After watching the presentation and answering the questions in the lab handout, discuss 1 of the following 5 topics. Your response should be 1.5 – 2 pages (double space, size 12 – times new roman font, with 1” margins), researched (use may use any resources from this class), with your works cited included at the end (works cited as a separate page). The works cited can be in any format you feel comfortable with (APA, MLA, chicago, etc.), but whatever you choose, be consistent. Feel free to use as many (reputable) sources as are needed to make your point, and do not use Wikipedia as a source. Your title should be unique and describe what your essay is about – not ‘lab assignment’.
Points:
Unique Title 1 pt
Format 3 pts
Works cited/ References 1 pt
Proper biological terminology 4 pts
Support content for your argument 6 pts
Total: 15 pts
The topics chosen are relevant societal issues that affect everyone’s life. Each essay topic is fairly open ended and can be explored from a variety of angles. Feel free to examine these biological/ecological topics using your strengths, backgrounds, and interests (history, psychology, sociology, political, economic, etc.), but please limit the geographic scope to the Northeastern United States. You may reference any other global location in your discussion, but the topics should relate back to New England (Connecticut if you can). Be thoughtful with your answers and remember to use the terminology and ideas learned in class.
Select ONE of the topics below. Your essay needs to answer the main bolded question, but the bulleted questions are intended to help guide your writing. Please do NOT answer all bulleted points!
- Value of Urban Green Spaces – Are parks in urban areas important resources?
- How do they affect the daily lives of the people that live near them?
- How about those that don’t live near them?
- How might they impact the environment (buildings as well as land)?
- What ecosystem services could they bring to the surrounding area and people? How far do these impacts spread?
- Are they ‘worth’ the risk/reward?
- How urban does an area need to benefit from a park?
- How large does the park need to be?
- Who should oversee designing, implementing, maintaining parks: educational institutions, communities, businesses, or the government?
- Would this space be more beneficial if used for some other purpose?
- Ethnobotany – Examine medicinal plants in CT (not just those found in Mill River). Pick one or two and discuss their importance.
- How have they been used throughout history?
- Are any of these plants economically viable?
- Are they endemic to CT?
- How have they improved the lives of people that use them?
- Are they ecologically important?
- How might the biochemical compounds be otherwise synthesized, and would it be more beneficial to synthesis compounds in a lab, or harvest and extract them from the plants?
- Can these plants positively impact society, or are they considered ‘dangerous’?
- Should there be limitations and laws regarding their growth, cultivation, and sale? Why or how?
- Eutrophication – Discuss eutrophication mitigations strategies in LIS.
- What can be done to curb eutrophication?
- Are there simple, small changes that can make a big impact on the LIS (Long Island Sound)?
- What can be done on a personal, communal, or societal level?
- Is it economically sustainable to be environmentally sustainable?
- Is regulation needed to reduce eutrophication?
- How does eutrophication affect the people around LIS?
- Does it have an impact on leisure or business?
- Is there anyone currently working on this issue?
- Invasive species – Discuss the impact of invasive species around CT.
- How did invasive species get here?
- How might they affect business in CT?
- Can we find uses for invasives, or are they simply nuisances?
- How might the invasive flora (plants) affect the native fauna (animals)?
- Should regulation and intervention be employed to prevent the spread of invasives?
- Should homeowners be permitted to grow ornamental (yet invasive) species on their own property?
- What strategies could be employed to ensure the proliferation of endemic species, and limit invasives?
- Preservation vs. Conservation – Comparing an untouched, preserved vs the built and actively managed park (conservation).
- What is the difference between the two and when is each appropriate?
- Think about how people interact with these spaces and how that would dictate how the spaces are intended to be experienced. How are they managed?
- What resources are needed to start or maintain these areas?
- How might succession influence management strategies?
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