Habitat Management and Conservation

• This MSc Habitat Management and Conservation course has been designed in consultation with employers and has an applied focus

• We have guest lecturers actively working in consultancy and conservation

• Staff are friendly and accessible

• We have our own Nature Reserve

• We have easy access to urban and rural wildlife sites

• The University is centrally located in the Midlands with easy road and rail access (rail station on the campus)

• Available full- or part-time

• A range of awards are available: full Masters degree Postgraduate Diploma, Postgraduate Certificate

• Our postgraduate students have an excellent record of employment
  

"I decided to apply for this course after researching a wide range of ecology masters courses, as I had already completed my bachelors in wildlife conservation and was looking for a course that would offer me more hands on practical experience relevant to ecology and conservation in the UK. The course more than fulfilled my expectations and as a result I have been able to add more practical experience to my C.V in surveying and identification techniques as well as project management as a result of my Masters project. My favourite module was "Greening the grey" where I was able to focus on urban biodiversity and techniques to make the urban environment greener and more sustainable, which was an area that I hadn't focussed on much before and swiftly became a topic of great interest to me." Paul Reynolds.

Working in nature conservation requires an understanding of traditional land-management practices, as well as emerging techniques in habitat creation and restoration. So, if you are interested in managing habitats for wildlife and conserving biodiversity, then this course is for you. This course is applied: unlike ecology courses that are mostly about ecological theory this course is about the practical application of ecological knowledge for conservation. Many of the modules on the course are intensely practical: for example, employers are very keen that their staff have good ID skills: and we give you that. Rather than being taught all the time by academics, we bring people working as professional ecologists into the lecture theatre so you can learn from their experiences. We also get you out into the field carrying out surveys, learning field techniques, doing your research project. We teach you about being a professional ecologist, show you how to use a Geographical Information System, help you get work experience. We even have a module where you can tailor the content to your own interests (our negotiated learning option module) – not an easy choice, but if you want to do a module on amphibian ecology or water vole conservation the framework exists to do it.  This course takes a pragmatic approach to the challenges posed by modern nature conservation and would suit students wishing to work in a range of careers such as reserve management, ecological consultancy, local government (as an ecologist), or as pre-training for a research degree.

The course is designed for recent graduates in biological, environmental or geographical sciences hoping to move into conservation-related careers, and for people currently working in conservation, consultancy, and land management who want to upgrade their professional qualifications.

This depends on which qualification you want.

The MSc in Habitat Management and Conservation consists of a Research Project and 8 modules:

• Managing Aquatic Habitats
• Managing Terrestrial Habitats
• Habitat Mapping and Geographical Information Systems (GIS)
• Managing the Consequences of Climate Change
• Professional Practice for Ecologists
• Ecological Survey and Identification Skills
• A Residential Field Course

and either

• a Work Placement,

• a Research Placement,

• Greening the Grey: biodiversity, buildings and sealed surfaces, or

• Negotiated Learning Module

The Postgraduate Diploma in Habitat Management and Conservation is awarded for the completion of eight modules (as above) but does not include the Research Project.

The Postgraduate Certificate in Habitat Management and Conservation is awarded for the completion of four modules from the list) above (excluding the Research Project but must include Professional Practice.

To give a feel for the importance of the research project: all modules except the Research Project are ‘worth’ 15 ‘credits’, the Research project is rated at 60 credits.

To gain the MSc you need 180 credits
To gain the Postgraduate Diploma you need 120 credits
To gain the Postgraduate Certificate you need 60 credits

The MSc Course (Full-time)
The course is unusual in that it is 15 months long (most Masters courses are 12 months long). This is because, being a fieldwork-based subject, students usually need to collect data for their project during the summer: after the end of the formal teaching period. As most students collect their data during June, July and August that would leave only just over a month before the project would need to be handed in! So, we extend the duration of the master’s project to ensure that students have enough time to analyse and write-up their data, the project is handed-in at the end of November. So, for example, if you started in September 2010 you would hand in your project and formally finish the course at the end of November 2011. There are no formal taught classes during the Project so you don’t have to come into the University all the time. We do however get students to present their preliminary findings as talks to the new cohort of students when they arrive in September.

