Animal Biology and Care Education
African Ecology and Conservation
Introduction to
Course fee: £425.00
South African Baboons playing
This video was taken in situ with no artificial soundtrack. What you hear was also heard by this baboon family.
The African ecology and conservation introductory course consists of six units with assignments. The course is set at the equivalent of level 4 study under the UK education system.
It covers African climates and environments with the aim of building an understanding of ecological factors in conservation. The animals focused upon are the African non-human primates and the African predators. Their conservation whether in situ or ex situ is studied
Who is this course for? The course should support work experience applications to Africa where the learner would be able to see the habitats and biomes included in the course and thus gain greater understanding. The course is also aimed at those wishing to change career or start a career in conservation, zoo animal welfare or anyone who wishes to learn more about the nature of African wildlife in general. Teachers and lecturers at colleges may find the course useful for professional development.
There are six assignments (one for each unit) that are divided into levels of achievement so you have a choice as to whether to attempt more than the pass level. There are 60 approximate learning hours for this course but no time limit for completion. This figure does not include own research and self-learning activities to support the unit content or, assignment work.
Course content
Unit 1 African Ecology
Unit 1 looks at the major biomes and habitats on the African continent as well as ecological concepts. At the end of this unit you should be able to:
Identify biomes and habitat types within the African continent, describe the cycling of nutrients and energy transfers within ecosystems.
Unit 2 Biology and Ecology of African Predators
Investigates the basics of the biology and ecology of a range of African predators. At the end of this unit you should be able to:
Identify and describe the basic biology and ecology of three African predators
Explain the relationship between the ecology of three African predators and their biology
Compare and contrast three African predators in terms of their biology and habitat
Unit 3 Biology and Ecology of African Non-Human Primates
Investigates the basics of the biology and ecology of non-human primates of the African continent. At the end of unit 3 you should be able to:
Identify and describe the basic biology and ecology of three African non-human primates
Explain the relationship between the ecology of three African non-human primates and their biology
Compare and contrast three African non-human primates in terms of their biology and habitat
Unit 4 Linking ecological principles to the Conservation of African predators
Unit 4 assesses how the ecology of African predators can be used in their conservation through monitoring of individuals and populations. At the end of this unit you should be able to:
Apply ecological principles to the conservation of African predators
Identify the validity of various methods of monitoring for conservation purposes
Compare methods of monitoring African predators for conservation purposes amd identify ecological principles involved in the process
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Unit 5 Linking ecological principles to the Conservation of African non-human Primates
Unit 5 is similar to unit four as it assesses how primate ecology can be used to monitor individual primates or groups to assess their current status. ons. At the end of this unit you should be able to:
Apply ecological principles to the conservation of African primates
Identify the usefulness of various methods of monitoring for conservation purposes
Compare methods of monitoring African non-human primates for conservation purposes amd identify ecological principles involved in the process
Unit 6 African Conservation Issues
The final unit of the course involves Investigating issues related to conservation breeding, human-wildlife conflict and the impact of ecotourism on conservation strategies. At the end of unit 6 you should be able to:
Give an accurate summary of human-wildlife conflict, ecotourism and conservation breeding in relation to the African continent
Investigate and assess the issues involved in human-wildlife conflict in relation to the African continent
Evaluate the effect of ecotourism on conservation strategies for two animal species from the African continent
Course fee: £425.00
Start this course for £42.50
Instalments: these are made by standing order and can be tailored to individual requirements starting at around £42.50 p.c.m. International transactions will incur additional fees. You can try unit 1 for £42.50 before committing to the whole course.
Course materials are sent via email but paper copies are available for an additional fee of £15 per unit. Postage charges may need to be added depending on your location. Click here for payment options and important information.
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