7 /*- /*>

S.13-68

SFU

Dean of Graduate Studies

Maggie Benston Student Services

TEL778.782.3042

report-dgs@sfu.ca

Centre 1100

FAX 778.782.3080

www.sfu.ca/Dean-

8888 University Drive

GradStudies

Burnaby, BC

Canada Y5.\ 1S6

MEMORAND"""

ATTENTION

Senate

date

6 March 2013

FROM

Wade

Parkhouse,

Dean of Graduate

Studies

Faculty of Environment

no.

GS2013.11

t.~^.£^_

RE:

For information:

Acting under delegated authority at its meeting of 4 March 2013, SGSC approved the following

curriculum revision:

Effective Date is Fall 2013

Faculty of Environment

a) Department of Geography

1. New course: GEOG 618-4 Advanced Conservation Biogeography

[GS2013.11

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

engaging the world

GS20I3.11

SFU

FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT

Sean Markey, PhD

TASC 2 Building, Room 8900

TEL 778.782.9606

fenv-info@sfu.ca

8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC

FAX 778.782.8788

wwAv.fenv.sfu.ca/

Canada V5A 1S6

spmarkev@sfu.ca

MEMORANDUM

ATTENTION

Wade Parkhouse, Dean of Graduate Studies

date

February 14, 2013

FROM

Sean Markey, Associate Dean, Faculty of Environment

PAGES

1/ 1

RE:

Geog 618, Advanced Conservation Biogeography

Dear Wade,

Attached, please find a new course proposal for Geography 618, Advanced Conservation

Biogeography. The FEnv GPC passed the course unanimously.

Enclosed:

Rationale statement from Geog

New course proposal form

- Course outline

Library resources report

Overlap responses

Please review the material for presentation at our March 2013 SGSC meeting. Thank you.

Best,

Sean.

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

ENGAGING THE WORLD

MEMO

SFU

Attention: Sean Markov, Assoc. Dean, Farulh of rCiiviroinnonl

From: Goof]' Mann, Pepl.. of Coo^rapln. Graduate Program Chair

Ke: Now (bourse Proposal: CKOCGIB, \d\ anct'd Consrn alion ISiogrugraphy

Memo Date: 5 February 2013

Dear Sean,

Attached, please find a new course proposal for the Geography graduate program in the 2013/2014

Calendar. The course is GEOG 618 (Advanced Conservation Biogeography). This proposal has been

approved by the Geography Graduate Studies Committee, and by the Department

of Geography on 10

January 2013.

The new course is a proposed as part of the long-term teaching plans of the newest member of the

Geography faculty, Dr. Meg Krawchuk. Minor modification of existing courses could not adequately

capture Dr. Krawchuk's areas of teaching and research expertise; hence the need for a new course.

I would ask that, after the necessary preliminaries, you could please bring the proposed addition to the

Faculty

of Environment Curriculum Committee for approval. Thanks very much in advance for your

time.

Geoff

reoff Mann

Associate Professor

Graduate Program Chair

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

DEAN OF GRADUATE STUDIES

New Graduate Course Proposal Form

PROPOSED COURSE

Subject leg. MAPHl

GEOG

Number leg. 810161 8

Course Title (max 80 characters]

Advanced Conservation Biogeography

Short Title (appears on transcripts, max 25 characters)

Advanced Biogeography

Units leg. 4)4

Course Description forSFU Calendar

Q see attached document

• Learning outcomes identified

A survey of advanced biogeographic theory related to biodiversity conservation. Particular focus on

quantitative tools used in the discipline.

Available Course Components:

[ZlLecture

E3.5eminar

0Laboratory

• Practicum

DOnline

•.

Grading Basis (ZI Letter grades • Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory Din Progress/Complete

This is a capstone course DYes

fZJNt

Prerequisites [if any)

GDsee attached document (if more space is required]

0 This proposed course iscombined with an undergrad course: Course number and units: GEOG415"

Additional course requirements for graduate students

• Seeattached document (if thisspace is insufficient)

Graduate students must complete an additional project using quantitative methods learned in lab.

