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BNM6261 Wildlife Biology and Management
Master of Biodiversity Conservation and Natural Resource Management
BNM6261 Wildlife Biology and Management

 6.1 Brief description of aims and content 

 The aim of this module is to build a foundation for understanding wildlife management concepts applicable across taxonomic groups. Students will learn key ecological principles that apply to wildlife at the organismal, population, community, ecosystem, and landscape scales, for the conservation and management of species in their habitats.  Students will learn techniques to assess the needs of wildlife and effects of humans, to protect biodiversity and improve wildlife habitats, and determine viable management solutions for sustainable wildlife populations and human activities.

 6.2 Learning Outcomes

 Knowledge and Understanding

 Having successfully completed the module, students should be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

  1. Current issues in wildlife management with a special focus on wildlife management  in the Albertine Rift region
  2. Techniques, methods and tools used to manage wildlife and habitats.
  3. The importance of people, public relations, and public policy in the conservation and management of wildlife.
  4. The role of scientific knowledge and research in understanding behavioral ecology, population dynamics, wildlife diseases, and the importance of a landscape-scale perspective, and how to use this information for the conservation and management of wildlife and natural resources.

 Cognitive/Intellectual skills/Application of Knowledge

  Having successfully completed the module, students should be able to:

 5. Apply ecological and behavioral concepts and principles to the management of wildlife populations and habitats to achieve a diversity of objectives, such as sustained harvest, problem animal control, conservation, and restoration.

6. Develop strategies for wildlife conservation and management plans based on the needs of wildlife and humans.

7. Design research projects that address behaviour, population dynamics, and wildlife diseases within the Albertine Rift and Great Lakes regions.

8. Discuss and evaluate status of and solutions to current conservation issues for endangered or endemic species in the region

 Communication/ICT/Numeracy/Analytic Techniques/Practical Skills

  Having successfully completed the module, students should be able to:

 9. Use behavioral data and quantitative methods to determine home range and habitat preference, and develop a habitat management plan.

10. Use modern quantitative and traditional techniques for population estimation and population analysis to manage both abundant and threatened/endangered species.

11. Properly use equipment commonly employed to study and sample both wildlife and vegetation

12.  Develop a restoration plan for a degraded ecosystem.

 General transferable   skills

 Having successfully completed the module, students should be able to:

 13. Contribute to development of strategic plans for wildlife management.

14. Conduct surveys and censuses of wildlife populations and habitats.

15. Evaluate and present information professionally and critically.

 7  Indicative Content

  1.  Introduction to Wildlife Biology and Management
  2. Focal species concepts: flagship species, umbrella species, indicator species, keystone species
  3. Habitat and Niche
    1. Habitat selection and suitability; Habitat Use; Habitat evaluation methods; Methods of sampling vegetation; Collecting plants for plant collections and reference: collecting, pressing, drying, and mounting specimens; Food and cover

      4. Wildlife Nutrition: Nutritional requirements and habitat; Diet analysis; Relationships and resource overlap among wildlife species;  People, wildlife nutrition and habitat management; 

      5. Measuring biodiversity - Species diversity indices and their uses in mgmt

      6. Spatial tools in wildlife management

            Review of GPS

            Spatial Management Information System (MIST)

            Corridor design

       7. Population Dynamics

 Estimating numbers of wildlife; population census techniques (i.e., mark-recapture, survey methods)

Animal trapping, handling, marking and translocation procedures

Radio telemetry

Camera trapping

Sex and age determination in wildlife

Inter-species relationships among plants, humans and wild animal populations for purposes of understanding / manipulating habitats and animal populations for sustainable management of wild species and human activities

Population viability analysis (PVA)

Minimum Sustainable Yield (MSY) – theory and practice

8. Behaviourial ecology

Factors that influence spatial and temporal spacing patterns - carrying capacity, predation, competition, territoriality and home range sizes, mating

Determining home range

Application of behaviour to management

Behavioural adaptation of wild animals and plants to their environment using case studies (e.g., honey badger, herbivory, predator/prey relations)

Methods of sampling behaviour – scan sampling, focal animal sampling, etc.

9. Wildlife Disease and Zoonosis: Interaction between humans, livestock and wild animal species via sharing of resources (e.g., water, habitat); tourism contact with wildlife; exotic and invasive species and disease transmission

10.  Development of habitat management plans; Habitat management techniques

11.  Restoration ecology; Habitat restoration:  Principles of restoration ecology – species, ecosystems (in situ, ex situ); Case studies (e.g., elephant reintroduction; tropical forest restoration; wetland restoration)

12. Endangered species management - Special issues dealing with the management of endangered and threatened species (laws, permits, etc., ethical considerations)

13. Importance of Adaptive Management (introduced in 1st semester Ecology and Conservation Biology)

  8  Learning and Teaching Strategy

 Lectures: Lecturers will deliver the main concepts and principles for this module in 2-3 hour time blocks during the semester.  Active teaching and problem-based learning strategies will be used and applied on local case studies.

