Curriculum

Wildlife Ecology

Dr. Steven Campbell is a full time lecturer at University at Albany in the Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences. He shares some of his passion through his course titled Wildlife Ecology and Management: AENV480

What are some of the topics that you cover in your course?

The course focuses on the application of ecological principles to the management and conservation of wildlife populations and their habitats. Topics will include population ecology, habitat use, animal behavior, competition and predation, abundance estimation, theories and techniques of management, endangered species conservation, and identification of local wildlife.

Dr. Steven Campbell

What interested you about teaching a course about wildlife ecology and management?

The planet is in the midst of a biodiversity crisis of our own making. Although species typically considered "wildlife" are only a small subset of biodiversity, for most people these species are the most identifiable and relatable portion of biodiversity. I offer this course because I want to increase interest and knowledge in wildlife ecology and management and instill a sense of responsibility for conserving wildlife populations and their habitats. Hopefully, a better understanding of wildlife conservation will also lead to an increased professional and personal interest in the wider issue of biodiversity conservation.

Curriculum

Do you have any specific sustainability learning objectives for this course?

Although there are no specific learning objectives directly related to sustainability, many of the threats to wildlife populations and their habitats result from a lack of sustainability of resource use (e.g., fossil fuel consumption, pollution, deforestation, overgrazing, overhunting). As such, addressing these sustainability issues plays an important role in wildlife conservation efforts. Namely, if threats to wildlife are to be ameliorated, humans will need to find a way to balance their needs with those of the wildlife species with which they share the planet.

How do you measure if students have increased their knowledge with regards to sustainability literacy?

My primary goal is for students to come away from the class with an increased knowledge of the needs of wildlife and the importance of the conservation and management of their populations and habitats. I also hope they better understand the responsibility that humans have as environmental stewards, and the roles that they themselves, as scientists and citizens, can play in conserving wildlife. If I succeed in those goals, given the overlap between building a sustainable future for humans and conserving wildlife then I will have increased their sustainability literacy.

Which of the UN Sustainable Development Goals do you feel are addressed most in your course?

Given that people and wildlife both require healthy, functioning ecosystems to persist, many of the U.N. sustainability goals for people overlap considerably with the goals of wildlife conservation. These include clean water, clean energy, sustainable resource production and consumption, addressing climate change, sustainable management of natural resources, and halting biodiversity loss.

Is there anything else you want students to know about this course?

An important step in developing a connection to wildlife and an appreciation of its diversity is being able to identify the species that you encounter. As such, part of the course is devoted to identification of birds, mammals, amphibian, and reptiles of New York State. Curriculum