SOAS, University of London (The School of Oriental and African Studies)

Centre for Development, Environment and Policy (CeDEP)

C191 Assessing and Understanding Biological Diversity

Course Code:

C191

Unit value:

Less than a seventh of the estimated number of species alive today have been scientifically described and, of these, the interrelationships between them are only understood for a fraction. In other words, there is a dearth of knowledge about biological diversity (biodiversity) and how individual taxa are related to each other. Detailed knowledge about populations, their habitats, and how species interact within ecosystems is also in short supply – a vast amount of work is still to be undertaken by taxonomists and conservation scientists before careless human action results in further biodiversity loss.

Biodiversity conservation and sustainable use is dependent on knowledge of the ecological functioning, biology, distribution, genetics, and taxonomy of organisms. In addition, knowledge of ecosystem functions and processes, species richness, centres of diversity, levels of habitat loss and threats, are necessary to decide on priority areas, habitats and taxa for conservation. The need for this knowledge is enshrined in Article 7 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which requires parties to ‘identify and monitor the components of biodiversity important for conservation and sustainable use, and the processes and activities that are having or are likely to have a significant adverse impact on the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity’. In addition, Parties are required to ‘maintain and organise the data derived from identification and monitoring activities’. To gain this knowledge and satisfy this requirement of the CBD, we must find ways of measuring, assessing and classifying all levels of biodiversity: genes, species and ecosystems.

This module presents the backbones of genetic conservation, approaches to inventorying and monitoring biodiversity and applied taxonomy. It explains the general principles of genetic diversity, outlining the theory of population genetics, and methods of measuring genetic, population, species, and ecosystem diversity are discussed. An overview of the variety of life forms is provided and the main elements of taxonomy are outlined. The major types of classification and means of identifying biodiversity are reviewed.

Objectives and learning outcomes of the course

Module Aims

Assessing and understanding biodiversity is a subject area that draws on a wide range of underlying theory and practice. It is therefore multi-disciplinary in nature and this module is essentially an introduction that maps out the different dimensions of the subject. While each unit is self-contained, the module is generally designed so that knowledge gained from one unit is used when studying subsequent units. Where prior knowledge is specifically needed before studying a unit, a note is included in the unit overview. For example, before studying Unit 4, Genetic conservation, you should be familiar with techniques for measuring genetic diversity (Unit 3) and complementary conservation strategies (in situ and ex situ conservation), which is covered in module C117, Introduction to Biodiversity Conservation.

The module aims to provide the minimum knowledge required for individuals planning a career in biodiversity conservation or a related field, or for those already involved in this area. The information presented in this module is equally relevant to policy makers as it is to field scientists because it is important that those in decision making positions are equipped with an understanding of the complexity of biodiversity assessment and of how demanding and resource-intensive it is. The module is also relevant to those with an interest in biodiversity conservation as a hobby rather than on a professional basis.

The specific aims of the module are to:

• provide a background in the principles of genetic conservation
• convey methods of assessing and measuring biodiversity at genetic, population, species and ecosystem levels
• review the variety of life forms
• provide a background in applied taxonomy and an understanding of its importance in biodiversity conservation

Module Learning Outcomes

• explain how the fundamental principles of genetic conservation are applied in biodiversity conservation planning and implementation
• identify a range of different methods available for measuring genetic, species and ecosystem diversity and make informed choices about which techniques would be appropriate in specific circumstances
• explain to the person sitting next to you (whether at work, at home or on the bus) the vast variety of life forms that are known to exist on our planet and why taxonomy is fundamental to the conservation and management of this diversity
• plan a taxonomic collecting expedition
• explain why identification is critical for effective biodiversity conservation and find and use appropriate identification aids
• make use of existing taxonomic data sources in conservation planning and outline how and why taxonomic revisions are undertaken.

Scope and syllabus

The module is arranged in four parts:

Part I

Part I provides a general introduction and overview of the assessment of biodiversity at each of three levels: genes, species and ecosystems.

Part II

Part II addresses the assessment of biodiversity at the genetic level. For those with little or no background in genetics, the first unit in this part provides an introduction to the principles of genetics. The second unit explains the tools and techniques available to measure genetic diversity between individuals and taxa, and within and between populations. The unit focuses on the use of molecular markers for studying diversity, outlining the different techniques available. The third unit reviews the role that genetic diversity studies play in biodiversity conservation and describes genetic conservation – the study of genetic variation within and between populations and taxa and its subsequent use in the formulation and implementation of conservation strategies.

Part III

Part III tackles the subject of inventorying and monitoring, which provides fundamental and essential biological information for biodiversity conservation, as reflected in Article 7 of the CBD. Inventorying and monitoring can be carried out at different spatial scales and at different biological levels. Careful planning of inventorying and monitoring programmes is crucial to the success of any project – clearly defined goals must be made before designing the monitoring strategy. Many methods can be used to inventory and monitor biodiversity and it is important to choose the appropriate method in order to answer the questions being posed. These issues are addressed in this part, which is divided logically into two units: the first focuses on inventory and monitoring of populations and species, while the second addresses ecosystems.

Part IV

Part IV is devoted to taxonomy – the study and description of variation patterns between organisms and the manipulation of the data to produce a system of classification. Taxonomy, through the organism naming system it provides, contributes the referencing system for the whole of biology and provides the backbone on to which pieces of biological information, including conservation data, are attached and communicated. An understanding of taxonomy is fundamental to the formulation and implementation of effective biodiversity conservation programmes. This part comprises four units: the first introduces the subject of taxonomy and provides a brief overview of the variety of life forms that exist on our planet. The second unit explains how and why taxonomic research is undertaken, with a focus on the process and products of taxonomic revisions – the means by which new taxa, classifications and associated information are produced and published. The third unit provides a broad review of two critical aspects of biodiversity conservation: taxonomic collection and identification – arguably the most important facets of taxonomy for conservationists. The unit discusses the principles of collecting taxonomic reference samples and reviews the various forms of identification aid. The fourth and final unit explains how taxonomic data is analysed and provides an overview of sources of taxonomic information.

Suggested reading

Downloads

• C191 Full Details (pdf; 92kb)

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