Applications of Ecology: Conservation and Management

We'll conclude the semester by considering how the topics we've learned about so far can impact how we manage  natural resources. This final module is also a short primer for the ENV 3009: Conservation Biology and Sustainable Development, which is often taught in the spring at Baruch College.  Focusing on how humanities impact on the earth is determined by our numbers and needs, we'll consider if we are currently using resources (natural capital) in a sustainable manner.  A short introduction to this topic can also be found in the opener to the book Conservation Biology for All, and more information on ecosystem services can be found in Chapter 3 of the same book.  

We'll next discuss three major industries (agriculture, forestry, fisheries) that impact the environment and how they might be better managed.  A major point from this exploration is that sustainability is determined by both natural limits (e.g., how many fish are there to catch?) and management choices (e.g., when and what sizes or sexes of fish do we allow people to catch?).    Finally, we'll consider how these and other activities contribute to major factors that are leading to global loss of biodiversity and how this crisis may be addressed.  Chapter 47 of Biology2e offers background reading to complement these discussions.