Conservation Biology
55-437,
January 2010
Professors: Dr. Michael Weis, Rm.202, Biology Bldg.,
Dr. Scott Rush, Rm.145, GLIER
Graduate Assistant: Farrah Chan, Room 243 GLIER
Office Hours:
Weis: Tues., Thurs.
2:00-4:00; other by appointment; email (anytime): mweis@uwindsor.ca, ext.2724
Rush: TBA and by appointment, email srush@uwindsor.ca, ext.4730
Farrah Chan (G.A.): Wednesday 10 – 12 or by
email appointment (chan11c@uwindsor.ca)
Lecture Hours: Tuesday,
Thursday 10:00-11:20, Rm. 361 Dillon Hall
Midterm Exams: Date(s)
to be fixed within the first two weeks of class. Midterms and final exams will
be a combination of short answer, problem, and essay questions. The
midterm exams will be given in class. The final exam will be conceptually
inclusive (i.e. material from early lectures may be required to provide
appropriate answers to final exam questions), though focus will be placed on
material following the last midterm term.
Final Exam: April 22, 12:00 PM, Room TC 100
Mandatory text: Groom,
M.J., G.K. Meffe and C.R. Carroll, 2006, Principles
of Conservation Biology, 3rd edition, Sinauer
Associates,
Grading:
Midterms: 60% (30% each), Final Exam: 40%
Students are required to access the web site for course
updates, required reading lists, and other pertinent course information. All
lectures, class notes, reading assignments, will be placed on a local www page.
The page can be accessed at: http://www.uwindsor.ca.
Click on “Class Notes” and choose 55-437 or CLEW. In Classnotes,
when the face page for the course comes up, click on the link to the main page
(the end of the site address is main.htm). Links from this page will provide
all the information you will need: conservation web sites, lecture topics
(linked to lecture notes), required readings, etc.
The course is intended to provide students with a
background in factors affecting global distributions of species (biogeographic realms), species diversity - habitat area
relationships, genetics as related to conservation, how humans influence
distributions and conservation, and other aspects of biogeography.
This material will be applied to conservation issues including patterns of
speciation and extinction, effects of global warming and habitat fragmentation
on populations, inbreeding depression, models of population viability analysis,
environmental ethics and ecological economics.
Pre-requisite courses: genetics
(55-211) and ecology (55-210).
Lecture Topics: Lecture
topics are subject to adjustment, and links will be added to each lecture as
soon as notes (Powerpoint files) are complete. A
tentative list is given below.
Readings
Introduction
Jan 7 Introduction
to Biogeography and Conservation Biology Text,
Chapter 1
Lecture 1 Jan 12 Climates on a Rotating Earth Chapters on reserve
Discussion 1 Jan 14,19 Climate,
Global Warming, and recent controversies Text,
chapter 10
Lecture 2 Jan 21 Continental Drift TBA
Lecture 3 Jan 26 Biodiversity Text, chapter 2
Lecture
4 Jan 28 Human
Population Growth Text, chap.1 pp.3-6)
Feb.2 First
Midterm Exam Results
Lecture 5 Feb.4 Island
Biogeography Text,
chapter 7
Lecture 6 Feb.9 Species
Concepts and Rarity
Meffe & Carroll, 2nd ed. Chapter 3
Lecture 7 Feb 11 Temporal
Speciation Patterns Text,
Ch.2 pp.39-41,
Lecture 8 Feb
23 Temporal
Radiations Grant and
Grant paper
Lecture 9 Feb.25 Biodiversity Losses Steadman paper, Text, Chap.3 and 6
Lecture 10 Mar 2 Habitat
Fragmentation Text, chap.7 ; Aguilar et
al. paper
Lecture 11 Mar.4 Invasive Species:
Invasion Success Text, chapter 9
Lecture 12 Mar.9 Invasive Species:
Consequences
Lecture 13 Mar 11 Evolution of Invasiveness
Lecture 14 Mar 16 Metapopulations Text, chap.12 pp.419-431
Mar
23 Midterm Exam 2
Results
Lecture 16 Mar
25 Reserve Design Text,
chap.14, Shafer, Hierl, et al.
Lecture 17 Mar.30 Conservation Genetics Text,
chap.11
Lecture 18 Apr.1 Case
Studies I: ferrets, cheetahs, spotted owl Text,
pp.581-5, 635-637, 652-658, 470-1, Grenier paper
Lecture 19 Apr.6 Case
Studies II
Lecture 20 Apr.8 Ecological Restoration Text, chapter 15