Wildlife Conservation

Turn your passion to action!

Ready to harness that passion? Use this course as a platform to start your journey into wildlife conservation!

As the world continues to change climatically, ecologically, socially, we need people ready to stand up for right.

Stand for the animals. Stand for nature. Stand for the preservation of our most precious assets.

Our Wildlife Conservation course will provide you with key foundational knowledge about conserving threatened wildlife. This course covers subject including:

• Habitat use,
• Habitat fragmentation,
• Island biogeography,
• Genetic diversity and conserving small populations,
• Wildlife survey techniques,
• Flora survey techniques,
• Surveying marine life, and
• Working with legislation and much more.

This is an experiential learning-based course. Throughout your studies you will have the opportunity to network with and learn from a variety of industry professionals. Establishing real-world relationships and confidence is key to career success. 

Lesson Structure

There are 10 lessons in this course:

1. Introduction to Wildlife Conservation
   • What is wildlife conservation
   • The need for wildlife conservation
   • Important concepts ecology, ecosystem, biome, conservation values, biological diversity, genetic drift, habitat, life span, wildlife movement and wildlife management.
   • Threatening processes habitat fragmentation, habitat degradation and loss, soil degradation, erosion, pollution, unsustainable harvesting, invasive species, climate change, population isolation and disease.
   • Biodiversity indicators
   • Terminology
2. Recovery of Threatened Species
   • Loss of species categories of risk
   • Species vulnerability to endangerment
   • Recovery of species and threat management
   • Habitat Conservation identifying critical habitat and protecting habitat
   • Research population growth, habitat use and conservation genetics
   • Captive breeding
   • Translocation
   • Public involvement
3. Habitat Conservation
   • Habitat
   • Types of Habitat e.g., temperate and tropical forests, woodland, tundra and mangrove habitats
   • Habitat Use
   • Species Richness
   • Habitat Fragmentation
   • Creating Habitats
   • Restoration Ecology creating habitat corridors, situating corridors, types of corridors, edge effects
   • Habitat Rehabilitation implementing a land management program, determining objectives, determining a program
   • The Role of GIS in Conservation
   • The Role of Protected Areas levels of protection, approaches to reserve selection and limitation of reserves.
4. Approaches to Conservation of Threatened Wildlife
   • Species Approach modelling demography, effective population size, small populations, population viability analysis (PVA)
   • Landscape Approach elements of landscape ecology, distribution of populations within a landscape, landscape modelling
   • Ecosystem Approach the need for ecosystem management, understanding dynamics, adaptive management, objectives for ecologically sustainable forest management.
5. Vegetation Surveys
   • Plant Identification common names, scientific names, levels of division, botanical keys,
   • Vegetation survey techniques such as quadrat surveys, landscape assessments, line surveys.
   • Vegetation Mapping remote sensing data.
6. Fauna Surveys
   • Observation techniques spotlighting, scat surveys, census techniques
   • Trapping Techniques radio tracking, call recordings, pit fall traps, Elliot traps.
   • Species identification
7. Marine Conservation
   • Reef Surveys
   • Habitat Surveys
   • Aerial Surveys
   • Overexploitation
   • Commercial Fish Stock Management
8. Planning for Wildlife
   • Farm Planning
   • Urban Planning
   • Use of GIS
9. Management
   • Managing Threatened Wildlife Populations manipulating populations, revegetation/restoration, creating corridors, pest control plans, fencing for species, fire breaks.
10. Wildlife Conservation Project

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

Aims

• Develop a concept of the guiding principles of wildlife conservation and the threats to wildlife.
• Determine the principles and approaches used towards species recovery.
• Discuss the principles of habitat conservation with regards to fragmentation, restoration and the use of protected areas.
• Describe and discuss the various approaches used to conserve threatened species and ecosystems.
• Appreciate the range of flora survey techniques that have been developed to sample fauna for the purposes of conservation.
• Discuss and differentiate between fauna survey techniques that have been developed to sample fauna for the purposes of conservation.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the consequences of overexploitation. Discuss and differentiate between marine survey techniques used to conserve marine species.
• Discuss and differentiate the range of planning tools available for farming, urban and residential planning to help conserve wildlife.
• Identify various management techniques used to conserve wildlife.
• Develop a wildlife recovery plan for a species under threat.

What You Will Do

• Select an invasive species (plant, animal or disease) that is present in your locality or country. Research information on the species such as:
  • Origin
  • Form of dispersal
  • Ecology eg. behaviour, food and shelter preferences.
  • Impact of this species eg. competition, predation, infection, habitat modification
  • Control Measures in place.
• Select an endangered species (plant or animal) within your locality or country. Research information on the species including:
  • Location
  • Habitat
  • Behaviour/Diet
  • Reproduction
  • Threats
  • Conservation
• Conduct research into the categories of threatened species within your own state or country. You could contact your local Environmental Protection Agency or search the internet. Find out what these categories are, what the category means and any species that fall into this category.
• Conduct research on an endangered species within your country. Gather information on the following:
  • Distribution
  • Ecology
  • Threats
  • What conservation efforts are being undertaken.
• Research five (5) habitat types. Find out information on the characteristics of the habitat, wildlife present and any potential or ongoing threats to this habitat.
• Research legislation for protecting species relevant to your local area. What controls are in place to conserve habitat. List any incentives available to private landholders to conserve habitat on their property.
• Conduct research on a threatened species in your region or country (either by the internet or contacting your relevant Environmental Protection Agency). Collect information on how you would attempt to conserve this species using a landscape approach.
• Visit a natural/semi-natural area in your locality that has varying vegetation types. Conduct a small-scale flora survey of the species present using one of the techniques mentioned in the lesson. Prepare a report on your findings including: Description of Area, Methodology (including materials used); Results (Species and Vegetation types present).
• Either contact an Environmental Consultant or search the internet to get information on 2 different fauna surveys carried out in your country. Gather information on the techniques used, the results and any shortcomings of the surveys that you may have noticed.
• Set up a spot in your backyard for observation (if you do not have a backyard visit a local park or semi-natural area). sit for 30 minutes and observe the species you observe (both plant and animal). Record the animal activities you observe.
  • Conduct research on a survey approach taken for a threatened species of your choosing. Find out the survey approaches used, what were the results and how the data was used. Was this project successful, do you think another approach would have been more successful? Why?
• Contact (either in person, email, by telephone or internet search) an organisation involved in integrating wildlife into farm, urban or residential planning (eg. Land for Wildlife, Local Councils, Conservation Partners Program of NSW, Conservation Grade, UK). Find out information such as:
  • What are the goals of this organisation?
  • How do they plan for wildlife?
  • How do they encourage the public to be involved in conservation efforts?
• On the internet, research a project that uses exclusion fencing (or another exclusion method) to protect a threatened species. Find out information about the target species, its ecology, the area fenced, how effective the fencing has been in conserving the species and any issues with the project.
• Develop a wildlife recovery plan for a species under threat.

