To go to Assignment 1 ( Species at Risk in Ontario Assignment) please click here.

To go to Assignment 2 (Critique of a Research Paper) please click here.

To go to Assignment 3 (Calculating Diversity Indices) please click here

To go to Assignment 4 (The Endangered Species Game)  please click here.

To go to the sample  Exam Questions click here

Assignment 1: Species at Risk in Ontario

Click on the web site below to obtain a list of plants and animals at risk of extinction in Ontario.

Web site: http://romlx6.rom.on.ca/ontario/risk.php

 Select two categories of organisms (e.g. plants and mammals or birds and fish, etc.) in the mixed wood forest region of Ontario (this region covers the area around North Bay). Use the information from the website to complete the table below and to develop a pie chart that will describe what factors are the major causes of species loss in the mixed wood forest region of Ontario.

 List all of the species at risk in the two categories of organisms you select in a table like this one.

 Use the table to create a pie chart that shows the proportion of species affected by each threat.

If you wish you could complete this exercise on an Excel spread sheet (include your name) and e-mail it to me (pinto@efni.com). Check the course content outline for the due date for this assignment.

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Assignment 2: Critique of a research paper

Choose one research paper from the list of reports located on this website. Each paper relates to a topic we will cover during this course. You will review the report you select and prepare a critique. Your critique must describe the contents of the report you reviewed (what was the focus of the report, define any terms used, what methods were used by the authors, what did they find out or describe, how does the information in the report link with material we covered in this course). You are required to look up other papers that relate to the paper you have selected for review. Do these other papers agree with or disagree with the methods, results or conclusions of the paper you reviewed? Finally, provide your opinion on the paper you reviewed, what are its limits, its strengths, and its uses. Hand in a paper or electronic copy of your critique.

 Check the course summary for the due date for this report. You can e-mail me your report: pinto@efni.com 

The following research papers are available for your perusal.  It is your task to select the the paper that you have chosen to review.

Click on the appropriate title if you wish to open it (PDF format). You will need Adobe Acrobat on your computer to read these files.  It is a free download.

Lit/4ChallengesConservationClasss2.pdf

Lit/AmpReptileBufferArndWetlands.pdf

Lit/BioDivConSppRichness&LatitudeClass3.pdf

Lit/ButterflyDiverNAmConBioAug2003.pdf

Lit/ClimateChangeNCanadaLitReviewEnvironReview2004.pdf

Lit/CoManagementSwedenCanadaEnviMang2004.pdf

Lit/ConserInContextConBioAug2003.pdf

Lit/ConsideringEvolunProcessesinConBio.pdf

Lit/EcoDesignEcologialReview2004.pdf

EconomicDisparityEnvironConseqMauritiousEnvionManag2004.pdf

Lit/ElephantStatusFlagshipSppConBio2004.pdf

Lit/EvaluateRiskOfExtinctionToBatsConBio2004.pdf

Lit/FoundSppConBioOct2003.pdf

GeesePopAgricSubsidiesArticEcosystemEcoReview2003ext=.pdf

Lit/GlobalEcolServicesValueNat2000.pdf

Lit/HotspotsbiodiversityVerifiaction.pdf

Lit/LongDistMammalMigrations.pdf

Lit/MinViaPopBaliTigerPersistance&ResponseConBio.pdf

Lit/MinViaPopBaliTigerPersistance&ResponseConBio.pdf

RethinkCommunityBasedConservationConBio2004.pdf

Lit/ReviewMethodsManagePopulationDecline.pdf

Lit/SelectFocalSppForProtectionBeazley.pdf

Lit/SppAtRiskRecovPlansOnt.pdf

Lit/SppExtinctionAdaptationCorelates.pdf

Lit/Tale2EndangerSppInConflictCalifornia.pdf

Lit/TrendsEcosystemChanges1970-2000.pdf

Lit/Understand&ManageCarbonSinks.pdf

Lit/Using Expert Judgment and Stakeholder Values to Evaluate.pdf

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Assignment 3: Research Paper Review

Calculating Diversity Indices

Biodiversity is made up of different attributes, for example different species, phyla, age classes, patch sizes, gene complexes, etc. We cannot use simple measures, such as a population census, to describe such a complex mix of attributes. 

