develop the foundational knowledge you need to help you understand how biogeographical and ecological principles inform global conservation strategies, and you’ll get an insight into how to manage threats to biodiversity from climate change.

We are living in the Anthropocene: an era where human activity has become the key driver of planetary changes. This module provides a comprehensive introduction to environmental sustainability, building on the planetary boundary concept to discuss the environmental limits that human beings can safely live within.

Using a strongly interdisciplinary approach based on human and environmental geography, we’ll discuss key environmental challenges including climate change, food systems, biodiversity loss, and pollution, among others. We’ll explore contemporary debates around sustainable development and critically analyse these in the context of real-world issues and relevant policy and governance considerations.

You’ll examine case studies that illustrate the way human-environment relations are shaped by complex social, economic and political processes at different scales. And through this, you will learn how you can make an impact on the drive towards sustainability.

Now is your opportunity to put your skills and experience to the test through practical fieldwork. This module introduces you to a range of standard field techniques and help you develop skills in collecting, analysing and presenting field data. You’ll get experience in using ecological survey techniques including biodiversity monitoring and assessment methods.

The module is spread over the term, allowing you to examine different groups of organisms as they become available for survey, meaning the dates may vary slightly from year to year. You’ll undertake survey or monitoring projects in groups under the supervision of a member of staff.

Each project will assess the biodiversity of an appropriate taxonomic group (such as birds, amphibians, mammals or plants). You’ll carry out a range of surveys, analyse the data and write up your results.

Discover the ways in which ecological science can be applied to solve some of the crucial conservation problems facing the world today. You'll consider key ecological principles at the population, community and ecosystem levels, investigating how these principles can help guide management and policy decision-making. A major theme is how natural resources can be managed and exploited sustainably, drawing on examples from agriculture, urbanisation and forestry in temperate and tropical regions. Central to the topic is the question of how species and community conservation can be better incorporated into the wider needs of environmental management.

What topics, debates and controversies are shaping the field of conservation science today? Considering this question not only helps us understand the key issues in conservation but also helps develop conceptual and critical thinking.

Some of the topics you’ll critically evaluate include how to detect new threats to biodiversity, developing sustainable use strategies for over-exploited species, the pollinator crisis, the wildlife trade, the roles of zoos in conservation, conservation in the UK, hunting and defaunation, the impact of emerging infectious diseases, and the impacts of food production on biodiversity.

Each week an exciting topic is introduced in the lecture and discussed in the interactive seminar later in the week. This allows you to explore lots of different areas in separate deep-dives, so you wont only gain specific knowledge, you'll develop skills that can be applied across many different fields - allowing you to be agile and effective in your career.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are increasingly being used in many disciplines, including geography, ecology and conservation, to help solve a wide range of real-world problems using spatial data. As these disciplines moves towards the analysis of large spatial datasets, employers often report shortages of relevant GIS skills among graduates.

This module will introduce the use of GIS as a means of solving spatial problems providing you with marketable skills relevant to research and commercial needs. You'll cover a range of methods for the collection, presentation and analysis of spatial data and hands-on training in the most commonly used GIS software.

In the first half of the module you’ll be introduced to the major concepts of GIS —data sources and methods of data acquisition—and you’ll learn how to create and transform maps. In the second half, you’ll cover more advanced GIS operations such as manipulation of spatial data, spatial analysis of vector and raster data, and remote sensing. No prior knowledge of GIS, statistics or programming is required as the module is designed for students from any discipline to make rapid progress in their understanding of GIS, so you can stand out to employers.

Through combined lecture/practicals using computer software, this module will provide you with a solid foundation in practical data analysis and interpretation. Introductory topics will include types of data, descriptive statistics such as measures of central tendency, frequency distributions, the normal distribution, variance (standard error, standard deviation), and how sample parameters and null hypotheses apply in real data. Inferential statistics include analysis of differences between two groups (e.g. t-tests and non-parametric equivalents), differences between multiple groups (ANOVA and non-parametric equivalents), variable relationships (correlation and regression), and variable associations (e.g. chi-squared test). The role of probability in data analysis will also be considered, as will its application to scientific questions.

