FW 558 examines the background, concepts, and tools required to determine how genetic data can be used to evaluate wild vertebrate species and communities of conservation concern. It covers the relevance of genetics to issues in conservation biology, applications of common genetic tools, and appropriate modes of genetic data analysis based on conservation questions of interest.
The course prerequisites (see below) include introductory genetics, ecology, and statistics (or analogous coursework). Students without this coursework background but with applied experience or the ability to put in the extra effort to bring themselves up to speed on critical background concepts have succeeded in this course previously. Students are encouraged to email the professor with any questions.
Prerequisite
BZ 350 (Molecular and General Genetics) or LIFE 201A (Introductory Genetics: Applied/Population/Conservation/Ecological (GT-SC2)) or LIFE 201B (Introductory Genetics: Molecular/Immunological/Developmental); LIFE 220 (Fundamentals of Ecology (GT-SC2)) or LIFE 320 (Ecology); STAT 301 (Introduction to Statistical Methods) or STAT 307 (Introduction to Biostatistics); Graduate standing. OR Written consent of instructor; Admission to a graduate program in Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology.
Important Information
Registration is restricted to FWCB Plan C Masters students through December 1, 2025. Any seats remaining in the course will be available to non-Plan C students after December 1st.
Textbooks and Materials
Please check the
CSU Bookstore for textbook information. Textbook listings are available at the
CSU Bookstore about 3 weeks prior to the start of the term.
Instructors
Caitlin Wells
Caitlin.Wells@colostate.edu
Dr. Wells is a conservation ecologist whose research uses theory from multiple disciplines to understand, protect, and restore biodiversity. Her approach to applied conservation biology merges evolutionary ecology, animal behavior, and conservation genomics to predict the responses of wild vertebrates to environmental change. She works with birds and mammals of conservation concern primarily in the mountains and the tropics, with long-term work in Hawai‘i, the Rocky Mountains, and Western Uganda
