Ecology and Wildlife Conservation Course - University of Leeds
FutureLearn
Key Information
Campus location
Online United Kingdom
Languages
English
Study format
Distance Learning
Duration
2 weeks
Pace
Part time
Tuition fees
USD 49 / per course *
Application deadline
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Earliest start date
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* you can learn it for free or upgrade the course and have extra benefits for $49
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Introduction
Discover ecology and learn how we can protect wildlife to conserve our natural world.
Do you worry about the effects of climate change on nature?
In this course, you’ll learn how the work of conservation biologists and the study of ecosystems can help with conserving the world’s biodiversity. You’ll explore the impact of wind farms on populations of seabirds, and understand how the use of advanced techniques can be used to study different populations.
In Week 2, you’ll learn about ecosystems and how they’re influenced by human activity. You’ll use case studies to explore the reasons behind the bee decline across the world, and examine fish species in tropical seas to see first-hand how climate change damages coral reefs.
When would you like to start?
Most FutureLearn courses run multiple times. Every run of a course has a set start date but you can join it and work through it after it starts.
- Available now
Who will you learn with?
Christopher Hassall
I am an Associate Professor of Biology at the University of Leeds, specialising in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.
Who developed the course?
University of Leeds
As one of the UK’s largest research-based universities, the University of Leeds is a member of the prestigious Russell Group and a centre of excellence for teaching.
Curriculum
What topics will you cover
- The moral and economic arguments for nature conservation.
- The impact of human activity on the natural environment.
- Why the conservation of populations and communities are essential for human life.
- How conservation biologists are helping to protect seabirds from offshore wind turbines.
- The impact of climate change on coral reef ecosystems.
- How the loss of coral can lead to ecosystem collapse.
- How large-scale studies are used to understand environmental issues.
- The impact of bee decline across the world.
- How new technology is helping to conserve nature and biodiversity.
Program Outcome
What will you achieve
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to:
- Identify, through research, the key threats faced by seabirds, pollinators, and coral reefs.
- Explore the impact of global environmental change on two key species and two key ecosystems.
- Evaluate real data taken from a field study to investigate the conservation of a group of animals or plants.
- Investigate the advanced techniques and technology which are used to study and conserve biodiversity by conservation scientists.
Program Tuition Fee
Ideal Students
Who is the course for
The course is for anyone with a general interest in ecology and wildlife conservation but it will be particularly useful for students at high school who want to study conservation biology, zoology or biology at a university level. The course is part of the Going to University collection and completing it can help improve your university application by broadening your understanding of wildlife conservation and developing your independent learning skills. The course can also be used as a teachers’ classroom enrichment resource.