Goodbye, Ecnomiohyla rabborum, we hardly knew ye.
Last modified on 2012-02-22 00:43:13 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Ecnomiohyla rabborum, Rabb’s fringe-limbed tree frog, is one step closer to absolute extinction. The species was discovered in Panama in 2005 but had not been observed in the wild since 2007.
I say absolute extinction because, for all intents and purposes, the species has been extinct since 2008. Two males in Atlanta are all that remained of the species.
Unfortunately, Zoo Atlanta announced that the male in its care suffered a decline in health and was euthanized last Friday. The sole surviving representative of this species is housed at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens.
The cause of the extinction was not the destruction of its habitat to supply our lust for timber and paper products. Nor was the tree frog over-harvesting for the pet trade. Rather, the direct agent of its demise was an amphibian-exterminating fungus that goes by the name of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis.
The fungus, specifically a chytrid, arrived in the tree frog’s habitat in 2006. There is some speculation that the fungus has been spread around the globe with the African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis. Forty-three amphibian species in Latin America and 93 amphibian species globally have suffered declines due to B. dendrobatidis infection[1].
Amphibian species across the globe at at risk. As of 2004, 427 amphibian species (7.4%) are on the brink of extinction. By contrast, 179 bird species (1.8%) and184 mammalian species (3.8%) are in similar trouble [2].
[1] Speare R., and L. Berger. 2000. Global distribution of chytridiomycosis in amphibians.
http://www.jcu.edu.au/school/phtm/PHTM/frogs/chyglob.htm
[2] Stuart, S.N. et al. 2004. Status and trends of amphibian declines and extinctions worldwide. Science 306:1783-1786.
Second class participation write-up
Last modified on 2012-02-21 20:20:21 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Due Thursday 2012-02-24
Reminder : These short write-ups contribute to your class participation grade. If you miss the class that these are assigned then you should not turn them in.
Don’t sweat it if you miss one. There will be plenty of these through the semester and I’ll drop the lowest one.
1) In two pages – maximum – of double-spaced 12-point type, find a mutualism (+,+) or commensalism (+,0) that appeals to your interests. Choose one that is not covered in lecture or in the text.
Describe this interspecific relationship as fully as you are able and explain why it is what it is.
I’d suggest four references sources. No more than one should be a wikipedia entry. Cite your references in the text (so that I know which source(s) provide information to which paragraph(s)). Provide full bibliographic citations on a separate sheet of paper.
2) In one or two sentences, explain the population distribution of the orangutan. I.e., it is randomly dispersed in its habitat? Or is it over- or under-dispersed? Provide a brief – on or two sentences – explanation for the dispersion patttern.
Endemism in Madagascar
Last modified on 2012-02-15 22:48:40 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
An article by Glaw et al. (2012) in the Public Library of Science reveals the discovery of several of the smallest amniotes yet observed … tiny chameleons in the genus Brookesia.
Madagascar, home to the Malagasy Republic, is considered to be one of the world’s most important biodiversity hotspots. The overwhelming majority of the species there are endemic, i.e., found there and nowhere else.
Unfortunately, The Malagasy Republic is in a serious financial mire. The population of 21.9 million (mid-year 2011) has a per capita gross domestic product (GDP) of $438. 90% of the population lives on less than $2 per day. 69% of the population lives on less than $1 per day (THEIR measure of the poverty threshold).
When your ability to keep your family from starvation is pitted against the national need to preserve the endemic biodiversity, in my experience, eating wins every time.
Green Ambassadors Program
Last modified on 2012-02-15 22:06:38 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Jacqueline Jacot, is leading the Green Ambassadors Program in the student residence halls.
The program aims to :
- Educate students about sustainability, especially sustainability initiatives on-campus.
- Empower students with information about the various ways to achieve a sustainable lifestyle.
- Prepare students to become information disseminators and role models to others who wish to live more sustainably.
You are invited to participate in the program. Students from every residence hall are needed. Students interested in this exciting initiative, should contact Jacqueline at jjacot@stedwards.edu by this Friday, Feb. 17 so that she can move forward with the program.
More about the program :
- Green Ambassadors Tentative Meeting Format
- About 30 minutes depending on discussion and activities
- Meetings held every other week
- Location : TBD
Topics for discussion:
- How can I be more sustainable?
