Problem
Watch the video: "Biodiversity Decline Video".
A. Where do scientists believe that half or more of the earth's species live?
B. How much tropical rainforest is destroyed annually?
C. What kinds of practices or activities contribute to the destruction of tropical rain forests?
D. What is the "hotspot" of tropical destruction according to Dr. Lawrence? Why is this occurring?
E. What has been the trend in the amount of tropical rainforest covering the earth over the last 50yrs?
F. According to Dr. Lawrence, what is the last great biological frontier for discovery of new species?
G. What happens to a large tropical rainforest when roads are developed that cut through it?
H. Describe the typical conditions inside a tropical rainforest.
I. What occurs on the border between a tropical rainforest and a dry, open, windy grassland?
J. What happens over time to the plant species found along that border?
K. Explain what Dr. Lawrence meant when he said "whenever there is an environmental change, there are winners and losers."
L. QuHow do scientists identify species of trees in the rainforest?
M. What did the scientists discover about bird species that had their habitat disrupted by road?
N. Why are coral reefs sometimes called the rainforest of the sea?
O. What occurred in the control coral reefs 2yrs after the oil spill?
P. How does Dr. Jackson attempt to understand and estimate the variety of species that existed in the ocean before human disturbance?
Q. What is the baseline, according to Dr. Jackson?
R. Which activities have contributed to the decline in ocean conditions and biodiversity?
S. What does Dr. Jackson estimate has occurred with the population of large fish since 1950?
T. How important are coral reefs to ocean ecosystems? What is their function?
U. How does overfishing impact the ocean ecosystem? How does it lead to destruction of the coral reef?
V. What is the "rise of slime" according to Dr. Jackson?
W. Why are herbivorous fish important to coral reef ecosystems?
X. What happens to coral when seaweed levels are reduced?
Y. Dr. Jackson stated that he believes that it is not too late to correct problems of the past and to once have health fish populations and oceans. Do you agree or disagree? Why?
Current Events Article Summary
Find an environmental science related article of your choice that is no more than 5yrs old. Please use one of the following sources in order to find your article:
1) National Geographic
2) Discover Magazine
3) New York Times
4) Scientific American
5) Time Magazine.