Difference between revisions of "Current Topics in Conservation Biology"

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== EEB 489: Conservation and the Endangered Species Act (Spring 2008) ==
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== EEB 5370 ==
 
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'''Credits:''' 1
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'''Instructor:''' [http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/people/birdlab/elphick.html Chris Elphick] (email: chris.elphick[AT]uconn.edu)
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'''Meeting time:''' Wednesdays 4-5
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'''Location:''' Bamford Room (TLS 171B)
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The topic of this seminar course varies from year to year depending on what is "current" in conservation biology and what students in the program are interested in focusing on.  Usually we pick a recent book or selected readings focused around a specific theme in order to get a deeper understanding of the topic than would be normal in a survey course.  If you have suggestions for future topics, please let me know.
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The course is required for students in the EEB BS/MS program, but is open to all graduate students.  A few senior (and occasionally junior) undergraduates also take the course every year, and I encourage you to do so if you are interested.  To be eligible as an undergraduate, you should have at least a B average and should talk to me first.  Undergraduates will need a permission number to enroll.  The course is limited to ~12-15 students each year and I occasionally have to turn people away, but we try to accommodate as many people as possible.  Priority is given to students in the BS/MS program who need the course to graduate.  Post-docs, adjuncts, and (even) faculty are welcome to join in the fun.
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This semester we will examine the status of conservation in the United States, through a detailed examination of the role that the Endangered Species Act has played.  We will read a pair of books that resulted from "The Endangered Species Act at Thirty project".  [http://www.islandpress.org/books/detail.html/SKU/1-59726-009-6 Volume 1 (Goble et al. 2006)] focuses more on political issues relating to the Act;  [http://www.islandpress.org/books/detail.html/SKU/1-59726-055-X volume 2 (Scott et al. 2006)] focuses more on the biology.  But the two topics are inextricably linked and collectively the two volumes provide a comprehensive overview of the state of conservation in the country, with chapters by many of the leading players involved with putting conservation into action.
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For more details about the books, click on the links above. '''Note that students are responsible for ordering the book themselves'''; it will not be in the textbook section of the Co-op, but it can be ordered from the general books desk.
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To learn more about the project that these books arose from, you can check out [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vcumpd5FkQ0&feature=related this YouTube link].
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== Expectations ==
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Each week we will read chapters from the books and discuss them in class.  Discussions will be led by students, and everyone is expected to sign up for a week to lead the discussion.  The schedule is posted below. 
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'''Discussion leaders:''' My expectation is that you will present a 5-10 minute (NO MORE!) introduction to the topic.  Your introduction should draw on the readings, but should not simply re-state what we have all read.  Simply reiterating what the readings say is boring and doesn't accomplish much.  Instead, your job as leader is to get a discussion going.  This is hard (and I will help), but far more interesting for everyone involved.  Here are some tips:
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* Make sure that you have enough to say to keep things moving, but do not feel that you have to say everything that you have thought of or cover every idea in the readings.  If the conversation is going well, let it.  The worst thing that can happen is that no one says anything.  The next worst thing is that the leader completely dominates the conversation (I can be guilty of this sin myself, so feel free to cut me off if I'm talking too much).
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* In your introduction, try to synthesize the material and draw out the major points. What are the 5 things you'd tell your parents if you were going to explain this to them over dinner - the chances are good that these are the same things we should be focused on.  Also, feel free to supplement the reading material with other information on the topic to broaden the discussion.
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* Come with a list of questions to ask (more than you think you'll need).  The more specific the questions are the better, as this makes them easier for people to respond to.  Preferably, email around some questions a day or two before class so that people can think about them while they are reading the materials (if you email them to me, I will forward them to the rest of the class).
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* Ask people what surprised them, and why.  If you're not leading, think how you'd answer this question.  If people complain about the readings, ask them how things could have been done better, or what needs to be done next.
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* Where possible, try to relate your topic to those we have discussed in previous weeks so that the ideas covered by the class build over the course of the semester.
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* Being purposefully provocative (even if you don't believe what you're saying) can often help to get people talking.  If the material is appropriate, set the discussion up as a debate - tell half the class that they have to argue one side and the other half that they have to argue the opposite.  This approach can force people to really think about the ideas and about their preconceptions.  If you are going to do this, it is best to warn people ahead of time (though don't tell them which side they will be on).
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* When you ask a question, give people lots of time to respond.  A good rule is to (slowly) count to 10 in your head before moving on.  This is because (a) it often takes people this long to formulate something to say and (b) the uncomfortable silence (and it can be excruciating) is often what it takes to get people talking.  This sounds (and can feel) horrible, but it really works, and the discussions that result are much richer.
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* If no one answers a question, and there is a simple yes/no, do you agree/disagree, type answer, then ask for a show of hands - then you can focus in on individuals and ask them to explain their response.
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*  Don't pick on individuals and make them comment unless you have to.  But if no one says anything, then it is OK to do this.  Everyone else is responsible for reading and thinking about the material too, so it should not be a surprise to them.  Even though you are in charge of running things, the responsibility for maintaining a discussion lies with everyone in the room.
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*  Finally, in weeks when you are not leading, make sure that you have thought about the material enough that you can help the leader out.  Come with at least 2 or 3 ideas to talk about if things get too quiet.  If the leader has sent out questions, actually think about them before class.  And be responsible about doing the reading.  If you do all this stuff, others will do the same when it's your turn to lead.
