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Lecturer(s)
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Course content
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The course aims to introduce students to the issue of biological diversity (from genetic and species to ecosystem and functional levels) in different geographical contexts and across various temporal scales. It focuses both on the long-term evolutionary development of biodiversity and major changes in the history of life on Earth (evolutionary radiations, mass extinctions, shifts in biotic composition), and on the current ?biodiversity crisis? associated with the strong human influence on the biosphere. Key topics include patterns of life?s diversity through geological time, catastrophic events and their impact on diversity, changes in the composition of biodiversity, the historical origins and spread of human influence (megafaunal extinctions, the Neolithic revolution, urbanization, industrialization), the main contemporary drivers of biodiversity change and loss (land-use change, climate change, invasive species, overexploitation of resources, pollution), and their manifestations in different groups of organisms. The course also focuses on options for mitigating impacts and restoring biodiversity ? approaches to biodiversity conservation and management, positive examples of support and restoration measures in different ecosystem types, including examples from the Czech Republic and Europe. The course includes work with data and discussion of scientific studies on the state of biodiversity.
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Learning activities and teaching methods
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unspecified
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Learning outcomes
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The course aims to introduce students to the issue of biological diversity (from genetic and species to ecosystem and functional levels) in different geographical contexts and across various temporal scales.
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Prerequisites
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unspecified
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Assessment methods and criteria
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unspecified
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Recommended literature
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Benton, M. J. (Ed.). (2019). Cowen's History of Life. John Wiley & Sons.
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Benton, M. J. (2015). When Life Nearly Died: The Greatest Mass Extinction of All Time. Thames & Hudson.
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Gaston, K. J. & Spicer, J. I. (2004). Biodiversity: An Introduction. 2nd ed. Blackwell.
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Hunter, M. L., Gibbs, J. P., Popescu, V. D. (2021). Fundamentals of Conservation Biology. 4th ed. Wiley.
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Magurran, A. E. (2004). Measuring Biological Diversity. Blackwell.
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Roth, P., Plesník, J. (2004). Biologická rozmanitost na Zemi: stav a perspektivy. Scientia, Praha.
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