Course Contents

The History and Introduction of Conservation Biology: The Origins of Conservation, Conservation in Historical Context, Values and ethics of conservation, Problems of dispersion, Global pattern of biodiversity, Conservation by using remote sense data. Biodiversity Conservation and Climate Change: Climate and Climate Change, Why Does Climate Change Threaten Biodiversity ,Climate Change in Ecosystems – Species Loss and System Degradation, Climate Influences on a Keystone Species, Climate Influences on Ecosystem Processes, The Future of Coral in Warmer Oceans, Loss of Polar Sea Ice: Implications for Polar Biodiversity, Conservation Planning and Climate Change: Creating Climate-Integrated Conservation. Genetic Diversity – Understanding Conservation at Genetic Levels: Genetics and Conservation, Inbreeding- outbreeding depression. The Conservation of Populations: Defining Populations, Basic Population Processes and Small Populations, Population Demography, Deterministic Versus Stochastic Factors, Genetic and Environmental Stochasticity, Use of PVA models. Ecosystem Management: Introduction, Causes of habitat degradation, Systematic approaches for identifying causes of population decline and strategy for restoration, Threats to aquatic system, Management and rehabilitation techniques. Conservation Economics: Identifying and Protecting the Values of Biodiversity, The Role of Property Rights in Conservation, .Biodiversity Conservation through Market Incentive and Local Control, Ecological Economics, Characteristics of Ecological Economics. The Legal Foundations of Conservation Biology: Conservation Law and Policy, Categories for Conservation Law, The United Nations and Its Environmental Program, Stockholm: The Beginnings of Modern International Conservation law, Protection of Endangered Species: The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), Rio 1992 – Combining Conservation and Economics in International Agreements. Status of conservation in Pakistan: Status of resource conservation and management in Pakistan, role of NGO’s and government sector. Future of conservation biology in Pakistan. Ramsar convention on wetland of Pakistan. PRACTICALS 1. To Design Ethogram and conduct Behavioural study of Mammals in Lahore Zoo. 2. To Design Ethogram and conduct Behavioural study of Birds in Lahore Zoo. 3. To prepare a list of captive animals in Lahore zoo and identification of their conservation status. 4. To prepare a list of tree species in Lawrence Garden and identification of their importance. 5. To visit and design a plan of restoration for River Ravi in Lahore. 6. To study the classification of protected areas by IUCN 1994. 7. To visit a park of conservation importance and writing a report. 8. To determine the species richness in a plant community through belt transect method. 9. To study the species diversity and density of plants in disturbed and undisturbed habitat through quadrate method and Belt Hansect method. 10. Study community structure insects in field by pit fall method.

Course Learning Outcomes

This course aims to: 1. Introduce the students with basic concepts and principles of conservation biology. 2. Develop an understanding about the issues and problems of biodiversity. 3. Identify major causes of extinction and enable the students to take effective decisions for biodiversity management.