Q Only Good, Bad, Ugly Disturbances and Societies 11/18/15

Q only – Good, Bad, Ugly Disturbances and Societies – 11/18/15

1. Explain the title to this lecture, i.e., does it make sense to include all these definitions of disturbances? Is it a paradox to call a disturbance GOOD??

2. What role may natural disturbance events have on the persistence of some vegetative communities [as discussed in class]? Can you think of an example of where a tree kills of its neighbors by changing the disturbance cycles in a forest? HINT: think about fire

3. What was the typical human response to natural disturbances until the 1960s and what is a possible explanation for this? How has ignoring natural disturbances impacted our management of our landscapes for timber or conservation? Do humans have the technology to manage large scale natural disturbances? Provide an example when answering this question.

4. What are the repercussions if we lost prairies and grasslands as a biome type in North America? What/who loses if this were to occur??

5. Explain why disturbances are linked to Societal Collapse? What type of disturbance typically triggers societal collapse and why? Use an example when answering this question.

6. Why were the Nazca people susceptible to collapse even though they constructed an elaborate aqueduct system? What was the trigger point that pushed this civilization to collapse? How are forests linked to the collapse of the people of the Nazca?

7. What is the role of acid rain in our ecosystems? Is acid rain always bad for society? What is the cure to mitigate acid rain? Do we still have acid rain problems in the world or is this a problem that only occurred in the past?

8. Since most statues are made of marble [which is a limestone], why are statues becoming pitted with acid rain? What solutions have been proposed to stop statues from continuing to being pitted? Explain your answer.

9. What does it mean to be a Shifting Cultivators? What are the perceptions of governments towards shifting cultivators? Define this term.

10. In the case study written by Janet Sturgeon, how did the Chinese and Thai’s governments’ view of the Akha people impact the condition of the forests where they live?