BSc (Hons) Wildlife and Conservation

British wildlife and their habitats have been shaped by hundreds of years of human intervention leading to a diversity of habitat types unusual for such a small land area. Site management requires a good knowledge of the range of appropriate management techniques available for each habitat as well as a sound base in ecological principles.  

This module aims provides you with the skills and knowledge to identify a range of British wildlife and habitat types. This will include the recognition of dominant and characteristic vegetation as well as knowledge of significant plant and animal species found within each habitat. The ability to identify key species from a wide range of taxa is key to appreciating the biodiversity value of a range of habitats. You will develop an understanding of the abiotic and biotic relationships that determine the nature and diversity of each habitat. Adaptation of species to their given habitat will also be explored.   

The module develops your understanding about the strategies for conserving species and habitats in the United Kingdom The anthropogenic impacts on UK wildlife will be considered and what mechanisms are in place to protect wildlife in this country from the impacts of farming, urban development, pollution and alien species. If the multifunctional nature of land in the British countryside is to be conserved, then a balance must be found between conflicting land users.  

Assessment:

• Case study (50% of module weighting) 
• Collection (50% of module weighting) 

This module contains the basis of plant science and is an introduction to plant physiology and taxonomy, covering general botany including morphology and plant anatomy. The module will explore the ways in which plants acquire and process energy, nutrients, and water and how plants reproduce, grow, and develop. You will become familiar with botanical terminology and will enable them to learn the key diagnostic features of our commonest plant families. 

Assessment:

In order to plan and project manage practical work in the land-based sector it is vital that the site manager understands the technical aspects of the proposed task(s). Site managers cannot ignore the importance of timescales, budgets and the management of materials, tools and labour.   

This module will equip you with a range of practical skills appropriate to working in conservation management that will enable them to undertake specified construction, maintenance and habitat management tasks. These tasks will be focused upon the creation and management of semi-natural habitats.

The module aims to develop your practical confidence which will allow you to instruct and, where necessary, supervise staff and volunteers in undertaking practical tasks, as well as providing with the opportunity to develop specifications and design briefs as required when engaging with outside contractors.   

The health and safety requirements of practical tasks are key components of the module. You must consider the implications of tool and livestock use and the need for risk assessment in project planning and implementation. You will undertake practical sessions at our designated college farm and county wildlife site at our Easton College campus. 

Assessment:

This module provides you with the essential background knowledge in cellular and molecular biology with an emphasis on genetics and evolution. You will become familiar with cellular structures and functions and the classification of living organisms.  

The module aims to develop your knowledge and understanding of plant and animal physiology alongside with the homeostatic processes that are essential in ensuring the survival of the organism in constantly changing environments.  The module introduces you to the mechanisms of heredity including cell division, sex determination and the laws of inheritance.   You will also examine the processes which drive evolution, the concepts of natural selection and events which upset the population genetics including genetic drifts and founder effect.  

This module aims to introduce you to, and develop, your observational and practical skills using light microscopy, breeding Drosphila melanogaster and using molecular techniques such as electrophoresis. These practical activities will improve your understanding and practical skills in biological science, the fundamental processes in living organisms and of contemporary scientific technologies.  

Assessment:

Environmental systems underpin the ecology of life on Earth, providing the physical resources to maintain the flora and fauna that a growing human population relies on. Each natural system is intrinsically linked and balanced but the exploitation of these systems and their resources has led to increasing concerns for the future well-being of a growing global population and the Earth’s ecosystems.   

Ecology is essential to our understanding of how to manage the land, its’ resources and biodiversity. Land use, policy and practice has often proved disastrous where there has been a lack of understanding of the way populations and ecosystems function at both large and small scales. This has resulted in declines in biodiversity and soil productivity.  

This module aims to provide you with a broad understanding of the Earth’s natural system and an underpinning understanding of soil and water resources is essential to the sustainable management of the local, national and global environment.  You will explore and examine geographical climate patterns and the impact that climate change is having on global populations, ecosystem services, and the policy decisions used in mitigation.  

The module allows you to learn fundamental ecological theories in terms of the way that individuals, populations and species grow, interact and are distributed. The way in which energy is transferred through ecosystems and impacts on the length of food chains and numbers of individuals at varying trophic levels will be considered and it will further review the manner in which ecosystems alter with time and the influence of living organisms on successional processes.  

You will also have the opportunity to build practical skills in assessing environmental systems and the analytical skills to discuss the complex issues that influence resource use. Furthermore, an understanding of these principles will be key to help graduates towards following a more sustainable path in the development of policies, management plans and personal choice. 

Assessment:

This module will explore the inter-relationships between behaviour, ecology and evolution of animals and plants. You will learn why organisms behave the way they do under particular ecological conditions and how they respond and adapt to changes in their environment. The principal models and theories in relation to behaviour and behavioural ecology will be examined, using case studies and examples to illustrate.   

You will seek to explain the evolution of specific behavioural patterns and have the opportunity to undertake some original research in behavioural ecology on a selected species. This will involve experimental design, research, interpretation, analysis, and presentation of results. Through understanding key concepts of behavioural ecology you will be able to make more informed choices with regards to conservation within other subject areas such as habitat management and countryside recreation.   

Assessment:

This module will familiarise you with a range of survey techniques for use in the field and will build on the identification skills acquired in British Wildlife and Identification.   

Surveys undertaken will encompass habitat and species surveys of the key groups and all surveys will be evaluated and analysed. Standard monitoring programmes used within the conservation industry will be evaluated. You will devise and undertake a field ecology investigation of their choice and will analyse the data from this investigation and present your finding to your peer group.   

Assessment:

The case study enables you to select a global biodiversity hotspot and investigate how it meets the criteria of a biodiversity hotspot, the threats to the hotspot and how well the hotspot is being conserved.  

The exam will comprise of two essay questions chosen from a list of five.  

Formative Assessment - Formative assessments will include a mock exam and an informal presentation given by you on your Biodiversity Hotspot.  

Assessment:

This module will provide you with valuable practical skills and the knowledge of Geographical Information Systems through the understanding of the concepts and training during practical sessions (two third of the face-to-face teaching time). Students will discover, using relevant case studies, how to use Open-Source software (QGIS). You will also explore a variety of resources for spatial data at both local and global scales including species distribution, protected areas, habitats maps, satellite images, etc. You will learn how to collect spatial data in the field using GPS and tracking devices, how to manage and insert these data into QGIS, how to explore and analyse the data and how to create high quality cartographic and non-cartographic outputs. The practical sessions will cover a variety of techniques on how to use, analyse and represent available spatial data relevant to the study of terrestrial and marine organisms in the context of ecological and behavioural studies and wildlife conservation.   

The theory of QGIS and its uses in biology are assessed through a short essay assessment. The practical skills are assessed through a scientific report demonstrating the use of QGIS to answer a biologically relevant question. Students can either use a dataset provided by the lecturer or are free to use any available spatial dataset. Assessment focuses on the correct use of the QGIS tools and methods and the quality of the cartographic output. This module provides strong links to employment, as the knowledge of QGIS and the use of these techniques are valuable practical skills in industry.  

Assessment: