Wildlife Ecology and Conservation

This major focuses on developing students’ knowledge of the conservation and management of wildlife and habitats for the greatest aesthetic, ecological, economic, and recreational values. Students in the Wildlife Ecology and Conservation major study biology, chemistry, ecology, calculus, soil science, plant taxonomy, entomology, geography, zoology, and sustainability.

About this Program

To graduate with this major, students must complete all university, college, and major requirements.

Department Information

The Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation fosters education, expands knowledge, and rewards scholarship. This is accomplished by using multidisciplinary approaches for the purpose of understanding, managing, and conserving biological resources.
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CONTACT

Email | 352.846.0643 (tel) | 352.392.6984

P.O. Box 110430
110 NEWINS-ZIEGLER HALL
GAINESVILLE FL 32611-0430
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 Curriculum

Related Programs 

The department also co-administers a major in natural resource conservation with the School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences.
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Specializations

Preprofessional

This specialization satisfies the coursework requirements for admission to the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program. Students pursuing admission to the College of Veterinary Medicine must take six credits of General Education Composition, nine credits of Humanities and six credits of Social and Behavioral Sciences.

Wildlife Ecology and Conservation

Students in this specialization train in the biological, social, physical and management sciences, and excel at both the scientific and human dimensions of managing wildlife and natural resources. With appropriate choice of electives and course options, graduates satisfy requirements for certification as an associate wildlife biologist with The Wildlife Society.

Wildlife Ecology and Conservation

Students in this specialization train in the biological, social, physical and management sciences, and excel at both the scientific and human dimensions of managing wildlife and natural resources. With appropriate choice of electives and course options (below), graduates satisfy requirements for certification as an associate wildlife biologist with The Wildlife Society.

Students select a focus area comprised of four courses (minimum of 12 credits) in one of the following areas: ecology, management, human dimensions, quantitative sciences, cooperative education, urban and regional planning, or The Wildlife Society Certification.

All students must file a plan of study for focus area courses with Wildlife Ecology and Conservation (WEC) Student Services before completing 60 credits in the major or before the end of the first term of enrollment for transfer students. The plan must be approved by both the student's faculty advisor and the undergraduate coordinator. Any changes to the plan must be approved by the undergraduate coordinator.

Lists of approved courses are available in the WEC Student Services Office, 102 Newins-Ziegler Hall.
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Coursework for the Major

All majors must complete 28 credits of WEC Core Courses, a minimum of 28 credits of WEC Common Course Requirements, and 12 credits of electives in a self-selected focus area. In addition, students must complete 22 credits of foundational lower division critical tracking coursework for the major.

Minimum grades of C within two attempts, including withdrawals are required in all WEC Core Courses. Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5 in lower division critical tracking courses. A cumulative 2.0 GPA is required to award the Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation.

Required Lower Division Critical Tracking Coursework | 23 Credits

BSC 2010
2010L
Integrated Principles of Biology 1
and Integrated Principles of Biology Laboratory 1
4
BSC 2011
2011L
Integrated Principles of Biology 2
and Integrated Principles of Biology Laboratory 2
4
CHM 2045
2045L
General Chemistry 1
and General Chemistry 1 Laboratory
4
ECO 2023Principles of Microeconomics4
MAC 2311Analytic Geometry and Calculus 14
STA 2023Introduction to Statistics 13
Total Credits23

To continue in the major, students must attain a cumulative GPA in these graded courses of no less than a 2.5.  Students must complete critical tracking courses by the end of Semester 4.

WEC Core Course Requirements | 26 Credits

SWS 3022
3022L
Introduction to Soils in the Environment
and Introduction to Soils in the Environment Laboratory
4
WIS 2920Wildlife Colloquium1
WIS 3401Wildlife Ecology and Management3
WIS 3402
3402L
Wildlife of Florida
and Wildlife of Florida Laboratory
4
WIS 3553CIntroduction to Conservation Genetics4
WIS 4501Introduction to Wildlife Population Ecology3
WIS 4601CQuantitative Wildlife Ecology3
WIS 4945
4945L
Wildlife Techniques
and Field Wildlife Techniques
4
Total Credits26

Minimum grades of C within two attempts, including withdrawals are required in all WEC Core Courses.

WEC Common Course Requirements | Minimum 28 Credits

Invertebrate (select one:)3-4
Insects and Wildlife
Invertebrate Biodiversity
Principles of Entomology
and Principles of Entomology Laboratory
Ecology (select one:)3-4
Forest Ecology
Plant Ecology
General Ecology
Natural Resource Ecology
Geographic Information and Planning (select one:)3-4
Forest Resources Information Systems
Foundations of Geographic Information Systems
Geographic Information Systems
Survey of Planning Information Systems
Plant Diversity & Taxonomy (select two:)6
Plant Diversity
Practical Plant Taxonomy
Local Flora of North Florida
Dendrology/Forest Plants
Environmental Plant Identification and Use
Vertebrate (select one:)
The Primates
Large Mammal Ecology and Management
Topics in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation (Conservation of Amphibians and Reptiles)
Topics in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation (Invasion/Ecology of Amphibians and Reptiles)
Topics in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation (The Primates)
Vertebrate Biodiversity
Herpetology
Avian Biology
Human Dimensions (select one:)3
Environmental Education Program Development
Society and Natural Resources
Sustainable Ecotourism Development
Diverse Perspectives in Conservation
Human Dimensions of Natural Resource Conservation
Environmental Economics (select one:)3-4
Environmental Economics and Resource Policy
Natural Resource Policy and Economics
Conservation (select one:)
Landscape Ecology and Conservation
Conservation Biology
Total Credits21-25

WEC Electives in Self-Selected Focus Area | 12 Credits

Focus Area (select one:)12
Cooperative Education Focus
Ecology Focus
Human Dimensions Focus
Management Focus
Quantitative Sciences Focus
Urban and Regional Planning (Dual Degree)
The Wildlife Society Certification
Total Credits12

Critical Tracking records each student’s progress in courses that are required for entry to each major. Please note the critical-tracking requirements below on a per-semester basis.

Equivalent critical-tracking courses as determined by the State of Florida Common Course Prerequisites may be used for transfer students.

Semester 1

Semester 2

  • Complete 1 additional critical-tracking course, excluding labs
  • 2.5 GPA on required math and science courses combined
  • 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 3

  • Complete 2 additional critical-tracking courses, excluding labs
  • 2.5 GPA on required math and science courses combined
  • 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 4

  • Complete 2 additional critical-tracking courses, including labs
  • 2.5 GPA on required math and science courses combined
  • 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 5

  • Complete 1 additional critical-tracking course
  • 2.5 GPA on required math and science courses combined
  • 2.0 upper division GPA required
  • 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 6

  • Complete 1 additional critical-tracking course
  • 2.0 upper division GPA required
  • 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 7

  • Complete 1 additional critical-tracking course
  • 2.0 upper division GPA required
  • 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 8

  • Complete 1 additional critical-tracking course
  • 2.0 upper division GPA required
  • 2.0 UF GPA required

To remain on track, students must complete the appropriate critical-tracking courses, which appear in bold. These courses must be completed by the terms as listed above in the Critical Tracking criteria.

Students must earn a minimum grade of C within two attempts in all required core courses. Students must maintain a 2.5 or higher GPA on all lower division critical-tracking courses. A 2.0 cumulative GPA is also required to successfully complete the degree.

This semester plan represents an example progression through the major. Actual courses and course order may be different depending on the student's academic record and scheduling availability of courses. Prerequisites still apply.

Plan of Study Grid
Semester OneCredits
BSC 2010
2010L
Integrated Principles of Biology 1
and Integrated Principles of Biology Laboratory 1 (Critical Tracking; Gen Ed Biological Sciences)
4
WIS 2920 Wildlife Colloquium 1
State Core Gen Ed Composition; Writing Requirement: 6,000 words 3
State Core Gen Ed Humanities 3
Elective 2
 Credits13
Semester Two
Quest 1 (Gen Ed Humanities) 3
Economics course (select one:) 3-4
Economic Issues, Food and You (Critical Tracking)
Principles of Food and Resource Economics (Critical Tracking)
Principles of Microeconomics (Critical Tracking; Gen Ed Social and Behavioral Sciences)
BSC 2011
2011L
Integrated Principles of Biology 2
and Integrated Principles of Biology Laboratory 2 (Critical Tracking; Gen Ed Biological Sciences)
4
STA 2023 Introduction to Statistics 1 (Critical Tracking; State Core Gen Ed Mathematics) 3
State Core Gen Ed Social and Behavioral Sciences 3
 Credits16-17
Semester Three
AEC 3030C Effective Oral Communication 3
AEC 3033C Research and Business Writing in Agricultural and Life Sciences (Writing Requirement: 6,000 words) 3
CHM 2045
2045L
General Chemistry 1
and General Chemistry 1 Laboratory (Critical Tracking; State Core Gen Ed Biological Sciences and Physical Sciences)
4
Ecology course (select one:) 3-4
Forest Ecology
Plant Ecology
General Ecology
Natural Resource Ecology
Gen Ed Composition; Writing Requirement: 6,000 words 3
 Credits16-17
Semester Four
Quest 2 (Gen Ed Social and Behavioral Sciences) 3
MAC 2311 Analytic Geometry and Calculus 1 (Critical Tracking; Gen Ed Mathematics) 4
SWS 3022
3022L
Introduction to Soils in the Environment
and Introduction to Soils in the Environment Laboratory (Gen Ed Physical Sciences)
4
WIS 3402
3402L
Wildlife of Florida
and Wildlife of Florida Laboratory
4
 Credits15
Semester Five
Plant Diversity and Taxonomy course (1 of 2; select one:) 3-4
Plant Diversity
Practical Plant Taxonomy
Local Flora of North Florida
Dendrology/Forest Plants
Environmental Plant Identification and Use
Invertebrates course (select one:) 3-4
Principles of Entomology
and Principles of Entomology Laboratory
Insects and Wildlife
Invertebrate Biodiversity
Geographic and Planning course (select one:) 3-4
Forest Resources Information Systems
Foundations of Geographic Information Systems
Geographic Information Systems
Survey of Planning Information Systems
WIS 3401 Wildlife Ecology and Management (Critical Tracking) 3
Vertebrate course (select one:) 3-4
The Primates
Large Mammal Ecology and Management
Topics in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation (Conservation of Amphibians and Reptiles)
Topics in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation (Invasion/Ecology of Amphibians and Reptiles)
Topics in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation (The Primates)
Vertebrate Biodiversity
Herpetology
Avian Biology
Elective 1
 Credits16-20
Semester Six
Select one Plant Diversity and Taxonomy course (2 of 2): 3-4
Plant Diversity
Practical Plant Taxonomy
Local Flora of North Florida
Dendrology/Forest Plants
Environmental Plant Identification and Use
WIS 3553C Introduction to Conservation Genetics (Critical Tracking) 4
WIS 4945 Wildlife Techniques 3
Focus course 3
 Credits13-14
Summer After Semester Six
WIS 4945L Field Wildlife Techniques 1
 Credits1
Semester Seven
FNR 4660
Natural Resource Policy and Economics
or Environmental Economics and Resource Policy
3-4
Human Dimension course (select one:) 3
Environmental Education Program Development
Society and Natural Resources
Sustainable Ecotourism Development
Human Dimensions of Natural Resource Conservation
Diverse Perspectives in Conservation
WIS 4554
Conservation Biology
or Landscape Ecology and Conservation
3
WIS 4601C Quantitative Wildlife Ecology (Critical Tracking) 3
Focus course 3
 Credits15-16
Semester Eight
WIS 4501 Introduction to Wildlife Population Ecology (Critical Tracking) 3
Focus courses 6
Electives 6
 Credits15
 Total Credits120

Additional electives may be needed to complete the 120 credits required for graduation. Students can select any courses as electives.

State core courses can be selected to meet the university's requirements for writing, international and diversity focused courses.


The primary focus of the Wildlife Ecology and Conservation major is to develop students' knowledge of the conceptual and applied aspects of scientific, social, and ethical thought in wildlife ecology and conservation. Emphasis is placed on the biology, ecology, natural history, and behavior of Florida wildlife species and the management of wildlife, their habitats, and their population dynamics for the greatest aesthetic, ecological, economic, and recreational values. Students will learn to think critically about major problems in the conservation of biological diversity and to apply biological principles to the preservation of this diversity.

Before Graduating Students Must

  • Pass the wildlife ecology and conservation competency exam, given as part of WIS 4203C or WIS 4554 .
  • Achieve minimum grades of C in AEC 3030C and AEC 3033C. These courses are graded using rubrics developed by a faculty team.
  • Complete requirements for the baccalaureate degree, as determined by faculty.

Students in the Major Will Learn to

Student Learning Outcomes | SLOs

Content

  1. Acquire knowledge of scientific, social, and ethical arenas of wildlife ecology and conservation; acquire skills for critical reasoning in conservation management; acquire knowledge of Florida wildlife species and their biology, ecology, natural history, and behavior; describe principles and applications of wildlife management practices, population dynamics, and habitat management; and apply biological principles to solve problems in wildlife conservation and preserve biological diversity.

Critical Thinking

  1. Apply ecological, mathematical, and statistical concepts to interpret, understand and communicate wildlife ecology and conservation data.

Communication

  1. Create, interpret and analyze written text, oral messages, and multimedia presentations used in agricultural and life sciences.

Curriculum Map

I = Introduced; R = Reinforced; A = Assessed

Courses SLO 1 SLO 2 SLO 3
AEC 3030C I,R,A
AEC 3033C I,R,A
WIS 2920 I I I
WIS 3401 R R R
WIS 3402 and WIS 3402L R R
WIS 4203C or WIS 4554 A A R

Assessment Types

  • Exams
  • Final course grades