- How can SEU be more sustainable?
- Off-campus meetings at local and sustainable businesses
- Sustainable changes to residence halls
- Movies, Music, and Art about environmentalism
- Spreading word about on-campus and local green initiatives
Promotion of the Program :
- Sustainability Blog
- Students for Sustainability Facebook page
- Networking with RDs and RAs
Got textbook?
Last modified on 2012-02-07 17:54:45 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Peck Phillips at the campus bookstore has announced that the inventory of unsold textbooks will be returned to the publishers soon.
If you still in need of a textbook, act accordingly!
ENSP 2324 Unit 01 quiz
Last modified on 2012-02-07 17:49:57 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Reminder
The Unit 01 quiz will be given at the beginning of lecture on Thursday 2012-02-09.
Bring a SCANTRON form (883-E or equivalent – available at the bookstore) and a #2 pencil. The SCANTRON grader does not recognize ballpoint pen (neither blue nor black). If I have to grade it by hand, there will be a sizeable grade reduction.
Keep up with changes to the Course Documents page for details on what we have covered (or are about to cover) in lecture.
FYI : SEU Society for a Human Right to Water
Last modified on 2012-02-02 18:44:46 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
The Society for a Human Right to Water (SHRW) is having its first meeting of the semester:
Thursday (Today)
February 2nd
*BAIN BOARDROOM*
Room 330 in Ragsdale
7:30 PM
(FOOD!)
MEETING WILL COVER:
• General SHRW Information
• Our Definition of a “Human Right” – (VOTE?)
• SHRW 2012 Goals
• SHRW Future Goals
• Collaborating with other Organizations
• Upcoming Spring 2012 Events
• Charity Water Fundraiser “Q Drum Race”
• Service Project Ideas (Water Well Testing)
• SHRW Social Media (SHRW.org, Hilltop Views, etc.)
• T-Shirts (as seen at the involvement fair), Buttons, Bumper Stickers
• Speakers, Visitors (Clean Water Action/Fund)
A Society for a Human Right to Water helps raise money for international non-profit groups, broadens student’s knowledge about crucial water issues, allows students to meet various water experts and make new friends.
***Facebook page***
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Society-for-a-Human-Right-to-Water-SHRW/193500630693065
^ This is the best way to keep updated and stay in contact.
Feel free to ask me any questions!
Thanks!
Sabrina Trudeau
President
“We hope to promote education about water responsibility, water conservation, and reasonable and responsible water use. Our goal is making a human right to water a ‘vested’ right globally.”
The Majestic Plastic Bag
Last modified on 2012-02-01 03:58:26 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
This another reminder about the three Rs of waste reduction. Every one of us can contribute to the solution!
1) REDUCE, 2) REUSE, and 3) RECYCLE
Reduce the amount of waste that you generate by purchasing products with minimal packaging. Sometimes, this is referred to as PRECYCLING.
Refuse to purchase over-packaged products and products packed in materials that are not readily recycled. Take a moment to let the manufacturers and retailers of such products know how you feel about the situation.
Choose reusable products over disposable products.
Recycle used or broken products as appropriate.
- Compost food waste (non-animal products) and yard waste (leaves and prunings).
- Single-stream recycling containers are available on campus.
- Single-stream curbside recycling bins are available to homeowners in Austin.
- Free household hazardous waste collection is available for non-business residents of Austin. The facility will accept for paint, motor oil, herbicides, pool chemicals, household and automotive batteries.
- Most of the supermarket chains offer recycling services for plastic bags.
- Don’t forget the opportunities afforded by Goodwill, Salvation Army, Craigslist, and Austin Freecycle.
Silk purse from a sow’s ear? How about snakeskin from invasive pythons and anacondas?
Last modified on 2012-02-01 03:59:07 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Officials can’t stop invasive pythons and anacondas from marauding in the Everglades
… they can only hope to contain them.
Test post ENSP 2324
Last modified on 2012-01-30 03:29:54 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
This is a test of the emergency blogging system. This is only a test.
This has been a test of the emergency blogging system. Had this been an actual emergency, you would have been instructed where to tune for official news and information.
We repeat. This has been a test … only a test.