ΜΕΛΙΣΣΑ ΣΗΑΡΠ

BIODIVERSITY PROJECT

DR. VITES

BLOCK 7

DUE 3RD JUNE, 2011

http://www.allposters.com/-­‐sp/Biodiversity-­‐Posters_i838287_.htm

Influential Individuals Theodore Roosevelt— Theodore Roosevelt, twenty-sixth President of the United States, was born October 27, 1858 in New York City, New York. Early on, he took an interest in sports and the nature of the world around him. Roosevelt was accepted into Harvard University and graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1880 and began his career as a writer, orator, and politician. Before becoming Vice-President under William McKinley, he wrote multiple works, took an interest in big game hunting, and served in multiple political offices such as delegate-at-large to the Chicago Republican National Convention, secretary of the Navy, and Governor of New York. After McKinley’s assassination, Roosevelt won reelection, but turned down a third term (Source 1). During his presidency, Roosevelt began work on environmental conservation. He wrote multiple speeches addressing the United States Congress explaining the importance of conserving natural resources a preserving them for the use of future generations; “In utilizing and conserving the natural resources of the Nation, the one characteristic more essential than any other is foresight...” Making it a priority of the National Government, Roosevelt advocated for the development of waterways, especially the Great Lakes and Mississippi River; preserve stretches of land for grazing live stalk so as to avoid waste and abuse; and began various reclamation services. On June 8, 1906 President Roosevelt signed the Antiquities Act, which helped to preserve archeological sites and began a precedent that would be further developed by his successors and help preserve historic, cultural, and natural resources (Sources 2, 3). After his Presidency, Roosevelt made scientific discoveries and advancements in his research and exploration of South American jungles and waterways. However, the most lasting legacy can be attributed to his time in office; between 1901 and 1909, Theodore Roosevelt can be accredited for the protection of at least 230,000,000 acres of land through the establishment of 150 national forests, 51 federal bird reservations, 4 national game preserves, 5 national parks, 24 reclamation projects, and 7 conservation conferences and commissions (Sources 1, 4). Rachel Carson— Rachel Carson was born in Springdale, Pennsylvania on May 27, 1907. She was instilled with a love of nature and scholarship in her early childhood and began writing at the age of ten. She received a four-year scholarship for writing to the predecessor of Chatham College, but changed her major to zoology in her third year. She followed those four years with studies in marine biology and genetics and finally received her master’s degree in June of 1932. Though she financially struggled through college and in an attempt to start her career, she began to work at John Hopkins teaching, but truly found her calling at the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries (Source 5). Carson continued her research and writing, expanding various essays and environmental books. Her books earned her an extremely lucrative position on a lecture circuit that gave her the freedom to expand her research and publications. She received a letter from a woman who claimed that overhead spraying of DDT annihilated her bird sanctuary. This sparked an interest and Carson began to research the use of pesticides in the US and create her most profitable and informative book, Silent Spring. Though it was attacked, the publication and further publicity that the book earned gave way to multiple lectures in front of environmental committees and multiple awards and honors (Source 5). Although Silent Spring had a much greater effect in the years after Carson died, the exposure of the fatality of pesticides on the environment brought about a Congressional investigation into the safety of widespread use of DDT. As a result of the inquiry, crop uses of DDT were completely banned in 1972, which led to the revitalization of various species that were nearly exterminated by the harmful effects of the product. Furthermore, Carson is highly attributable for the beginning of environmental activism in America as she sparked various cases for the Environmental Defense Fund, National Audubon Society, and National Wildlife Federation, along with the EPA began to regulate and study the effect of various chemicals on the environment and its organisms (Sources 5, 6). Jane Goodall— April 3, 1934, Jane Goodall was born in London, England. She and her sister were raised in London as well as Bournemouth. Very early on in her childhood, she became absolutely and irrevocably fascinated with animals and their behavior. She would watch animals and birds, making sketches and taking notes, and read biological literature. Goodall attended the Uplands private school and left school in 1952 after receiving her higher certificate as she went on to be a secretary at Oxford University. From the time she was very young, she dreamed of going to Africa to observe wild animals, which she financed through a London documentary film company as she met many colleagues and contemporaries which would help her with her research (Source 7). Jane Goodall did extensive and life devoted research to the study of chimpanzee behavior in which she would get extremely up-close and involved with the study specimens individual. She studied group dynamic, behavior, customs, tradition, and intellectual development of chimpanzees in Africa. Beginning in 1962, Goodall was filmed and essentially sponsored by the National Geographic Society, after which she returned to Cambridge to earn her Ph.D. in ethology. She wrote multiple books and helped to publicize the importance of ethical treatment of animals (Source 7). Overall, Goodall accumulated immeasurable amounts of research on chimpanzee behavior. She also began a movement toward ethical treatment of animals. Overall, she has taught multiple psychology and wildlife classes at numerous universities and she advocates a “middle of the road” view with regards to handling and studying animals. Her plethora of publications and information has helped with various wildlife preserves. Furthermore, Goodall was awarded the Gold Medal of Conservation by the San Diego Zoological Society in 1974, and various other prizes and honors concerning her work. She also founded the Roots and Shoots program, established in the US and over 100 other countries, that is meant to motivate young people to get educated about the humane treatment of animals and further conservationist actions in order to protect animals in their natural environments (Sources 7, 8).

