Conservation Biology and Ecosystem Restoration
Big idea: Conservation biology applies population, genetic and ecosystem evidence to prevent biodiversity loss, while restoration uses measurable interventions to recover ecological structure, processes and resilience.
Learning goals
- extinction risk
- minimum viable population
- protected area
- ecological corridor
- restoration reference
Core concepts
extinction risk
The probability that a species will disappear over a stated time under defined conditions.
minimum viable population
An estimated population size with a specified chance of persisting despite demographic, environmental and genetic uncertainty.
protected area
A managed place intended to conserve species, habitats and ecological processes.
ecological corridor
Connected habitat that supports movement and gene flow between otherwise separated populations.
restoration reference
A documented target condition used to set goals and evaluate recovery without assuming a single fixed historical state.