Postgraduate Diploma (Full-time)
This course is 12 months long with most of the work being covered in the two teaching semesters of September to December and January to April/May. The field course and some assignments take place outside this period, but all the work should be completed by the end of August. Formal classes are not held outside the semesters, so whilst you may be on a field course or doing an assignment there are not usually lectures to attend.

Postgraduate Certificate
This course is as for the Postgraduate Diploma, but you would take only half the number of modules. As there is quite some choice in the modules you can take you might find that you spend more time in class one semester than another, and might be doing assignments over the summer as well.

PART-TIME COURSES
If you register as a part-time student there is some flexibility in the length of time you can take to complete it, but we would normally expect the Postgraduate Certificate and Postgraduate Diploma courses to be completed within a 24 month period. We would expect the part-time Masters to be completed  in 28 months.

Managing Aquatic Habitats
This module starts with a brief review of the ecology and hydrology of freshwater lotic, lentic and wetland ecosystems and then gives way to keys themes: These include the importance of the catchment area, and the riparian zone in the ecology and management of systems. Later sections of the module focus on the monitoring and conservation evaluation of aquatic habitats (e.g. SERCON, PSYM, River Corridor Survey and River Habitat Survey). We then focus on the creation and management of aquatic ecosystems, including reedbeds, and a consideration of the impacts of water pollution. We also look at fish conservation and important EU Directives such as the Water Framework Directive.  Other issues covered include conservation/control of aquatic animal species such as otter, mink, water vole, and wetland birds.

Managing Terrestrial Habitats
This module starts with an overview of some of the major terrestrial biotopes(e.g. wetlands, grasslands, woodlands) and their management. This includes the management of agroecosystems and also covers the allied theme of geological conservation. Novel approaches such as large scale conservation (using the principles elucidated by Franz Vera and applied at Oostvaderplassen in the Netherlands) will be examined. The module will also cover the principles and practice of Management Planning.

GIS (Geographical Information Systems) for Ecology and Conservation 
This module concentrates on learning the skills needed to use digital data in a GIS. After an initial period which introduces the Phase 1 habitat evaluation technique, students carry out a Phase 1 survey of the University Nature Reserve. Students are then introduced to ArcGIS software and other data sources. Using ArcGIS, supplied DGPS data, and their own Phase 1 evaluations, students create habitat maps of the University Reserve within the GIS and an evaluative report.

Managing the Consequences of Climate Change
This module has been created to address the challenges of climate change on biodiversity. The module starts with an overview of the science that underlies global environment change and also the uncertainties inherent in current knowledge and risk quantification. The introductory sessions will also include the ecological and ecophysiological underpinning needed to understand the major problems impacting the management and conservation of biodiversity.
The initial scientific grounding will be followed by themed sessions that will investigate various dimensions of the problem involving coping strategies at local, regional and global levels and over a variety of temporal scales. The nature of the problem necessitates a wide perspective and the module will also touch upon a wide scope of issues ranging from deep green ecology through to emerging politics and policy implementation.

Professional Practice for Ecologists
This module will make use of a series of case studies and lectures by staff and external speakers to introduce students to a range of practical considerations relevant to ecological project management and the working life of a professional ecologist. Topics to be covered typically include: costing and tendering for consultancy projects, working with wildlife legislation, the role of the ecologist in Environmental Impact Assessment and Public Inquiries, public consultation, producing reports to a professional standard, working with volunteers/contractors and project management.

Ecological Survey and Identification Skills
Identification skills are a vital component of being a professional ecologist. The module begins with a brief introduction to the principles of taxonomy, followed by a series of practical workshops involving the morphology of a range of taxa. The student then chooses a group to specialise in (e.g. grasses, lichens, spiders, small mammals) to a taxonomic level and breadth negotiated with the tutor.

A number of survey techniques will also be introduced and practised. Subjects vary but  could include mammals, amphibians, reptiles, terrestrial invertebrates. Other techniques (e.g. Phase 1 habitat surveys, river corridor surveys, and sampling for freshwater invertebrates) are covered in other modules. We also look at how information is obtained via desktop studies and licensing issues when protected species are involved.

Residential Field Course
The residential field course gives students the opportunity to improve their plant and animal identification and survey skills by contributing to a long-term research project in a rural location. The field course is held after all other formal classes are completed and is used in an integrative sense: to pull together the differing strands of the taught work. In addition to identification and survey, the theme of man’s influence on the landscape will be discussed as will attempts to soften the impact of agriculture through agri-environment programmes.

