Biodiversity
Ch. 12 The Ethical Argument (p. 110) -
The ethical argument postulates that all forms of life on earth enjoy equal rights to existence (see, for example, Norton, 1986, 1987). Conversely, humankind has no right to exterminate a species. Even more to the point, humankind has no right to precipitate, through the elimination of large numbers of species, a fundamental and permanent shift in the course of evolution (Jackson et al., 2018).
I agree with this line as it pertains to protecting species as we would humankind. It's unfair that species are taken advantage of and not considered equal to humankind for survival when they are an important component to the environment. Humankind tends to forget that life without nature and its species could not be survived. Species as a whole are essential to life as they provide us by being a source of food, keep ecosystem balanced, maintain a healthy living environment, keep us free from disease by eating toxic insects or pests, and respond to climate change within their change of behavior.
Ch. 12 A Final Thought (p. 115) -
The future of evolution should rank as one of the most challenging problems that humankind has ever encountered. We are the first species ever to look out upon nature’s work and to decide whether we would remake part of it—to consciously determine evolution by what we do or don’t do (Jackson et al., 2018.
This line signifies the responsibility we owe to the future of evolution as we are the ones that make the daily decisions that can positively or negatively impact the outcome. We are able to control and shape the direction of evolution through conservation efforts, agriculture practices, and environmental restorations. We have advanced technology that can help us uncover the genetic diversity of species to prevent them from going extinct. The resources to keep evolution growing for many years to come are at our reach and can significantly make a difference by choosing to do our part.
 |
| https://wholeuniverse.com/how-wolves-change-rivers/ |
How Wolves Change Rivers
This video was very informative and interesting as I discovered that wolves change the behavior of the rivers in the Yellowstone National Park. I personally did not recognize the impact species have on the environment until I was presented with this information. I thought environmental changes just happened naturally on its own. Wolves are more than just known for killing other species, they are known for giving life to other animals and the environment. They not only helped reduce the deer population but they also changed the behavior of the deer. The wolves put the deers in their place as they made deers steer away from certain areas to protect them from getting caught by a pack of wolves. As wolves restricted deers from approaching certain areas, it allowed vegetation to stabilize and for land to regenerate while also bringing other species in. I learned that wolves make rivers meander less, erode less, narrow channels, form more pools and riffle sections. These results are due to the regenerating forests stabilizing the banks, which gave rivers a consistent course of direction. It is truly amazing how everything in the ecosystem points to keeping humans alive whether we choose to see it that way or not.
References
Leopold, A. (2018). Reclaiming the Coomons. In S. Jackson, A. Nunes-Zaller, J. Salmond, B. Thomas (Eds.). A Sustainable Future: Equality, Ecology, and Economy (p. 65-75), Kendall Hunt Publishing.
Sustainable Human. (2014, February 13). How Wolves Change Rivers.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysa5OBhXz-Q&feature=youtu.be
Comments
Post a Comment