| Unit name | From Past to Future: Ecology and Rewilding |
|---|---|
| Unit code | GEOG30048 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Schreve |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None. |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None. |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None. |
| School/department | School of Geographical Sciences |
| Faculty | Faculty of Science |
Why is this unit important?
Set in the context of the current planetary emergency, Britain is one of the most nature-depleted nations on the planet, having lost almost half of its biodiversity since the industrial revolution. How have we ended up with the species we see today? Which elements are missing and why? What can be done to restore biological communities and promote nature recovery in the face of future climate change? This unit will examine the legacy of climatic, environmental and anthropogenic impacts on biological communities over the Quaternary period (2.6 million years to today) and explore the possibilities for the future, from ‘de-extinction’ to the challenges and opportunities of rewilding.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
The unit explores topics in the Oceans and Life theme.
An overview of content
The unit has relevance to reciprocal relationships between physical, biological and human aspects of environments and landscapes at a range of temporal and spatial scales. Key topics: Biodiversity in time and space; Biogeographical factors influencing species occurrence; Community ecology and role and function of species; The climatic impacts of glacial-interglacial cycles and changing physical barriers on biota; Speciation and morphological change; The history of the modern European fauna; Causes and effects of Quaternary and modern extinctions; Native species; The practice and ethics of ‘de-extinction’ and back-breeding; Rewilding and nature recovery: philosophy, ecosystem services, feasibility and best practice.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
By the end of this unit, you will be able to integrate data from diverse disciplines including (palaeo)ecology and biogeography and develop a critical and reflexive sense of the nature of these as dynamic and changing. You will receive training in the identification of fossil mammal remains and in their interpretation. An awareness of environmental issues such as extinction, habitat loss, ‘de-extinction’ and conservation will serve as a basis for informed concern about the Earth and its biota.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this unit you should be able to:
The unit will be delivered through a combination of lectures, practical classes and role play/group discussion. Practical classes will allow students hands-on experience of identifying and interpreting the type of biological datasets discussed in the lectures, thereby supporting the theoretical concepts presented during class. This experience will be of direct relevance to any student undertaking lab- or museum-based work on palaeoecological proxies as part of their third-year dissertation study. The role play/group discussion element will allow students to develop confidence by building arguments with others assigned to the same role, before joining a larger group debate where different points of view will be discussed.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative)
Two practical exercises will first allow students to familiarise themselves with biological and palaeoecological datasets, thereby developing understanding of the range of species that have occupied Britain in the past and their application in environmental reconstructions. These activities will then support the formative assessment, a poster submission, where students will be asked to research and present the past and/or present threats to any one of a selection of native British mammal species (e.g. this may include grey wolf, Eurasian lynx, pine marten, wild cat, Eurasian otter, elk, water vole, hazel dormouse, Eurasian beaver, red squirrel).
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
Essay (100%) [ILOs 1-4]
Based on the species chosen for their formative assessment and building on their knowledge of past and present threats to that species, students will write an essay related to appropriate conservation or reintroduction strategies.
When assessment does not go to plan
Students will be offered an alternative essay-based assessment for completion in the summer reassessment period.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. GEOG30048).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
