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Island Conservation in Action

Module description

This module consists of a ten-day fieldwork research study trip to Tenerife, Canary Islands  where several protected areas and conservation-related institutions are housed. You are required to review the material relating to environmental and conservation biology issues (papers, books, reports, webpages, etc.) before the trip in order to obtain a deeper understanding of the environmental problems related with mass tourism and agriculture in Tenerife.  The module is delivered in part with La Laguna University, where students and staff from both institutions simultaneously undertake a programme of study that includes several excursions.

Module aims - intentions of the module

The aim of this module is to gain practical experience in island biodiversity and conservation, and consolidate learning over the previous seven months. The module explores a real model system (Tenerife, Canary Islands), and how biodiversity is protected through several natural area networks and species catalogues, despite being subjected to increasing economic development and mass tourism. You will meet with local policy makers and the technical staff of these protected areas to complement the theoretical approach developed during the MSc course.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Discuss the main impacts that the economic development model is exerting over the natural areas
• 2. Propose solutions for making compatible conservation and local population development
• 3. Discuss the political criteria existing behind the conservation decisions

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 4. Apply statistical and modelling skills to understand and interpret quantitative analyses using the more important statistical computational tools and packages
• 5. Analyse scientific results and determine their strength and validity

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 6. Communicate effectively through oral presentations, written reports, posters and scientific publication
• 7. Demonstrate management skills, such as decision-making, problem definition, project design and evaluation, risk management, teamwork and coordination, and resource and time management
• 8. Integrate and evaluate information from a variety of sources using state-of-the-art communications

Syllabus plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:

Island Conservation in Action:

• Visit protected area of the Canary Islands local network and Natura 2000 European network: Teno Rural Park, Anaga Rural Park, Malpals de Gulmar Special Natural Reserve and Las Canades de Teide National Park
• Discussions with Conservation experts about the main problems faces in the different areas visited and ongoing conservation and restoration carried out there.
• Visits to Tenerife's Island Council Environment Departments and discussion with policy makers and civil servants about the main goals of conservation efforts on Tenerife
• Visit to Canarian Government Environmental Department and analysis of the conservation plans for recovering threatened plant and animal endemic species
• Visit to La Laguna University and contact with staff and student of the local Islands Ecology Research Group, for discussions about:
• Natural webs in Tenerife
• Tenerife natural areas organisations and management
• Tenerife endangered species management
• Tenerife on-going ecological restoration projects
• Climate Change impact on the Canaries

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons that are approved by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. If deferred, the format and timing of the re-assessment for each of the summative assessments is detailed in the table above ('Details of re-assessment'). The mark given for a deferred assessment will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral - if you have failed the module (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 50%) and the module cannot be condoned, you will be required to complete a re-assessment for each of the failed components on the module. The format and timing of the re-assessment for each of the summative assessments is detailed in the table above ('Details of re-assessment'). If you pass the module following re-assessment, your module mark will be capped at 50%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

• Ashmole, P. & Ashmole, M. (2027) Natural History of Tenerife (Whittles).
• Fernandez-Palacios, et al. (2007) Los bosques termofilos de Canarias (Cabido Insular de Tenerife)
• Fernandez-Palacios, et al. (2019) The Laurisilva. Canaries, Madeira and Azores. (Macaronesia Editorials)

Indicative learning resources - Other resources

• A booklet about the excursion (to be prepared) with important logistic and scientific info will be given to student groups with enough time. Contents of this booklet will include:
  • pdfs of relevant (biodiversity and conservation) literature
  • web addresses of institutions to be visited
  • map of the island protected areas
  • logistic info

Key words search

Island, biodiversity, paleoecology, conservation, fieldwork, ecology, protection, species, catalogue