Course objective: The aim: An understanding of the basic principles of conservation, important in order to address the ecological challenges we face in the 21st century. The course meets students with the general concept of biodiversity explain its complexity and functions, explore how its disappearance threatens all of us, and examine strategies and methods for its conservation. Course outcome: Students will gain the knowledge of fundamental concepts within conservation and biodiversity, the main threats to biological diversity and the ability to evaluate the effects of human influences, such as habitat fragmentation, climate changes and invasive species on biodiversity.
Literature:
Lévêque, C. and Mounolou, J.C. (2007) Biodiversity. Jonh Wiley and Sons Ltd. Chichester, England.
Primack, R. (2010) Essentials of Conservation Biology, 5th edition. Sinauer Associates, Inc., Publishers Sunderland, Massachusetts U.S.A