Computer-Based Activity to Engage Students in Exploring Biodiversity Decline & Extinction

Abstract

Understanding the main causes of biodiversity decline is an essential part of the syllabus of any university-level course in conservation biology. A novel computer-based activity is described for introducing students to using the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List database. The specific objectives of this activity are (1) to understand the main causes that threaten species worldwide and, if these causes differ, to try to elucidate the underlying processes that might be responsible for these differences in a given country and (2) to train students how to use digital biological data platforms, such as the IUCN Red List, and how to analyze and interpret biological data. To achieve these goals, students must obtain information from the IUCN Red List to assess why species are threatened globally and in a given country. Based on the total number of threatened species, students calculate the percentage of species affected by each threat within each Red List category and for all categories combined both globally and at the national level. The activity ends with a discussion in the classroom where the students are expected to share their interpretations about the main causes that threaten biodiversity at different scales of analysis and the applications of their findings in a conservation context. The activity is expected to increase the awareness of students regarding environmental issues and to develop different key competencies and basic skills as learning outcomes, including expertise in biological diagnosis, information management, and using the internet as an information source.