| Unit name | Ecology and Conservation |
|---|---|
| Unit code | BIOL20025 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Andy Wakefield |
| 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 |
N/A |
| School/department | School of Biological Sciences |
| Faculty | Faculty of Life Sciences |
Why is this unit important?
Biodiversity is declining. Habitat loss and degradation, climate change, over-harvesting, invasive species, and pollution are all threats to the variety of life on Earth and impact human quality of life. Understanding key ecological patterns and processes is crucial to tackling this problem. In this unit you will explore what we mean by biodiversity and why it is important to conserve. You will then be equipped with a broad suite of ecological knowledge and skills which we can use to understand the challenges and debate conservation solutions. This includes the importance of communicating the issues to non-scientists, which you will practice during your podcast assessments.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This unit follows first-year teaching of ecology in Life Processes B, as well as second-year Evolutionary Biology – both of which are mandatory units. The unit also acts as a useful spring block for third-year units within the School (e.g. The Future of the Green Planet; Blue Planet; Plants and Sustainable Food Production) as well as the taught Science Communication for a Better Planet MSc.
An overview of content
The unit centres around biodiversity. We start with an overview of the variety of life and how to study it before working our way through the main levels of ecology – individuals, populations, communities, and ecosystems. Students will encounter botanical, zoological, terrestrial, and aquatic examples and consider both biotic and abiotic features of the environment. Elements of environmental sustainability are embedded throughout the unit, as are cultural, socio-economic and political factors related to environmental protection. These become more prevalent in the second half of the unit as we consider factors driving biodiversity loss, debate potential solutions, and investigate synergies between biodiversity loss and other global challenges (e.g. climate change and food production).
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
Throughout the unit you will be encouraged to use your newfound ecological insight to suggest and debate solutions to environmental challenges; great challenges require great solutions! You will be challenged to consider what difference you can make as individuals, but also to practice working to deadlines within teams. You are encouraged to ‘challenge-up’, i.e. to question what we’re saying and to be open to different perspectives. You should finish the unit as more accomplished communicators of environmental issues having considered both scientific and non-scientific audiences in their assessments.
Learning Outcomes
1) Explain and analyse the causes of ecological patterns and the mechanisms underpinning ecological processes;
2) Argue why it is worth conserving biodiversity;
3) Debate solutions for conserving biodiversity;
4) Examine the inter-disciplinary nature of ecology and conservation;
5) Communicate conservation biology issues using digital media.
The majority of the unit will be taught in-person with 2 lectures and 1 practical per week. The first half of the unit is focused on biodiversity and ecology. During the second half of the unit we move to considering the threats to biodiversity, conservation solutions, and inter-disciplinary perspectives.
Practical sessions are a mix of lab experiments, field trips, modelling exercises, debates and podcast (assessment) work. They are designed to be interactive, discursive, authentic and problem-based. Conservation solutions require consideration of more than just ecological factors, so social, economic and political factors are weaved throughout lecture and practical content.
Students will create podcasts for their assessment and target these at a general public audience, i.e. breaking out of the academic bubble. A podcast is used to boost students' communication skills, digital literacy, teamwork ability and their confidence in these transferable skills.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
The continuous assessment (40%) comprises of two short podcasts (one formative, one summative). You are provided with a podcast handbook at the start of the unit and the very first practical session is devoted to learning how to use Audacity editing software. During this session you will also adopt the role of the marker engaging with exemplars to build their assessment literacy before being randomly assigned a formative podcast partner with whom you will produce a short podcast on a single given topic. You have a few weeks to produce your first podcast and will then receive written feedback within 15 days. At that point you will re-partner and begin creating your summative podcast (a choice of one title from three options). This will be due towards the end of the unit.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
Forty percent of unit marks are derived from the second podcast, the remaining 60% of marks is derived from the summer essay format exam, with one essay question to be selected from a choice of three. Both assessments test all learning outcomes (see above). The mix of assessment allows you to flourish in different modes of communication, but also to practice communicating to different audiences (a general non-scientific audience for the podcast & an academic audience for the summer exam).
When assessment does not go to plan:
You will create and submit podcasts in pairs. Membership of formative pairings will be randomly selected by staff, but you will get to choose your summative podcast partner. Staff can help with forming pairs and can mediate with any conflict resolution where necessary. Alternative forms of digital communication (e.g. blog article) are available for students who, for good reason, are unable to work on a podcast task. In some cases students may be permitted to work on the podcasts individually or in trios. Students who need to resubmit summative work will be asked to do so in the same pairing, where that is not possible students will be permitted to resubmit as individuals.
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. BIOL20025).
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.