Important Organizations US Fish and Wildlife— The US Fish and Wildlife is a subsection under the umbrella of the United States Department of the Interior. It was created on November 6, 1956 under the Fish and Wildlife Act. This act has been further amended and further combined with the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife. It has branched off of various agricultural and interior departments beginning as early as 1871 (Source 9). This department is apart of the departments of the United States cabinet and on a majority works across the nation, though works with some outside organizations under the US presidential command. Overall the bureau has dedicated itself to preserving wildlife habitats and resources, as well as keeping tabs on various species of fish and birds so as to ensure their lasting inhabitance. The US Fish and Wildlife is responsible for enforcing federal wildlife laws, protecting and managing various species, conserving and restoring natural wildlife habitat, and to help foreign governments in forming and regulating their international conservation efforts. Overall, as any other department in the US cabinet, the US Fish and Wildlife bureau is funded through federal excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment, as well as the national budget, and then distribute those funds to the agencies of fish and wildlife of the states (Source 9). On June 1, 2011, the US Fish and Wildlife Department announced that in the coming year it would donate upwards of 13.6 million US dollars to help Multinational Species Conservation in order to fund 216 different projects, primarily to award grants through the Wildlife Without Borders Species Programs. This is to help conserve endangered species that cannot be found in the United States, but are important on a global scale. Some of these projects include emergency protection to endangered species, reducing poaching in wildlife habitats, and protecting nesting populations of various young animals (Source 10). Alliance for the Great Lakes— The Alliance for the Great Lakes morphed in 2005 from the original 1970 Lake Michigan Federation because they realized that in order to protect Lake Michigan, and realize its effect elsewhere, it would be more appropriate to monitor the entire Great Lake basin. The original foundation was formed by local citizens after they decided that they could do just as much work as any government official group or organization, who wanted to save the local beaches and water of Lake Michigan (Source 11). The Alliance works as a partner with other national organizations, as well as organizations in Canada surrounding the Great Lakes Basin in order to conserve and restore the largest freshwater resources through well informed local efforts as well as national policy. The Lake Michigan Federation still remains a smaller project in order to protect the largest of the 5 Great Lakes. While granted some federal funding, the organization relies on sponsorship and volunteer work in order to fulfill their mission of ensuring clean and healthy freshwater for generations to come through various beach health programs, habitat recovery, and land, water, and energy conservation and cleanliness. The Alliance is further funded by the Environmental Protection Agency, largely through its Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (Sources 11, 12). Most recently, the Alliance for the Great Lakes kicked off its ninth season of volunteer based stewardship beginning April 20th-May 4th 2011. The Alliance’s ‘Adopt-A-Beach’ program

and its volunteers have decided to invest in the most troubled spots along Great Lake beaches due to past pollution, including careful water sampling and trash clearing in order to improve the long term health of these beaches (Source 12). Sierra Club— The Sierra Club was founded in 1892 by John Muir, and is the largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization in United States. It has 1.4 million members and is continuously growing through the efforts of local volunteers and sponsors (Source 13). The Sierra Club has worked for over one-hundred years to develop a Climate Recovery Agenda which has worked to create less destructive energy sources and provide for more resilient habitats so as to allow for continued clean energy, green movements, and safe guarding the environment (Source 14). As of May 25, 2011, the Sierra Club has been working for cleaner emissions due to increased fuel efficiency and working with EPA in order to make fuel efficiency labels easier to comprehend and compare the long-term savings and expense. This furthers the Sierra Club’s Green Transportation Campaign in order to educate people about their carbon footprint and various other emissions and their lasting impact on the environment (Source 15). SPECIES Extinct Species – Eastern Elk

