Wildlife & Conservation Biology

This course identifies threats to wildlife populations, how to obtain data on the impact of these threats on wildlife populations and how to select and apply appropriate conservation methods to mitigate these threats. We will look at these aspects in general and then demonstrate them in case studies of species in the Wet Tropics. To formulate a background understanding of habitats of the Wet Tropic’s wildlife, we will explore the origin of the main landscape formations of this part of Australia by looking at geological and biogeographical factors that shaped the landscape and its biota. You will be introduced to Australia’s fauna and the unique species that inhabit the diverse habitats of the Wet Tropics. We then will deal with some basic ecological concepts of biodiversity and why so many species can co-exist in one place.

The course is a mixture of class lectures, field lectures, field laboratory courses, workshops, field trips, and readings to complement the material presented in the lectures. A major emphasis is placed on field skills, the collection, management and analyses of data, and skills of writing a scientific paper.