James Cook University Subject Handbook - 2019

BZ5755 - Biodiversity and Climate Change: Impact, Mitigation and Adaptation

Credit points: 03
Year: 2019
Student Contribution Band: Band 2
Administered by:

Available to students admitted to postgraduate Science, postgraduate Development Practice, and postgraduate Global Development degree programs and Graduate Diploma of Research Methods.

Climate change is now considered to be the most significant threat to global biodiversity and represents a significant challenge to conservation biologists. This subject will provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the implications of a changing climate to the processes determining patterns of biodiversity and the healthy functioning of natural ecosystems. It will cover all aspects of global change biology and present the latest research on the consequences of climate change to biodiversity pattern and process including documented impacts, predicting future impacts, possible methods of mitigation and the potential for adaptation (both natural and assisted). Factors that underpin the vulnerability of species and ecosystems will be considered along with an exploration of how this understanding may help conservation managers minimize biodiversity loss and the subsequent degradation of natural ecosystems.

Learning Outcomes

Assumed
Knowledge:
This subject will target students with a general knowledge in biology and/or ecology. However an in-depth knowledge in these areas will be not be essential.
Inadmissible
Subject
Combinations:
BZ3755

Availabilities

Townsville, , Study Period 7
Census Date 11-Jul-2019
Face to face teaching 24-Jun-2019 to 07-Jul-2019
Contact hours:
  • 21 hours
  • 11 hours
  • 3 hours - Tests
  • 24 hours
Assessment:end of semester exam (50%); tutorial attendance and participation (20%); assignments (30%).
Restrictions: An enrolment quota applies to this offering.

Note: Minor variations might occur due to the continuous Subject quality improvement process, and in case of minor variation(s) in assessment details, the Subject Outline represents the latest official information.