DOCSLIB.ORG

Sustaining Biodiversity: the Species Approach 1 Chapter 12: Learning Log Instructions: Answer the Following Questions on a Separate Piece of Paper

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Sustaining Biodiversity: the Species Approach 1 Chapter 12: Learning Log Instructions: Answer the Following Questions on a Separate Piece of Paper CHAPTER 12 SUSTAINING BIODIVERSITY: THE SPECIES APPROACH Objectives 1. Describe the economic, medical, scientific, ecological, aesthetic, recreational, and ethical significance of wild species. Define biophilia. Summarize your position toward protection of different species. 2. Describe the general process of extinction. Compare past extinctions to present extinctions. Start with E. O. Wilson’s estimates for habitat destruction and loss of biodiversity. Calculate a range of estimations of biodiversity loss based on high and low assumptions. 3. Distinguish among local extinction, ecological extinction, and biological extinction. Distinguish between threatened and endangered species. List nine characteristics that make species extinction prone. 4. List three root causes of extinction of wildlife. List eight human activities that directly increase the wildlife extinction rate. Summarize the condition of the world’s fisheries and the causes of those conditions. 5. Explain how bioinformatics is being used to help protect wild species. 6. State and briefly describe the most far-reaching international treaty to protect wildlife. List four strategies that have been used recently to weaken the Endangered Species Act. List three recommendations for strengthening the Endangered Species Act. State three guidelines that conservation biologists would use to determine “priority species.” 7. Assess the advantages and disadvantages of using wildlife refuges, gene banks, botanical gardens, and zoos to protect wildlife. 8. Describe how wildlife populations can be managed by manipulating the successional stage of the habitat and by sport hunting. Evaluate whose interests are generally the most influential in determining wildlife management priorities. 9. Describe freshwater and marine fishery management and how it can be improved. Analyze the lessons to be learned from the decline of the whaling industry. Key Terms (Terms are listed in the same font styles as they appear in the text.) local extinction (p. 225) microorganisms (p. 230) eminent domain (p. 242) ecological extinction (p. 225) HIPPO (p. 231) habitat conservation plans biological extinction (p. 225) environmental indicators (p. (HCPs) (p. 243) endangered species (p. 225) 234) safe harbor agreements (p. threatened (vulnerable) kudzu vine (p. 234) 243) species (p. 225) wild (feral) boars (p. 234) voluntary candidate extinction spasm (p. 227) feral cats (p. 234) conservation red lists (p. 228) outdoor pet cats (p. 234) agreements (p. 234) species-area relationship (p. Argentina fire ant (p. 236) gene (seed) banks (p. 245) 228) Formosan termite (p. 237) botanical gardens (p. 246) hot spots (p. 229) bushmeat (p. 239) arboretums (p. 246) speciation crisis (p. 229) Convention on Biological butterfly farms (p. 246) precautionary strategy (p. 229) Diversity (CBD) (p. 241) egg pulling (p. 246) instrumental value (p. 229) National conservation strategy captive breeding (p. 246) eco-tourism (p. 230) (p. 241) frozen zoos (p. 247) pollen-eating bats (p. 230) Lacey Act of 1900 (p. 241) reconciliation ecology (p. fruit-eating bats (p. 230) Endangered Species Act of 247) intrinsic value (p. 230) 1973 (p. 241) biophilia (p. 230) critical habitat (p. 241) Sustaining Biodiversity: The Species Approach 1 Chapter 12: Learning Log Instructions: Answer the following questions on a separate piece of paper. 1. Define the boldfaced terms in this chapter. (OMIT) 2. What factors led to the extinction of the passenger pigeon in the United States? 3. Distinguish among local, ecological, and biological extinction of a species. 4. Distinguish between endangered and threatened species and give two examples of each. List eight characteristics that make species vulnerable to biological extinction. 5. Give three reasons why it is so difficult to estimate how human activities are affecting extinction rates. Describe two methods scientists use to estimate how human activities are affecting extinction rates. 6. What is the estimated range of annual extinction rates caused by human activities based on using these methods? How do these rates compare with the estimated annual extinction rate before humans appeared? 7. List three reasons why most biologists believe their current estimates of extinction rates from human activities are probably too low. 8. Explain why we should care about species extinction. What is the intrinsic value of species? What is biophilia? 9. Describe the ecological and economic importance of bat species. 10. What are four basic causes of the population reduction and extinction of wild species? 11. Describe how each of the following factors contributes to the premature extinction of species, and give an example of a species affected by each factor: (a) habitat loss and degradation, (b) habitat fragmentation, (c) deliberately introduced nonnative species, (d) accidentally introduced nonnative species, (e) commercial hunting and illegal hunting (poaching), (f) predator and pest control, (g) the legal and illegal market for exotic pets and decorative plants, and (h) climate change and pollution. 12. What percentage of the world's known bird species are (a) declining in numbers and (b) threatened with extinction? List three reasons why birds are excellent indicators of environmental conditions. 13. Give two examples of (a) deliberately introduced harmful species and (b) accidentally introduced harmful species. 