Introduction to Fish & Wildlife Conservation and Management

Course Number:
BI 145
Transcript Title:
Introduction to Fish & Wildlife Conservation and Management
Created:
Jul 26, 2022
Updated:
Jun 29, 2023
Total Credits:
4
Lecture Hours:
30
Lecture / Lab Hours:
0
Lab Hours:
30
Satisfies Cultural Literacy requirement:
No
Satisfies General Education requirement:
No
Grading Options
A-F, P/NP, Audit
Default Grading Options
A-F
Repeats available for credit:
0
Prerequisites

IRW 115 or WR 115 or equivalent placement; placement into MTH 65 or MTH 98

Course Description

Covers the basic elements of wildlife population dynamics, biodiversity, the importance of habitat, legal and social aspects of wildlife management, human impacts on wildlife, and some management techniques. Includes wildlife examples from Oregon. Prerequisites: IRW 115 or WR 115 or equivalent placement; placement into MTH 65 or MTH 98. Audit available.

Course Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  1. Articulate fundamental concepts in wildlife conservation and management and make informed decisions by critically evaluating information sources.
  2. Apply an understanding of basic ecological principles (the interconnectedness of organisms to each other and their environment) to environmental problems and sustainability issues.
  3. Use scientific techniques in the lab and in the field to identify and characterize wildlife populations and ecosystems.
  4. Use an understanding of historical and current perspectives on the human-wildlife relationship to effectively address wildlife issues.
  5. Identify the primary international, national, and state agencies and scientific organizations responsible for conservation and management of wildlife, and understand the role of private citizens in decision-making at all levels.
  6. Recognize common Pacific Northwest wildlife

Suggested Outcome Assessment Strategies

Assessments may include a combination of three or more of the following:

  • Short quizzes: short answer, multiple choice, true/false, and matching
  • One or two mid-terms and a final exam: may include essay questions.
  • Student project (group or solo) involving design of a small wildlife exercise, collection of data, and write-up in scientific paper format.
  • Wildlife scientific paper critiques or written wildlife issue analyses.
  • Other oral presentations or special projects.
  • Wildlife related laboratory and/or field experiences.

Course Activities and Design

The determination of teaching strategies used in the delivery of outcomes is generally left to the discretion of the instructor. Here are some strategies that you might consider when designing your course: lecture, small group/forum discussion, flipped classroom, dyads, oral presentation, role play, simulation scenarios, group projects, service learning projects, hands-on lab, peer review/workshops, cooperative learning (jigsaw, fishbowl), inquiry based instruction, differentiated instruction (learning centers), graphic organizers, etc.

Course Content

  • Historical relationships of humans and wildlife.
  • History of wildlife in North America.
  • Biogeography.
  • Niche and habitat.
  • Biodiversity and introductory taxonomy.
  • Natural selection.
  • Wildlife ecology (e.g. life history strategies, predator/prey relationships).
  • Population dynamics (e.g. population structure, reproductive rates, etc.).
  • Biotic communities.
  • The biology of rarity.
  • Introduced species: aliens and exotics.
  • Wildlife diseases.
  • Wildlife scientific literature and resources.
  • Federal wildlife agencies, international treaties, and laws.
  • State wildlife agencies and laws.
  • Role of non-governmental organizations in wildlife management.
  • Wildlife harvest.
  • Wildlife management techniques.
  • Animal damage management.
  • Wildlife and pollution.
  • Urban wildlife.
  • Oregon wildlife identification.
  • Wildlife case studies (from Oregon and elsewhere).
  • Wildlife economics and values.
  • Citizen role in managing public wildlife and habitat resources.

Competencies and Skills

  • Read and comprehend scientific wildlife literature.
  • Interpretation of information and data.
  • Analyze information critically and present logically in written format.
  • Present and discuss facts and opinions regarding wildlife issues and stakeholders.
  • Apply the scientific method.
  • Understand the peer-review process.
  • Identify and correctly utilize commonly-used wildlife-related scientific field equipment.
  • Locate and utilize a variety of biological information sources.

Department Notes

Columbia Gorge Community College Science Department stands by the following statement regarding science instruction:

Science is a fundamentally nondogmatic and self-correcting investigatory process. Theories (such as biological evolution and geologic time scale) are developed through scientific investigation are not decided in advance. As such, scientific theories can be and often are modified and revised through observation and experimentation. "Creation science", "Intelligent design" or similar beliefs are not considered legitimate science, but a form of religious advocacy. This position is established by legal precedence (Webster v. New Lenox School District #122, 917 F.2d 1004).

The Science Department at Columbia Gorge Community College, therefore stands with organizations such as the National Association of Biology Teachers in opposing the inclusion of pseudo-sciences in our science curricula except to reference and/or clarify its invalidity.

Lab B Notes: The lab for this course has been approved as "Lab B." This means that faculty effort in preparation and evaluation generally occurs outside of scheduled class hours. Class format is a combination of faculty lectures and demonstrations, guided student interactions, and supervised student application of lectures. Students produce written work such as lab notebooks, reports, and responses in writing  to assigned questions, and the instructor is expected to comment on and grade this written work outside of scheduled class hours. This evaluation will take place on a regular basis throughout the term.