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Content by Kaye Placing, BioSciCH@mail.usyd.edu.au http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/fil/pages/webbiodiverka.html Last revised Thu Mar 8 17:52:37 US/Pacific 2001 |
created by Kaye Placing
UniServe Science
Introduction | The Quest | The Process & Resources | Conclusion | HyperText Dictionary
Introduction
Picture this:Picture this:
- the destruction of the habitats of our native animals and the extinction of an increasing number of species,
- a continent where native vegetation has been destroyed to accommodate introduced species and our "western" lifestyle,
- a land where vast areas are no longer suitable for cultivation due to increased salinity.
- enjoying a barbecue with kangaroo, crocodile or emu on the menu accompanied by a salad of bush food,
- while sitting with your pet frilled neck lizard or a dingo,
- in a land that is still able to support the indigenous inhabitants.
The Quest
Hunt or Harvest, Cull or Keep? That is the Question!
The Process and Resources
In this WebQuest you will be working together with a group of students in class. Each group will answer the Task or Quest(ion). As a member of the group you will explore web pages from people (mainly in Australia) who care about Biodiversity. Because these are real web pages we're tapping into, not things made just for schools, the reading level might challenge you. Feel free to use the online Webster dictionary or one in your classroom.
You'll begin with everyone in your group getting some background before dividing into roles where people on your team become experts on one aspect of the topic.
Phase 1 - Background: Something for Everyone
Read this thought provoking statement from Professor Michael Archer, Director of the Australian Museum
Sustaining Australia's Land - Time for Action Now use the Internet information linked below to answer the basic questions of who? what? where? when? why? and how? Be creative in exploring the information so that you answer these questions as fully and insightfully as you can.
Use the Internet information linked below to explore the whole picture and what others (some informed people, some with special interests) have to say on the subject.
- Resource Sheet 7 - Exploitation of native species
- from Queensland Natural Resources and Mines- Is Australian wildlife fair game? - An on-line activity from NOVA (Science in the News), Australian Academy of Science
- Sustainable Economic Use of Native Australian Birds and Reptiles - Can controlled trade improve conservation of species?
- Summary of a report from Rural Industries Research & Development Corporation- Wildlife for Sale - An article published in Savanna Links from the Tropical Savanna CRC
- Wildlife Utilisation as an aid to conservation - An article published in Savanna Links from the Tropical Savanna CRC
- Commercial trade: another threatening process? - An article published in Savanna Links from the Tropical Savanna CRC
- Sustainable Commercial Use of Wildlife - Position Statement from the Ecological Society of Australia
- Management of Wild Harvested Native Species - From Environment Australia - Biodiversity Group
- Commercial Wildlife Utilisation
- from Australian Conservation Foundation- Farming of Native Fauna - from Australian Conservation Foundation
- Commercialising Wildlife - from Animal Liberation South Australia
- Australian Wildlife Protection Council
Phase 2 - Looking Deeper from Different Perspectives
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Individuals or pairs from your larger WebQuest team will explore one of the issues below.
- Read through the files linked to your group. If you print out the files, underline the passages that you feel are the most important. If you look at the files on the computer, copy sections you feel are important by dragging the mouse across the passage and copying / pasting it into a word processor or other writing software.
- Note: Remember to write down or copy/paste the URL of the file you take the passage from so you can quickly go back to it if you need to to prove your point.
- Be prepared to focus what you've learned into one main opinion that answers the Big Quest(ion) or Task based on what you have learned from the links for your role.
Hunt or harvest
Use the Internet information linked below to answer these questions specifically related to Hunt or harvest - particularly relating to kangaroos, emus and crocodiles. Which, if any, Australian species should we hunt? Which, if any, Australian species should we harvest or farm? Which, if any, Australian species should we protect at all cost?
- FARMING OF NATIVE FAUNA from Australian Conservation Foundation
- Australia's Kangaroos - An illustrated fact sheet (downloadable in pdf) from Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade - requires Adobe Acrobat
- Australia's Kangaroos - On-line text only fact sheet from Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
- Kangaroo Industry Association of Australia's Web Site - This site promotes an understanding of the kangaroo industry
- WILD-HARVESTING OF KANGAROOS
- from Inquiry into the Utilisation of Victorian Native Flora and Fauna- Wild Harvest of Native Species - Kangaroos - From Environment Australia, Biodiversity Group
- The Commercial Harvesting of Macropods (Kangaroos) - Position Statement from the Australasian Wildlife Management Society
- Commercial harvesting of Kangaroos in Australia - from Department of the Environment and Heritage
- HARVESTING KANGAROOS: AN ECOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE - A press release from CSIRO
- Improving Consumer Perceptions of Kangaroo Products - A summary of a survey and report of the same name for the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation
- Exploitation of the Possum - from The Possum Page
- Slaughter of brushtail possums - from Animal Liberation
- The Crocodile Man - Check site for 'Why cull crocodiles' and 'Products'
- The Crocodile Industry - from The New Rural Industries: A handbook for Farmers and Investors, Rural Industries Research & Development Corporation
- The Crocodile Industry in the Northern Territory - From Northern Territory Department of Business, Industry and Resource Development
- The Little Emu Farm - Investigate emus and their products
- Why should anyone raise Emu? - A North American farmer gives his views on farming emus
- Global Emu Australia - Includes emu farming and emu products
- Emu Farming - from Inquiry into the Utilisation of Victorian Native Flora and Fauna
- Emu Farming - from The New Rural Industries: A handbook for Farmers and Investors, Rural Industries Research & Development Corporation
- Emu farming - the above resource as pdf document, from The New Rural Industries: A handbook for Farmers and Investors, Rural Industries Research & Development Corporation
- Emu farming - DPI Notes from Queensland Department of Primary Industries
- Farming Barramundi - Full details from Aquaculture WA
- Barramundi - from The New Rural Industries: A handbook for Farmers and Investors, Rural Industries Research & Development Corporation
- Barramundi farming in South Australia - a fact sheet in pdf, from Primary Inductries and Resources, South Australia
- Aquaculture potential of Australian native finfish - a fact sheet in pdf, from Primary Inductries and Resources, South Australia
- Farming of southern bluefin tuna - a fact sheet in pdf, from Primary Inductries and Resources, South Australia
- EELS - from Inquiry into the Utilisation of Victorian Native Flora and Fauna
Cull, keep or relocate
Sometimes the problem is not decreasing numbers but just too many for the resources available. What is the solution then?