2 Chapter 12 14. What are major characteristics of (a) successful invader species and (b) ecosystems vulnerable to invader species? List four ways to reduce the threat from nonnative species. 15. List the benefits and limitations of protecting species using (a) the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and (b) the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in the United States. 16. Distinguish among habitat conservation plans, safe harbor agreements, and voluntary candidate conservation plans used as ways to help implement the ESA. 17. What are the advantages and disadvantages of compensating landowners when the protection of endangered species decreases the financial value of their land? 18. Give reasons why you believe the ESA has been a failure or a success. List measures that would strengthen and weaken the ESA in the United States. List the major accomplishments of the Endangered Species Act. 19. Summarize the advantages and disadvantages of using the following to help protect endangered species: (a) wildlife refuges, (b) gene banks and botanical gardens, (c) zoos and animal research centers, and (d) aquariums. 20. What is reconciliation ecology? Give two examples of reconciliation ecology. Outline 12-1 Species Extinction The three levels of species extinction are local, ecological, and biological. A. Local extinction occurs when a species disappears from an area in which it once inhabited, but is found elsewhere in the world. B. Ecological extinction occurs when the number of members of a particular species is so low that they cannot fulfill their ecological roles in their biological communities. C. Biological extinction occurs when a species has disappeared from the earth. D. Species heading toward biological extinction are either endangered or threatened. 1. Endangered species are so few in number that the species could soon become extinct over all or part of its natural range. 2. Threatened/vulnerable species are still abundant in their natural range but, because of loss in numbers, is likely to become endangered in the near future. 3. The first species to go tend to be the big, slow, and tasty ones—ones whose valuable parts can be sold. 4. The passenger pigeon represents lost natural capital, primarily because of overhunting and habitat destruction directly attributable to man. 5. A survey in 2000 found that about one-third of 21,000 animal and plant species in the U.S. are vulnerable to premature extinction. E. Biologists use measurements and models to estimate extinction rates. 1. Background extinctions, mass extinctions, and mass depletions account for a loss of 99.9% of all species that have ever existed. 2. Extinction spasm describes the loss of a large number of species within a few centuries. 3. Predicting extinctions is always difficult because of three factors. Sustaining Biodiversity: The Species Approach 3 a. Extinction usually takes a long time and is difficult to document/prove. b. A small percentage of the world’s species have been identified. c. We know very little about most of the world’s identified species. 4. Various methods are used to estimate extinction rates. a. One approach is to study past records documenting extinction since man came on the scene. b. The World Conservation Union as kept Red Lists that are the world standard for listing all threatened species throughout the world. They provide baseline information on change in biodiversity over time. c. Define the number of species’ increase as the size of an area increases (species-area relationship). d. When an area decreases by 90%, about 50% of the species there become extinct. e. Use models to estimate a species extinction risk by predicting population size, habitat changes/availability, and species interaction. f. Estimates of future extinction vary due to different assumptions about total species number, proportion found in the tropics, rate of clearance of tropics, and reliability of methods. 5. Human activities affect extinction rates. a. Currently, the rate of extinction is estimated to be 1,000–10,000 times the rate before mankind existed. b. Using estimated extinction rates, 20% of the
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Final Report of the Statewide Ecological Extinction Task Force
    FINAL REPORT OF THE STATEWIDE ECOLOGICAL EXTINCTION TASK FORCE ESTABLISHED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 20 OF THE 149TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED TO THE GOVERNOR, PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE OF THE SENATE, AND SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE DECEMBER 1ST, 2017 TABLE OF CONTENTS MEMBERS OF THE TASK FORCE ............................................................................... 1 PREFACE.................................................................................................................. 2 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY BACKGROUND OF THE TASK FORCE .............................................................. 6 OVERVIEW OF MEETINGS .............................................................................. 7 TASK FORCE FINDINGS ............................................................................................ 10 TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATIONS .......................................................................... 11 APPENDICES A. SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 20 ................................................... 16 B. COMPOSITION OF TASK FORCE AND MEMBER BIOGRAPHIES ................... 19 C. MINUTES FROM TASK FORCE MEETINGS ................................................. 32 D. INTERN REPORT ....................................................................................... 105 E. LINKS TO SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS CONTRIBUTED BY TASK FORCE MEMBERS .............................................