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The hardest part is getting the conversation started.  Once it's going, it will often run itself - and if it is doing this you should let it.  I've been running seminars for a few years now, and I'm only just getting to where I realize that my job is to say as little as possible.  If I talk the whole time, then I'm essentially lecturing ... and this is not a lecture format ... the goals are very different, they are to get people thinking on their feet and discussing ideas to help them learn the stuff for themselves.  But, it is your job to make sure that we are not just subjected to silence.
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'''PowerPoint:'''  I don't really mind whether you use PowerPoint or not, but if you do, it should be to help maintain a conversation.  If there are figures that you want to ask questions about, then putting them up on a screen can really help.  Likewise, having your questions on screen for people to refer to can be useful.  I will reserve a projector for each class session, but you will need to go and get it from the EEB office before class.  If you do not have a laptop, let me know and I will bring mine. 
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'''Grading:'''  The course is S/U and it is unusual for people to fail.  But, if you hardly ever participate in the discussions, it will happen.
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'' If you have never led a discussion in a seminar course before, or feel nervous about doing so, please talk to me beforehand. It isn't as hard as it might seem, and it's always easier if you're well prepared and know what to expect.''
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== Schedule ==
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A class schedule is posted here. If you have EEBedia editing rights then you can go in and sign up for a week yourself.  If you do not, email me and tell me which week you'd like to lead so that I can put you on the schedule.  If you are flexible on your topic/date, then include a note so that others know they can move things around.  DO NOT MOVE ANYONE TO A DIFFERENT SLOT WITHOUT ASKING THEM FIRST.  After the first meeting, I will assign topics to anyone who has not yet signed up.
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Note that the chapters are not long and the pages are not large, so the readings are not as onerous as they might look.  We're going to switch back and forth between the two volumes in order to keep thematically related chapters together, so make sure you are reading the correct chapters from the correct volume each week.
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{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
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!width="75"|Week
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!width="100"|Who
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!width="300"|Topic
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!width="300"|Reading
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!width="300"|Notes
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|1 ** Jan || Chris || History of rare species protection || Vol.2 Chapters 1-3 ||
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|2 ** Jan ||  || What has been protected? || Vol.1 Chapters 1-3  ||
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|3 ** Feb ||  || The listing record || Vol.1 Chapters 4-6 ||
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|4 ** Feb ||  || Protecting habitat || Vol.1 Chapters 7-8; Vol. 2 Chapter 13 ||
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|5 ** Feb ||  || Private lands || Vol.1 Chapters 9-11 ||
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|6 ** Feb ||  || Who does conservation? || Vol.1 Chapters 12-15 ||
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|7 ** Mar ||  || The science of nature protection || Vol. 2 Chapters 6-8 ||
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|** Mar || ---- ||  NO MEETING: SPRING BREAK || ---- ||
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|8 ** Mar ||  || Science in the real world || Vol. 2 Chapters 9-10 ||
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|9 **  Mar ||  || Defining population units || Vol. 2 Chapters 11-12 ||
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|10 ** Apr ||  || Values || Vol.2 Chapters 4-5, 14-15  ||
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|11 **  Apr ||  || Incentives to do good || Vol 1. Chapter 20; Vol. 2 Chapters 16-18 ||
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|12 ** Apr ||  || Conservation in human landscapes || Vol. 2 Chapters 19-22 ||
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|13 ** Apr ||  || Looking forward || Vol. 1, Chapters  16-19 ||
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|14 ** Apr || Chris || Next generation initiatives || Vol. 1 Chapters 21-24 || I'm willing to switch dates (but prefer not to)
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|}
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== Discussion ==
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If you have any information related to the course (e.g., relevant news items, related web links, etc.), feel free to post it here.  Please put the date first, then your name, following the format shown below;  be concise; and organize the list so that items are in reverse chronological order.  If you're not an EEB graduate student, then you can email items to me and I will add them, but please send them to me in the right format.
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'''1/8  Posted by Chris:'''  For additional information on the ESA check out the links under "Course History" (below).  You'll find the syllabus and readings from the version of this course that we did in 2004 (before the Goble and Scott books were published).  Many of these papers are worth reading, especially if you are planning a career in conservation.
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== Course history ==
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If you are interested in the topics that we have covered in this class in past years, I have preserved previous versions of the web page, linked below.
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During 2007, the topic was the biological consequences of climate change.  To see what we covered during that course, [http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/courses/EEB489/ click here].
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During 2006, the topic was the conservation implications of invasive species. To see what we covered during that course, [http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/courses/EEB489/EEB489_2006_syllabus_invasives.htm click here].
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During 2005, the topic was relating general conservation approaches to local problems in New England. To see what we covered during that course, [http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/courses/EEB489/EEB489_2005_syllabus.htm click here].
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During 2004, the topic was the role of science in the U.S. Endangered Species Act. To see what we covered during that course, [http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/courses/EEB489/EEB489_2004_syllabus.htm click here]; for a reading list, [http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/courses/EEB489/ESA_readings.htm click here].
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== Other information ==
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For information about EEB's Joint B.S./M.S. degree program in Biodiversity and Conservation Biology [http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/department/BSMS/ click here]
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For information about the Society for Conservation Biology [http://www.conbio.org/?CFID=6617594&CFTOKEN=86148795 click here]
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For information on jobs in conservation biology [http://www.conbio.org/resources/?CFID=6617594&CFTOKEN=86148795 click here]
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For information on jobs in wildlife biology [http://wfsc.tamu.edu/jobboard/index.htm click here]
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The web page for EEB 5370 has moved to a new site [http://elphick.lab.uconn.edu/eeb-5370-current-topics-in-conservation-biology/ here] for spring 2016.
  
 
[[Category:EEB Seminars]]
 
[[Category:EEB Seminars]]

Latest revision as of 02:27, 19 January 2016

EEB 5370

The web page for EEB 5370 has moved to a new site here for spring 2016.