BIOL708 POPULATION VIABILTY ANALYSIS
| Course Code: | 2380708 |
| METU Credit (Theoretical-Laboratory hours/week): | 3 (3.00 - 0.00) |
| ECTS Credit: | 8.0 |
| Department: | Biology |
| Language of Instruction: | English |
| Level of Study: | Graduate |
| Course Coordinator: | |
| Offered Semester: | Fall or Spring Semesters. |
Course Objectives
The course aims to prepare graduate students with the skills necessary for risk assessment, for threat categorization, and for predicting the outcomes of different management options about plant and animal populations.It makes use of state-of-the-art software in teaching a rapidly evolving approach in conservation science. This course will inform graduate students on new methods in a rapidly advancing field and help them use this knowledge in applied conservation work.
Course Content
Courses not listed in catalogue. Contents vary from year to year according to interest of students and the instructor in charge. Typical contents include Cell Biology, Endocrinology, Developmental Biology, Quantitative Genetics, Evolutionary Biology, Ecology, Neuroscience, Plant Biology, Molecular Biophysics, Current Issues in Microbiology etc.(R)*
Course Learning Outcomes
This course introduces the student to a recent and powerful tool in conservation biology. Population Viability Analysis (PVA) is based on ecological model simulations that evaluate risks associated with a threatened population, provide insight into population processes, and enable one to test different scenarios of management. The students are expected at the end of the course to have learnt how to build a population model, select appropriate parameters, get acquainted with software such as Vortex and RAMAS, and understand the utility and limitations of such models.