    [Show full text]
  • Ecosystem Impact of the Decline of Large Whales in the North Pacific
    SIXTEEN Ecosystem Impact of the Decline of Large Whales in the North Pacific DONALD A. CROLL, RAPHAEL KUDELA, AND BERNIE R. TERSHY Biodiversity loss can significantly alter ecosystem processes over a 150-year period (Springer et al. 2003). Although large (Chapin et al. 2000), and ecological extinction can have whales are significant consumers of pelagic prey, such as similar effects (Jackson et al. 2001). For marine vertebrates, schooling fish and euphausiids (krill), the trophic impacts of overharvesting is the main driver of ecological extinction, their removal is not clear (Trites et al. 1999). Indeed, it is and the expansion of fishing fleets into the open ocean has possible that the biomass of prey consumed by large whales precipitated rapid declines in pelagic apex predators such as prior to exploitation exceeded that currently taken by com- whales (Baker and Clapham 2002), sharks (Baum et al. 2003), mercial fisheries (Baker and Clapham 2002), but estimates of tuna, and billfishes (Cox et al. 2002; Christensen et al. 2003), prey consumption by large whales before and after the period leading to a trend in global fisheries toward exploitation of of intense human exploitation are lacking. Given the large lower trophic levels (Pauly et al. 1998a). Globally, many fish biomass of pre-exploitation whale populations (see, e.g., stocks are overexploited (Steneck 1998), and the resulting Whitehead 1995; Roman and Palumbi 2003), their high ecological extinctions have been implicated in the collapse mammalian metabolic rate, and their relatively high trophic of numerous nearshore coastal ecosystems (Jackson et al. position (Trites 2001), it is likely that the removal of large 2001).
    [Show full text]
  • The Oyster : Contributions to Habitat, Biodiversity, & Ecological Resiliency
    The Oyster : Contributions to Habitat, Biodiversity, & Ecological Resiliency Factors Affecting Oyster Distribution & Abundance Physical = salinity, temperature Salinity & Temperature •S - dynamic change ~daily basis; T - changes seasonally •Affects community organization - high S & T= predators, disease By Steve Morey, FAMU ‘Oysters suffered significant disease- related mortality under high-salinity, drought conditions, particularly in the summer.’ Dermo Perkinsus marinus Petes et al. 2012. Impacts of upstream drought and water withdrawals on the health & survival of downstream estuarine oyster populations. Ecology & Evolution 2(7):1712-1724 Factors Affecting Oyster Distribution & Abundance Physical = River flow Seasonal River Flow •Major influence on physical & biological relationships •Delivers low salinity H2O, turbidity, high nutrient & detritus concentrations •River flow, when high, can extend far offshore influencing shelf-edge productivity Factors Affecting Oyster Distribution & Abundance Competition for space & food at different life stages • Can be intraspecific -oysters competing with oysters- or interspecific - other species competing with oysters) Oysters • Can affect settlement patterns, and so alter community structure • Can reduce oyster density, growth, or physical condition Oysters eat phytoplankton & other organisms within a small size range, competing with other Barnacles filter feeders Mussels & Tunicates Factors Affecting Oyster Distribution & Abundance Species interactions – predation & disease •Habitat complexity
    [Show full text]
  • Maintaining Humanity's Life Support Systems in the 21St Century
    Scientific Consensus on Maintaining Humanity’s Life Support Systems in the 21st Century Information for Policy Makers 02 Contents Essential PointS for PoliCy MakErS ii One-Page Executive Summary ovErviEw of thE fivE Key Problems iii One-Page Overview of Problems and Broad-Brush Solutions Preface: Purpose of this Consensus Statement 1 background information: Dangerous Trends in our Life Support Systems 2 rising to the Challenge 3 Climate Disruption 4 Extinctions 7 Ecosystem Transformation 11 Pollution 14 Population Growth and Resource Consumption 16 Interactions 19 Cited Supporting Studies 21 Some other relevant reports 26 liSt of Supporting-SCiEntiSt Signatures 27 i ESSEntial PointS FOR PoliCy MakErS Scientific Consensus on Maintaining Humanity’s Life Support Systems in the 21st Century Earth is rapidly approaching a tipping point. Human impacts are causing alarming levels of harm to our planet. As scientists who study the interaction of people with the rest of the biosphere using a wide range of approaches, we agree that the evidence that humans are damaging their ecological life-support systems is overwhelming. We further agree that, based on the best scientific information available, human quality of life will suffer substantial degradation by the year 2050 if we continue on our current path. Science unequivocally demonstrates the human impacts of key concern: • Climate disruption — more, faster climate change than since humans first became a species • Extinctions — not since the dinosaurs went extinct have so many species and populations died out so fast, both on land and in the oceans. • Wholesale loss of diverse ecosystems — we have plowed, paved, or otherwise transformed more than 40% of Earth’s ice-free land, and no place on land or in the sea is free of our direct or indirect influences.