Research Project
The research project is the largest individual component of the MSc course, and combines the preparation for the research and the research itself into a cohesive whole. The topic of the research project will depend on the student's personal interests within the broad context of the course, but will usually be carried out in the 'field' and in the summer. The work can be carried out in partnership with an external organisation, inside or outside the UK, subject to supervisor approval. In the past research projects have been submitted as a thesis, but we now ask students to write them up as if they were going to submit them to an international journal, with an additional commentary. Many of our students produce work which is of publishable quality and we hope that by writing projects up in such a format it will encourage them to submit their work for publication.

Work Placement (option module)
This module will allow the student to gain experience of working in his/her chosen discipline area. The scope of the module in terms of the nature of the work and organisation is intentionally wide, but must fit within the general ethos of the student's course and be of a level suitable for a masters-level student. The module tutor must approve both the organisation and the placement work prior to commencement. Placements will be sought and organised by the student and can be flexible in format (e.g. a unified block of time or part-time over a number of months). Suitable organisations would include consultancies, NGOs/environmental charities (e.g. RSPB, Butterfly Conservation, Wildlife Trusts, Buglife, Groundwork), quangos such as Natural England, Scottish Natural Heritage, Countryside Council for Wales, the Environment Agency, etc., local and national government departments. Part-time students in-post may be able to use their current employment as work experience provided approval is granted by the module tutor.

Research Placement (option module)
This module will allow the student to experience cutting-edge research by working as a research assistant directly under the supervision of a member of staff. The subject matter will vary depending on the exact discipline area of the staff member, but could include laboratory or field research or a combination of the two. Students will typically collect data as part of the supervisor’s research project, input data to spreadsheet/statistical software, carry out analyses and write up the results. The module is self contained, but will provide vocational experience which will support the student’s own Masters research project and/or future career in research. The delivery period will be flexible, and dependent on the nature of the supervisor’s research project.

Greening the Grey: biodiversity, buildings and sealed surfaces (option module)
Green infrastructure is usually seen as referring to the part of the urban environment which is described in the module 'Sustainable Greenspace', but neglects the truly built environment including houses, apartment buildings, shopping centres, office and industrial buildings, car parks, etc. This module is concerned with creating wildlife habitats in and on the built environment using such approaches as green roofs, green walls, doorstop spaces, courtyards, window boxes, permeable driveways, plantings to regulate road speed and driver behaviour, greening plazas, etc. Other features that can be incorporated in buildings to create habitats such as bat bricks, bird boxes, invertebrate roosts, will also be explored. This module also includes an appraisal of the potential for improving the biodiversity value of cemeteries and allotments, and the establishment of community orchards. The strategy and policy environment is also explored.

Negotiated Learning Module (Option Module)
This module allows you, in negotiation with tutors, to develop the content of a module for yourself. So, for example, if you were keen to study the ecology of a particular organism or habitat, provided tutors agreed, you could do so. The examples at the top of this web page were amphibian ecology or water vole conservation, but could easily be the ‘ecology and conservation of traditional orchards’, or ‘semi-natural grasslands’ – it is up to you. The module has two tutors: one who is the subject specialist (e.g. someone who is happy to supervise you doing a module on, say,  ‘Traditional Orchards’) and the other who ensures that the educational and assessment side of the work is appropriate. So, there is a period of negotiating the subject, content, and assessment of the module before you actually get stuck-in to the work. This module is no easy option, but if you have a passion for a particular subject then this gives you a rare chance to study it in depth.

Most assessments are written assignments/reports but some work is assessed through presentations.  There are some in-class tests which may include identification skills and some essay-type questions, but no formal examinations in big halls filled with other students. Written work may include writing a management plan, a research paper, an article for a journal, etc. In one module a competitive tender for consultancy services is assessed through a presentation.

• Invertebrate Ecology and Conservation

• Urban Ecology and Conservation

• Ecology and Conservation

Please click here for the Current Biology Newsletter (PDF, file size: 197.79KB) to download a copy containing articles of interest.

The First Biology Newsletter (PDF, file size: 237.3KB) is also available for download.

The Second Biology Newsletter (PDF, file size: 231.93KB) is also available for download.

The Third Biology Newsletter (PDF, file size: 231.59KB) is also available for download.

The Biology News page may also contain articles of interest.

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