BIOL 405 Wildlife Ecology and Management

This course is designed to provide a foundation in the science and application of ecological principles of the management and conservation of wildlife resources. The fundamentals of wildlife ecology, conservation, and management will be covered including the value of biological diversity, population dynamics, issues affecting wildlife populations, the process of management including applied conservation biology, with a focus on protected areas as a wildlife management tool. The lab/field portions of the course will expose students to classical and modern tools and techniques and software used by wildlife managers in the field for monitoring, measuring, and analysis of wildlife populations and ecosystems. This course will also provide students with a look at the realities, the difficulties, and sometimes the thrill of managing wildlife and fisheries.

*This course is offered using the “two lectures and a laboratory or fieldwork session a week” structure. Classes are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:30 pm to 3:45 pm. Each class is approximately 75 minutes in length and laboratory and fieldwork sessions on Fridays are 2 hours in length 8:30 am to 10:30 am. Attendance is imperative for success in this class.