    [Show full text]
  • Sea Turtles : the Importance of Sea Turtles to Marine Ecosystems
    PHOTO TIM CALVER WHY HEALTHY OCEANS NEED SEA TURTLES : THE IMPORTANCE OF SEA TURTLES TO MARINE ECOSYSTEMS Wilson, E.G., Miller, K.L., Allison, D. and Magliocca, M. oceana.org/seaturtles S E L T R U T Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank Karen Bjorndal for her review of this report. We would also like to thank The Streisand Foundation for their support of Oceana’s work to save sea turtles. PHOTO MICHAEL STUBBLEFIELD OCEANA | Protecting the World’s Oceans TABLE OF CONTENTS WHY HEALTHY OCEANS NEED SEA TURTLES 3 Executive Summary 4 U.S. Sea Turtles 5 Importance of Sea Turtles to Healthy Oceans 6 Maintaining Habitat Importance of Green Sea Turtles on Seagrass Beds Impact of Hawksbill Sea Turtles on Coral Reefs Benefit of Sea Turtles to Beach Dunes 9 Maintaining a Balanced Food Web Sea Turtles and Jellyfish Sea Turtles Provide Food for Fish 11 Nutrient Cycling Loggerheads Benefit Ocean Floor Ecosystems Sea Turtles Improve Nesting Beaches 12 Providing Habitat 14 The Risk of Ecological Extinction 15 Conclusions oceana.org/seaturtles 1 S E L T R U T PHOTO TIM CALVER 2 OCEANA | Protecting the World’s Oceans EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Sea turtles have played vital roles in maintaining the health of the world’s oceans for more than 100 million years. These roles range from maintaining productive coral reef ecosystems to transporting essential nutrients from the oceans to beaches and coastal dunes. Major changes have occurred in the oceans because sea turtles have been virtually eliminated from many areas of the globe. Commercial fishing, loss of nesting habitat and climate change are among the human-caused threats pushing sea turtles towards extinction.
    [Show full text]
  • Assessing Ecological Function in the Context of Species Recovery H
    Assessing ecological function in the context of species recovery H. Resit Akçakaya, Ana S.L. Rodrigues, David Keith, E.J. Milner-gulland, Eric Sanderson, Simon Hedges, David Mallon, Molly Grace, Barney Long, Erik Meijaard, et al. To cite this version: H. Resit Akçakaya, Ana S.L. Rodrigues, David Keith, E.J. Milner-gulland, Eric Sanderson, et al.. Assessing ecological function in the context of species recovery. Conservation Biology, Wiley, 2020, 10.1111/cobi.13425. hal-02383294 HAL Id: hal-02383294 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02383294 Submitted on 18 Nov 2020 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. Article type: Essay Assessing Ecological Function in the Context of Species Recovery H. Resit Akçakaya1,2, Ana S.L. Rodrigues3, David A. Keith2,4,5, E.J. Milner-Gulland6, Eric W. Sanderson7, Simon Hedges8,9, David P. Mallon10,11, Molly K. Grace12, Barney Long13, Erik Meijaard14,15, P.J. Stephenson16,17 1 Dept. of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA. email: [email protected] 2 IUCN Species Survival Commission 3 Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive CEFE UMR 5175, CNRS – Univ.
