The Sixth Extinction book discussion

Reflect on and respond to one of the following questions:

1. The Rhino gets an ultrasound: a consequence of habitat fragmentation caused by human land use is a loss of biodiversity, particularly of species that reproduce slowly. Identify and explain two reasons for the mystery of the missing megafauna. What did Wallace believe was the reason for the rapid extinction of large mammals? If true, how does this heighten the effects of current climate change? With what other events have the sequence of megafauna extinction pulses been aligned?
2. The Madness Gene – Neanderthals lived in Europe for 100,000 years but abruptly vanished 30,000 years ago. A very small genetic variation distinguishes humans from Neanderthals, but has made all the difference in the success of our species. What evidence is linked to the disappearance of Neanderthals? Who invented the study of ancient DNA? Which ancient organisms did he/she study? What happens to the genetic material of organisms after they die? What was found when comparing the human genome to the Neanderthal genome?
3. The Thing with Feathers: How does the bird Kinohi exemplify how serious humans take extinction? What is the Frozen Zoo? What is its importance?
4. What is the sole cause of the sixth extinction? Explain the logic behind the Hall of Biodiversity’s idea that humans will be undone by our “transformation of the ecological landscape”.
5. Explain the quote, “in pushing other species to extinction, humanity is busy sawing off the limb on which it perches”.

Do not use quotes – the posting must be in your own words and demonstrate that you have read the assigned chapters. Use examples from the book, and not just one chapter. The questions are written to help you engage the material in Kolbert’s book.

Write in complete sentences, narrative form, no bullet-points. 300 words minimum. Do not use any sources outside this book

Part 2

This lab will be in two parts drawn from Environmental Analysis in chapters 20 and 12. In your document include the Heading, Part #, and number your answers so it is clear which part of the lab you are addressing. For example:

Soil types:

Part 1

1.

Save the document as a pdf (no other format will be accepted) and upload it to the Assignment window.

Soil Types Where You Live

Soil surveys have been completed for 95% of the counties in the United States. Farmers and both urban and rural planners depend on soil information to determine how the land can be used.

Part 1: Go outside and collect a sample of about 1/4 cup of soil from your location (or somewhere nearby if you do not have access to soil at your house). Include a photo of the soil in the document you upload.

1. What color is the soil? (5)
2. Is the soil texture coarse, like gravel; medium, like sand; or fine like silt or clay? Or is there a combination of textures? Explain why you chose the one you did. (refer to Table 12-1 for common particle sizes.) (5)
3. Does your soil form pets (clumps)? If so, what is the most common shape for the pets in your sample? (Refer to Figure 12-16 for common shapes.) (5)

Part 2: Go to http://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov (Links to an external site.) to see the USDA’s Web Soil Survey. Click on the “Start WSS” button. Under “Quick Navigation,” select “State and County”; enter your state and county, then click “View.” Click on the data point nearest your location to navigate there. Click on the “i” tool and then your location to display location information.

1. What is your address? What are the latitude and longitude of your location? (5)
2. When was this aerial photograph taken?(5)

Part 3: In the Web Soil Survey, create an Area of Interest (AOI) around your location: click the AOI rectangle tool, then drag the mouse to create a space around your location that encompasses at least a few streets. When a striped area appears, click on the “Soil Map” tab to see the soil types in your area. Click on the Map Unit Legend to see soil types and on the soil type name under “Map Unit Name” for details.

1. What type(s) of soil is(are) present at your location? (10)
2. What is the percentage range in your soil for sand? Silt? Clay? (Refer to Figure. 12-15.) (10)
3. Do these percentages agree with what you discovered in Part II #1? Why or why not? What might be an explanation if the percentages don’t agree with what you observed? (15)

Environmental Analysis: Sea-Level Rise

Climate projections indicate that sea level will rise globally as ice caps and glaciers melt. This change will impact coastal regions, with some areas being more vulnerable than others.

1. Go to the Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding Impacts site at https://coast.noaa.gov/slr (Links to an external site.). Read and then close the Disclaimer. What is the purpose of this data viewer? (5)
2. Zoom in to a state along the East Coast (U.S.). Use the “Sea Level Rise” slider to raise the sea level. What state did you choose? Why? What is the effect of rising sea level? What percentage of the coastline is affected (estimate)? (10)
3. Click on several “Visualization Locations” and use the slider to see the effect of rising sea level in each location. Which locations did you visualize, and what effects did you see? Were there any that surprised you or were vastly different? Why? (10)
4. What will the ultimate impact be of sea level rise if it rises high enough to flood entire cities such as Miami, New Orleans, and one other coastal city in another region of the world? (15)

 

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