Movie: Planet in Peril - Part I s1

Movie: Planet in Peril - Part I (10 points) Species Loss – Thai Market 1. What is the current rate of species extinction? 2. What international treaty protects species around the world? 3. What law in the United States protects wild species? 4. What is the science of protecting species? 5. What countries are the top importers of illegal wildlife? 6. For what reasons are endangered species sold around the world? 7. Why is it important not to take endangered species from their natural habitat?

Species Loss – Madagascar 1. What is a biodiversity hotspot? 2. What is a specialist and why is it important not to remove it from their environment? 3. What is the role of forests in preserving an ecosystem? 4. What is a rapid assessment program, how is it done, and what role does it play in protecting species? 5. What data would collect on the captured species during the RAP and what tools would you use? 6. Why should people in the United States care about species loss in another part of the world, such as Madagascar?

Species Loss – Yellowstone 1. What animal is being reintroduced into Yellowstone? 2. Why were the originally eliminated from the park? 3. What is a keystone species 4. What evidence is there that wolves are a keystone species? 5. How do beavers alter an ecosystem?

Species Loss – Cambodia 1. What is a top predator? 2. What is the top predator in the jungles of Cambodia? 3. Why are tigers hunted by poachers 4. What technology is used to track the tigers in the jungle? 5. How do Asian elephants alter the ecosystem? 6. What can be done to stop poaching?

Environmental Problems – China 1. Why is there such a demand for endangered species in China? 2. What is the underlying cause of resource exploitation? 3. What is the current rate of consumption around the world? 4. What are some of the natural resources China is exploiting? 5. What are some causes of water pollution? 6. What are some health concerns related to water pollution?

Chemicals inside You and Me 1. How do scientists look at traces of industrial chemicals in our blood? 2. Why are children and the elderly more susceptible to industrial chemicals? 3. What are some industrial chemicals that we should be concerned about and where do they exist in our daily lives?

4. What agency is responsible for chemical regulation in the United States? 5. What are some health problems related to some of these industrial chemicals?

Extension Question:

1. There are over 25,000 species of bees in the world today. Africanized honey bees (AHB), Apis mellifera L. scutellata (Lepetelier), sometimes referred to as killer bees, are the same species as European honeybees (EHB) but a different subspecies. Only through careful examination under a microscope, or through DNA tests, can AHBs be distinguished from EHBs. AHBs are called “Africanized” honeybees as a result of interbreeding experiments. The thought was that AHBs might be better suited for the tropical climates of South America than EHBs. In the 1950s, AHBs were inadvertently released in Brazil. AHBs began migrating (about 300 miles per year), arriving in southern Texas in 1990, Arizona and New Mexico in 1993, and southern California in 1994. Since 1994, migration has appeared to slow down significantly. Although the two subspecies are virtually indistinguishable, it is the behavior of the two subspecies that sets them apart. AHBs defend their colonies much more vigorously than do EHBs. When AHBs sting, more of them participate in extremely aggressive behavior. AHBs nest where EHBs do not, such as small, confined spaces near the ground such as flowerpots, abandoned tires, and cracks in building foundations.

A. Discuss the influx of AHBs in the southwest United States in terms of the process of natural selection. In what areas do the processes of natural selection apply to the colonization of AHBs, and in what areas do they not? What issues warrant further study?

B. Provide possible explanations of why the expansion of AHBs may have stopped.

C. What adaptations have the honeybees in general developed to be able to survive?

D. Provide some possible methods to control AHBs.

E. What are possible economic implications of AHBs to agriculture?

2. Biological diversity, or biodiversity, has become a topic of great concern among conservationists. Biodiversity is often used by scientists and policy makers to help determine the health of ecosystems.

(a) Describe TWO characteristics shared by ecosystems that have high biodiversity.

(b) Identify TWO specific human activities that result in a loss of biodiversity, and explain how each activity lowers biodiversity.

(c) For each human activity you discussed in (b), propose a practical strategy (other than simply banning the activity) to reduce the loss of biodiversity.

(d) Describe ONE naturally occurring factor that could lead to a loss of biodiversity.

(e) Describe TWO ecological benefits that greater biodiversity provides.