Requested
responses for this video:
A.
Your textbook lists seven ecological services of forests. List these
along with three more you can find in this video or elsewhere. They can be
subsets of the "main" ones. The ecological services listed by the
book include: Support energy flow and chemical cycling, reduce soil erosion,
absorb and release water, purify water and air, influence local and regional
climate, store atmospheric carbon, and provide numerous wildlife habitats. Of
course the book names every one that I would think of, so I took to the Internet
to dig up several more. Oddly missing
from the book are the following services: The forests provide recreation,
cultural habitation, soil formation, and genetic resources/biological control
(biodiversity).
B.
Why is an International Day of the Forest important to recognize? In
my opinion, It keeps us looking at both the forests themselves (their overall
health), and the quality of life and sustainability of the organisms (and
people) that populate them. Any yearly holiday like this one also tends to act
as a mile marker on many organizational and personal journeys toward both major
and minor accomplishments. In essence, it makes you take a moment and look back
at what you did, and did not accomplish.
C.
Name two groups involved in the preservation of forests. I assume this
question is looking for organized conservation groups, two that come to mind
are the International Conservation Union (IUCN), and the Rainforest Alliance.
There are actually quite a few others, even the Wildlife Conservation Society
plays a role in protecting rain forests and have arguably been super effective
at doing so. Just for kicks (and because I adore the rain forests) Two activist
groups that deserve attention are the Rain forest Action Network (RAN), and the
Amazon Watch. Both of these groups do wonderful things for keeping an eye on
anything commercial or industrial that would affect the rain forests they watch
over. You may notice I specifically excluded Greenpeace… yeah, if you really
want to know more about organizations like Greenpeace and PETA, just do some
googling and you’ll see what these “nonprofits” have become in their adulthood.
§ Wild Earth
Guardians. Wilderness
Proposal for Forests in Utah. Many resources for information here.
Requested
responses for this document:
A.
List the characteristics and ecological values of wilderness. I hope I’m
getting the drift of this question, but the characteristics of wilderness are:
an area over 5000 acres of continuous wild land. Smaller areas can sometimes be
listed as wilderness as well, although this usually hinges around unique land
features or habitats. The area must be natural, which in essence just means it
has to appear to have been primarily shaped by nature with any human impacts
being relatively unnoticeable (IE fences, lookouts, etc). The region has to be
primitive, so again, for the most part be unnoticeably affected by human
interaction. Finally there are other supplemental values, like unique
geological, scientific, educational, historical, or ecological qualities, but
none of these are required to qualify the land as wilderness. Really the above
pretty clearly expresses the value of wilderness. They allow us the incredible opportunity
to look at a world that hasn’t been shaped by us (although in an abstract way
we have probably affected every inch of the planet at this point in one way or
another), and the deeper areas have scientific, cultural, and historical
significance. Also, they promote life doing what it does best, surviving and
diversifying. If you really think about it, we are a force powerful enough, and
unregulated horrible enough, to actually cripple natural evolution, it’s spooky
huh?
B.
Name and describe two things in this document that "speak" to
you. By this I mean they touched your emotions in some way. Why do you think
you responded in this way? All jokes aside, I’m very emotionally muted, but the
two things in the world that get my goat like none other are cruelty to
children and animals. It actually upsets me deeply, because they actually can’t
defend themselves, and of course the world is comprised of (primarily) a bunch
of jerks that think that just because they can treat another life a certain way
and get away with it, they should. Just thinking about that topic lights a fire
in me, I tell you. Before even reading this question and browsing around the site
though, I got my usual feeling of “nature deserves better than us,” although I
tend to get that whenever I look at particularly beautiful pictures of scenery
and animals, so I suppose that’s pretty typical. That really just stems from a
deeper feeling of responsibility that think a lot of the world lacks. Not that
I entirely blame them, some people are so busy just trying to get by, that they
can’t possibly spend time thinking about the topic. This of course also gets me
thinking about what I could be doing differently in regard to how I affect the
world personally, which usually results in looking up prices on assorted
alterations and upgrades I could do to my living area to cut back some; which
inevitably leads to me feeling defeated before I started due to the lack of caring
on the part of the majority, which makes me want to have a drink and watch a
documentary (my form of chocolate for depression). I’m sure all of that sounds
insane, but there you have it. On a separate note: I also got the sinking
feeling that this organization really needs to fix up their website. I know
they are trying to offer a lot of information, but sometimes it’s best to just
ask for money up front with a few key points as to why you should donate; and
save the specifics for interested parties. Just a friendly criticism that I
shared with the website’s operators via email.
