In order to conceptualize and contribute to biodiversity conservation within the broader context of global environmental change, we must link organisms to ecosystems, and ecosystems to social systems. SFS students examine critical environmental issues like biodiversity conservation within the rich local context that surrounds each of our Centers. Students gain transferable skills, coupled with a deep understanding of the complexity of problem-solving, that can be applied anywhere their careers may take them.
We examine the impacts of habitat fragmentation, invasive species, historic selective logging and climate change on threatened species, and how these affect faunal biodiversity and ecological processes in a rainforest, particularly on the Atherton Tablelands. We also focus on the management of landscapes to restore biodiversity and learn appropriate field research techniques to reconnect isolated patches of rainforest and prevent further loss of ecosystem function.
We study how the government frames policies and enforces laws to ensure the conservation of biodiversity at both national and local levels. Students explore the roles of belief systems, institutions, and innovative financing frameworks in conservation. In addition to classroom and field lectures with faculty and guest speakers, students interact with and learn from conservation thought leaders and government officials.
In Cambodia, biodiversity loss impacts endangered species conservation and, specifically in and around the country’s waterways, substantially decreased fish populations have affected the livelihoods of many rural Cambodians who depend heavily on fisheries. Students also examine issues of deforestation and fragmentation, loss of breeding habitat, poaching and wildlife trafficking, and agricultural expansion. Students explore various conservation projects in Cambodia, such as the Angkor Centre for Conservation of Biodiversity and the Wildlife Conservation Society, to understand solutions for and approaches to biodiversity conservation.
Some of the most unique New World flora and fauna inhabit far-southern Chile. The camelid guanaco forage on the Patagonia steppe adjacent to flightless rhea birds. Coastal ecosystems are home to a dozen whale species and five species of penguin. Myriad mosses and lichens hold fast to trees in slow-growth forests where century-old trees sometimes struggle to grow more than a few meters tall. Almost everything in Patagonia is both hearty and fragile. We explore the full range of biodiversity and seek to understand ways of protecting these natural treasures.
A leader in biodiversity conservation, Costa Rica supports more than five percent of the world’s species, over 10,000 different plant species, and boasts 143 protected areas – about 26 percent of the land area of the country. Students examine biodiversity conservation strategies at field sites such as cloud forests, dry forests, volcanoes, lowland rainforests, farms, and plantations.
Africa’s charismatic wildlife – lions, elephants, giraffes, zebras – along with the fascinating flora of the savanna, makes up a mosaic of biodiversity unlike anywhere else in the world. We study the issues facing conservation in Kenya, from habitat loss and competition with invasive species to the impacts of tourism, poaching, and human-wildlife conflict.
Students explore forests and the ocean to survey the biodiversity of the Bocas del Toro archipelago. In addition, students interact with local fishermen and representatives from government ministries to gain greater insight into policies that affect conservation initiatives in the region.
Students learn about species extinction and the loss of genetic diversity in the region by conducting population viability analyses and considering human population growth and consumption. We also learn about trophic cascades and ecosystem meltdown, as well as Pleistocene extinctions.
We evaluate the effectiveness of diverse approaches to biodiversity conservation and learn about the role of community-based approaches in biodiversity conservation. Students examine the multiple trade-offs associated with wildlife conservation as it relates to rural livelihoods and cultural traditions among tribal communities. We study long-term biodiversity trends in the ecosystem, especially in relation to changing land-use patterns.
Students learn to use biodiversity indices to quantify benthic biodiversity on coral reefs and seagrass beds. They also conduct field exercises to measure coral health through transect surveys examining coral bleaching and stony coral tissue loss disease. We also study the benefits of the marine protected area (MPA) near the Center.