Conservation Biology 2007
Lectures and Readings
Last updated 07 Dec 2007.
Check back often for changes
to readings or schedule.
Readings should only be accessed by students enrolled in the course.
All chapter readings are from your VanDyke text unless otherwise noted.
Other readings are in pdf format.
(Download adobe acrobat reader if needed)
Date
Topic (Reading; please complete before class)
Remember that you should turn in answers to 2 of the 4 bold questions below.
See your
original syllabus for details.
Introduction
Syllabus, philosophy, and context
(Ecological footprint for Thursday:
http://www.earthday.net/footprint/index.asp,
http://www.rprogress.org/ecological_footprint/footprint_FAQs.htm )
(Optional, more in-depth excel-based footprint calculator)
(Optional: Bill Calder Memorium from The Auk, 2003)
Thurs Aug 23, Lecture 2 (or as 6 slides/page)
Discuss Ecological Footprint
What is conservation biology?
(Van Dyke CH1; Noss 1999)
(optional: Meffe and Carroll 1997, Chap 1 [Part 1, Part 2])
Tues Aug 28, Lecture 3 (or as 6 slides/page)
Conservation Ethics and Rationale
(Van Dyke CH3; Callicott, Chap 2 of Meffe and Carroll 1997 [Part 1, Part 2])
Q1) Should "intrinsic" or "instrumental" values be the basis for planning conservation efforts? Why? (due 30 Aug)
Thurs Aug 30, Lecture 4 (or as 6 slides/page)
Conservation Ethics and Rationale
(Van Dyke CH3; Leopold readings)
Required:
Leopold writing about Arizona
Leopold writing about his Land Ethic
Leopold writing about Health of the Land and Wildlife
Recommended (better yet buy these books for yourself and read them cover to cover!):
Leopold writing about Wisconsin
Leopold writing about Chihuahua and Sonora
Leopold writing about being your own Emperor
References:
Leopold, A. 1966 (1949). A Sand County Almanac with Essays on Conservation from Round River. Oxford Univ. Press.
Leopold, A. 1999. For the Health of the Land: Previously Unpublished Essays and Other Writings. Island Press.
Tues Sep 04, Lecture 5 (or as 6 slides/page)
Leopold --> Biodiversity
(VanDyke CH4; Costanza et al. 1997, Nature)
(Driessen 2004 , DDT, Malaria, EcoImperialism)
Thurs Sep 06, Lecture 6
The Four Spikes
( Walther et al. 2002, Nature, National Geographic Global Warming Issue (Optional): Part 1 Part 2 Part 3)
(Check out these websites to familiarize yourself with 'Peak Oil':
wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_oil
lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/
peakoil.org/
peakoil.com/
Guy McPherson (guest speaker)
Tues Sep 11, Lecture 7 (or as 6 slides/page)
Biodiversity and Threats
(VanDyke CH4; and pp. 207-213)
Q2) Is the endangered species act (ESA) the correct approach for US conservation efforts? Why or why not? (see Van Dyke Ch 2 for place to begin; due 13 Sep)
Thurs Sep 13, Lecture 8 (or as 6 slides/page)
History of conservation biology/Legislation
(Van Dyke CH2)
(To peruse:Endangered Species Act
and National Environmental Policy Act: NEPA document, NEPA information, NEPA and EIS)
Tues Sep 18, Lecture 9 (outline)
Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan, Inventory and Monitoring
(SDCP writeup by Chuck Huckelberry in the Endangered Species Bulletin)
(Pima County SDCP website)
ESA Overview
Brian Powell (guest speaker; Brian.Powell[at]pima.gov)
Link to National Park Service Inventory & Monitoring Network
Thurs Sep 20
DEBATE I, (Format)
Should the Flat-tailed Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma mcallii) be ESA listed?
