Biodiversity Conservation: Ethics, Threats, and Restoration

This learning unit provides an introductory overview of conservation science from the perspectives of various stakeholders:

- scientific approach: a fundamental and practical approach to the conservation and restoration of populations and communities

- societal approach : the role of scientists in the management of species and ecological habitats, and their interactions with other conservation stakeholders (managers, local stakeholders)

- Ethical approach : reflection on the values of biodiversity (quantifiable, preferential, normative) and their applications according to different models, viewed within a historical context (primarily ecosystem services and sustainable development)

- There are no prerequisites in terms of course credits, but students must have completed the required courses in general ecology and evolutionary ecology in L2 and L3S5

Responsible parties: Christophe Petit and Franck Richard

Contact information for the person(s) in charge (phone/email): christophe.petit @ umontpellier.fr, franck.richard @ umontpellier.fr 

- Understand the applications of organismal biology, evolutionary biology, and ecology (health, agronomy, conservation, restoration)

- Understand the process by which knowledge is developed in various disciplines (hypotheses, experimental results, controversial findings, mathematical theorems, scientific facts)

- Be able to search for and extract information critically, prioritize information sources, assess their reliability, and synthesize the information

- The ability to successfully carry out a project as part of a team

- Be able to develop a logical argument using critical thinking (identifying limitations, cross-referencing with the literature, and defending a point of view)