BIOCB 5100

Species Conservation: Assessment and Genomics

Course Description

Course information provided by the 2026-2027 Catalog.

This course integrates technical approaches to biodiversity conservation, with a focus on biological analysis of species facing extinction risk. Students will learn quantitative tools for analyzing variation at genetic, population, and landscape levels. The curriculum covers stage-structured population dynamics, predation, gene flow, inbreeding, extinction processes, and harvesting effects. Analytical methods include population-projection models, perturbation analysis, metapopulation models, population viability analysis, and various genetic diversity assessments. Special attention is given to evaluating extinction risk in data-deficient species such as insects. By developing these quantitative skills, students will critically evaluate assumptions underlying conservation plans and assessments, including IUCN criteria and endangered species classification. The course is suitable for all biology and conservation-related majors.

Prerequisites background equivalent to: NTRES 3100 or BIOEE 3610 or ENTOM 4550; BIOMG 2800 or NTRES 2830 or ENTOM 4700; or permission of instructor.

Last 4 Terms Offered 2026SP

Learning Outcomes

• Apply ecological and genetic principles to analyze patterns of biodiversity and assess extinction risks for threatened species.
• Conduct population viability analyses (PVA) to quantify extinction risk and evaluate conservation interventions.
• Analyze genetic diversity metrics including heterozygosity, inbreeding coefficients, and effective population size to inform conservation breeding programs.
• Evaluate challenges in assessing extinction risk for data-deficient species, with special emphasis on insects and other understudied taxa.
• Demonstrate proficiency in computational tools (R and other software) for conservation data analysis.
• Effectively communicate complex conservation analyses through scientific writing and data visualization.

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