Zool-8102 Wildlife Conservation and Management

Introduction

Wildlife conservation and management is the practice of protecting wild species and their habitats in order to allow managers to gather information about the status of threatened species and to measure the effectiveness of management strategies. Wildlife conservation has evolved into a science, but its goal remains essentially the same: to ensure the wise use and management of renewable resources. Wildlife management is interdisciplinary that deals with protecting endangered and threatened species and subspecies and their habitats, as well as the non-threatened game species. The wildlife management program emphasizes both applied and basic research in wildlife ecology, management, education and extension. Wildlife management takes into consideration the ecological principles such as carrying capacity of the habitat, preservation and control of habitat, reforestation, predator control, re-introduction of extinct species, capture and reallocation of abundant species and management of “desirable” or “undesirable” species. Wildlife protection and management also involves wildlife protection adhering to international convention on restricting trade of endangered species.

Intended Learning Outcomes

1. Understand ecological and evolutionary principles that underlie biological diversity.

2. Explain proximate and ultimate threats to biodiversity and consequences of biodiversity loss.

3. Articulate the enormous responsibility humans have as global land stewards.

4. Identify linkages among conservation problems across biological scales (genes to landscapes) and geographical scales (local to global).

5. Demonstrate how ecological and evolutionary principles are applied to solving conservation problems.

6. Apply critical reasoning skills to assessment, analysis, and synthesis of conservation problems and solutions.

7. Demonstrate a greater understanding of conservation problems in countries outside the Pakistan, as well as in the Pakistan, and cultural differences inperceptions of problems and appropriate solutions

Course Contents

Introduction to wildlife conservation and management: a comparative approach
Historical precedent of wildlife conservation in Pakistan
Current scenario of wildlife conservation in Pakistan
Types of wildlife conservation and management
Philosophy and significance of wildlife conservation
Major challenges faced during wildlife conservation
Biodiversity and sustainability of wildlife.
Role of national and International agencies involved in conservation and management of wildlife in Pakistan
Convention on international trade in endangered species (CITES)
Role of protected areas in wildlife conservation and management
Importance and role of modern conservation strategies in wildlife conservation and management
Population genetics, extinction, restoration ecology, management, and conservation policy. Conservation through population and ecosystem management.
Conservation and management of wildlife: wildlife as unaltered source, concept and process of wildlife conservation, wildlife management, conservation and management, modes of wildlife conservation

Course Schedule

Week 1: Introduction to wildlife conservation and management: a comparative approach

Week 2: Historical precedent of wildlife conservation in Pakistan

Week 3: Current scenario of wildlife conservation in Pakistan

Week 4: Types of wildlife conservation and management

Week 5: Philosophy and significance of wildlife conservation

Week 6: Major challenges faced during wildlife conservation

Week 7: Biodiversity and sustainability of wildlife

Week 8: Role of national and International agencies involved in conservation and management of wildlife in Pakistan

Week 9: Mid-term exame Role of national and International agencies involved in conservation and management of wildlife in Pakistan

Week 10: Role of national and International agencies involved in conservation and management of wildlife in Pakistan

Week 11: Convention on international trade in endangered species (CITES)

Week 12: Role of protected areas in wildlife conservation and management

Week 13: Role of protected areas in wildlife conservation and management

Week 14: Importance and role of modern conservation strategies in wildlife conservation and management

Week 15: Population genetics, extinction, restoration ecology, management, and conservation policy. Conservation through population and ecosystem management.

Week 16: Conservation and management of wildlife: wildlife as unaltered source, concept and process of wildlife conservation, wildlife management, conservation and management, modes of wildlife conservation

Week 17: Final exame

Readings

Mills, L. S. (2012). Conservation of wildlife populations: demography, genetics, and management (2nd ed.). West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell.
Primack, R. B. (2014). Essentials of conservation biology (6th ed.). Sunderland: Sinauer Associates.
Bolen, E.G. (2002). Wildlife ecology and management (5th ed.). London: Pearson.
Fryxell, J. M., Sinclair, A. R., & Caughley, G. (2014). Wildlife ecology, conservation, and management (3rd ed.). West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell.