This is the most comprehensive text available on the subject, and has the strength that it is written by a group of conservation biologists, and contains a variety of perspectives. Nevertheless, the textbook does not present the full breadth of the discipline, nor the full diversity of ideas and perspectives in the field. To provide some of these missing elements, I will place some supplementary readings on reserve at the UWB Library, Odergaard, and Electronic Reserve. Lectures with reserve reading are marked with an R in the course schedule. I encourage each of you to bring new ideas or perspectives to our attention throughout the course.
Participation is important, so please come prepared.
We will have a discussion and short writing assignment during nearly every class meeting. For some meetings, you will be asked to prepare out of class, and for some you will be given the assignment in class to complete at that time. All of these assignments are designed to enhance your understanding of the subject, and your ability to construct and present an argument. For some of the topics, you will be asked to develop an argument for or against a position, and to base your argument upon the scientific evidence presented in your readings. For others, you will be asked to develop a hypothesis to explain data I present in class, or to prepare a short analysis of a variety of pieces of information.