NES8319 : Drivers of Biodiversity Loss
- Offered for Year: 2025/26
- Module Leader(s): Professor Philip McGowan
- Lecturer: Dr Michael Carroll
- Owning School: Natural and Environmental Sciences
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 2 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
This module aims to provide students with a sound understanding of the main drivers of loss, our current knowledge of them and current thinking on what should be tackled. The module will consider land- and sea-use change, overexploitation, invasive species, pollution and climate change, and how these drivers of loss may vary across the world. It will also consider appropriate policy response and identify research needs.
Outline Of Syllabus
The Global Assessment of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services published by the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) in 2019 identified the five main drivers of biodiversity loss as: land- and sea-use change, overexploitation, invasive species, pollution and climate change. These then formed the basis for targets to reduce biodiversity loss that are contained within the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which was adopted in December 2022.
Students will be introduced to the IPBES assessment and the KMGBF, and the underlying science. Students will examine the knowledge base, determine whether there are any new information sources, and then assess the coherence between the issues identified in the IBPES assessment and the responses adopted in the KMGBF.
Students will gain an overview of all five main drivers, before working in groups to explore one aspect in depth (e.g. a single driver, or several drivers in one country), drawing on relevant research literature and policy documents (such as National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans: NBSAPs). This will provide the basis for a policy, management and research prospectus dealing with what is needed to tackle the chosen aspect.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 10:00 | 10:00 | Completion of policy, management and research storyboard |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 7:00 | 7:00 | Preparation for and delivery of group presentation |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 9 | 1:00 | 9:00 | Introduction to module and lectures |
| Structured Guided Learning | Lecture materials | 9 | 1:00 | 9:00 | Reviewing lecture material ahead of class |
| Structured Guided Learning | Academic skills activities | 5 | 1:00 | 5:00 | Reading materials on the development of materials to inform policy |
| Guided Independent Study | Directed research and reading | 25 | 1:00 | 25:00 | Directed reading from list provided |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Workshops | 7 | 2:00 | 14:00 | Workshops to examine the use of science in informing policy in case study examples |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Workshops | 1 | 3:00 | 3:00 | Presentations and discussion |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Drop-in/surgery | 4 | 2:00 | 8:00 | Drop-in session to help with applying principles to practice in examples |
| Guided Independent Study | Student-led group activity | 5 | 2:00 | 10:00 | Student-led discussion on the development of materials to inform policy and on research gaps |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 1 | 70:00 | 70:00 | Deepening topic specific knowledge and understanding of the science-policy landscape and issues around that topic |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 30 | 1:00 | 30:00 | Reading (non-guided list) |
| Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
The teaching is designed to support attainment of the knowledge and skills outcomes. Lectures will be used to introduce new ideas and factual information on the relevant science and the policy landscape concerning the drivers of biodiversity loss. Workshops will be used to deepen knowledge and understanding through group discussion supported by background research and reading. Independent study is important for students to build on the knowledge and understanding introduced in lectures and developed in workshops, first through targeted reading of relevant material and then through student-led discussion of that material and collaborative development of the assessment.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written exercise | 2 | M | 75 | Individual policy, management and research story board (1500 words maximum) |
| Written exercise | 1 | M | 25 | Exercise to demonstrate critical and reflective consideration of student's professional development and career aspirations |
Formative Assessments
Formative Assessment is an assessment which develops your skills in being assessed, allows for you to receive feedback, and prepares you for being assessed. However, it does not count to your final mark.
| Description | Semester | When Set | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oral Presentation | 2 | M | Peer feedback within workshop on draft storyboards |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The assessment allows the students to synthesise information on our scientific understanding of the drivers of biodiversity loss and policy responses, and to then work in groups on next steps. These next steps would include policy requirements, management needs and critical research gaps. Students will have the opportunity to submit a draft structure of their prospectus outline for feedback which can then be incorporated into the summative assessment.
Students will work collaboratively on a presentation on which they will receive verbal feedback before submitting individual written prospectuses.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- NES8319's Timetable