Overview

1) To provide training in some of the skills used by professional conservationists: a) Conservation monitoring (some theory eg type I and type I errors, the concept of power) and introduction to some UK based and international schemes b) Study design and experimental design for conservation biology and ecology (stratification, precision and bias) c) Estimating population size (quadrats, mark and recapture, distance sampling, territory mapping); d) Measuring biodiversity across scales (diversity indices); e) Management planning and measurable indicators of conservation state including, including common standards monitoring and compliance monitoring. f) Understanding human behaviour 2) Understanding conservation responses: a) Buisness and biodiversity b) Biodiversity offsets and Payments for Ecosystem Services c) Landscape scale conservation d) local case studies of real world conservation projects.

Learning Outcomes

• Apply principles of sampling and experimental design to studies in conservation.

• Discuss and critically evaluate potential responses to biodiversity loss.

• Structure a coherent written argument with reference to the literature.

• Understand and be able to implement common field techniques used by conservation professionals and researchers.

• Understand the fundamentals of conservation management planning.

• Write up a scientific report along standard structure including correct presentation of results and referencing to the wider literature.