C.
Name two groups involved in preservation of wilderness. I don’t know if
this is the information being asked for here, but two groups we covered in the
reading are the Bureau of Land Management, and the Forest Service. Both are
concerned with the legislation and policy making regarding wild lands so I
think they are good choices.
D.
If you are interested in helping in this effort, what can you do? This
question is hard to answer after my tirade about feeling defeated before I
start in question B. Honestly, it’s probably easiest to just donate money to a group that is handling some local
or national facet of what matters most to you (although if you have $100 to
give yearly, I’d recommend splitting that up across 5 organizations in the name
of overall contributions being better annually). Of course you can try to
control your own footprint on things, and encourage others to do the same
(every little bit really does help, even if I come off as a defeatist).
Finally, you could look up a local or national group like the Arizona
Wilderness Coalition (for those of you from AZ) and simply see what roles they
need filled; this can extend from public teaching to graphic design, so again,
never assume you are powerless, because if everyone assumed that, we’d never
get anything done.
Requested
responses:
A.
What is the impact on people living in the areas where this takes place?
Do a little research and describe. Oddly enough, this is another topic I know a
thing or two about. Not only does mountaintop removal contaminate drinking
water (not all the time, but it has definitely happened). It’s directly
dangerous from flying debris; in fact, I’m fairly certain there has been several
cases of people’s homes being damaged and lives being threatened by some of the
larger parts. Mountaintopping can cause nasty flash floods (from the diversion
of water) which are accompanied by ridiculous mud slides as well. There’s coal
sludge build up and dumping, habitat destruction, economic hardships (loss of
jobs / land that yields goods), the list really goes on and on. The proof is
light, but there also seems to be a correlation between mountaintopping and
general health issues. In areas of high level mining (of almost any kind) there
seems to be an increase in morbidity, depression, diabetes, heart disease, even
cancer, compared to surrounding areas of the same region.
B.
Name and describe two things in this video that "speak" to you.
By this I mean they touched your emotions in some way. Why do you think you
responded in this way? Once again, I get the negative emotion associated with “we
can do awesome things, and this is what we do with it,” which again stems from
my overall feeling about the environment being not only our home, but our
responsibility. The other (somewhat less common) reaction I had was the
awestruck feeling I get when I see large mining equipment. It really is
impressive, even if it’s often used for crappy reasons. Again however, it’s
important to keep in mind that I’m a little emotionally muted, so I have a
really hard time answering questions like this anyway.
C.
Name two groups involved in preservation of mountaintops. I actually
didn’t know the name of any organization that fought for the mountaintops (a
few in each other region, but not that high up). Two I dug up that seem to be reputable
are the Keeper of the Mountains Foundation, and the Coal River Mountain Watch.
I say “good for you” to any organization working toward protecting mountain top
from this type of stupidity. Because let’s face it, we’re all adults here, this
type of behavior is simply greedy and stupid. I don’t have a classier way to
word this, the people engaging in this kind of thing and don’t see anything
wrong with it are just plain deluded or dumb as hell.
D.
If you are interested in helping in this effort, what can you do? As
always, it really comes down to how much time or money you are willing to
invest. If you have a lot of time, volunteer with one of your local groups or a
close neighboring area’s group. If you have some disposable income and want to
feel good about doing the little bit you can, research your options, and pick
one that is a real non-profit, or at the very least, gets things done.
Requested
responses:
A.
