Background: We are experiencing what scientists consider the 6th mass extinction and which they believe is primarily anthropogenic. Biodiversity loss is the result of HIPPCO - Habitat loss, Invasive Species, Population growth, Pollution, Climate Change, and Overexploitation. Sometimes species are threatened by our own fear of them. But can’t we all just get along?
1) Please watch this short video to help you understand how Elephant-Human interactions can be problematic.
2) Listen to the podcast Make Way for Elephants (Sidedoor, Season 7, 10/6/2021) to understand the plight of the Asian elephant and innovative solutions that have been implemented to help humans and elephants coexist. (The podcast is 32 minutes long.)
Learning Objectives and Essential Knowledge:
ERT-2.A: Explain levels of biodiversity and their importance to ecosystems.
Loss of habitat leads to a loss of specialist species, followed by a loss of generalist species. It also leads to reduced numbers of species that have large territorial requirements.
ERT-2.D Describe island biogeography.
ERT-2D.1 Island biogeography is the study of the ecological relationships and distribution of organisms on “islands”, and of these organisms’ community structures.
Evaluate the format and production of a podcast in preparation for the creation of your own!
