J.J. De Simone, Lindsay Crupper, Denzyl Janneker , Bobby Grace and Adam Bowman
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Transcript of J.J. De Simone, Lindsay Crupper, Denzyl Janneker , Bobby Grace and Adam Bowman
HUMAN INTERACTION WITH THE NATURAL WORLDTHE IMPORTANCE OF CONSERVING WHAT REMAINS AND HOW TO MANAGE IT
J.J. De Simone, Lindsay Crupper, Denzyl Janneker, Bobby Grace and Adam Bowman
Introduction
Communicate through responsiveness to nature
Exploring loss of eco and bio-diversity one way to begin the discussion
Unless otherwise noted, all photos courtesy of Adam Bowman
Presentation contents
Part I – Blog Man’s environmental interaction
Topic overview Interview with Dr. Roger Boyd (Baker University) Conclusions
Part II – Blog Man’s interaction with animals
Interview with Liz Harmon (Kansas City Zoo curator)
Importance of preserving animal life
Presentation contents continued
Part III: Podcast Man’s interaction with flora Echinacea
Part IV: Blog Ethics of man’s interaction with the
environment Ethical decisions Wolves’ reintroduction
Presentation contents continued
Parts V and VI: Webisodes Man’s interaction with Grizzly Bears Interview with Dr. Karl Brooks
Presentation conclusions Six-part series Communication implications Projected submission locations
Man’s environmental interaction: An overview
Human self-interest; lack of environmental understanding
Easy to ignore human involvement Frightening ramifications
Plants feed herbivores, herbivores feed predators Plants eliminated from equation, what happens?
Interview with Dr. Roger Boyd
Eco-diversity: Number of diverse ecosystems in world
Biodiversity: Number of species in ecosystem Loss of eco and bio diversity
Less food Loss of potential medicinal cures (cancer, AIDS
cures) Lose natural resources – impacts industry,
textiles and technology
Conclusions
Scientists: Humans changing world too quickly while not understanding ramifications
Dr. Boyd: We have scientific prowess to slow eco and biodiversity loss Government continues to decrease species
protection acts Inform senators and congressmen about
situation Problem not completely unavoidable, it’s our
job to lessen our impact of our environment
Man’s involvement with fauna Causes for animal
endangerment Loss of habitats Over-hunting Pollution Changes in the
environment
Interview with Liz Harmon
Kansas City Zoo curator Over 20 species of endangered animals
at the KC Zoo Countless unidentified animals becoming
extinct regularly
Importance of preserving animal life Ecological Commercial Recreational
Man’s interaction with flora
Interview with Kelly Kindscher, KU Professor and Kansas bio-survey researcher
Author of Medicinal Wild Plants of the Prairie
Ethno-botany
Echinacea
Used as a general panacea (cure-all)
1990s: Herbal medicinal boom
Europe main importer Successfully
maintaining Echinacea important – several components
Resilience of the plantPhoto courtesy of
creekhillnursery.com
Ethics of man’s interaction with the environment
Man’s ethical impact on the environment, particularly on the animal kingdom
Quest for land: Appetite for killing animals for hides and horns has led to many beings placed on endangered list
Hasn’t man interfered enough, that he ought not to attempt any form of redress?
Ethical decisions
We have no choice but to get involved, but only where species are threatened with extinction
Must learn from failed reintroductions like the wild dog and be inspired by successes like the American bison and the wolf
Wolves’ reintroduction
Wolf reintroduction: Model of how the food chain is upset
Remove it and its prey, the elk overpopulate
Elk’s diet of willow, in turn, is overeaten Cycle continues
Past failures should be lesson for the future
Man’s interaction with Grizzly Bears
Historical background Grizzly Bear population: 136 in 1975 in
Yellowstone National Park People continue to expand; at same time
try to conserve open spaces As conservation succeeds, how humans
work to manage thriving ecosystems becomes increasingly pertinent
Interview with Dr. Karl Brooks Expert on Rocky Mountain Ecosystems
and politics surrounding their management
How we interact with complex large predators; complicated with no simple answer
Debate is open to scientific and emotional interpretations; no point of view is invalid
Presentation conclusions
Six-part series from diverse perspectives, media
Point of project not to offer answers; discussion starters
Industries, technologies, textiles contingent on eco and biodiversity
If natural resources disappear, how humans are affected could be extreme
In addition to class Blog, six-part series will be submitted to planetsave.com