List the characteristics and ecological values of old growth forests. Characteristics of old growth are defined as a forest that has attained a great age without significant disturbance from humanity, and therefore exhibits unique ecological features. Ecologically, (of course) relate to oxygen production, the retention of soil, and act as genetic reservoirs of diversity (seriously lots and lots of species in them). They also provide unique habitats to unique life forms, and benefit many varieties of life that would otherwise cease to exist.
B.
Name and describe two things in this video that "speak" to you.
By this I mean they touched your emotions in some way. Why do you think you
responded in this way? I really liked the one line one of the interviewees
made, “If we’ve already cut down the rest, why can’t we just leave the last 10
percent?” what an incredibly simple and elegant solution right? I don’t know
how many more of these videos my heart can take (on account of incredibly
elevated blood pressure from being agitated), even my ten year old can see the
problem with most environmental issues. I also liked hearing that they rallied
support so quickly. It’s nice to hear about success when it actually happens.
Granted I’m not that impressed, trees
are pretty and therefore easy to protect. Vultures on the other hand? Save some
vultures and then brag about it (ha ha ha).
C.
Name two groups involved in preservation of the Avatar Grove. A quick
search yielded the Ancient Forest Alliance, and interestingly enough, the
Teal-Jones Group actually wound up agreeing to its protection? Excuse the
inquisitive on the end of that, but apparently they have set boundaries
(Teal-Jones own the logging rights to the area) that they won’t cut past, and
are actually paving old logging trails up to the edge of the preserve. I’m sure
they are getting a tax credit for it, but I have to cite the company itself for
not turning this into a legal battle (if I’m understanding the reading
properly). Now if we can just get all the other yahoos in charge of mining /
collection to do similar things.
D.
If you are interested in helping in this effort, what can you do? I’m going
to pretty much offer the same answer as I have been. Volunteer, or money sent
are the two simplest ways. Although the Ancient Forest Alliance does have a very prominent “what can I
do,” section on their site, so bravo for that.
§ Climate, Trees, and Legacy (45:23). Connie
Barlow is a new friend of mine. Test your fondness of trees by view entire
video!
Requested
responses:
A.
Describe assisted migration and why Connie and others feel it is so important. Assisted
Migration is pretty much what it sounds like. It’s an ambitious project to
basically move forests manually (as seedlings mainly) to ensure their survival,
and allow them to continue providing the services we need them for. It’s really
interesting if only for the fact that it’s proactive, although I don’t totally
agree with doing it in general (mainly due to my personal concerns with messing
with anything ecological at all); but I can certainly respect and appreciate
the motivation.
B.
Name and describe two things in this video that "speak" to you.
By this I mean they touched your emotions in some way. Why do you think
you responded in this way? I must say, I did like the bit about a total shift
in consciousness to being proactive, it may not be as bad of an idea as I initially
thought. I also respected the heck out of her take on essentially “leaving
something behind,” for future generations, and her new spontaneity when it
comes to writing (not like I know a dang thing about that).
C.
If you are interested in helping in this effort, what can you do? If you
really want to, you can sign up with the Torreya Guardians, and get involved
hands on and in person.
D.
Do the "homework" near the end of the video. The homework from the
end was the question: “What do trees mean to you?” Good question! I actually
come from a place with literally no trees. There was not a single one in a long
distance around my childhood home. So it wasn’t until I moved here to Prescott that
I really lived around a lot of trees. I do clearly remember the first time I
stood next to a tree (long before moving here), and looking up and assuming it
must be the tallest thing in the world (I was very young). Since then, trees
have become a feature of the landscape that just kind of “belongs there.” I
appreciate them as a necessary part of my surroundings modernly, especially
because I don’t think I could go back to a place without any, it would be way
too depressing.
Requested
responses:
A.
