Students

BIOL8870 – Regional and Global 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 Unit convenor
Michelle Leishman
michelle.leishman@mq.edu.au
Teaching staff
Jessica Boomer
jessica.boomer@mq.edu.au
Jessica Boomer
jessica.boomer@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
(BIOL8750 or ENVS6364 or ENVS2364) or (Admission to GradCertResFSE or GradDipResFSE)
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit deals with the problem of conserving biodiversity as a whole rather than concentrating on individual species or populations. The unit is applied and multidisciplinary, drawing on such areas as ecology, evolutionary biology, biogeography, and informatics. We will explore the concept of biodiversity in both the scientific and legislative arenas. The problem of measuring biodiversity is considered in detail, including the conceptual and practical impediments to measurement. Current and emerging threats to biodiversity are reviewed on a global scale, along with the practical and ethical arguments for conservation. Workshops and assessments are  focused on biodiversity and threat assessment, working with a range of natural resource managers, as a means of informing conservation decisions.

Learning in this unit enhances student understanding of global challenges identified by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) Climate Action, Life Below Water; 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: Explain the principles and methods used in conservation biology to quantify and value biodiversity at local to global scales.    
  • ULO2: Elucidate the patterns, mechanisms and consequences of biodiversity and biodiversity loss.    
  • ULO3: Integrate observed spatial patterns of biodiversity with other sources of spatial information in order to identify and prioritise areas requiring biodiversity monitoring and/or conservation action.    
  • ULO4: Compile, analyze and interpret biodiversity patterns in a conservation context.    
  • ULO5: Communicate Conservation Biology issues to diverse audiences in written and oral form.    
  • ULO6: Critically evaluate and synthesize scientific literature on topics of interest in Conservation Biology and make recommendations on conservation actions based on sound scientific evidence.    

General Assessment Information

Detailed information about assessment tasks is available on the unit's iLearn site.

Requirements to Pass this Unit

To pass this unit you must attempt all assessments, and you must achieve a total mark equal to or greater than 50%.

Late Assessment Submission Penalty 

Students enrolled in Session based units with written assessments will have the following late penalty applied. Please see https://students.mq.edu.au/study/assessment-exams/assessments for more information. 

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written 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. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11:55 pm. A 1-hour grace period is 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, students need to submit an application for Special Consideration.  

Assessments where Late Submissions will be accepted 

In this unit, late submissions will accepted as follows:  

  • Conservation Report – YES, Standard Late Penalty applies

  • Conservation Plan - YES, Standard Late Penalty applies 

  • Final Exam - NO

 

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 ask.mq.edu.au.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Conservation report 20% No 12/09/2025
Conservation plan 40% No 18/10/2025
Final Exam 40% No Exam Period

Conservation report

Assessment Type 1: Report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: 12/09/2025
Weighting: 20%

 

You will prepare a report on a workshop activity.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Explain the principles and methods used in conservation biology to quantify and value biodiversity at local to global scales.    
  • Elucidate the patterns, mechanisms and consequences of biodiversity and biodiversity loss.    
  • Integrate observed spatial patterns of biodiversity with other sources of spatial information in order to identify and prioritise areas requiring biodiversity monitoring and/or conservation action.    
  • Communicate Conservation Biology issues to diverse audiences in written and oral form.    
  • Critically evaluate and synthesize scientific literature on topics of interest in Conservation Biology and make recommendations on conservation actions based on sound scientific evidence.    

Conservation plan

Assessment Type 1: Professional writing
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: 18/10/2025
Weighting: 40%

 

This written report will assess your understanding of local and regional conservation issues, your ability to research and develop solutions, and to account for uncertainty and knowledge gaps.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Explain the principles and methods used in conservation biology to quantify and value biodiversity at local to global scales.    
  • Elucidate the patterns, mechanisms and consequences of biodiversity and biodiversity loss.    
  • Integrate observed spatial patterns of biodiversity with other sources of spatial information in order to identify and prioritise areas requiring biodiversity monitoring and/or conservation action.    
  • Compile, analyze and interpret biodiversity patterns in a conservation context.    
  • Communicate Conservation Biology issues to diverse audiences in written and oral form.    

Final Exam

Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: Exam Period
Weighting: 40%

 

The final exam will be an invigilated closed book written exam held during the formal exam period. The exam will test your understanding of the lecture content of the unit.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Explain the principles and methods used in conservation biology to quantify and value biodiversity at local to global scales.    
  • Elucidate the patterns, mechanisms and consequences of biodiversity and biodiversity loss.    

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

Lecture content will be available online and is released weekly. Weekly workshops are held face to face on Tuesdays each week at 11am-1pm and are not recorded. There will be some site visits that will be scheduled during the workshops in some weeks - details available on iLearn site. 

Practice quizzes on the previous weeks' lecture content will be available each fortnight to help students prepare for the final exam.

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.

Unit information based on version 2025.06 of the Handbook