- Pests - from The University of Adelaide
- Koala cull: the Kangaroo Island controversy - from Channel Nine News
- Australia tackles a cute conundrum - an article in The Christian Science Monitor
- Koala Wars -transcript of a story on Catalyst, ABC Television
- ASPECTS AND ISSUES OF KOALA TRANSLOCATION IN VICTORIA - A paper from University of Ballarat to CONFERENCE ON THE STATUS OF THE KOALA IN 2001
- ISLAND KOALA POPULATIONS - From Australian Koala Foundation
- Koala Relocation at Snake Island Continues - from Parks Victoria
- A Draft Dingo Management Strategy for Fraser Island
- Dingoes on Fraser Island
- 'Dingo fence' built on Fraser Island
- Economic assessment of the impact of dingoes/wild dogs in Queensland - from Department of Natural Resources and Mines
- Australia Orders Dingo Cull After Fatal Mauling - from Environment News Service
- Dingoes on Fraser Island - from CRC Sustainable Tourism
- Be Dingo Aware - from Environment Protection Authority Queensland
- The culling of grey headed flying foxes in the Royal Melbourne Botanic Gardens - from Australian Tropical Research Foundation Limited
- Flying Fox Fight - from The Catalyst, ABC
- Grey-headed flying fox - vulnerable species listing - from National Parks and Wildlife
- Flying Fox FactSheet - from Melbourne Zoo
- Flying Foxes on the Move - from Melbourne Zoo
- Driven batty – town's plea for help - from News.com.au
- Ibis management - from Botanic Gardens Trust
- Ibis: Managing bird strike risk at Australian airports - from Australian Transport Safety Bureau
Alternate use
Is there an alternative? How else can we address the increasing problems of decreasing habitat, decreasing numbers and public awareness?
- Pet reptiles help fund wildlife research - An article published in Savanna Links from the Tropical Savanna CRC
- Reptiles as Pets - a fact sheet from Australian Museum
- Native Animals as Pets - an interview from radio national
- Native birds and reptiles - from The New Rural Industries: A handbook for Farmers and Investors, Rural Industries Research & Development Corporation
- Animal & plant licences - from NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service
- Spinifex Hopping-mouse - from Marsupial Society of Australia
- Quolls make better pets than domestic cats! - from Earth Sanctuaries
- NPWS warns against keeping native animals as pets - from National Parks and Wildlife
- Native pets theory "flawed" - from ABC
A special point of view
What might be the impact of managing our biodiversity (particularly in relation to endangered species such as the dugong) on the indigenous inhabitants of Australia and their traditional use of the native species?
- An indigenous perspective on flying fox harvesting - An article published in The Australian Biologist by the Australian Institute of Biology
- Dugongs face oblivion on Queensland coasts? - from Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland
- Table of Contents - for AUSTRALIA'S OCEAN POLICY from the National Oceans Office, chapters include CONTEMPORARY INDIGENOUS RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE SEA, INVOLVEMENT OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES IN MARINE MANAGEMENT
- Exploring Reef Science - Dugongs in the Great Barrier Reef: the current state of research - from Cooperative Research Centre Reef (pdf file)
- Turtle Project - from Quantum, ABC
Phase 3 - Debating, Discussing, and Reaching Consensus
You have all learned about a different part of Managing Australia's Biodiversity. Now group members come back to the larger WebQuest team with expertise gained by searching from one perspective.
You must all now answer the Task / Quest(ion) as a group. Each of you will bring a certain viewpoint to the answer: some of you will agree and others disagree. Use information, pictures, movies, facts, opinions, etc. from the web pages you explored to convince your team mates that your viewpoint is important and should be part of your team's answer to the Task / Quest(ion). Your WebQuest team should write out an answer that everyone on the team can live with.
Phase 4 - Real World Feedback
You and your team mates have learned a lot by dividing up to address different issues and points of view. Now's the time to put your learning into a format that can be shared with other interested people.
As a group, prepare recommendations for the effective Management of Australia's Biodiversity. Consider those animals that might be suitable for food and other products. Should some species be hunted in the wild or should they be farmed just as we farm introduced species. What happens when communities become overcrowded? Should all species be considered equally? What is best for all Australians? There are many issues to address in Managing Australia's Biodiversity.
Your group may decide to present their recommendations in written format, as a brochure or as a poster, in electronic format, as a presentation or web site, or through an oral presentation or debate.
Conclusion
What can you do about Managing Australia's Biodiversity?
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Content by Kaye Placing, BioSciCH@mail.usyd.edu.au http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/fil/pages/webbiodiverka.html Last revised Thu Mar 8 17:52:37 US/Pacific 2001 |