Formation Conservation Biology : from local to global

Présentation

Formation dispensée en Anglais

Although many environmental problems seem to have been solved, environmental policy is still facing major global and regional challenges:
A still increasing world population, the progressing industrialization in emerging countries with low developed environmental standards, growing energy demand as well as the increase of the standard of living in many countries of the world on the one hand, resource scarcity and the limited carrying capacity of ecosystems on the other hand, still lead to conflicts between ecology and economy, with adverse consequences for the environment as well as for human health.
In order to meet these challenges and to realize the internationally recognized goals of sustainable development, a continuous development and improvement of environmental technologies as well as of the environmental legal and planning framework on the one hand, and their consistent application and implementation in practice on the other hand is required. The applied environmental sciences are therefore also of great importance in the 21st century in research, development and practical application, with an extraordinary innovative effect for the economy and the labor market.
Environmental protection is a cross-sectional task, since many issues with environmental relevance are highly complex and touch on very different disciplines.
Only an interdisciplinary view of environmental problems makes a comprehensive analysis and the development of appropriate and sustainable solutions possible.

Objectifs

Engineers gain an in-depth understanding of the scientific-ecological fundamentals of environmental sciences through the course of study, and are taught comprehensive environmental technology skills. Through the acquisition of business management and economic, planning and legal knowledge and skills, a better classification of environmental problems in the social system, a more multi-layered analysis and the development of sustainable solutions are promoted.

Teaching methods

Lectures, practical courses

Assessment

tutored works, real-case scenarios, practical works

Training Manager :

D. SCHMELLER

Contenu de la formation

The teaching unit is divided into 3 modules

• ecological and socio-ecological perspectives of nature conservation
• goals, objects of protection and organization of nature conservation
• instruments and methods of nature conservation and nature conservation management

Ecological and socio-ecological perspectives of nature conservation

The challenges nature conservation is facing today are more diverse than ever: the need to protect animals, plants and ecosystems must increasingly be reconciled with demands for use from society - from agriculture and forestry, settlement and industrial plant construction, transport infrastructure and far beyond. The increased demand for renewable energy has further exacerbated this challenge over the past 10 years.

This study unit addresses ecological aspects in conservation.
The content is related to applied ecology and conservation research. Applied ecology deals with issues from nature and species conservation as well as from agriculture (agroecology), forestry and fisheries with a biological-ecological or with a socio-ecological perspective. Conservation research combines basic research with applied aspects of ecology to policy issues of application and implementation.
Thus, conservation research must no longer be concerned only with its objects of protection, but must also incorporate the many facets of human use of nature into its work.

This unit of study is designed to enable students to work out the complexities of modern conservation for themselves.

Goals, objects of protection and organization of nature conservation

The ECUE "Goals, Protected Objects and Organization of Nature Conservation" shall give the students an insight into goals, protected objects and organization of nature conservation on a national and international level.
The presentation of the goals and guiding principles of nature conservation as well as the sustainability of nature conservation measures should, against the background of the first module "Ecological and Socio-Ecological Perspectives of Nature Conservation", introduce the students to the conceptual and organizational framework in which the methods and instruments of nature conservation are embedded. The assessment of ecological consequences by the forces and principles at work in nature must not only be able to be explained scientifically. The role of the public as well as that of nature conservation organizations in the development of nature conservation goals and management plans will also be covered. The objectives, protected goods and organization of modern nature conservation are then related to European and national protected area approaches.

The aim of this UE is to :

• give the students further insights into the contents of nature conservation, its working methods and objectives.
• give the students an understanding of the necessary critical approach, which is indispensable in nature conservation.
• sharpen the students' view of the high socio-ecological complexity in order to be able to establish the connection between the different ecological, sociological and political facets, and to give them an understanding of procedures in the implementation of nature conservation goals.

Instruments and methods of nature conservation and nature conservation management

Many of the interactions within ecosystems we can only guess. While we have come a long way in our knowledge of nature, we must recognize that we are still fundamentally ignorant.
With the realization of this ignorance comes the understanding that we must keep entire habitats intact so that the complexity of interactions is maintained, whether we understand it or not.
The fate of the entire planet now depends on a single species - humans. This is unprecedented in Earth's 4.7 billion year history. Ultimately, biodiversity conservation will depend especially on human population control. Ever-increasing populations have led to escalating competition with wildlife and plants for the space needed to accommodate all humans and produce food. Rising living standards also require that more natural areas and resources be made available to sustain Western lifestyles and their associated demands. Exploitation of nature then also leads to the increased likelihood of pathogens spreading to human populations, as has been the case with SARS, MERS, and SARS-Cov2 in recent years.
We are disrupting biodiversity at very many levels, from the molecular level to ecosystems and we drive global climate change. However, in any case, the many predictions of species and habitat loss must be carefully examined and not uncritically taken at face value. Many are based on computer simulations, and emotions can get in the way of clear practical thinking. Those who care about conservation must ask themselves whether the myriad strategies and rules are (or can be) actually implemented. International conventions and national laws are ultimately just ideas on real or electronic paper. These need to be translated into concrete action in local situations in order for anything to really be achieved, or to be achievable.
On the positive side, some lost or degraded habitats are recoverable. However, this is not to say that it is permissible to destroy habitats at all. This causes local extinction of all species in the habitat and it can take hundreds of years for complex ecosystems to re-establish themselves. Further, the species and populations that recolonize the restored (= renaturalized) habitat will most likely not have the same genetic makeup as the original residents. However, restoration means that action can be taken to repair damage. The natural world is generally remarkably resilient and able to buffer stresses to a limit and repair damage. It often just takes space and (a lot of) time. How can this space be protected, how can species and ecosystems be prioritized for conservation action, and what actions can be taken to prevent species from going completely extinct? This is what this third module addresses.

The teaching goal of this ECUE is to :

• To familiarize students with various tools and methods of modern conservation.
• To also train students to critically question the approaches and tools and to explore the limitations of these methods and tools.

Condition d'accès

Audience  :

Formation destinée aux technicien(ne)s supérieur(e)s et aux ingénieur(e)s, salarié(e)s, demandeur(se)s d'emploi dans le domaine.

Prerequisite :

Bac +2

Lieu(x) de la formation

• Auzeville-Tolosane

Contact(s) administratif(s)