    [Show full text]
  • Future of the Sea: Marine Biodiversity
    Future of the Sea: Marine Biodiversity Foresight – Future of the Sea Evidence Review Foresight, Government Office for Science Marine biodiversity The future of marine biodiversity and marine ecosystem functioning in UK coastal and territorial waters (including UK Overseas Territories) Frithjof C. Küpper & Nicholas A. Kamenos November 2017 This review has been commissioned as part of the UK government’s Foresight Future of the Sea project. The views expressed do not represent policy of any government or organisation. Marine biodiversity Contents Contents ..................................................................................................................................................3 Executive summary ................................................................................................................................5 1. Current trends and effects on UK interests ......................................................................................7 1.1 Biodiversity loss and implications for ecosystem functioning ...........................................................7 1.2 Ocean warming due to climate change ...........................................................................................7 1.3 Overexploitation ..............................................................................................................................8 1.4 Plastic pollution ...............................................................................................................................9 1.5 Invasive
    [Show full text]
  • Understanding the Ecology of Extinction: Are We Close to the Critical Threshold?
    Ann. Zool. Fennici 40: 71–80 ISSN 0003-455X Helsinki 30 April 2003 © Finnish Zoological and Botanical Publishing Board 2003 Understanding the ecology of extinction: are we close to the critical threshold? Tim G. Benton Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK (e-mail: [email protected]) Received 25 Nov. 2002, revised version received 20 Jan. 2003, accepted 21 Jan. 2003 Benton, T. G. 2003: Understanding the ecology of extinction: are we close to the critical threshold? — Ann. Zool. Fennici 40: 71–80. How much do we understand about the ecology of extinction? A review of recent lit- erature, and a recent conference in Helsinki gives a snapshot of the “state of the art”*. This “snapshot” is important as it highlights what we currently know, the tools avail- able for studying the process of extinction, its ecological correlates, and the theory concerning extinction thresholds. It also highlights that insight into the ecology of extinction can come from areas as diverse as the study of culture, the fossil record and epidemiology. Furthermore, it indicates where the gaps in knowledge and understand- ing exist. Of particular note is the need either to generate experimental data, or to make use of existing empirical data — perhaps through meta-analyses, to test general theory and guide its future development. Introduction IUCNʼs 2002 Red List, a total of 11 167 species are currently known to be threatened (http:// Few would argue that managing natural popu- www.redlist.org/info/tables/table1.html), though lations and their habitats is one of the greatest this is a gross underestimate of the true value, as, challenges for humans in the 21st century.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter 11: Sustaining Biodiversity-The Species Approach
    November 19, 2014 Chapter 11: Sustaining Biodiversity-The Species Approach • PASSENGER PIGEON > Uncontrolled commercial hunting > Habitat loss (farms and cities) > Behavior made them easy to hunt > Only lay 1 egg per nest each year November 19, 2014 Three Types of Species Extinction • Local extinction: Species no longer found in an area it once inhabited, but still found elsewhere in the world. > Often involves losses of one or more populations of species. Why?? • Ecological extinction: So few left that no longer fulfill ecological role. • Biological extinction: No longer found anywhere on earth. (Is it forever?) November 19, 2014 Endangered v. Threatened Species • Endangered species: so few individual survivors that species could soon become extinct over all or most of its natural range • Threatened species (vulnerable species): still abundant in natural range but declining numbers and is likely to become endangered in the near future. November 19, 2014 Characteristics of species that are vulnerable to extinction: "The first animal species to go are the big, the slow, the tasty, and those with valuable parts such as tusks and skins". -Edward O. Wilson Behavioral characteristics • Nesting in large flocks • Key deer November 19, 2014 Human activities threaten many species with premature extinction • Data below shows percentage of species threatened with premature extinction as a result of human activities. • Why are so many species of fish, particularly freshwater species, threatened? November 19, 2014 Estimating extinction rates • Estimating extinction rates is useful but difficult • 3 problems: > Extinction takes a long time: Not easy to document > Only 1.4 million of 4-100 million species known > Know little about most of species that have been identified.
