Research a Conservation Project

Research a Conservation Project

Instructions: Research a Conservation Project

Assignment Content

1. Research a Conservation Project
   In assignment 1 in this course, you examined the systems that cause a species to become endangered. In assignment 2, your mission is to examine a conservation project that is working to conserve a species, habitat, or ecosystem.
    OUTCOMESThis assignment aligns with the following course learning outcomes:  1. Describe the current and past trends of global biodiversity decline. 4. Evaluate the utility of different conservation strategies, including conservation of functional diversity, biodiversity hotspots, keystone species, and endangered species. 5. Analyze strategies to control and regulate overhunting and overfishing. 6. Explain the mechanism of climate change, its impacts on biodiversity, and what can be done to mitigate for it. 7. Evaluate strategies to limit the spread and impact of invasive species. 8. Analyze various causes of habitat loss and strategies to improve, expand, and connect it. 9. Formulate a plan to conserve an endangered species 10. Develop and present a comprehensive plan to protect an ecosystem.
   STEPSTo complete Assignment 2, complete all five of the following steps:
   1. Choose a conservation project
   2. Research your project
   3. Assess your project
   4. Write your report
   
   STEP 1) CHOOSE A PROJECTSome possible projects include:
   • Invasive species removal projects such as the biocontrol of purple loosestrife (http://www.ontariobeetles.ca/)
   • Habitat restoration projects such as Ontario Eastern Bluebird Society (https://oebs.ca/)
   • Habitat connection projects such as the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation initiative (https://y2y.net/)
   • Population recovery projects such as wild turkey re-introduction in Ontario (https://www.ontario.ca/page/wild-turkey-management-plan-2007)
   • Ecosystem assessment projects such as Snapshot Safari (https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/shuebner729/snapshot-molopo/about/research)
   • Biodiversity assessment projects such as e-bird Canada (https://ebird.org/canada/home)
   
   Projects examined in detail in this course that are off limits for this assignment are:
   • the population recovery project of California Condors, USA
   • the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone National Park, USA
   • Anti-poaching and community building actions at Virunga National Park, DRC
   
   STEP 2) RESEARCH YOUR PROJECTCreate an outline* of questions to answer.Begin to research your project by reading a variety of websites and journal articles.Create a list of APA references and add to it as you go.Answer your questions in point form, in your own words.Be sure to include APA in-text citation(s) for each answer.Modify your questions and create new questions to better fit your chosen project.Answer those questions in point form, in your own words with APA in-text citations.
   *You could use the following structure to create your outline:
   In Part 1, introduce the project. Questions that you could answer include:
   • What is the aim of your chosen project?
   • What actions are being taken?
   • Who is conducting the actions and where and when are they occurring?
   • What actions have previously been taken?
   • How does the project fit into other current overlapping projects or previous projects?
   
   In Part 2, outline the scientific research guiding the project. Summarize the key scientific research that has been published on the targeted species, habitat, or ecosystem at the centre of this project. Questions you could answer include:
   • Who conducted the research, and where and when did it occur?
   • What are the key results of the research?
   • How were the results determined? What was measured or tested?
   • How did this research guide the conservation project?
   
   In Part 3, assess the project. Questions that you should answer to assess your project include:
   • What challenges has the project faced? How have they dealt with those challenges?
   • What criticisms have been made about the project? Are they valid?
   • Do you think the project has been or will be successful? Explain your reasoning
   • What should be the next steps of the project? Explain your reasoning
   
   
   STEP 3) WRITE AND EDIT YOUR REPORTBased on the 4-part outline of questions and answers you have developed, write a 1000-word report that includes the following four sections (use subheadings):
   1. The Project
   2. The Science Behind the Project
   3. Assessment of the Project
   4. References (include only those sources you cite, minimum of 8 references required)
   
   Important Guidelines
   • Be concise; this is a short paper, which should be clear and logical.
   • Use your own words, simplify the terminology in the articles you use, and define the terms you use. A non-scientist classmate should be able to understand your paper and you should be able to understand and explain each element in your paper in your own words.
   • If you are guessing or making an arbitrary judgment, be clear about your level of uncertainty (e.g. “it seems likely that … given …”). Know that most things are not 100 per cent certain.
   • Italicize scientific names (Genus species). Note that the genus name is always capitalized and the species name is never capitalized e.g. Homo sapiens
   • Species is both singular and plural, e.g. one species, many species.
   • Make sure that it is easy to trace the logic of your paper through all sections.
   • Make sure to edit and proofread carefully. Plan on editing to clarify key points. Do not hand in your first draft.
   • Do not use direct quotes, instead you should paraphrase and cite.
   • Citations are required for every statement of fact. If in doubt, cite it. You won’t lose marks for too many in-text citations. But you will lose marks if your claims aren’t cited.
   • Use Humber Libraries Videos on APA https://library.humber.ca/help/apa
   
   Avoid PlagiarismMake sure to carefully review and follow Humber College’s guidelines for avoiding plagiarism. As a tool to help you improve the integrity of your written work, your report will be checked using the SafeAssign tool in Blackboard. You will receive a SafeAssign originality report after your first attempt, showing you the ‘score’ of how much of your report has been matched with other written sources. Your references will be flagged in the report, but this is not a problem. You can resubmit your report as many times as you wish, before the final project deadline, but only the final copy will be graded. Submission DetailsYour report should be submitted by the deadline listed on the Critical Path. The report should be submitted ONLY to Blackboard in the Assignments folder, and NOT by email. Emailed projects will NOT be accepted for grading. The report MUST be submitted in a Word format (.doc, .docx) although you may also submit a pdf version to preserve formatting.By submitting this paper, you agree: (1) that you are submitting your paper to be used and stored as part of the SafeAssign™ services in accordance with the Blackboard Privacy Policy; (2) that your institution may use your paper in accordance with your institution’s policies; and (3) that your use of SafeAssign will be without recourse against Blackboard Inc. and its affiliates.

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