SPECIES VULNERABILITY TO ENDANGERMENT

Although human impacts are generally the major cause of species extinction, there are observable characteristics in species that can make them more vulnerable to extinction. These include rarity, ability to disperse, degree of specialisation, population variability, their trophic level, life span and reproductive rate.

Rarity

In general, rare species are more susceptible to extinction than more common species. This may seem fairly straight forward, however, it is not as simple as it appears. Some more common species might be more susceptible to changes in climate. The concept of rarity depends on three factors – geographic range, size of habitat and size of the local population. Species are usually considered rare if they are found in only one geographic area or particular type of habitat. However, a species that may be widespread but at a very low density can also be considered rare (such as the koala in the western extent of its range). In these situations, the management of habitat for conservation is more likely to be successful for species restricted to one area or type of habitat rather than widely dispersed species.

Ability to Disperse

Those species that are able to migrate between fragments of habitat are more likely to survive and less susceptible to extinction. Many forest species of birds show limited abilities to disperse into other forest fragments and are therefore more likely to become endangered. 

Degree of Specialisation

Plants and animals that have specialised habitat requirements are generally more susceptible to endangerment. For example, the panda of China and the koala of Australia have extremely specialised diets which puts them at a higher risk of extinction. 

Population Variability

Species that have relatively stable populations can be less prone to extinction than other species. Species that have big cycle changes in population size such as Lemmings (see below) are thought to be more susceptible to extinction. 

Case Study: Norwegian Lemming Population cycle

Lemmings worldwide, but in particular the Norwegian Lemming (Lemmus lemmus), are known for the regular fluctuations in their population numbers. Charles Elton, a British Ecologist studying Lemmings in 1924 was the first to record these great fluctuations. There have been many theories as to why there are such large cyclical population changes, with the myth of population suicide arising from this phenomenon. Researchers in the mid-1990s discovered that the individual numbers were directly related to various phases in their population cycle. During the increase phase of a population cycle, there is a different dynamic structure than in the decrease cycle which is related to predation rates and food availability. Ecologists also found that changes in the length of winter periods changed population dynamics. In regions with short winters the populations were more stable, however, in regions with longer winters (therefore shorter summers) the population dynamics are more cyclical. Ecologists believe the lemming cycle is more obvious in areas where populations are influenced by predation rates and available food resources in combination with a shorter summer.

Trophic Level

Those animals occupying higher trophic levels usually have smaller populations, such as the Californian Condor. These species are reliant on the presence of species in the lower trophic levels to meet their energy requirements. These two factors make these species more susceptible to extinction.

Life Span

Those species that have a shorter life span are more likely to become extinct. Species that are longer lived are more likely to live through ecological hardships to reproduce in later years, whereas shorter-lived species may not. The Northern Quoll (Dasyurus hallucatus) of Australia is one example of a short-lived species that has become endangered due to its inability to maintain a sustainable number of breeding adults to compensate for reduced numbers due to habitat loss and increased predation. 

Reproductive Rate

Population growth will affect a species’ susceptibility to extinction. Those species that are able to reproduce and breed quickly are generally more likely to recover from population crashes. Small mammals such as mice are able to reproduce at a higher rate, which makes them less susceptible. Species such as the Passenger Pigeon of the United States laid only one egg per year, this, in conjunction with overexploitation contributed to their decline.

Those species with a combination of these traits are more susceptible to extinction. For example, the salamanders are often long-lived, slow-breeding species with a limited ability to disperse over long distances. There has been a sharp decline in the number of salamander species worldwide. Some species that had been surveyed in the forests of southern Mexico and Guatemala in the 1970s are now extinct, whilst other population numbers are decreasing rapidly.

Where can this course lead?

Job opportunities in wildlife will be highly varied in the future so current students need to "think outside the box".  This course may deliver different things to different graduates. The following are just some of the areas where wildlife conservation opportunities may exist:

• Research and Development - in self-employment; subcontracting services or working for an organisation.
• Wildlife Assessments - can be as varied such as conducting fauna surveys or animal behavioural assessments in the field.
• Wildlife Feeding and Nutrition
• Environmental Consultation
• Sales and Marketing - animal services and products
• Education - public education
• Tourism - ecotourism
• Business Management & Development - requires both management skills as well as a solid understanding of the wildlife industry.
• Journalism and Writing

Why Study with ACS?

Design your own learning pathway.

Study at your own pace, from anywhere, at any time.

Receive prompt, expert support from our team of committed and friendly tutors. 

Your learning is our priority. We are flexible and adaptable to meet your educational needs!