Coordinator:
Dr.H.Slabbekoorn, 071-5275049; h.w.slabbekoorn@biology.leidenuniv.nl
Description:
Animal conservation is a highly significant field of interest to society and it is associated with a major scientific discipline of conservation biology. There is also a growing awareness that knowledge about an animal’s behaviour is often an important precondition for successful conservation projects. However, in practice, crucial insight is too often lacking or the importance of it is still not sufficiently acknowledged. The integration of the study of animal behaviour and conservation biology is also a relatively recent development. This seminar series will address several questions that will allow participants to critically evaluate the issue: To what extend do we actually know that insight into particular behaviours will benefit conservation efforts? Which behaviours are important? What are the taxa in which behavioural knowledge is relevant? To what extend can fundamental insights from behavioural ecology with an evolutionary approach contribute to practical conservation? We will address these questions with the aid of an edited book (Gosling and Sutherland 2000, see below), which includes 19 chapters (350 pages,excluding reference list). The chapters are grouped into four themes: Conservation impact of people; Habitat loss and fragmentation; Sexual selection, threats and population viability; and Conservation applications of behaviour. All parts highlight the potential of behavioural data to play a role in conservation issues and deal with observational, experimental and theoretical studies, zooming in on specific examples as diverse as: human harvesting methods, butterfly dispersal patterns, swarm raiding army ants, behavioural genetics of cheetah populations, vocal fingerprinting and bird conservation, and retaining natural behaviour in captive animals. In addition to the book, we will use publications from the peer-reviewed literature in each session, which address recent studies that are related to the chapter topics.
Sort of education:
Each participant will be asked to prepare an oral presentation of one of the chapters, and all participants will act once as chair person during the presentation and following discussion. Discussions will depend on active participation of all students. In addition, participants will organize a symposium as part of the series. This component will guarantee an active use of theoretical insights during activities such as selecting a theme, finding and inviting speakers (from Science, Conservation agencies, Politicians, Zoos, etcetera). At the same time, crucial links for the theme of the seminar series between fundamental research, conservation, and society, get explored through activities such as applying for funding and attracting an audience for the symposium.
Study material:
Behaviour and conservation. L. Morris Gosling & William J. Sutherland (eds). Cambridge University Press 2000. Paperback ISBN 0521665396 Prize: €45,-
Evaluation:
Participants will be evaluated based on the quality of their presentation, their performance as a chair person, and the quality and quantity of their contribution to discussion sessions and organizing the symposium.
*Entrance requirements
Behavioural Biology 2 recommended
Schedule:
The seminar series will last for 13 meetings on Wednesdays from 14.00-17.00. The first meeting will be a general introduction to the topic and the set-up, the last meeting will be the symposium.
Participation:
Enrollen in U-twist and also enrollen in Blackboard
10-18 participants
Blackboard:
Blackboard will be used to exchange information between coordinator and students about symposium organization
Goal:
Participants should gain knowlegde about animal behaviour from a wide variety of taxa and gain insight into the potential for contributing scientific knowledge about behaviour to practical conservation efforts. Students should also develop their skills with respect to discussing science and research data in the context of conservation applications, in English, with fellow students. Furthermore, they will gain experience in using these skills when contacting people from various backgrounds who are interested in the topic of Behaviour and Conservation and who are encountered in the process of organizing and being at the symposium.