220-401 Conservation Biology of Treed Landscapes

220-201 Native Forest Ecology and Biodiversity; 220-331 Forest Health and Restoration.

Many rural landscapes include patches of forest, woodland, plantation and agriculture. Conservation biology recognises that the nature and properties of patches of "bush" depend on their surrounding environment, and accounts for disturbance and human intervention at various temporal and spatial scales. This subject describes how knowledge of forested systems and the biological requirements of their constituent organisms is used to ensure that their integrated management sustains, protects and (where necessary) restores these constituent species. Topics to be covered in a case-study approach include:

• the science of conservation biology;

• the importance of scale and pattern, complexity, connectivity and edges;

• conservation of genes, species and habitats;

• the application of spatially and temporally explicit models including Population Viability Analysis;

• the use and development of information management tools such as GIS and remote sensing, Decision Support Systems, Integrated Forest Management Systems, and monitoring systems.

One assignment of up to 3000 words (20%), one term project of up to 5000 words (20%), and a two-hour end-of-semester exam (40%).

• J Voller and S Harrison, Conservation Biology Principles for Forested Landscapes. UBC Press, 1998.
• T R New, Conservation Biology - An Introduction for Southern Australia. Oxford University Press, 2000.
• A Farina, Landscape Ecology in Action. Kluwer, Academic Publications, The Netherlands, 2000.