| CODE | EER1024 | ||||||||
| TITLE | Biodiversity, Protected Areas and Communities | ||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 01 - Year 1 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Centre for Environmental Education and Research | ||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit aims to intorduce students to the concept of 'biodiversity. The material covered will focus on the following aspects: (1) Definitions of 'biodiversity'; (2) Measuring and reporting of biodiversity; (3) Preservation of biodiversity in principle; (4) Preservation of biodiversity in practice; (5) Basics principles of biodiversity management. The five sections will be concerned with the various levels at which biodiversity is recognised, with the contextual positioning of biodiversity in the natural environment and with the use of protected spaces as one means for its management. Study-Unit Aims: (1) Familiarise students with the various meanings of 'biodiversity'; (2) Outline various methods for measurement and reporting of biodiversity; (3) Indicate measures for the preservation of biodiversity and the reasons for doing so; (4) Familiarise students with Nature Reserves; (5) Familiarise students with policies that affect biodiversity; (6) Familiarise students with basic management principles. 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: (1) Compare various interpretations of the term 'biodiversity'; (2) Describe the different levels at which biodiversity may be recognised; (3) Describe, comapre, and utilise methods for the measurement of biodiversity; (4) Describe measures that are used for the preservation of biodiversity; (5) Describe Nature reserves in the Maltese Islands; (6) Understand links between policy and biodiversity; (7) Understand the importance of biodiversity management. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: (1) Select and implement measures of diversity in the field; (2) Design field procedures for the measurement of biodiversity; (3) Use analytical techniques and the associated software; (4) Utilise policy to manage biodiversity. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Malcolm L., Hunter M. L. , Gibbs Jr., (2007) Fundamentals of Conservation Biology, 3rd Edition Wiley-Blackwell. Supplementary Readings: - Leal Filho, W., Mifsud, M., (Eds.) (2021). SDG15 – Life on Land: Towards Effective Biodiversity Management. ISBN: 9781801178174. - Van Dyke F. (2008) Conservation Biology: Foundations, Concepts, Applications. Springer. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Fieldwork | ||||||||
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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