Environmental Conservation

Preserving and recovering populations, communities, and ecosystems is the core goal of conservation biology. But achieving this goal requires much more than an understanding of biology. It requires that we evaluate humanity's place in nature through numerous lenses, including those seemingly far afield from the natural world. This course integrates evolutionary and ecological theory into resource management, economics, sociology, business, psychology, and law to explore conservation strategies, the value of ecosystem services, evidence-based management, and the challenges of decision making under conflicting interests. As this list underscores, conservation biology is inherently interdisciplinary, and this means that each student's training and perspective is integral as we build a comprehensive understanding of this complex discipline.