Transcript Human interaction with the natural world The importance of

HUMAN INTERACTION
WITH THE NATURAL
WORLD
THE IMPORTANCE OF CONSERVING WHAT REMAINS
AND HOW TO MANAGE IT
J.J. De Simone, Lindsay Crupper, Denzyl Janneker,
Bobby Grace and Adam Bowman
Introduction
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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
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Part I – Blog
 Man’s
environmental interaction
 Topic
overview
 Interview with Dr. Roger Boyd (Baker University)
 Conclusions
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Part II – Blog
 Man’s
interaction with animals
 Interview
with Liz Harmon (Kansas City Zoo curator)
 Importance of preserving animal life
Presentation contents continued
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Part III: Podcast
 Man’s
interaction with flora
 Echinacea
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Part IV: Blog
 Ethics
of man’s interaction with the environment
 Ethical decisions
 Wolves’ reintroduction
Presentation contents continued
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Parts V and VI: Webisodes
 Man’s
interaction with Grizzly Bears
 Interview with Dr. Karl Brooks
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Presentation conclusions
 Six-part
series
 Communication implications
 Projected submission locations
Man’s environmental interaction: An overview
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Human self-interest; lack of environmental understanding
Easy to ignore human involvement
Frightening ramifications
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Plants feed herbivores, herbivores feed predators
Plants eliminated from equation, what happens?
Interview with Dr. Roger Boyd
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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
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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
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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
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Causes for animal
endangerment
 Loss
of habitats
 Over-hunting
 Pollution
 Changes in the
environment
Interview with Liz Harmon
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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
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Ecological
Commercial
Recreational
Man’s interaction with flora
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Interview with Kelly Kindscher, KU Professor and
Kansas bio-survey researcher
Author of Medicinal Wild Plants of the Prairie
Ethno-botany
Echinacea
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Used as a general panacea
(cure-all)
1990s: Herbal medicinal
boom
Europe main importer
Successfully maintaining
Echinacea important –
several components
Resilience of the plant
Photo 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?
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Ethical decisions
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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
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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
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continues
Past failures should be lesson for the future
Man’s interaction with Grizzly Bears
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Historical background
 Grizzly
Bear population: 136 in 1975 in Yellowstone
National Park
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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
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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
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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