Advanced Conservation Biology/Renewable Natural Resources in a Global Perspective
FOR 620/602 - Fall 2001

 Panther tracks
  Instructor: David S. Maehr, 205 Cooper Bldg., 257-4807
  e-mail: dmaehr@uky.edu
  Office hours: T & Th 8:00-9:30 a.m. or by appointment, or whenever you catch me in the office. When I am in, my door is almost always open, and I welcome your visits outside of the hours listed above. Please come see me.
Dolphin Catalog Description: This course deals with the global species extinction crisis. This course will review the scientific evidence demonstrating loss of biological diversity across all taxonomic groups. Various strategies for conserving biological diversity will be presented, including single-species, ecosystem, landscape-level, and biotic province approaches. Emphasis will be placed on strategies for managing small populations. Additional topics to be addressed include habitat fragmentation, restoration ecology, sustainable development, advocacy, and activism.
  Prerequisites: Graduate standing and/or permission of instructor
  Teaching Assistants: Jeff Larkin, John Cox; office phone: 257-5841; office hours: TBA; Room 7
  Texts:
Meffe, G.K., and C.R. Carroll. 1997. Principles of conservation biology. Second edition. Sinauer Associates, Inc., Sunderland, MA. 729pp.

Soule, M.E., and J. Terborgh. 1999. Continental conservation: Scientific foundations of regional reserve networks. Island Press, Washington, D.C. 227pp.

Additional readings will be made available in the Young Library and/or will be handed out in class.
  Procedure: The class meets for 3 hours of lecture each week (T & Th). 
Panther Evaluation:
Evaluation criterion Total points
Hour exam (midterm) 150
Comprehensive final 150
Lecture facilitation 100
Class participation 100
PVA analysis, report, & presentation 500
Total 1000
Eagle Instructions for PVA & Report: PVA stands for population viability analysis. PVAs examine demographic data (birth rate, death rate, litter/clutch size, gender ratio, genetic variability, mate selection strategy, etc.) relative to population size, population trend, and other information that might be available on a (usually) rare plant or animal population. PVAs are usually stochastic models - that is, they incorporate the influence of random environmental variability, natural disasters, and other chance events on the population(s) of interest. PVAs are commonly used by researchers and administrators to develop management plans for threatened and endangered species. You will apply the VORTEX model to a set of data obtained from the literature, from your own knowledge of a species, and/or from your own data. Not all of the information necessary will be available to run the model - you will have to use your imagination and best professional judgement on what input to use. Your report will summarize your experience in running and interpreting the model. What variables appear to influence the probability of survival more so than others? To answer this question the model will need to be run many times in order to change the value of one variable at a time, and to see how survival probabilities change as a consequence - perhaps a drop below one per 3 years for litter production in the Sumatran rhino will drive a population of 25 animals to extinction in 20 years. Perhaps an increase in litter frequency will prolong population survival beyond 100 years. Then, you will evaluate the literature and make recommendations for future research and management. Is the Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources taking the correct approach to elk reintroduction? Is more work needed to quantify the effects of release stock genetics on peregrine falcon recovery in the central Appalachians? Can a metapopulation approach facilitate ginseng conservation? What are the consequences of living in a forest island for the northern red salamander? The format of the report will be that of the Journal of Wildlife Management or Conservation Biology - all style elements as outlined in the "instructions to authors" must be followed to receive full credit for your efforts. As graduate students you must get in the habit of sweating the details of grammar, sentence structure, paper organization, and the logical flow of scientific thinking. Getting the literature cited properly organized and formatted is not too nit-picky. This should be a paper that has the potential for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. At the least, it should be suitable as a chapter in your thesis or dissertation. It is recommended that this becomes a semester-long exercise and that you do not wait until the end to get started. PVAs will be presented in class toward the end of the semester. As in most conferences, you will have an excrutiatingly short amount of time to present (<15 minutes). Your method of presentation is optional (equipment will be available for slides, powerpoint, overheads, chalk), and questions may be asked at the conclusion of each talk. Presentors will be expected to arrive early on the day of presentation. All computers in the T.P. Cooper computer lab are armed with VORTEX.
Discussion Facilitation: Each of you will prepare to lead the discussion for one class or a portion of one class. Dates and topics will be randomly assigned at the beginning of the semester. You are welcome to coordinate your preparation with me and the use of visual aids is encouraged. I do not expect a polished presentation, but an overview that gets discussion rolling and that promotes class participation. This will account for half of your class participation grade (in recognition that some students are much more loquacious than others).
Panther
Alligator
Bear cub Class Schedule (subject to incredible and unpredictable change)
 