Throughout, you will focus on the practical application of statistics, and when and how they are applied. You will be able link the theory presented with the practical sessions and data collection components. As part of this you will collect and analyse your own data. By the end of the module, you will have a knowledge of the underlying principles of statistics, be able to conduct statistical tests in statistical software, critically evaluate the results, and have a sound appreciation of the benefits and limitations of different statistical techniques.

Animals represent a significant portion of Earth's biodiversity. By studying different species and their interactions with each other, we can gain insights into the complexities of ecosystems and the interdependence of living organisms.

In this module, you’ll comprehensively explore animal life across evolutionary history, focusing on key elements of functional anatomy and physiology. Through comparative physiology and the study of form and function, you’ll examine the diverse physiological systems found in various animal species, gaining insights into their adaptations and variations to changing environments over time.

By exploring these relationships, you’ll understand how animals have evolved in different environments, what challenges current global issues pose to different species, and what they — and we — can do to ensure species continue to thrive.

How do government and non-government organisations impact environmental policies and practice? In this module you will examine the way in which conservation and environmental activities are widely implemented in practice and on-the-ground, including by organisations for which conservation and the environment is not a primary focus.

You'll explore the relevant regulatory and voluntary principles that govern the conservation actions of businesses and governments alongside some of the more influential multilateral environmental policies. You'll use case studies to illustrate how scientific evidence is synthesised and integrated into policy and practice. By the end of the module you'll have a wide and varied knowledge of factors influencing national and global policies and practices and be able to apply this understanding to specific examples and your own research.

What is the relationship between development and environment? Can we achieve sustainable development while staying within environmental limits of the planet? You'll be introduced to key concepts in understanding the dynamic and complex relationship between socioeconomic development and the environment.

We begin by conceptualising 'development' and learning about contemporary development theories and discourses to build the foundation. We then examine how historic and contemporary development practices and associated social, political and economic relations have shaped and continue to shape approaches to environmental management. We also examine how our understanding of and approaches to environmental and natural resources management are reflected upon, shape and (re)produce uneven and unequal development.

Using a variety of case studies, we'll address some key issues that continue to dominate environment and international development discourse, including the relationship between nature conservation and poverty eradication; socioeconomic inequalities and the impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss; indigenous peoples and environmental conservation; and environmental justice and the governance of natural resources. You'll leave the module with a critical understanding of the ways our ideas and values about the nature, peoples and places shape real world policies and practices.

Plants allow life on Earth as we know it, providing food and oxygen for the entire biosphere. They also provide essential materials for us such as shelter, fibre, fuel and medicinal compounds. With the pressing environmental challenges we currently face — such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and issues around food security and sustainability — understanding plant biology has never been more critical.

You’ll learn about plant physiology, genetics, epigenetics, and metabolomics, gaining insights into the mechanisms driving plant growth and development, and their adaptation to the environments around them. You’ll incorporate the latest discoveries and technologies into your work, and develop the knowledge, skills and critical thinking you’ll need for a future career in a growing area of the life sciences sector.

By the end of the module, you will have deepened your understanding of plant biology and will be better equipped to apply it to the pressing global challenges we face.

This module introduces you to diverse methods and design issues that inform social science research within geography and environmental studies. Its purpose is to equip you with some of the skills and mindsets to approach independent research and thus become an active participant in knowledge creation. The module explores what counts as research and how research validity can be assessed from a social science perspective. You will be trained in the design and use of a range of research techniques, including qualitative interviews, extensive questionnaires, group work and ethnography. We also consider the processing and analysis of qualitative data, as well as basic descriptive statistics to analyse quantitative data. Towards the end of the module, we will look in more depth at the principles of research design to help you begin to plan your final year research project.

This is your chance to conduct an independent and comprehensive research project under the guidance of a research supervisor, focusing on a topic within ecology, conservation, environmental science, or geography, aligned with your degree program and interests.

The opportunity to engage in personal research is an essential element of academic training in all disciplines, whether this be through desk-based study, practical fieldwork or laboratory work. The primary aim of the research project is to cultivate your proficiency in the organisation, analysis, and presentation of research. The approved investigation may be novel, i.e. one that has not previously been carried out, or it may repeat previously executed work for comparative or control purposes. It will typically involve some bespoke, project-specific training in practical skills, and will require you to generate research questions, hypotheses and/or theoretical frameworks for their project.