(FTHL 2003 Management Document
[please read Executive Summary, Overview (p. 1-23), and peruse Management Proposal section;
also think about all the effort that went into this 116-page document])
(Learn a bit about horned lizards)
Tues Sep 25, Lecture 11 (or as 6 slides/page)
Finish Legislation
(see readings above)
Thurs Sep 27, Exam 1
(through ~20 Sept. over CH1-4 and associated lectures/readings)
2007 EXAM 1 KEY
2007 Sample Topics and Review Questions for Exam
Old Exams: 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003
Old Review Sheets: 2006, 2005
Tues Oct 02
Aquatic Conservation in the Desert (Arizona Fishes)
(Van Dyke pp. 230-248)
Scott Bonar (guest speaker; Bonar Webpage)
Thurs Oct 04
Global Turtle Conservation
(Moll [2004] Ch 7 [this is a long reading and a large file])
Ed Moll (guest speaker)
Q3) Which unit of biology deserves protection? Why? (begin by looking at text and thinking about genes/alleles, individuals, populations, species, or ecosystems as focus of conservation effort; due 09 Oct)
Tues Oct 09
Conservation Genetics
(Van Dyke CH6)
Taylor Edwards (guest speaker)
Thurs Oct 11 Lecture 16 (or as 6 slides/page)
Paradigms, Populations, PVA, MVP
(David Quammen, 1996, Island Biogeography Excerpt from Song of the Dodo)
(Van Dyke CH5 and CH7)
Tues Oct 16
Invasive Species (lecture file, or in Black and White)
(Van Dyke pp. 188-193)
Kathy Gerst (guest speaker)
Thurs Oct 18 Lecture 18 (or as 6 slides/page)
Populations --> Habitat and Reserve Design
(Van Dyke CH7 and CH8)
OPTIONAL: Paper on PVA in Florida Panther: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
Optional reading on puma genetics: Culver et al. 2000
Tues Oct 23 DEBATE II: Tumacacori Highlands, Designated Wilderness or Not?
(Sierra Club)
(Friends of the Tumacacori Highlands)
(opposition to designated wilderness)
(Grijalva's bill in Congress)
(1964 Wilderness Legislation)
(Forest Service Procedures)
OPTIONAL: (Chesapeake Marshlands Example)
Thurs Oct 25 Landscape Conservation and Sky Island Alliance
Sky Island Website
Matt Scroch (Guest Speaker; Intro, followed by Q & A)
Tues 30 Oct Conservation Practices, Ecosystem Management Lecture 21 (or as 6 slides/page)
(Van Dyke CH10)
Pleistocene Rewilding (Donlan et al. 2005, Nature)
Popular Article about Pleistocene Rewilding in Conservation in Practice
Rebuttal by Rubenstein et al. 2006 in Biological Conservation
Optional: longer meaty article in Am Nat (2006) by Donlan et al.
Thurs Nov 01, Exam 2 (through ~25 October; covers CH5-8 and associated readings and lectures)
2007 Exam Two KEY
2007 Study Guide for Exam Two
Key from 2nd Exam 2006
2006 Review Sheet for Exam Two
Key from 2nd Exam 2005
Key from 3rd Exam 2005
Tues Nov 06, Preparing for Loihi
Rob Robichaux
Thurs Nov 08, Dry Forest Conservation in Costa Rica
Guanacaste Information (Costa Rica)
Cathy Hulshof
Q4) Choose a developing country outside North America. Describe how the obstacles facing conservation practitioners in that country are both similar to and different from conservation challenges in the U.S. (due 13 Nov)
Tues Nov 13, Reconciliation Ecology. Ecological Restoration Lecture 25 (or as 6 slides/page)
Van Dyke Ch. 11 and
Rosenzweig interview in AZAlumnus
OPTIONAL:Book Review of Rosenzweig's Win-Win Ecology
OPTIONAL: A number of things related to Don Falk, assistant professor in SNR:
Chapter 1 in Falk et al. 2005, (Table 1 from Chapter 1, Figures 1&2 from Chapter 1)
Chapter 16, Synthesis
Website of the Society for Ecological Restoration
Thurs Nov 15, Economics and Sustainable Development, Lecture 26 (or as 6 slides/page)
(Van Dyke CH12)
Optional: Science a la Joe Camel, Washington Post OpEd Piece; NYTimes OpEd Piece
Tues Nov 20, Professional Panel
Margi Brooks (NPS), Mima Falk (USFWS), Dale Turner (TNC)
(Van Dyke CH13)
Thurs Nov 22, Thanksgiving (no class)
Tues Nov 27, DEBATE III, Galapagos, Ecotourism or not? Exhibit criteria due
(see VanDyke Ch 9 pp.248-264 for useful marine conservation info)
Excellent overview of Galapagos and Conservation (UNESCO)
UNESCO lists Galapagos as endangered world heritage site
Some Informative Websites: 1. Charles Darwin Foundation, 2. Galapagos Conservancy, 3. Galapagos Conservation Trust
Thurs Nov 29 Creativity EXHIBIT (Public) - art/literature project due today, peer grading
Please try to come early and stay late. We will ask you to please sign up to help set up and take down the exhibit.
Tues Dec 04, Last Lecture; Wrap-Up, Sustainability, Course evaluations
Thurs Dec 13, Cumulative Final Exam: 1400-1600h (aka 2-4pm)
Review Sheet for last third of course, fall 2007 (or as PDF file)
Review Sheet for last third of course, fall 2006
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