In this assignment you will be given an envelope that contains a number of plant seeds. Sort the seeds by variety, and then count the seeds of each variety. You may use your own names for the seed varieties.

1)      Prepare a table that documents the number of seed for each variety of plant in your sample (data set 1).

2)      Use the data from the table to create a bar graph showing the species richness and evenness of the sample.

3)      Add another row in the table of data. In this row the number of seeds for each plant variety is 12. This is called data set 2.

4) Use the information in the table to calculate and report:

a)     Species richness

b)     Bias corrected Simpson Index  (D)

c)   Reciprocal Simpson Index

d)   Shannon-Weiner Index (H')

e)      Maximum Shannon-Weiner Index (H_max)

f)        Evenness (E)

Show your calculations and answer the following questions:

a)      Which data set, 1 or 2, has greater diversity based on the results of the Simpson Index and Shannon Weiner Index?

b)      How is greater diversity expressed in each index, i.e. does the value of the index increase or decrease as diversity increases?

If you wish you could complete this exercise on an Excel spread sheet and e-mail it to me (pinto@efni.com)

Formula for:

Simpson Index 

  Ds = ∑(n₁(n₁ -1)/N(N-1))

Reciprocal Simpson index = 1/ Ds

n1 = number of individuals of species 1

N = Total number of species in community

 Shannon-Weiner Index H' = = -∑(pilnpi)

 pi= proportion of the ith  species

ln=natural logarithm

 Hmax = Diversity maximum when all species equally abundant

Evenness E = H'/ Hmax

Assignment 4

Endangered Species Game

Object of the game: To avoid extinction and become down listed by increasing your population to 500.

Note: This game has the option of incorporating RECOVERY PLAN FUNDS. To do this, start with $1,000,000 of recovery fund money. You must decide at first, and each time you pass the start square, if you will spend some of your recovery fund money. Look at the board for what your recovery funds will buy. Is it better to spend your money at the beginning or wait for your population to decline more?

Procedure: Each player begins at the “Start” square with one of the species and an initial population of 100. Players work their way around the board doing what the board says.

Your population can increase if you (spend recovery funds), land on a breeding season square, or get lucky with the Habitat cards (multi-coloured cards) or the Chance cards (pink). If you land on a ? square, pick up the top Chance card and do what it says. These Chance cards can affect ALL the species in the game at the same time. For example. If the card says that “New form of DDT discovered, all species decrease by 40” then everyone must subtract 40 from their population.

If you land on a * square, pick up a habitat card specific for your species, and do what it says. For example, if your species is a Humpback whale, you must always pick a “Marine” or blue habitat card when you land on a * square.

If your population declines to 1 individual, you are effectively EXTINCT! Pick another species and begin again.

Habitat cards:             Blue = marine              Green = woodland

                         Yellow= grassland         Grey or Orange = marshland

Breeding Season: Calculate the number of breeding adults as (Total population/2). Multiply the number of breeding adults by the reproduction rate shown on your species card (reproduction = x young per year per pair). Then add the number of offspring to the number of adults to get your new population size.

Rules

1)      Players must read what their card says aloud.

2)      Down listing occurs when your population reaches 500. When this happens select another species and start again.

3)      Extinction occurs when your population reaches 1. If this happens select another species and start again.

4)      No more than 2 players may have species that have the same habitat type in one round.

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Sample Exam Questions

Sample Exam Questions

BIO 3436

1)      Name 3 clauses that you may find in a law implemented in a culture that has a focus that is primarily utilitarian regarding natural resource use.

2)      What is the difference between bequest value and moral value in regard to natural resources?

3)      All major religions provide direction to their followers to respect nature and ensure ecosystems are not compromised. How then can you explain the failure of every culture in not stopping the decline and extinction of ecosystems and species? Do not say simply that individuals do not follow their religious teachings!

4)      Calculate the reciprocal bias corrected Simpson index for the following sample:

5)      What ecosystem type is currently the most threatened globally? Why do you think this is so?

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