The Eastern Elk is native to the Ontario province of Canada and the southern Appalachian Mountains, where they primarily graze and forage in forest settings. They often use abandoned fields and open areas in low elevations (Source 16). During the high periods of European immigration to North America, the Eastern Elk began to loose its habitat due to increased settlement. Furthermore, unregulated hunted led to the ceaseless slaughter of the Elk for their meat, fur, antlers, and teeth that were used in necklaces. Though there were repeated attempts to restore the Elk, they were completely decimated by the 1880s either by continued hunting or by parasites that attacked the reintroduced herds (Sources 16,17).

Picture from Source 16 While the Eastern Elk have been greatly extinct for more than one-hundred years, other elks have filled their niche so there really hasn’t been a visible void in the habitat or ecosystem. However, now that these specific elk are gone, the strength in their antlers has been lost as well (Sources 16, 17).

Picture from Source 18 U.S. Invasive Species – Asian Carp

Picture from Source 19 Picture from Source 21 Native to Asia, the three forms of Asian Carp can be identified by their enormous size and jumping ability, they are either bighead, silver, or black. They grow extremely fast and eat massive amounts of food (Sources 19, 20). The Asian Carp was imported from Asia in 1970 for aquaculture purposes, but have escaped aquaculture facilities into Midwestern rivers and streams and used them to move throughout the Midwest. The Carp are invasive in that they compete for natural food resources with other fish, they grow quickly and feed on at least 40% of their body weight per day, and they pose a danger to boaters due to their jumping ability and large mass (Source 20). The Alliance for the Great Lakes, President Obama, and the Environmental Protection agency have been attempting to kill the Asian Carp in response to their rapid takeover of Midwestern habitats. Unfortunately, the chemicals used to curb the reproduction of the fish has also taken a toll on native species. Furthermore, the Black Carp has done nearly irreparable damage to the native snail and mussel species of the Midwestern Region (Sources 19, 20). List of Sources

Source 1:“Theodore Roosevelt.” Science and Its Times. Ed. Neil Schlager and Josh Lauer. Vol. 6. Detroit: Gale, 2000. Gale Student Resources In Context. Web. 2 June 2011. <http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/suic/ReferneceDetailsPage/ReferenceDetailsWindow?displayGroupName=Reference&disaableHighlighting=false&prodId=SUIC&action=e&windowstate=normal&catId=&documentId=GALE%7CK2643412998&mode=view&userGroupName=cps4480&jsid=f1852205eeb8c1a35e3acd5a61894a9e> Source 2: “Conservation of Natural Resources, December 3, 1907.” DISCovering U.S. History. Online ed.Detroit: Gale, 2003. Discovering Collection. Gale.Lincoln. 2 June 2011. <http://find.galegroup.com/srcx/infomark.do?&contentSet=GSRC&type=retrieve&tabID=T006&prodId=DC&docId=EJ2104210132&source=gale&srcprod=DISC&userGroupName=cps4480&version=1.0> Source 3: “Antiquities Act, 1906”. Reproduced from Archaeological Method and Theory: An Encyclopedia, edited by Linda Ellis, pp.33-35, Garland Publishing Co., New York and London, 2000.Francis P. McManamon. 2 June 2011.

<http://www.nps.gov/archeology/tools/Laws/antact.htm>

Source 4: “Life of Theodore Roosevelt”. Theodore Roosevelt Association. Conservationist Theodore Roosevelt. Theodore Roosevelt Association. 2 June 2011.

<http://www.theodoreroosevelt.org/life/conservation.htm>

Source 5: “Carson, Rachel (1907-1964).” DISCovering Biography. Online ed. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Discovering Collection. Gale. Lincoln. 2 June 2011.