You could choose to involve the collection of new data or be based on existing information, and consider quantitative or qualitative analysis of results, depending on the discipline investigated. You will be expected to showcase your findings through a research seminar and a dissertation written in the form of a scientific paper - this acts as proof of your knowledge and skills, to help you stand out to employers.

We are entering a time of environmental upheaval. As such, conservationists and geographers must continually analyse relevant and topical issues in a broad, real-world context. This includes understanding contemporary research, critically evaluating its ecological, environmental and interdisciplinary basis, and using this information to inform effective solutions to key problems that are embedded in social, political and economic reality.

You’ll use and apply knowledge and skills gained throughout your degree during in-depth discussions of how current research programmes, fit into the wider conservation, geographical and environmental context. In addition, you’ll write up these evaluations as a series of ‘News and Views’ style commentary articles, as published in the top international journals such as Nature. This experience of operating in the way leading researchers and conservations do helps you make rapid progress and demonstrates your skills and knowledge to employers.

Tropical rainforests are the most biologically diverse habitats on Earth and the loss of rainforest is of tremendous conservation concern, both due to loss of diversity as well as its consequences for global warming. You’ll gain first-hand experience of ecological processes, biodiversity and conservation issues associated with humid tropical environments when you spend time in a field studies centre in a rainforest.

You’ll cover rainforest structure and defining characteristics of pristine and disturbed habitats, take practical training in ecological techniques and survey methods for a range of terrestrial taxonomic groups, consider interventions such as protected area management and local community issues and learn about anthropogenic factors affecting rainforests including, fragmentation, global warming and agriculture.

You’ll learn in a field studies centre at a rainforest location where there is an adequate infrastructure to ensure logistical support and health and safety conditions. You’ll spend time working in forest systems, and there will be an emphasis on practical training in ecological survey and assessment methods. Teaching on conservation will be integrated with short visits to surrounding sites to gain direct appreciation of the issues, problems and solutions surrounding rainforests and their wildlife. Participation in the module will be dependent on maintaining a clean disciplinary record during registration on the degree course prior to the module.

Explore how climate has influenced the diversity of life on Earth, from the past to the present, as well as its likely future impacts. We begin with a summary of the physical science basis of contemporary climate change and the role that anthropogenic factors have played since the commencement of the industrial era. We then explore the biological and ecological impacts of climate change on individual organisms, communities and ecosystems, with particular emphasis on how species are responding.

The module also explores how people are affected by and are responding to climate change, and the role of particular sectors and countries in mitigating the worst impacts of the climate crisis. We'll explore how conservation scientists and the environmental movement are using particular interventions to ameliorate the most harmful and destabilising effects of climate change, while also managing biodiversity. The module brings together perspectives from the natural and social sciences to explore the environmental, economic and political means to tackle climate change.

Is it possible to save the World’s most endangered species, even if there are only a few individuals remaining? You will examine today’s cutting-edge techniques that are available to wildlife biologists attempting to save some of the world’s most critically endangered species from extinction. You will be exposed to the challenges of recovering endangered species, including a range of perspectives from priority-setting and resource allocation, to small population biology and the role of zoo collections.

You will examine a number of cross-cutting themes relevant to recovering endangered species, including the management of invasive species, leadership of species recovery programmes, island endemic species, species of extreme rarity, reintroduction biology and managing infectious disease in conservation programmes. You will examine iconic case histories and use them as a way to consider the reasons why some programmes are successful whilst others fail. You will consider topics and case studies that will lead you to a reappraisal of particular approaches to species conservation such as institutional priority-setting, field infrastructures and leadership styles which tomorrow’s wildlife biologists will need to restore endangered species in the future.

How should we overcome the problems associated with managing endangered wildlife populations that have lost a lot of genetic diversity or are highly inbred? How can an understanding of genomic erosion help us to tailor plans to recover threatened species?

Genetic diversity forms the basis of the diversity of life on earth, and you will need to understand the fundamentals of evolutionary genetics, evolutionary ecology and conservation genomics, to be fully equipped to tackle the challenges that need to be overcome to successfully restore populations of endangered species. You will gain an understanding of the evolutionary and ecological processes that foster biodiversity and genetic diversity across timescales ranging from a few generations to millions of years.

In this module you'll learn about the importance of genetic processes that causes problems in small populations, and relevant evolutionary and ecological mechanisms within the context of conservation.