Students

BIOL8610 – Conservation and Management of Wild Populations

2026 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

Download as PDF
Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Benjamin Pitcher
ben.pitcher@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit deals with the theory and practice of the conservation and management of wild populations of animals and plants. Lectures and workshops concentrate on the application of population biology to problems in wildlife conservation, including demographics, risk assessment, conservation genetics and monitoring protocols. Case studies will drawn from Australia and the rest of the world. Note that there is a small cost associated with fieldtrips to Taronga Zoo and local National Parks.

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: Demonstrate knowledge of the processes influencing the demography and genetic structure of wild populations, and of the theory, principles, and methods of managing wild populations for conservation purposes
  • ULO2: Gather, critically evaluate and synthesise diverse information sources to make an assessment of extinction risk, potential conservation actions, and critical knowledge gaps, for particular species and populations
  • ULO3: Describe methods used to monitor wild populations, including the particular population-level parameters being measured, the potential sampling biases of these methods, ethical considerations, and their application to conservation
  • ULO4: Design a scientific study that implements population monitoring protocols to critically assess a conservation action, or addresses a critical knowledge gap, for a particular species or population
  • ULO5: Review, critically evaluate and synthesise diverse scientific literature in the area of conservation biology and communicate an understanding of this in a written form

General Assessment Information

Requirements to Pass this Unit To pass this unit you need to achieve a total mark equal to or greater than 50% across all assessment tasks

 

Late Submission Policy

  • 5% penalty per day: If you submit your assessment late, 5% of the total possible marks will be deducted for each day (including weekends), up to 7 days.

    • Example 1 (out of 100): If you score 85/100 but submit 20 hours late, you will lose 5 marks and receive 80/100.

    • Example 2 (out of 30): If you score 27/30 but submit 1 day late, you will lose 1.5 marks and receive 25.5/30.

  • After 7 days: Submissions more than 7 days late will receive a mark of 0.

  • Extensions:

    • Automatic short extension: Some assessments are eligible for automatic short extension. You can only apply for an automatic short extension before the due date.

    • Special Consideration: If you need more time due to serious issues and for any assessments that are not eligible for Short Extension, you must apply for Special Consideration.

Need help? Review the Special Consideration page HERE

 

Participation

There is no mandatory attendance of in person sessions for this unit. We strongly encourage all students to actively participate in all learning activities. This unit includes presentation from a range of conservation professionals and practitioners, as such participation offers the chance to engage in questions and discussions. 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.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due Groupwork/Individual Short Extension AI Approach
Species Assessment 30% No 20/03/2026 Individual Yes Open
Population Modelling 30% No 01/05/2026 Individual Yes Open
Developing a grant application 40% No 05/06/2026 Individual Yes Open

Species Assessment

Assessment Type 1: Presentation task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: 20/03/2026
Weighting: 30%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: Yes
AI Approach: Open

Prepare a presentation on a threatened native Australasian species. The species must be listed on a national list of threatened species (such as the EPBC List of Threatened Fauna) or on the IUCN Red List). 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the processes influencing the demography and genetic structure of wild populations, and of the theory, principles, and methods of managing wild populations for conservation purposes
  • Gather, critically evaluate and synthesise diverse information sources to make an assessment of extinction risk, potential conservation actions, and critical knowledge gaps, for particular species and populations
  • Review, critically evaluate and synthesise diverse scientific literature in the area of conservation biology and communicate an understanding of this in a written form

Population Modelling

Assessment Type 1: Experiential task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 24 hours
Due: 01/05/2026
Weighting: 30%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: Yes
AI Approach: Open

You will model the population of a threatened species under different management scenarios to determine the most suitable action to achieve a goal. You will gather the required data from the scientific and grey literature to build your model. Results will be presented in the form of a brief report.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the processes influencing the demography and genetic structure of wild populations, and of the theory, principles, and methods of managing wild populations for conservation purposes
  • Gather, critically evaluate and synthesise diverse information sources to make an assessment of extinction risk, potential conservation actions, and critical knowledge gaps, for particular species and populations
  • Describe methods used to monitor wild populations, including the particular population-level parameters being measured, the potential sampling biases of these methods, ethical considerations, and their application to conservation
  • Design a scientific study that implements population monitoring protocols to critically assess a conservation action, or addresses a critical knowledge gap, for a particular species or population
  • Review, critically evaluate and synthesise diverse scientific literature in the area of conservation biology and communicate an understanding of this in a written form

Developing a grant application

Assessment Type 1: Written Submission
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: 05/06/2026
Weighting: 40%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: Yes
AI Approach: Open

You will develop a grant application to undertake research on a species or ecological community of conservation interest. The application will include essential background, research question, study design, ethical concerns, appropriate timelines, realistic budget and expected outcomes. 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the processes influencing the demography and genetic structure of wild populations, and of the theory, principles, and methods of managing wild populations for conservation purposes
  • Gather, critically evaluate and synthesise diverse information sources to make an assessment of extinction risk, potential conservation actions, and critical knowledge gaps, for particular species and populations
  • Describe methods used to monitor wild populations, including the particular population-level parameters being measured, the potential sampling biases of these methods, ethical considerations, and their application to conservation
  • Design a scientific study that implements population monitoring protocols to critically assess a conservation action, or addresses a critical knowledge gap, for a particular species or population
  • Review, critically evaluate and synthesise diverse scientific literature in the area of conservation biology and communicate an understanding of this in a written form

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
  • Academic Success 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.

3 An automatic short extension is available for some assessments. Apply through the Service Connect Portal.

Delivery and Resources

Classes begin in week 1.

This course is delivered in weekly in-person sessions combining lectures and interactive workshops. There will be some off-campus visits to local fieldsites. Please see iLearn for more details.

There will be two in person sessions each week:

9 am - 11 am on Thursdays in 1CC 218 Teaching Space.

1 pm - 3 pm on Fridays in 14EaR 386 Computer Lab.

 

Any changes to these locations for specific events will be communicated via iLearn.

 

We will communicate with you via your university email and through announcements on iLearn. Queries to the convenor can either be placed on the iLearn discussion board or sent to the unit convenor via email. Please include BIOL8610 in the email subject.

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. Student feedback from the previous offering of this unit was very positive overall, with students pleased with the clarity around assessment requirements and the level of support from teaching staff. We will continue to strive to improve the level of support and the level of student engagement.

In 2026 we have reduced the number of assessments to 3 and introduced a new assessment task (Population Modelling).

Unit information based on version 2026.02 of the Handbook