Web Activities
UNIT 5: POPULATION DYNAMICS
Unit 5 - Performance Task and Review
Page Number
Question
p. 755
Performance Task
You will be provided with a list of suggested species. After
choosing one of these species, or after you have obtained teacher approval
to research another species, you can begin you research assignment.
The specific expectations for your research are outlined in Table 1
(page 755 of the Nelson Biology 12 Student Text). Details of
the assessment criteria are also provided.
p. 755
Species at risk
Convention
on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)
is a conservation agreement that is currently legally binding in 150
countries. It outlines what constitutes illegal traffic of endangered
animals. Canada’s customs officers are trained to enforce CITES.
Some
of the Major Laws Protecting Endangered Wildlife in the US
Some of the Major Laws Protecting Endangered Wildlife in the US outlines
The Endangered Species Act, The Protected Marine Mammal Act, and The
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). The
page is posted by the conservation organization, EarthTrust.
BOS-USA
BOS-USA is an organization dedicated to the conservation of orangutans
and their rainforest habitat in Southeast Asia.
Asian
Conservation Awareness Programme
The Asian Conservation Awareness Programme is an initiative of WildAid.
Their goal is to educate the global public of the plight of endangered
Asian animals that are currently being killed for commercial gain.
World
Wildlife Fund
World Wildlife Fund is one of the better-known conservation groups,
with a worldwide presence. Their site is extensive, with a link near
the bottom right leading to WWF sites for specific countries, including
Canada.
Greenpeace
Greenpeace is an activist organization with a wide environmental mandate.
They have had a longstanding campaign against whaling, with a dramatic
history of attempting to protect whales by extreme measures - like
placing themselves between the hunter and the prey.
Species
at Risk
Species at Risk is the Government of Canada’s searchable database
of all species in Canada that have some kind of endangerment status.
Information is also given on the classification of organisms as ‘at
risk’, as well as current recovery programs.
Jane
Goodall Institute
The Jane Goodall Institute was initiated by the famous biologist of
the same name. The mandate of the organization is broadly conservation
and education, with a particular emphasis - unsurprisingly - on chimpanzees.
Project
Seahorse
Species-specific conservation programs tend to focus on cute, fuzzy
mammals. Project Seahorse breaks that mold, with a model approach
that incorporates research, education, politics, culture, and activism.
p. 758
Review
28. (c) Research the events that actually occurred in Ireland
before 1900 that led to this decline in carrying capacity.
Ireland’s
Potato Famine
Ireland’s Potato Famine gives a good, basic description of the
famine, its causes, and its consequences.
Interpreting
The Irish Famine, 1846-1850
Interpreting The Irish Famine, 1846-1850 was created by a history
student at the University of Virginia. It outlines the factors contributing
to this disaster and its consequences, and provides a selection of
links, including some photos and illustrations.
A
Concise History of Ireland
Chapter Ten in A Concise History of Ireland deals with the events
surrounding the Great Famine of Ireland in the late 1840s. The author
seems to possess an anti-British sentiment; you decide whether or
not it is with reason!
The
Act of Union and The Great Famine
The Act of Union and The Great Famine presents a concise rendition
of the 19th century history of Ireland. It portrays the English's
role in the famine as rather benign, in contrast to some other sources
that place blame.
A
Lecture on the Antecendent Causes of the Irish Famine in 1847
A Lecture on the Antecendent Causes of the Irish Famine in 1847 was
delivered by the Bishop of New York in 1847. It makes for some very
interesting reading!
The
Other Toronto: Irish Catholics in a Victorian City 1850-1900
The Other Toronto: Irish Catholics in a Victorian City 1850-1900 puts
a Canadian spin on this period of Irish history, with a description
of the treatment and perception of Irish immigrants right here in
Ontario.
p. 758
Review
30. Healthy, natural ecosystems play an important role in
controlling the emergence and spread of infectious diseases by maintaining
a balance between predators and prey, and parasites and their hosts.
The deer tick, Ixodes dammini, feeds in white-tailed deer and
occasionally bites people. Lyme disease is spread by the bite of ticks
that are carrying the bacteria Borreila burgdorferi. Today,
the only area of Ontario with a risk of Lyme disease is Long Point on
the shore of Lake Erie. Research Lyme disease and answer the following:
a. Is Lyme disease a serious health concern? Justify your
answer.
b. Is there a natural balance between predators and the deer population
of Long Point?
c. What strategies in both wildlife management and human behaviour
might reduce the risk of acquiring this disease?
What
is Lyme Disease?
What is Lyme Disease?, by the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health
and Safety, provides excellent coverage of this condition, its causes,
prevention, and incidence in Canada.
Lyme
Links
A huge list of Lyme Links are organized topically on this Web page.
Choose sites from organizations and governments around the globe featuring
newsletters, factsheets, statistics, and much more.
Lyme
Disease
Comprehensive coverage of Lyme Disease is provided by the US Center
for Disease Control.
Deer
Protection and Control
Deer Protection and Control discusses the effect of overpopulation
growth of deer, including their influence on lyme disease, and outlines
some solutions.
p. 459
Review
35. Research one CIDA funded project that invests in food-production
technologies. For the project, identify the following:
(a) What specific problem(s) does the project address?
(b) What role does CIDA have in the project?
(c) Outline specific details of the project.
(d) Evaluate and discuss the potential of the project to enhance the
long-term sustainability of the population and natural environment.
CIDA
CIDA stands for the Canadian International Development Agency, which
funds projects in over 150 countries around the world. Information
on these projects is provided on their Web site, organized by region.
p. 759
Review
36. Lake Victoria in central Africa was home to large populations
of hundreds of different species of cichlid fishes. Although small in
size they were a source of food for the local human population. In the
1960s the Nile perch was introduced into Lake Victoria in hopes of establishing
a population of this much larger edible species. Research the outcome
of this intentional introduction.
a. Describe the initial population growth rate if the perch
population.
b. Describe the ecological relationship of the perch. What were its
new sources of food? Did it have any predators?
c. What impacts did its introduction have on cichlid species?
d. Describe the long-term success or failure of the introduction.
Is it a valuable food source for the local human population? What
were the long-term impacts on the native species inhabiting Lake Victoria?
Nile
Perch, Trade and Environment
Nile Perch, Trade and Environment is a report on the ecological and
economic impact of the introduction of this fish species into Lake
Victoria in the 1950s and 1960s.
Lake
Victoria: Nile Perch
Lake Victoria: Nile Perch is an excellent news program delivered by
the American Museum of Natural History. It explains how this voracious
predator winded up in Lake Victoria. A link at the bottom of the page
leads to further news programs on the same subject.
Lake
Victoria: A Sick Giant
This short article covers a brief history of Lake Victoria and explains
the damage that the Nile perch has caused to the lake and its endemic
species and also explains what can be done to remedy the situation.