Campus atwhich course will be offered (check allthat apply)

HBurnaby

• Vancouver

• Surrey

DGNW

Estimated enrolment

Date of initial offering

January 2013

Course delivery leg. 3 hrs/week for 13 weeks)

2-hr lecture + 2-hr lab

• Yes _13 No

Practicum work done in this class will involve children orvulnerable adults

(If the "Yes" box is checked, all students will require criminal record checks)

Justification

• Seeattached document (if more space is required)

This course reflects a change in faculty.

•••RESOURCES

If additional resources are required to offer this course, the department proposing the course should be prepared to

provide information on the sourcels) of those additional resources.

Faculty member(s) who will normally teach this course

D information about their competency to teach the course is appended

Meg Krawchuk

Number ofadaitional faculty members required in order to offer this course

Additional space required in order to offer this course

• see attached document

0 This will be offered in association with GEOG 415

Additional specialized equipment required in order to offer this course

• see attacheddocument

This course will use existing computer lab space

Additional Library resources required [append details)

• Annually $_

none.

• One-time $.

Revised April 2012

PROPOSED COURSE

from firstpage

Program [eg.MAPH)

GEOG

Number leg.810) 618

Course title (max 80 characters)

Advanced Conservation Biogeography

Units (eg. A]

APPROVAL SIGNATURES

When a department proposes a new course it must first be sent to the chairs of each faculty graduate program

committeewhere there might be an overlap in course content. The chairs willindicate that overlap concerns have

beendealtwith by signing the appropriatespace or via a separate memo or e-mail(attachedto this form).

The newcourse proposal must also be sent to the Libraryfor a report on library resources.

Onceoverlap concerns have been dealt with, signatures indicate approval by the department, home faculty and

Senate Graduate Studies Committee.

Other Faculties

The signature(s) belowindicate that the Deanls) or designate of other Faculties affected by the proposed new course

support(s) the approval of the new course.

Name of Faculty

Signature of Dean or Designate

Date

•

DepartmentalApproval

(non-departmentalized faculties need not sign)

Department Graduate Program Committee

Geoff Mann

Signatured

Da,e 5/2/2013

Department Chair

Nick Blomley

siT5ife~^

Date

7 /*- /*>

Faculty Approval

Facultyapproval indicates that all the necessary course content and overlap concerns have been resolved, and that the

Faculty/Department commits to providing the required Library funds and anyother necessary resources.

Faculty Graduate Program Committee

Se,^

//Jerk

Senate Graduate Studies Committee Approval

SGSC approval indicates that the Library report has been

course proposals are sent to Senate for information

Senapikariu^tpijjCj-a^nWtee.

Signature

Signatun

Date

n, and all resource issues dealt with. Once approved, new

[Z3l

Date

'OAb,V>&

CONTACT

Upon approval of the course, the Office of the Dean of Graduate Studies will consult with the department orschool regarding

othercourse attributes that may be required toenable the proper entryof the new course in thestudent record system.

Department/School/ Program

Contact name

Contact email

GEOG 618 Advanced Conservation Biogeography

MegKrawchuk, Assistant Professor, Department of Geography

meg_krawchuk@sfu.ca

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Conservation biogeography is the application of biogeographic principles to the science of species

conservation. This course will provide a surveyof advanced theory and techniques used inconservation

biogeography in terrestrial ecosystems and provide students with a background to facilitate future study

or work in environmental conservation. The assessment of many of our world's environmental

challenges benefits from taking a broad, regional or global view, with an explicit spatial perspective - a

biogeographic outlook. We

will focus on ecological and conservation biogeography with a goal to

develop an understanding of how these biogeographic perspectives contribute to conservation science

the face of land cover and global climate change. Classestime will involve a two-hour seminar period

and a two-hour laboratory period

where students willlearn to use quantitative tools applicable to

advanced conversation biogeography such as

GIS, reserve design software, and the Rstatistical

language. We will use Canada's boreal biome as a model system for understanding these conservation

challenges but also touch on other regions of the world.

