This Domain is open only to students in the B.Sc. or B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.) Major Environment.
What is biodiversity, and what ecological and social strategies can be used in conservation efforts?
This Concentration links the academic study of biological diversity with the applied field of conservation biology. The study of biological diversity, or "biodiversity," lies at the intersection of evolution with ecology and genetics, combining the subdisciplines of evolutionary ecology, evolutionary genetics and ecological genetics. It has two main branches, the creation of diversity and the maintenance of diversity. Both processes are governed by a general mechanism of selection acting over different scales of space and time. This gives rise to a distinctive set of principles and generalizations that regulate rates of diversification and levels of diversity, as well as the abundance or rarity of different species.
Conservation biology constitutes the application of these principles in the relevant social and economic context to the management of natural systems, with the object of preventing the extinction of rare species and maintaining the diversity of communities. As the impact of industrialization and population growth on natural systems has become more severe, conservation has emerged as an important area of practical endeavour.
See also Information for StudentsÌýfor details concerning:
- Suggested First Year Courses
- Taking courses onÌýboth campuses
- ENVR course sections - beware!
Program Requirements
NOTE: Students are required to take a maximum of 30 credits at the 200 level and a minimum of 12 credits at the 400 level or higher in this program. This includes Core and Required courses.
Core: Required Courses (18 credits)
Core: Complementary Course — Senior Research Project
(3 credits*)
(in Barbados)
(in Panama)
(in Barbados)
(in Africa)
* Only 3 credits will be applied to the program; extra credits will count as electives.
Concentration Complementary courses (42-43 credits)
9 credits, basic courses in the biological principles of diversity, systematics and conservation:
or (M)
or (M)
or (M)
3 credits of Ecology:
or (M)
3 credits of Statistics:
(M)
or
or
9 credits, Interface between Science, Policy and Management:
Ìý
(in Barbados)
(M)
(M)
or
(in Africa)
or (in Africa)
(M)
(offered alternate years, in May term)
Ìý
(in Barbados)
(M) (offered winter 2025 and alternate winters)
3 credits of Field Courses:
(at Mont St. Hilaire)
and (in Barbados)
(in New Brunswick)
(in Panama)
(M) (not offered 2024-2025)
(M)
(in southern Quebec)
(M)
(M) (offered in summer)
(M)
(in Arizona; offered summer 2023 and alternate summers)
(M)
6 credits of General Scientific Principles
(M)
or (not offered 2024-2025)
or (M)
(not offered 2024-2025)
(M)
or
(M)
or (M)
or
(M) (not offered 2024-2025)
(M) (offered Fall 2024 and alternate fall terms)
(M)
(M)
OR, Second field course from the Concentration curriculum may also be taken
3 credits of Social Sciences:
(M)
(M)
(M)
(in Africa)
(in Africa)
(offered alternate years, in May term)
(in Africa)
(offered alternate years, in Panama)
(not offered 2024-2025)
6 credits of Organisms and Diversity:
(in Barbados)
(M)
(in Barbados)
(not offered)
or (M)
or (M) (not offered)
(offered in Fall 2024 and alternate fall terms)
or
(M)
(M) (not offered 2024-2025)
(M)
(M)
(M)
(M)