What is this unit about?

• A key concern: How can we conserve global biodiversity?

• What do we need to know?

  • How is biodiversity distributed around the world?

  • How well is it protected from anthropogenic loss?

  • Where is loss occurring?

  • Why is loss occurring?

Evolution of the unit

• The unit has evolved over time from previous units.
• Landscape ecology -> Landscape patterns and processes. Emphasis mainly on the UK
• Last year the unit was known as Applied Biogeography
• The title “Conservation Biogeography” describes the content and aims of the unit more clearly.
• Material from the Applied Biogeography unit will still be used in a modified form
• Past papers from Applied Biogeography may provide a guide to questions asked on the unit

Why focus on terrestrial biodiversity?

• Terrestrial biodiversity can be (partially) visualised through remote sensing (satellite images)
• Patterns that are related to biodiversity can be detected and monitored.
• Terrestrial biodiversity is naturally fragmented (islands) and anthropogenically fragmented.
• Loss and fragmentation can be tracked over time.

Why focus on tropical biodiversity?

• In general, terrestrial biodiversity is highest in the tropics
• Biodiversity is particularly high in moist tropical forests
• Why is this the case? This is a question to be analysed and discussed on this unit?

Some patterns of global biodiversity

(Gaston 2000)

Unit intended learning outcomes.

• An ability to assess land cover change using appropriate methods such as remote sensing and GIS.
• A critical understanding of the relationship between biogeographical patterns and the key ecological processes
• A critical understanding of how human activities influence biogeographical patterns, land cover change and ecological processes operating at a regional and landscape scale.
• An understanding of the spatial dynamics of landscape patterns and processes and how these relate to human society.
• A critical awareness of relevant research methods and sources.

How is the unit assessed?

• Coursework consisting of a report of around 3000 words (100%)

Assignment

• The assignment involves the original evaluation and interpretation of spatially explicit data within a real world conservation context.
• Analysis and discussion supported by citations of both theoretical and empirical research into Conservation Biogeography.

Is the assignment an essay?

• No. The assignment will require original research using GIS based tools.
• You do not need to have studied GIS to conduct the research (tools are provided online)
• Input data provided by methods laid out by (Hansen et al. 2013)

When do we start work on the assignment?

• Straight away!
• Each week there is a two hour computer lab session on the timetable
• In the lab sessions we will work on the assignment
• You will look at spatial data and be provided with tools to analyse it

Example of GIS tool

Assignment

• Investigate a tropical ecoregion undergoing ongoing land use change that is causing loss and fragmentation of forest cover.
• The report of your findings will discuss the implications of forest cover change from a conservation biogeography perspective.

Assignment

• You will be provided with online GIS tools showing the geographical boundaries of terrestrial ecoregions, the extent of all protected areas within these ecoregions, recent forest cover change and Modis derived fire events registered throughout the last decade.
• You will also be provided with detailed historical climatic data for the ecoregion.

Assignment

• Choose a tropical forest Ecoregion situated within Central America, South America, Indonesia or Madagascar as the focus for your analysis. The ecoregion must include at least one protected area. There should be clearly noticeable recent deforestation

Assignment introduction (30%)

• Write an introduction which describes the main biogeographical characteristics of the ecoregion including climate, topography, soils and vegetation type. Discuss key conservation issues resulting from anthropogenic forest loss. Explain the reasons underlying the study area’s anthropogenic transformation. Explain why forest fragmentation may be of both local and global conservation concern. Mention some of the key species of conservation concern found within the ecoregion and discuss the importance of the ecoregion in terms of its value to global biodiversity.
• End your introduction with a clear statement of the aims of the GIS based analysis that will be presented in the following section. The aims should take the form of a series of questions that will be addressed by the analysis.

Assignment analysis (30%)

Analyse the impact of deforestation through contrasting patterns of forest cover within the ecoregion for the years at the start and end of Hansen’s deforestation analysis. Use qualitative pattern interpretation and/or quantitative GIS based analysis, as appropriate. Examples of the wide range of possible questions that your analysis might address are.

Example questions

1. How much has overall forest cover changed?

2. Has recent deforestation led to increased forest fragmentation?

3. What proportion of the remaining forest is subjected to edge effects?

4. What proportion of the remaining forest cover lies within officially protected areas?

5. How effective have protected areas been in preventing deforestation?

6. How well connected are the protected areas?

7. Does the landscape outside protected areas provide suitable habitat for forest dependent species?

8. To what extent is forest fragmentation impeding the movement of forest dependent species?

Assignment: Discussion and conclusion (40%)

Critically discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the analytical methods you chose to use. Discuss the implications of your finding within the context of the conservation issues identified in your introduction. Place the results of your study within the broader context of global tropical forest change and species loss. Discuss management options that may be available in order to enhance the value of both protected and unprotected areas for biodiversity conservation. Summarise your key findings as a concise conclusion.

Themes of the unit

• What causes tropical deforestation?
• What is the impact of deforestation on biodiversity?
• What is habitat fragmentation, how is it measured and what does it imply?
• Which areas of the world have been prioritised for conservation and why?
• What do we know about the distribution of biodiversity?
• Why is it so difficult to know enough about tropical biodiversity? (knowledge shortfalls)

Themes of the unit

• Where are extinctions taking place and why?
• What is the “extinction debt” and what does it imply?
• How have theories been developed which link fragmentation to numbers of species and population dynamics?

Using models to understand theoretical concepts

• Understanding the effect of fragmentation on biodiversity is underpinned by theory
• The Equilibrium Theory of Island Biogeography (ETIBG)
• Metapopulations
• In order to gain an intuitive understanding of these ideas we will look at simple models and simulations

ETIBG

ETIBG

ETIBG

Metapopulations

Metapopulations

Metapopulations

Map for the practical

https://glad.earthengine.app/view/global-forest-change#bl=off;old=off;dl=1;lon=-51.046236563847586;lat=-8.341871615778818;zoom=2;

Old version with streetview

https://earthenginepartners.appspot.com/science-2013-global-forest