BIO 415/615 Conservation Biology

318 Lyman
Instructor: Jason Fridley
Office hours: by appointment
Course website: http://plantecology.syr.edu/conbio

Synopsis: Conservation Biology is the application of ecological principles to the management and preservation of biodiversity, achieved through a rigorous statistical framework that involves the collection and analysis of quantitative data from natural systems.  As an applied science, conservation biology is a loosely constructed endeavor that borrows heavily from all ecological subdisciplines (particularly population biology and biogeography), as well as economics, ethics, and a range of cultural and historical topics.  This course focuses on the biological attributes of populations and communities relevant to their conservation.  Secondarily, this course covers a selection of statistical issues that are increasingly integrated into the ecologist's toolkit.  This is not a course in inferential statistics, and you are not required to have a strong mathematical background (although it wouldn't hurt).  However, by the end of the course you'll appreciate the integral role that data, models, and analysis play in modern conservation.  More specifically, the objectives of this course are to:
(1) Understand the conceptual underpinnings of conservation biology (population biology, community ecology, biogeography, landscape ecology)
(2) Understand the science behind the need for conservation (habitat loss, pollution, invasive species, climate change)
(3) Be able to identify when management decisions are based on sound science—good data, appropriate models, quantified uncertainty—and when they're not, and
(4) Become a sophisticated reader of the scientific literature.

Grading and Format
Four two-page writing assignments (10% each)
Midterm Exam (25%)
Final Exam (25%)
Class participation (10%)
Grad students have an additional problem set assignment, which substitutes for one writing assignment (10%).

Readings: There is no textbook, but one or more primary research papers will be assigned to each class.  Readings are listed and available for download on the course website as pdfs.  I reserve the right to update readings as necessary.  The readings are designed to help you understand significant research issues in conservation and often introduce you important scientific debates, and will serve as topics for discussion at the beginning of each class.  You are not required to memorize the content of each paper, but your basic understanding of each will contribute significantly to your performance in this course.  I will endeavor to have all readings online at the start of the semester, but readings may be changed as appropriate as the course develops.

Writing assignments: You will compose two-page narrative responses to the assigned readings, one due each month (Jan 31, Feb 21, March 25, Apr 15) and worth 40% of your final grade.  You can choose to think of these as erudite blogs: select a topic from one of the assigned readings of each interval, take a stance on a particular issue, and defend your thesis with cogent, well-structured prose.  For example, we will discuss many conservation debates: you could take a stance on a debate and list the evidence that supports your view.  Please submit your narratives in MS Word in no more than 2 pages (11-12 point font) and email them to me by 5pm on the date indicated.  You will be graded on writing clarity, your ability to reconstruct the seminal issues of your topic, and how well you integrate course concepts into your argument.

Class participation: As principally a readings course, this course works best when students are actively involved in class discussion and you are strongly encouraged to contribute each class period.  Participation in class discussion counts toward 10% of your final grade.

Extra credit: Extra credit can be earned in two ways. 1) Send me current stories from the popular press (newspapers, magazines, blogs, etc) related to conservation biology themes, preferably as links via email.  To get credit, you must give a brief (1 paragraph) synopsis of the article, including its relevance to conservation biology.  2) Attend a research seminar on campus on an approved topic of conservation relevance (I will announce these as appropriate).  Again, to get credit, you must provide a 1-paragraph report giving a synopsis of the seminar and its relevance to course themes.  Each submitted article or seminar report will count for 0.5% of your final grade, to a maximum of 10 submissions (5 percentage points max).

Schedule: Note this is general plan for the course, and deviations may be necessary.

Jan 15: Conservation Biology: scope and meaning
Jan 17: Ethics, philosophy, and history
Jan 22: Biodiversity I: meaning and measurement
Jan 24: Biodiversity II: patterns of species diversity
Jan 29: Biodiversity III: protected areas
Jan 31: Biodiversity IV: genetics and conservation
            Due: Readings Response 1
Feb 5: Island biogeography I: the idea
Feb 7: Island biogeography II: the application
Feb 12: Relative abundance I: commonness and rarity
Feb 14: Relative abundance II: rare species preservation
Feb 19: Relative abundance III: ex situ conservation
Feb 21: Populations I: a primer
            Due: Readings Response 2
Feb 26: Populations II: population viability
Feb 28: Populations III: evidence, uncertainty, and decisions
Mar 4: Populations IV: extinction
Mar 6: MIDTERM EXAM
Mar 11, 13: SPRING BREAK
Mar 18: Spatial ecology I: metapopulations
Mar 20: Spatial ecology II: landscapes
Mar 25: Habitat loss and fragmentation I
            Due: Readings Response 3 [Grad students: Problem Set]
Mar 27: Habitat loss and fragmentation II
Apr 1: Invasive species I: community assembly
Apr 3: Invasive species II: management
Apr 8: Climate change I: historical
Apr 10: Climate change II: anthropocene
Apr 15: Climate change III: impacts
            Due: Readings Response 4
Apr 17: GUEST LECTURE (Mark Ritchie)
Apr 22: MAYFEST [no classes]
Apr 24: Restoration and reconciliation
Apr 29: Unanswered questions in ConBio (review)
May 5 (5-7pm): FINAL EXAM

Make-up Examinations: There will be no make up examinations with the following exceptions: 1) an agreement reached between the student and instructor prior to the examination, and 2) an unplanned event, such as a medical condition, traffic accident, etc., together with appropriate evidence of the event.

Academic Integrity: The Syracuse University Academic Integrity Policy holds students accountable for the integrity of the work they submit.  Students should be familiar with the Policy and know that it is their responsibility to learn about instructor and general academic expectations with regard to proper citation of sources in written work. The policy also governs the integrity of work submitted in exams and assignments as well as the veracity of signatures on attendance sheets and other verifications of participation in class activities.  Serious sanctions can result from academic dishonesty of any sort.  For more information and the complete policy, see http://academicintegrity.syr.edu.

Disability accommodation: Students who may need academic accommodations due to a disability are encouraged to discuss their needs with the instructor at the beginning of the semester.  In order to obtain authorized accommodations, students should be registered with the Office of Disability Services (ODS), 804 University Avenue, Room 309, 315-443-4498 and have an updated accommodation letter for the instructor.  Accommodations and related support services such as exam administration are not provided retroactively and must be requested in advance. For more information about services and policy, see Office of Disability Services: Syracuse University, Office of Disability Services, 804 University Avenue Room 309, Syracuse, New York 13244-2330. Phone: Voice: (315) 443-4498, TDD: (315) 443-1371, E-Mail: odssched@syr.edu.