Date Day of Week
Subject
 Source/Reading: M&C=Meffe & Carroll; S&T=Soule & Terborgh
August
23 Th 1 Course introduction, explanation of syllabus, texts, etc.
28 T 2 History of Conservation Biology M&C ch.1, handout
30 Th 3 What is Conservation Biology? Bears Discover Fire
September
 4
T 4
 Diversity
M&C ch. 4, handout
 6 Th 5 Diversity
11 T 6 Extinction M&C ch. 5, handouts
13 Th 7 The Endangered Species Act of 1973 The ACT hitself!
18 T 8 Island biogeography M&C ch. 9, handouts
20 Th 9 Island biogeography (biotic province) M&C ch. 9, handouts
25 T 10 Special presentation TBA
27 Th 11 Exam
October
 2 T 12 Continental Conservation S&T, tba
 4 Th 13 Continental Conservation S&T, tba
 9 T 14 Continental Conservation S&T, tba
11 Th 15 Continental Conservation S&T, tba
16 T 16 Continental Conservation S&T, tba
18 Th 17 Rewilding in the East John Cox
23 T 18 Rewilding in the East John Cox
25 Th 19 Appalachian and Kentucky issues John Cox
30 T 20 The Yellowstone Story Dr. (?) Larkin
November
 1 Th 21 The Yellowstone Story Dr. (?) Larkin
 6 T 22 The Yellowstone Story Dr. (?) Larkin
 8 Th 23 The Yellowstone Story Dr. (?) Larkin
13 T 24 Deep ecology John Cox
15 Th 25 Deep ecology John Cox
20 T 26 Monkey-wrenching Cox & Maehr
22 Th 27 Student Presentations you
27
T 28
 Student Presentations
you
29
Th 29
 Student Presentations
you
December
 4
T 30
 Student Presentations
you
 6
TH 31
 Review
notes, etc.
 10  Monday
Final Exam
  
ghost orchid.tif (1364618 bytes) Instructions for running Vortex for a single population. See manual for metapopulation instructions or follow prompts in program.
1) Click twice on VORTEX, the 436 KB application.
2) Enter "K" for keyboard - follow screen instructions.
3) You may rename your output file or accept default (it is advisable to change the name each time - i.e. Vortex1, Vortex2, etc., so you can go back and replot, or change individual entries for new plots).
4) Y for graph data.
5) N for means across iterations.
6) 100 times.
7) 100 years.
8) 10-year intervals for reports.
9) Enter "0" for extinction = only 1 sex.
10) Enter "1" for single population.
11) N - no inbreeding depression (at least initially).
12) N - assume that environmental variation will not affect reproduction unless you have information that suggests otherwise.
13) How many catastrophes might affect your population?
14) What is the breeding system of your population? (monogomous = one male/female) (polygynous = one male/more than one female).
15) Continue entering demographic data.
16) Is reproduction density dependent? "Does the reproductive rate of your species change with changing population size? That is, is reproduction low when the population is low due to difficulty in finding mates or, conversely, does reproduction drop off when the population is high due to limited resources, limited territories, intraspecific strife, crowding, stress, etc.? If you enter "Y" you will be later asked to provide additional parameters defining density dependence." (from the VORTEX version 7 User's manual).
17) Continue entering prompted information then see how your population fares - a graph depicting each run will be displayed. This graph can be printed per the directions below, but it will be rather messy. It is best to then exit VORTEX and go to Vortgraf.exe...
18) Go to Vortgraf.exe - click twice to start.
19) Select the appropriate output file (that you designated at the start of the VORTEX exercise).
20) Select the graph to display (in most instances, the population size (N) graph will be the most informative).
21) Now to print the graph: With the graph on the screen press "Print Screen"
22) Exit Vortgraf.
23) Start Windows MS Paint
24) With a blank screen showing, press "Ctrl" "V" at the same time - in a moment or 2 a graph with a black background will appear. There is too much black to print, however, so you need to reverse the colors. Select "Invert colors" from the "Image" menu, then you will have a black on white image. For some stupid reason, none of this works on Windows NT.
25) Print the image.
26) For other figures, return to the Vortgraf program and repeat steps 18-25.
Swamp forest2.tif (1434254 bytes)
pygmy rattlesnake.tif (1400222 bytes)
cypress island.tif (1347596 bytes)
For Help With Writing Check Out These Links:
Univerisity of Kentucky Writing Center
University of Kentucky Teaching & Learning Center
Florida mouse2.tif (1467302 bytes) Here are some LINKS to very interesting web pages that are relevant to CONSERVATION BIOLOGY: 
The Conservation Biology Institute Red River Gorge, Kentucky
The Wildlands Project Society for Conservation Biology
The Bird Source Global Climate Change
World Heritage Sites Lexington Herald-Leader
Human Population Links The Wildlife Society
Edward Abbey KY Environmental Quality Comm.
UK Appalachian Center KY Dept. of Fish & Wildlife Resour.
Kentucky Ornithological Society  Republicans for Env. Protection
Grist Magazine Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
salamander.tif (1386058 bytes)