Ecology and the environment
1. Define ecological restoration, reintroduction, and rewilding. (2 pts)
2. Briefly describe how the goals and history of rewilding differ between Europe and North America. How might other countries/continents address rewilding? (3 pts)
3. How has the Anthropocene changed the way researchers think about restoration and rewilding? (2 pts)
4. When conserving or reintroducing species there are tradeoffs. In an ecosystem where both a specialist species with a unique ecological function and a generalist species with a common ecological function are at risk of extinction, which should wildlife managers choose to conserve and why? (2 pts)
5. What is one challenges that a species may face when they are reintroduced to their previous native range? And what is a challenge they may face when released outside of the native range? (2 pts)
6. What are the arguments for and against sustained intervention? How does this fit into the ideas of restoration and rewilding? (3 pts)
7. What are some intervention strategies we can used to maintain biodiversity and ecosystem function? (2 pts)
8. What two things does Cortlett identify as important to the success of efforts to reconcile people and nature? Provide a description of each. (2 pts)
Sample Solution
Ecology and the environment
Rewilding is a form of environmental conservation and ecological restoration that has significant potential to increase biodiversity, create self-sustainable environments and mitigate climate change. Rewilding aims to do this by reintroducing lost animal species to natural environment. The concept originated from North America, where it was initially focused on reconnecting existing wilderness areas and re-establishing populations of large carnivores and other large vertebrates. The modern literature is dominated by European studies, however, in which rewilding is seen as a management option for the increasing areas of abandoned agricultural land. Biodiversity and ecosystem can be maintained by: managing and protecting biological resources for conservation and sustainable use, promoting the protection of ecosystems, natural habitats and maintenance of viable species populations in natural surroundings, and developing laws to protect threatened species or populations.
