Module manager: Dr Maria Beger
Email: m.beger@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2025/26
Knowledge in GIS or R from S1 modules or evidenced from previous experience to the MM. Mathematical skills/ thinking will be an advantage. Social or economics skills/ thinking will be an advantage. This module is approved as an elective for MBiol and MSc students.
This module is not approved as a discovery module
The module introduces conservation decision science in an interdisciplinary context that integrates mathematical approaches, ecology, and socio-economic considerations. It will develop skills in objective-driven decision making for environmental management problems, in social decision making in group-based negotiation, and in spatial conservation planning. The focus of this module is on critical thinking, integrating across fields, and challenging oneself to combine common sense with appropriate decision-making tools.
This module aims to introduce decision science for conservation and environmental management. Using an interdisciplinary approach that combines mathematics, social science, ecology, and operations research, it will meet four main objectives:
1. Impart comprehensive knowledge in decision making for environmental management problems, ranging from ecological to social to economical factors;
2. Develop knowledge and skills in group-based negotiation/ decision-making, with focus on different roles that people can play in the process;
3. Develop knowledge and skills in quantitative approaches to conservation projects and decision-making, with particular focus on concepts and principals, not math
4. Develop knowledge and skills in spatial planning.
On completion of this module, students will be:
1. Familiar with the background in principles of objective-based decision making in conservation;
2. Have problem solving skills pertaining to setting conservation objectives and evaluating conservation problems;
3. Capable of basic mathematical thinking to understand principles of decision making, optimisations, and solving of decision problems;
4. Familiar with and skilled in group-based decision making and the different roles typically encountered when dealing with these situations;
5. Skilled in spatial conservation planning, both conceptually, and with a spatial planning tools;
6. Familiar with engaging in critical thinking and objective-based inter-disciplinary approaches when dealing with conservation and management.
Critical thinking;
Quantitative tools in decision making, including quantifiable objectives, optimisations, and algorithms
Social/ qualitative decision making and group negotiation;
Conservation problems, objectives, actions, and budgets;
Management goals and thinking of quantifiable conservation outcomes.
L1., L1a Decision science basics – with objective setting prac (total 2 hours)
L2. Stakeholders, costs, and social implications to make decisions: workshopping and negotiations
L3. Budgetting conservation
S1. Role play prac: groups doing role play to get to a decisions
L4. Tools to make decisions: quantifiable objectives, adaptive management cycle, and monitoring
S2. Group work: objective setting for environmental conservation actions
L5a,b. Spatial conservation planning basics (total 2 hours)
P1/ A1. Making conservation budgets
L6a,b. Conservation genetics (total 2 hours)
L7a,b. Genetic data and tools in conservation decisions (total 2 hours)
L8. Conservation decisions for climate change
P2. “Keep cool” educational climate change game
L9. Structured decision-making processes
L10a,b. Spatial planning with connectivity (total 2 hours)
P3. Decision support tool Marxan homework: Micronesia prac to introduce (or remind of) the conservation planning software
L11a,b. Spatial planning: corridors and connectivity, with reverse lecture (total 2 hours)
L12. Graph theory and connectivity matrices
P4. Connectivity in spatial planning: introducing decision support tool MarxanConnect
L13a,b. Spatial planning, connectivity as features (total 2 hours)
L14. Spatial planning, connectivity as spatial dependencies
P5. MarxanConnect with features
P6. MarxanConnect with spatial dependencies
A2. Scenario planning with MarxanConnect – with focus on objectives and problem solving: report
Glossary: L = lecture, P = practical, A = Assessment
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lectures | 22 | 1 | 22 |
| Seminars | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| Practicals | 6 | 3 | 18 |
| Private study hours | 107 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 43 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 150 | ||
Background study in conservation science, reading papers, working on assessment pieces.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Practical Report | Individual practical report. Evaluation of Marxan Connect objectives and scenarios | 70 |
| Group Project | Group project: creating a conservation budget. Negotiation of approach and steps to complete an international conservation project, with provision of theory of change and detailed budget in multiple currencies. | 30 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
The reading list is available from the Library website
Last updated: 30/04/2025
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team