 Reaction essays - two writing assignments will be assigned as reaction essays during the semester to give students ongoing practice and feedback on their writing and understanding of the course material; essays will be in response to assigned articles.

 Field visits: There will be two field visits, one to a savannah and one to a forest ecosystem where students will have the opportunity to practice wildlife observation and sampling techniques. These techniques will include:

  • Scan sampling and focal sampling techniques and behavioural/foraging observations
  • Constructing habitat profiles
  • GPS exercise (Garmin 12XL)
  • Transect layout and monitoring techniques
  • Vegetation sampling

 Techniques paper:A final paper for the module will ask students to define a current problem with a specific research or management technique in wildlife biology, and write a scientific paper solving the problem.  The paper will be not more than 3000 words, double-spaced, and will include relevant citations from the primary literature.  Students will gain experience using the library databases, synthesizing and integrating information, and develop writing skills. Papers will be graded on content, writing style, clarity, and ability to follow the format of African Journal of Ecology. A least 1 table and 1 figure are required as part of the paper.

 Plant Collection: Students will prepare a plant collection of dried and mounted specimens collected during field visits; these collections will teach students the valuable skills of plant identification and maintaining herbarium specimens, and will serve as a useful reference.  Students will be provided with a list of plant genera that should be included in their collections; they will receive guidance on plant identifications from an instructor, but dichotomous keys, websites, and other literature will be made available to assist the students.Plant collections will consist of at least 50 plants from terrestrial and aquatic habitats mounted on provided format sheets. All plants must be accompanied by the following information: date and habitat of collection, genus, species, family, location collected, and wildlife/fish/human use.

 9 ASSESSMENT STRATEGY

Assessment of classroom presentations will be based on the presenter’s ability to locate, assimilate and synthesize relevant information, and on their ability to present the information clearly and professionally, as well as they respond to questions and discussion resulting from the presentation.  Techniques papers will be assessed for relevancy of topic, depth of argument and discussion, and quality of writing.  Plant collection assessment will be based on number of plants (1 point/plant), specimen quality and information on each specimen (1pt/plant).  A final2 hour exam will include short answers and essay questions.  Student participation in class discussions and activities during lectures, and participation in field trips, provides an opportunity for formative evaluation of the student’s comprehension and will therefore not count towards the final assessment.

 10  ASSESSMENT PATTERN

 

Component

Weighting (%)

Learning objectives covered

In-course assessment:

 

 

Plant collection

10

2,4,12,15

Reaction essay papers(2)

20

1,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,13,15

Techniques paper

30

1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,13,14,15

Final assessment:

 

 

Final exam

40

1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,13,14,15

 

11 Strategy for feedback and student support during module 

 During in-class presentations and discussions, students will benefit from one another’s opinions and views.  Instructors will hold regular office hours to answer student questions and concerns.  The reaction essays will be returned to students with editorial feedback so students understand what to expect and can improve their writing if needed for the final written paper. The written paper will be submitted back to students with editorial comments so students can learn from the comments they receive on the paper and revise their work. 

 

12        Indicative Resources

  Core Text (include number in library or URL) (inc ISBN)

 Caughley, G., A. Ronald and E. Sinclair.  1994.  Wildlife Ecology and Management.  Blackwell Publishing.

White, L. and A. Edwards, editors  2000. Conservation research in the African

rain forests: a technical handbook. Wildlife Conservation Society, New York.

  Background Texts and articles (include number in library or URL) (inc ISBN)

Bibby, C.J., Burgess, N.D., Hill, D.A., Mustoe, S. 2000. Bird Census Techniques, 2nd ed.  Academic Press

Braun, C. E., editor. 2005. Techniques for Wildlife Investigations and Management. Sixth edition.The Wildlife Society, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.

Brocke, R.H., K.A. Gustafson and L.B. Fox. 1991.  Restoration of large predators: Potential and Problems. In D.J. Decker, M.E. Krasny, G. R. Goff, G.R., C. R. Smith & D.W. Gross (Eds.), Challengers in the conservation of biological resources: A practitioner's guide. (pp. 303-315).Boulder, Co: Westview.

Elzinga, C.L., D.W. Salzer, J.W. Willoughby, and J.P. Gibbs.  2001.  Monitoring plant and animal populations. Blackwell Science.

Estes, R.D. 1992.  The Behavior Guide to African Mammals, including hoofed mammals, carnivores, and primates. University of California Press

Feldhamer, G.A., L.C. Drickamer, S.H. Vessey, and J.F. Merritt. 2003. Mammalogy: Adaptation, Diversity, and Ecology.2ndedition.McGraw Hill, New York.

Gibbs, J.P., M.L. Hunter, and E.J. Sterling.  2008.  Problem-Solving in Conservation Biology and Wildlife Management, 2nd Edition. Wiley-Blackwell.

Hobbs, D.A., J. Zedler, and M. Palmer.  2006.  Foundations of restoration ecology. Island Press.ISBN: 9781597260176

Karanth, K. U.  1995.  Estimating tiger, pantheratigris, populations from camera-trap data using capture-recapture models. Biological Conservation 71: 333-338.

