GEU0249 Introduction to Biodiversity & Conservation

The 2019 UN Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services warns that about one million species are at risk of extinction, and that terrestrial habitats have lost at least 20% of their native species over the past century. Halting the rapid decline of biodiversity has thus become a central challenge in modern conservation.

This course introduces non-biology majors to the core concepts of conservation biology—covering biodiversity, population dynamics, and conservation genetics—and demonstrates how scientific methods such as ecological monitoring and ecosystem restoration are applied in practice.

In addition to lectures and field exercises, students will engage in discussions of case studies from Taiwan and abroad, exploring the ethical, social, political, and economic dimensions that influence conservation decision-making.

Course poster gallery