    [Show full text]
  • Global Marine Biodiversity Trends 95
    Annu. Rev. Environ. Resour. 2006. 31:93-122 doi: 10.1146/annurev.energy.31.020105.100235 Copyright (c) 2006 by Annual Reviews. All rights reserved First published online as a Review in Advance on August 10, 2006 G lobal M a r in e B iodiversity T r e n d s Enric Sala and Nancy Knowlton Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0202; email: [email protected], [email protected] Key Words historical change, human impacts, natural disturbances ■ Abstract Marine biodiversity encompasses all levels of complexity of life in the sea, from within species to across ecosystems. At all levels, marine biodiversity has naturally exhibited a general, slow trajectory of increase, punctuated by mass extinc­ tions at the evolutionary scale and by disturbances at the ecological scale. In historical times, a synergy of human threats, including overfishing, global warming, biological introductions, and pollution, has caused a rapid decline in global marine biodiversity, as measured by species extinctions, population depletions, and community homog­ enization. The consequences of this biodiversity loss include changes in ecosystem function and a reduction in the provision of ecosystem services. Global biodiversity loss will continue and likely accelerate in the future, with potentially more frequent ecological collapses and community-wide shifts. However, the timing and magnitude of these catastrophic events are probably unpredictable. CONTENTS INTRODUCTION
    [Show full text]
  • Forecasting Extinctions: Uncertainties and Limitations
    Diversity 2009, 1, 133-150; doi:10.3390/d1020133 OPEN ACCESS diversity ISSN 2071-1050 www.mdpi.com/journal/diversity Review Forecasting Extinctions: Uncertainties and Limitations Richard J. Ladle 1,2 1 School of Geography and the Environment, Oxford University, South Parks Road, Oxford, UK; E-Mail: [email protected]; Tel.: +55-31-3899 1902; Fax: +55-31-3899-2735 2 Department of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa, Brazil Received: 13 October 2009 / Accepted: 14 November 2009 / Published: 26 November 2009 Abstract: Extinction forecasting is one of the most important and challenging areas of conservation biology. Overestimates of extinction rates or the extinction risk of a particular species instigate accusations of hype and overblown conservation rhetoric. Conversely, underestimates may result in limited resources being allocated to other species/habitats perceived as being at greater risk. In this paper I review extinction models and identify the key sources of uncertainty for each. All reviewed methods which claim to estimate extinction probabilities have severe limitations, independent of if they are based on ecological theory or on rather subjective expert judgments. Keywords: extinction; uncertainty; forecasting; local extinction; viability 1. Introduction ―Prediction is very difficult, especially about the future‖ Nils Bohr, Nobel Prize winning physicist Preventing the extinction of species is probably the most emblematic objective of the global conservation movement. To fulfill this aim effectively requires that decision makers and environmental managers are provided with accurate information on: (1) the identities of specific species/populations with a high probability of going extinct without further interventions; (2) the predicted rates of extinction among a range of taxa in different geographic areas and biomes under various ecological scenarios.
    [Show full text]
  • Arthropods and the Current Great Mass Extinction: Effective Themes to Decrease Arthropod Fear and Disgust and Increase Positive Environmental Beliefs in Children?
    International Journal Journal of Environmental of Environmental & Science & Educat Scienceion Education (2014), 9, 197-214 Vol. 3, No. 3, July 2008, xx-xx Arthropods and the Current Great Mass Extinction: Effective Themes to Decrease Arthropod Fear and Disgust and Increase Positive Environmental Beliefs in Children? Amy Wagler The University of Texas at El Paso Ron Wagler The University of Texas at El Paso Received 16 October 2013; Accepted 14 February 2014 Doi: 10.12973/ijese.2014.211a Earth is experiencing a great mass extinction (GME) that has been caused by the environmentally destructive activities of humans. This GME is having and will have profound effects on Earth’s biodiversity if environmental sustainability is not reached. Activities and curriculum tools have been developed to assist teachers in integrating the current GME theme into their existing curriculum. There has also been a recent appeal to incorporate the current GME theme into science and environmental education research but this research has yet to be conducted. This study presents the first time the current GME theme has been assessed in a research setting. This study analyzed the effect living Poecilotheria spider activities had on United States children. The variables measured included 1) human fear toward the Poecilotheria spiders; 2) human disgust toward the Poecilotheria spiders; and 3) human environmental beliefs associated with the current GMEs impact on the Poecilotheria spiders. New to this study is the finding that the use of living spiders in a positive educational setting that addresses the current GME are effective tools in decreasing fear and disgust and increasing positive environmental beliefs toward Poecilotheria spiders in children.
    [Show full text]