Magurran, A.E.  2004. Measuring biological diversity. Blackwell, Oxford, UK.

Martin, P. and P. Bateson.  1986.  Measuring Behavior: an introductory guide. Cambridge University Press.

Mills, L.S.  2007.  Conservation of Wildlife Populations: Demography, Genetics,

and Management. Wiley-Blackwell Publishing, Malden, MA.ISBN: 978-1-4051-2146-0.

Owen-Smith, N.  2007.  Introduction to Modeling in Wildlife and Resource Conservation. Blackwell Publishing.

Price, T.  2008. Speciation in Birds. Roberts and Company, Publishers Inc., Greenwood Village, Colorado.

Rabinowitz, A. and B.G. Nottingham.  1989.  Mammal species richness and relative abundance of small mammals in a subtropical wet forest of Central America. Mammalia2:217-225

Sanderson, E. W., K.H. Redford, C.B. Chetkiewicz, R.A. Medellin, et al. 2002. Planning to save a species: The Jaguar as a model.Conservation Biol16:1-15

Setchell, J.M. and D.J. Curtis, editors.  2003.  Field and Laboratory Methods in Primatology. Cambridge University Press.

Sinclair, Fryxell, and Caughley. 2006.  Wildlife Ecology, Conservation, and Management. 2nd edition.Blackwell Publishing.

Strier, K.B.  2006.  Primate Behavioral Ecology, Allyn and Bacon Publishing, 3rd Edition.

 Journals

 African Journal of Applied and Environmental Biology

African Journal of Ecology

American Journal of Primatology

American Society of Mammalogists

Animal Behavior

Animal Ecology

Bat Conservation Newsletter

Bat Conservation International

Bat Research News                                        

Behavioral Ecology

Behavior

Conservation Biology                                    

Evolutionary Anthropology

Folia Primatologia                                          

International Journal of Primatology

Journal of Field Ornithology

Journal of Mammalogy

Journal of Ornithology

Journal of Wildlife Management                   

Mammalia                                                      

Mammal Review                                            

Oryx

 Key websites and on-line resources

 MIST http://www.uwa.or.ug/IS.htm

SmithsonianNationalMuseum of Natural History, Mammal Species of the World:

      http://www.nmnh.si.edu/msw/

University of MichiganMuseum of Zoology, Animal Diversity Web:

      http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/ (click on "mammals")

American Society of Mammalogists Website (has links to many other useful sites)

http://www.mammalogy.org/

The Mammalian Species pdf web site:

http://www.science.smith.edu/departments/Biology/VHAYSSEN/msi/

http://www.wcs-ahead.org/

http://www.wcs.org/sw-high_tech_tools/wildlifehealthscience/fvp

Wildlife MgmtTechn course syllabus http://www.wtamu.edu/~rmatlack/bio3424.htm

Sustained Yield websiteshttp://www.mongabay.com/reference/environment/Sustained_yield.html

http://fwcb.cfans.umn.edu/courses/FW5601/LECTURE/Sust.Yield/SYHarv.htm

Wildlife ecology exercise http://wfs.sdstate.edu/wfsdept/courses/WL%20411/Syllabus%20Supplement%20Fall%202008%20Field%20Exercise.pdf

Corridor design using GIS http://www.corridordesign.org/

Plant collections:  Alukawww.aluka.org

Kew Gardens http://apps.kew.org/herbcat/navigator.do

             Teaching/Technical Assistance

             Laboratory space and equipment

Lab facilities for pressing plant collections and plant presses, labels, and paper.

Field equipment: GPS units, Compass, Altimeter-barometer, DBH meters, clinometers, mist nets (www.ecotone.pl), topofil, hip chain, digital camera, tents for camping with groundsheets and rain flysheets, sleeping bags, Sleeping pads, Rain gear, Binoculars, Clear plastic rulers, Diameter tapes, Field note books, flagging tape, Small hand trowel, 100m measuring tapes, tree tags, rechargeable batteries and battery charger (for GPS units), field scopes, First Aid Kits, insect netting or spray, clipboards, Kestrel weather instruments (http://www.nkhome.com/ww/wwindex.html)  

             Computer requirements

At least 20 computers with internet connection

Software: SPSS, EndNote, JMP, ArcGIS 9.2

             Others

13: Please add anything else you think is important         

 14:  Teaching Team

Dr. Callixte Gatali (Permanent Lecturer-UR-CAEVM-

Emails: callixte.gatali99@gmail.com; gatalic@yahoo.fr; cgatali@ur.ac.rw;

Phones: 0788848441/0722848441)

Dr. Aisha Nyiramana  tel. 0783 492 427

 4. UNIT APPROVAL

Deans and Heads of all Departments contributing to the programme to confirm agreement.

Department

Dean/Head of Department

Date

 1

Signature

 

Print Name

2

Signature

 

Print Name

3

Signature

 

Print Name

 4

Signature

 

Print Name

Seen and agreed

Library

Signature

 

Print Name

ICT

Signature

 

Print Name

Quality Office

Signature

 

 

Print Name

 
Self enrolment (Student)
Self enrolment (Student)
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