Objectives:

a. Develop our understanding of basic principles in biogeography

b. Explore the role of biogeography in biodiversity conservation

c. Understand uncertainty involved in biodiversity mapping, modelling, and decision making

d. Improve our ability to communicate scientific ideas through writing, analysis, and presentation

e. Gain familiarity with application of conservation biogeography in Canada's boreal forests

Course materials: Text can be purchased at the bookstore: Ladle, R.J. and Whittaker, R.J. 2011.

Conservation Biogeography. Wiley-Blackwell. A copy of the text will be on reserve at the library.

Prerequisites: Registered in a

graduate program in Geography or Biological Sciences

COURSE STRUCTURE

Seminar:

The structure of seminar time will reflect two of the goals of this course: to encourage

students to develop their oral communication skills, and discuss current controversies in conservation.

Accordingly, seminar will be divided into three components: 1) teaching lecture, 2) student-led lecture,

and 3) class discussion.

1)Teaching lecture. Iwill lecture for 30 minutesat the beginning of class, touching on general principles

relevant to the day'stopic area.

2) Student-led lecture. Each student in the classwill be responsible for preparing one 30-minute mini-

lecture summarizing content,theory, technique, and criticism of research papersassigned as readings

for the class in a givenweek and one additional paper identified as relevant bythe student. The assigned

reading is posted on the class website. Youmay also work in pairs to provide a 40-50 minute lecture.

The lecture should end with a minimum of three questions to start-up discussion with the class.

3) Class discussion. The remainder of seminar will involve discussion of topics addressed in the teaching

lecture and student-led lecture. Note, all students areresponsible for reading the assigned materials in

advance of class in preparation for discussion.

Lab:

Labs are scheduled each week and include short assignments. In addition you will write a short research

paper based on a mini-project developed from one of the laboratory exercises. This project will include

development, and application ofthe laboratory tool to a conservation problem ofyour choice. The focus

can include the topic ofyour dissertation, butmay also explore new ground. The research paper must

demonstrate the creative use of the laboratory tool to address a question related to conservation

biogeography and follow a shorttwo page Science-style journal writing framework. You'll present a

short 5-minute talk on your project in the last two weeks of term.

Written review paper:

The goal ofthe review paper is to allow eachstudent to examine a topicin conservation biogeography in

greater depth than covered in class. The written reviewwill be presented as a 10-minute summary in

the last weeks of class. This topic can include readings/topics from your mini-lecture.

Marks:

Student-led lecture: 25%

Class participation: 15%

Review paper 35%, including a short presentation to class (5%)

Lab assignments and mini-project: 20%

Lecture topics and scheduling

Lecture

Topic

Introduction to conservation biogeography

Species, biodiversity, biogeography

Canada'sboreal: a test case

Land cover change: habitat loss and fragmentation, valuing biodiversity

Land cover change: invasions, the loss of biogeography

NO CLASS: Reading week

Patchy patterns: island biogeography and meta-populations

Natural disturbance gradients in the context of conservation biogeography: fire and

insects

Theory and recent models of ecological niches & distributions; neutral theory of

biodiversity and niche theory

Protected areas and notions of conservation: protected areas and mixed-use planning

Systematic conservation planning: reserve planning and aquatic applications of reserve

design

Beyond protected areas: the matrix and sustainable landscapes

Climate change and conservation biogeography

Studies in contrast: different ideas for different landscapes

Lab topics

and

scheduling

Lab

topic

Assignments

No lab this week

Global data in GIS

Assgn. 1: Ecoregions

Exploring the boreal using ArcGIS

GoogleEarth

R: an introduction for pirates

R as a GIS- the raster package

Assgn. 2: Biome plot

NO LAB: READING WEEK

Discussion of review papers in lab: Outline and

introduction

R:species distribution models

Assgn 3: Predictive maps

Sandbox working time

Campus tree walk & biodiversity metrics

Assgn 4: Tree map

Marxan

Assgn 5: Reserves