Name five ecological service grassland provide and five threats to grasslands. Ecologically,
grassland support pollinators (bees and the likes), help regulate air quality,
help control erosion, provide food and water, as well as assorted raw feeding
materials, and even medicinal components. Common threats include continued
climate change (changes in heat levels and rainfall patters), conversion for
row crops, continued development of urban areas (although this one will take a
long time to kill off all of it for certain, it isn’t helping), GMO seeds of
certain types can cause crazy problems very quickly for most grass lands
(although this isn’t as much an Arizona issue), pests and disease can spread
quickly through them, and of course (especially here) fire.
B.
Name and describe two things in this video that "speak" to you.
By this I mean they touched your emotions in some way. Why do you think you
responded in this way? I actually only had a link to a document, and I can’t
really pretend that I had a deeper emotional reaction to it. Although like
always, I really do wish that people would take a moment and really contemplate
their actions before they go through with expanding housing development and so on.
In Prescott Valley, I remember there being a time where a lot of the land where
Tim’s Toyota Center now stands (and all its neighboring buildings for that
matter) one used to be able see whole herds of antelope and cows, there were
frequently roadrunners, and also I recall there being horned lizards-a-plenty…
although come to think of it, I haven’t seen one of those in PV or here in
Prescott in quite a while. Anyway, the greater point I’m getting to is: thank
goodness PV’s governing body traded all of that for an arena and parking lot…
Jerks.
C.
Name two groups involved in preservation of grasslands. This one is
easy, the same folks working on preserving most of our natural resources in
Arizona: The Nature Conservancy Mission, and The Arizona Game and Fish
Department (who actually do their job).
D.
If you are interested in helping in this effort, what can you do?
Actually, I have a different solution to offer on this one: You can volunteer
or work directly for the Arizona Game and Fish Department. They are only as
good and concerned as their people, and they have a great track record (in fact
I am looking for a summer job…).
Requested
responses:
A.
Name ten biodiversity hot spots. Ten of the worlds biodiversity hot spots
are: Tropical Andes-South America, Madagascar (love the movie as well),
Cerrado-Brazil, Indo-Burma, Caribbean Islands, Southwest Australia,
Polynesia-Microneisa, Great Barrier Reef-Australia, Succulent Karoo-Southern
Africa, and the Horn of Africa. That was ten right?
B.
Write a four-sentence biography of E.O. Wilson. Fun fact: I feel kind of funny
saying this, but in my book, this guy is kind of a rock star. He is responsible
for so many parts of our modern functional understanding of the ecosystem and
life itself, we truly owe this man a monument when he dies. Another fun fact:
one of the only kinds of life I find myself universally enthralled by are ants.
E.O. Wilson happens to be pretty much the world’s authority on myrmecology
(which is awesome). Now on to the biography bit: E.O. Wilson was born June 10,
1929, and is an American biologist, researcher, theorist, naturalist, and
author. He was and will always be considered the father of sociobiology
(basically states that our interactions and behaviors are a result of evolution
and attempts to qualify said behaviors from that standpoint). He is pretty much
“the guy,” when it comes to biology in a lot of other ways as well, even long
after his retirement, his ideas, theories, and philosophies are some of the
best we produce as human beings. Like myself, he holds that he only worldview compatible
with science is a term he made up “scientific humanism.” I feel so bad trying
to summarize Wilson in four sentences. There should have been a question pertaining
to my emotional reaction to that bit
(I’m kidding… mostly).
C.
Name and describe two things in this video that "speak" to you.
By this I mean they touched your emotions in some way. Why do you think you
responded in this way? I think the bit about how cheap it would be to do the
right thing. It’s like listening to Neil Tyson talk about using 5% of our
defense fund to fund NASA for the next hundred years; it makes me crazy. He is
right though, most conservation effort “bills” compared to the GDP of a region
or the world’s GDP is chicken feed when compared to how much money there
actually is. This whole series of topics for these labs have probably taken
five years off my life out of pure frustration with humanity.
D.
Name two groups involved in preservation of Biodiversity hot spots.
Groups involved in the preservation of Biodiversity hot spots include: The
World Wildlife Fund, Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, Alliance for Zero Extinction,
and (of course) The National Geographic Society.
