OEKB301334 BOKU International wildlife lectures

Type
Lecture and seminar
Semester hours
2
Lecturer (assistant)
Kunz, Florian , Windt, Jendrik , Buner, Francis
Organisation
Wildlife Biology and Game Management
Offered in
Sommersemester 2026
Languages of instruction
Englisch
Content

Wildlife conservation on farmland
This week-long seminar will introduce students to the fascinating discipline of wildlife conservation on European farmland, covering a short history of the discipline, an overview of the key wildlife species affected (with a special focus on farmland birds), discuss the reasons driving the loss of wildlife/biodiversity on farmland (intensification of agriculture, pesticides, habitat loss and fragmentation, predation) and the solutions available to reverse this negative trend such as agri-environmental policy (in particular agri-environmental schemes), habitat restoration, the concepts of land sparing and land sharing, and rewilding, predation management. The course will then introduce some good and bad examples of farmland species recovery programmes and discuss how conservation research and practise combined with social conservation science inform successful conservation action. A special focus will be given to grey partridge ecology and conservation, because of its importance as a bioindicator and umbrella species for farmland health and farmland biodiversity recovery.
Previous knowledge expected

Basics in Wildlife Biology, Ecology & Conservation
Objective (expected results of study and acquired competences)

Students will understand how modern food production can go hand in hand with wildlife recovery on European farms and know the drivers of farmland biodiversity loss and how to reverse it. They will also familiarise themselves with field methods used to research this pressing conservation topic, gain an in-depth understanding about the practical solutions that address the biodiversity crisis on farmland and learn how to effectively communicate research to a wider audience, including farmers, hunters, the general public and government authorities.
You can find more details like the schedule or information about exams on the course-page in BOKUonline.