<http://find.galegroup.com/srcx/infomark.do?&contentSet=GSRC&type=retrieve&tabId=T001&prodId=DC&docId=EJ2102100308&source=gale&srcprod=DISC&userGroupName=cps4480&version=1.0>

Source 6: “U.S. Government Bans DDT Use, December 31, 1972.” DISCovering U.S. History. Online ed.Detroit: Gale, 2003. Discovering Collection. Gale. Lincoln. 2 June 2011.

<http://find.galegroup.com/srcx/infomark.di?&contentSet=GSRC&type=retrieve&tabID=T001&prodId=DC&docId=EJ2104241728&source=gale&srcprod=DISC&userGroupName=cps4480&version=1.0>

List of Sources Continued

Source 7: “Goodall, Jane (1934-).”DISCovering Biography. Online ed. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Discovering Collection. Gale. Lincoln. 2 June 2011.

<http://find.galegroup.com/srcx/infomark.do?&contentSet=GSRC&type=retrieve&tabID=T001&prodId=DC&docId=EJ2102100713&source=gale&srcprod=DISC&userGroupName=cps4480=1.0>

Source 8: “History -- Roots & Shoots”. Roots and Shoots Program. About Us. Jane Goodall Institute. 2 June 2011.

<www.rootsandshoots.org/aboutus/history>

Source 9: “About the U.S Fisheries and Wildlife Department”. US Fisheries and Wildlife Department. 20 April 2010. Accessed 2 June 2011.

<http://www.fws.gov/help/about_us.html>

Source 10: “The U.S Fish and Wildlife Service Announces More Than $13.6 Million in Multinational Species Conservation Funds Grants Made Available To Aid Imperiled Wildlife Worldwide”. 1 June 2011. News Release. U.S Fisheries and Wildlife Department. 2 June 2011.

<http://us.vocuspr.com/Newsroom/Query.aspx?SiteName=fws&Entity=PRAsset&SF_PRAsset_PRAssetID_EQ=127280&XSL=PressRelease&Cache=True>

Source 11: “About Us: Alliance for the Great Lakes”. Alliance for the Great Lakes. 2 June 2011.

<http://www.greatlakes.org/Page.aspx?pid=309>

Source 12: “Adopt-A-Beach invests in hardest hit Great Lake Spots”. Cross, Jamie. Press Release. 15 April 2011. Alliance for the Great Lakes.

<http://www.greatlakes.org/Document.Doc?id=1005>

Source 13: “Welcome to the Sierra Club”. Sierra Club About Us. 2 June 2011.

<http://www.sierraclub.org/welcome/>

Source 14: “Goals – Featured Objectives – Sierra Club.” Sierra Club Goals and Mission Statement. 2 June 2011.

<http://www.sierraclub.org/goals/>

List of Sources Continued

Source 15: “Sierra Club Calls New Vehicle Fuel Efficiency Labels an Improvement”. Barranco Angela and Alex Wall. Press Release. 25 May 2011. Sierra Club.

<http://action.sierraclub.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=207082.0>

Source 16: “Eastern Elk”. Josef Hamr. Northern Environmental Heritage Institute. 2 June 2011.

<http://www.nipissing-naturalist.com/SAR/eastern_elk.htm>

Source 17: “Ontario’s Biodiversity: Species at Risk”. Peterson. May 1999. Royal Ontario Museum. 2 June 2011.

<http://www.rom.on.ca/ontario/risk.php?doc_type=fact&lang=&id=136>

Source 18: “Eastern Elk: Are They Really Extinct”. David Stalling. 2 June 2011. Pigeon River Country Association.

<http://www.pigeonrivercountryforest.org/articles/article3.htm>

Source 19: “Invasive Species – Aquatic Species – Asian Carp”. US Department of Agriculture. Species Profile. 2 June 2011.

<http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/aquatics/asiancarp.shtml>

Source 20: “Asian Carp 3 Species”. Species Profile. Kansas State KDWP. 2 June 2011.

<http://www.kdwp.state.ks.us/news/content/pdf/4118>

Source 21: “Image of Asia – Map”.

<http://www.infoplease.com/atlas/asia.html>