CONSERVATION & ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT BEN201

Study Conservation issues and learn how to manage natural environments

Develop a foundation for managing conservation of different environments. It reviews basic ecology and environmental problems such as pollution and land degradation before considering varying aspects of conservation.

People are more environmentally aware than ever before in human history. We understand our environment better (both man made and natural), but the environment is also more degraded, and being exploited at a faster rate than ever before.

Most people agree that the environment needs to be conserved and managed better; but that intention is very often at odds with the economic desire to exploit natural resources.

A lot of people do work in environmental management; but these jobs are clearly not making the impact upon environmental conservation and restoration that we might hope for.

This course provides a foundation for working at jobs that probably have not yet been conceived, but because of the current state of the environment; this is a highly probable area of employment growth.

Something needs to change!

We may need more people working on environmental management
We may need to a greater understanding of environmental management
Those who manage the environment may need to manage it differently, if current strategies are not working.

It is likely that environmental awareness will continue to increase and environmental degradation will also continue increasing; until finally we reach a point at which the need to change becomes greater than the need to exploit. As we approach that point, the way we manage the environment is likely to keep changing, and the quantity and nature of jobs available in this industry will increase and change.

COURSE STRUCTURE AND CONTENTS

There are 8 lessons as follows:

1. An Introduction To Ecology

Spaceship Earth
Conservation; Use of Resources, ecological value, economic value, genetic diversity
Overkill
Urbanisation
Basic Ecology
The Ecosystem
Constituents for the Ecosystem
Ecological Concepts
The Web of Life; climate, producers, consumers, decomposers
The Food Web
Habitat and Niche
Humans in the Environment
Energy Flow
Imbalances
The Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming
Climate Change
El Nino
International Efforts to Counter Climate Change; IPCC, UNFCC, Kyoto Protocol, Copenhagen Summit, Worldwatch Institute, etc
Terminology

2. A Perspective On Environmental Problems

History of Conservation
Natural Resources; Renewable, Non Renewable
Goals of Conservation
History from Industrial Revolution to WWII
WW2 and Post War Period
International Conservation
Deforestation
Loss of Agricultural Land
Loss of Biodiversity
Endangered Water Supplies
Exhaustion of Non Renewable Resources
Political and Economic Issues of Conservation
Environmental Damage in Free Economies
Pollution in Planned Economies
Supply of Resources
Limits to Growth

3. Pollution and Industry Effects On The Environment

Nature and Scope of Pollution
Industrial Pollution
Types of Pollutants
Effects of Pollution
Nuclear Pollution
Sick Building Syndrome
Asbestos Fibre
Urbanisation
Energy Alternatives
Deforestation
Nuclear Energy, Hydro Power, Solar Energy, Wind, Waste Power

4. Water and Soil

Introduction
Dams
River Catchments
Wetlands
Water Pollution
Recycling
Desalination
Water Environments
The Hydrological Cycle; Infiltration, Rainfall, Evaporation, Effective Rainfall, etc
Water and Plant Growth
Keeping Water Clean
Sewerage Treatment
Soil; pH, texture, structure
Land and Soil Degradation;
Loss of soil fertility
Erosion
Salinity
Soil compaction
Soil acidification
Build up of dangerous chemicals

5. Vegetation Conservation and Management

Value of Trees
Commercial Value of Trees
Rain forests
Forest Systems and Biomass
Forest Conservation
Trees and the Environment
Environmental consequences of Deforestation
Afforestation
Classification of Forests
Desertification
Acid Rain
Environmental Weeds
Strategies for Preservation of Native Grasslands

6. Animal Conservation & Management

The Human Animal
Urbanisation
Wildlife
Threatened Species
Invasive Species
Wildlife Management; approaches, preservation, conservation, goals
Wildlife Habitats
Water Management for Wildlife
Wildlife Surveys

7. Marine Conservation and Management

Estuaries
Fisheries; stock management, assessment, biomass, stock management methods
Conservation of Sandy Shores

8. The Future

Tourism and the Environment
Ecotourism
Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD)
Framework for ESD

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

Course Duration: 100 hours of self paced study

What you will do in this Course

Here are some examples of what you may do:

Describe ecological processes and associated sustainable management techniques.
Investigate a specific environmental problem and provide possible solutions.
Evaluate the relationship between industry and pollution.
Discuss principles of water and soil management.
Select a specific type of plant that is endangered or an environmental problem and submit a case study.
Explain animal conservation strategies, including protection legislation, breeding programs and habitat conservation.
Discuss a specific issue that applies to marine conservation.
Develop profiles of three different conservation and/or environment lobby group organisations and procedures used in promoting their cause.

Scope

Conservation is the wise use of resources of the earth, in order that they will be able to support or sustain, the generations that are yet to come. This can be done in many ways and in different situations. For example:

National Parks - The protection of the ecosystems, including endangered species of flora and fauna.
Agriculture - Sustainable techniques such as the management of soil erosion and water catchment areas.
Industry - Pollution control measures should be used.
People - Every person should help to collect and recycle waste.

These examples show that conservation involves the use of resources so that the environment is protected and maintained, and that the ecosystems are rehabilitated and restored.

Ecological Value

Ecology is the study of the interactions and relationships among all living and non-living things on earth. Ecology teaches us that there is an independence among all living and non-living things.

All things are connected, similar to the blood that unites one family. Whatever befalls the earth, befalls the sons of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand of it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.

The ecological reasons for conservation show the need for caring for the life support systems of the planet. For example, the greenhouse effect, gives one instance of the breakdown in a planet life support system. This is the maintenance of the carbon dioxide balance in the atmosphere of the earth. The increased combustion of fossil fuels, such as oil, coal, gas and petroleum has caused an alarming increase in the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The effect of this has been made worse by deforestation that has taken place all over the planet. The overall effect is an increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This causes a retention of heat in the earth's atmosphere, which, in turn, results in an escalation of the ambient temperatures.

Economic Value

Many world economic structures depend on natural resources. Industries such as tourism, forestry, fishing and agriculture rely on the healthy functioning of the natural environment, There is hardly a productive industry that does not rely upon a natural resource.

Healthy Ecosystems

If a natural resource is damaged in any way, industries that rely on it will suffer, For example, over- fishing of fish stocks in many areas has dramatically affected the fishing industry. This has caused dramatic drops in fish populations, reduced harvesting of fish, and major drops in incomes. This has provided less spending money for the fisherman, which in turn, affected the other suppliers of goods and materials to this industry. One action can trigger off a chain of undesirable effects. Therefore, the health of a whole ecosystem, rather than of just a resource within it, must be considered.

Genetic Diversity

Flora and fauna contain an untapped source of genetic diversity. This may be valuable in plant and animal breeding programs, or in the very survival of the species in the wild. Plants are also chemical factories which can manufacture many complex and unusual substances. Many of these substances are potential medicines which can benefit mankind. A few examples of existing drugs that are based on plants are:

Quinine - An anti-malarial medicine. It is made from a substance which is contained in the yellow cinchona tree.
Aspirin - A common drug which has been developed from a substance supplied from the bark of a willow tree.
The Rosy Periwinkle - This plant produces substances which have proved to be effective in treating Leukemia.
Aesthetic Value - Not only are there economic and ecological values to the conservation of resources, but nature also provides the beauty and peacefulness of the mountains, the sea, and the bush. Nature provides these areas where people can enjoy their recreational time, and become revitalised.

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