Students

BIOL1400 – Fundamentals of Biodiversity and Conservation

2025 – Session 2, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Jessica Boomer
jessica.boomer@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

Life has existed on earth for at least 4 billion years. Embark on a journey of understanding the immense biological heritage that this passage of time has created, and the pressing need to safeguard what remains.  Biodiversity – the variety of life from genes to ecosystems – underpins human well-being yet is being destroyed at an unprecedented rate by our activities.  In this unit, students will explore drivers of biodiversity patterns over space and time, learn how organisms are classified according to their threat levels, and develop an understanding of the fundamental principles that underpin conservation science. Students will examine biodiversity and conservation from multiple perspectives, including ecological, cultural, moral and legal. During one of the workshop sessions we will undertake a local fieldtrip. This will incur a small additional cost with more details provided at the beginning of the unit.

Learning in this unit enhances student understanding of global challenges identified by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) Life on Land

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Articulate foundational principles of biodiversity and the importance of biodiversity to functioning ecosystems and human wellbeing.
  • ULO2: Evaluate the major drivers of changes in biodiversity across temporal and spatial scales
  • ULO3: Classify the threat status of species in the context of international frameworks.
  • ULO4: Describe the scientific process as related to conservation biology, including the relevance of theories and how hypotheses are tested.
  • ULO5: Identify examples of different conservation actions for species or habitat management.
  • ULO6: Identify the skills, knowledge and experiences needed for different career options in conservation biology.

General Assessment Information

To pass this unit you need to achieve a total mark equal to or greater than 50% across all assessments,

We strongly encourage all students to actively participate in all learning activities. Regular engagement is crucial for your success in this unit, as these activities provide opportunities to deepen your understanding of the material, collaborate with peers, and receive valuable feedback from instructors, to assist in completing the unit assessments. Your active participation not only enhances your own learning experience but also contributes to a vibrant and dynamic learning environment for everyone.

Late Assessment Submission Penalty  

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark of the task) will be applied for each day a written report or presentation assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a grade of ‘0’ will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. The submission time for all uploaded assessments is 11:55 pm. A 1-hour grace period will be provided to students who experience a technical concern. For any late submission of time-sensitive tasks, such as scheduled tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, and/or scheduled practical assessments/labs, please apply for Special Consideration.  

Assessment: Report – YES, Standard Late Penalty applies, to avoid these please apply for Special Consideration 

Assessment: Concept Mapping – NO, unless Special Consideration is Granted

Assessment: Portfolio – YES, Standard Late Penalty applies, to avoid these please apply for Special Consideration 

Special Consideration 

The Special Consideration Policy aims to support students who have been impacted by short-term circumstances or events that are serious, unavoidable and significantly disruptive, and which may affect their performance in assessment. If you experience circumstances or events that affect your ability to complete the assessments in this unit on time, please inform the convenor and submit a Special Consideration request through https://connect.mq.edu.au. 

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Report 30% No 14/09/2025
Concept Mapping 20% No 13/10/2025
Keystone Assessment 50% No 09/11/2025

Report

Assessment Type 1: Report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: 14/09/2025
Weighting: 30%

 

Building on workshop activities and discussions, you will produce a report.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Evaluate the major drivers of changes in biodiversity across temporal and spatial scales
  • Classify the threat status of species in the context of international frameworks.
  • Describe the scientific process as related to conservation biology, including the relevance of theories and how hypotheses are tested.

Concept Mapping

Assessment Type 1: Practice-based task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 14 hours
Due: 13/10/2025
Weighting: 20%

 

You will demonstrate your understanding of assessment of biodiversity for conservation.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Articulate foundational principles of biodiversity and the importance of biodiversity to functioning ecosystems and human wellbeing.
  • Describe the scientific process as related to conservation biology, including the relevance of theories and how hypotheses are tested.

Keystone Assessment

Assessment Type 1: Portfolio
Indicative Time on Task 2: 50 hours
Due: 09/11/2025
Weighting: 50%

 

You will develop a conservation toolbox showcasing theories and actions relevant to the conservation management of species and habitat.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Articulate foundational principles of biodiversity and the importance of biodiversity to functioning ecosystems and human wellbeing.
  • Describe the scientific process as related to conservation biology, including the relevance of theories and how hypotheses are tested.
  • Identify examples of different conservation actions for species or habitat management.
  • Identify the skills, knowledge and experiences needed for different career options in conservation biology.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

Workshops begin in week 1.

Methods of Communication 

We will communicate with you via your university email and through announcements on iLearn. Queries to convenors can either be placed on the iLearn discussion board or sent to the unit convenor via the contact email on iLearn.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Academic Success

Academic Success provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Changes from Previous Offering

We value student feedback to be able to continually improve the way we offer our units. As such we encourage students to provide constructive feedback via student surveys, to the teaching staff directly, or via the FSE Student Experience & Feedback link in the iLearn page. 

Unit information based on version 2025.03 of the Handbook