BIO410 Landscape Ecology of Birds (8)
Prerequisite: BIO433
Enrolment Restriction: This subject is normally only available to students who have completed the Graduate Certificate in Ornithology
Birds are highly mobile organisms that move over large areas. Understanding the relationship between bird species dynamics and landscape characteristics is therefore fundamental to their conservation. In this subject, students will examine how bird species interact with different landscape elements (e.g. corridors and remnant habitat). They will also explore biogeographic patterns in bird assemblages and the mechanisms that may underlie these patterns, and gain a thorough knowledge of the impact that landscape change has on bird populations and spatial patterns in bird diversity. Students will also learn about relationships at large spatial scales relevant to current land, catchment and regional management strategies. Students will acquire skills in the critical evaluation of relevant literature and the development and implementation of their own research project under the guidance of the subject co-ordinator.