ENVS1301 UNIT2 Discussion Forum
Discussion questions for the Second unit and guidelines
Your posts should cover the questions below in full, and be at least 300 words long. Then reply to and peer-review at least three other posts by next Wednesday 11:59PM UoPeople Time, and rate the posts and replies.
Go to the following link links below. Choose one hotspot that is near the place where you currently live or have lived.
Some links to help you:
Hotspots: Conservation International
The IUCN List of Threatened Species
Study the information about that biodiversity hotspot that you have chosen.
Then answer the following questions:
- Which biodiversity hotspot did you choose to write about? (Give the name)
- Where is it located? (Give the world, region and country)
- What are two important species (give common and scientific names) that live there? Why are they important?
- What is one endangered species (give common and scientific name) that lives there? Why is it endangered?
- List three other interesting facts that you have learned about this place.
- List one thing you feel could be done to help save it.
Any materials cited should be referenced using the style guidelines established by the American Psychological Association (APA)
1. Which biodiversity hotspot did you choose to write about? (Give the name)
I chose Indonesia from the biodiversity hotspots map produced by BBC News Online (BBC, 2004). Indonesia is the closest hot spot to Japan, and it has some similar points to Japan as an island country.
2. Where is it located? (Give the world, region and country)
Indonesia is located in the southern part of Southeast Asia and is composed of 13,466 large and small islands that straddle the equator.
Indonesia has around 500 species of mammal; it is also in the world's top five countries for plant diversity, with an estimated 38,000 higher plant species (BBC, 2004).
3. What are two important species (give common and scientific names) that live there? Why are they important?
①Tiger (scientific name: Panthera tigris) (Karanth et al., 2014)
The Sumatran tiger is endemic to Sumatra island and is very important because it contributes significantly to maintaining the natural environment as the top of the food chain (WildCats Conservation Alliance, 2022).
②Sumatran Orangutan (scientific name: Pongo abelii) (Serge Wich et al., 2017)
They are inhabited only in the rich tropical forests of Indonesia's Tiger Barb and Borneo, which straddles Indonesia and Malaysia in the world (1World Wildlife Fund, n.d.). Their habitat, tropical forests, has rapidly disappeared; they are victims of our social development. It can be said that their future is also the future of other species; therefore, their protection is attracting attention not only in Indonesia but all over the world.
4. What is one endangered species (give common and scientific name) that lives there? Why is it endangered?
Green Turtle (scientific name: Chelonia mydas)
Green turtles are found mainly in tropical and subtropical waters, not only in Indonesia. Green turtles are threatened by overharvesting of their eggs, hunting of adults, being caught in fishing gear, and loss of nesting beach sites; the rise in seawater temperature due to global warming is also one of the causes (2World Wildlife Fund, n.d.).
5. List three other interesting facts that you have learned about this place.
① Indonesia has many high mountains, the highest of which are over 4000 meters, and many of them are active volcanoes (12Go, n.d.). I thought volcanoes would be a threat to animals, but it seems it is not.
② "Despite Indonesia only making up 1% of the Earth’s land area, its rainforests are home to 10% of the entire world’s known plant species, 12% of all mammal species and 17% of all known bird species" (12Go, n.d., para.1).
③"At 54,716 kilometers, Indonesia's coral-fringed, palm-tree edged coastline is second to Canada for being the longest coastline on earth" (12Go, n.d., para.8).
6. List one thing you feel could be done to help save it.
Indonesia has achieved rapid economic development by utilizing its abundant resources, and the accompanying deforestation and water pollution have seriously affected Indonesia's endemic species. The Indonesian government has already put forth a policy to protect its nature, but they need further protection.
One way to do this is to educate the public about maintaining forests and clean water quality. This is because the attention and interest of companies and individuals are essential.
Thank you for reading, guys!! Please share your research:)
Have a good day!! (528 words)
References
BBC. (2004). Science/Nature | Map: Biodiversity Hotspots. BBC News. Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3707888.stm
Ullas Karanth (Wildlife Conservation Society (India Program)), Kae Kawanishi (Malaysian Conservation Alliance for Tigers), Dale Miquelle (Wildlife Conservation Society Russian Far East Program), Jhala, Y., (Panthera), J. G., Society), A. L. (W. C., (WCS), S. H., (WCS), A. P., Montana), T. T. (U., (WCS), H. W., & Jhamak Karki (Nepal Engineering College-Center for PostGraduate Studies (necCPS)). (2014). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved from https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/15955/50659951
Serge Wich (Liverpool John Moores University), Nowak, M., Singleton, I., Usher, G., & Utami-Atmoko, S. (2017). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved from https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/121097935/123797627
WildCats Conservation Alliance. (2022). Sumatran tiger facts. Retrieved from https://conservewildcats.org/resources/sumatran-tiger-facts/
1World Wildlife Fund. (n.d.). Sumatran orangutan. WWF. Retrieved from https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/sumatran-orangutan
2World Wildlife Fund. (n.d.). Green Turtle. WWF. Retrieved from https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/green-turtle
12Go. (n.d.). 20 unusual, interesting and fun facts about Indonesia. Retrieved from https://12go.asia/en/indonesia/interesting-facts
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