DEFINING AND MEASURING BIODIVERSITY

1. Discuss how zoos have evolved over the last 50 years to become conservation centers. Incorporate the role of zoos in educating the public into your response.
2. Discuss some of the economic pressures faced by zoos – namely space, capacity and resources– that can affect their conservation efforts.
3. How does a species get on the Endangered Species List?
4. Take a virtual trip to the zoo using one of the links below and observe at least one of the endangered species.

Take a Virtual Visit to the Zoo

You can take a virtual visit to the zoo any day of the week by tuning into any of the following live web cams, which feature many endangered animals. The World Wildlife Fund lists many of these animals as priority species.

• Watch elephants at the Smithsonian Zoo on the elephant cam:
• The Houston Zoo has some of the best web cams of gorillas, rhinos, elephants, flamingos and giraffes here: http://www.houstonzoo.org/meet-the-animals/animal-webcams/
• The Reid Park Zoo in Arizona has web cams of lions, giraffes, elephants, lemurs, grizzly bears and flamingos here: http://reidparkzoo.org/cameras/elephant-cam/
• See pandas, elephants, apes or polar bears (the elephant has the most informative cam view) at the San Diego Zoo
• Pick an animal webcam of your choice

1. Choose one animal from the webcam links above and observe its behavior at several different times during the day or over the course of several days. Take notes on its behavior and briefly summarize what you observed. Chose 4 or 5 different time points (on the hour or half hour, it does not need to be the same day or the exact time point). Use this interactive chart to help you record the animal’s behavior, then create a pie chart using excel or other chart software such as the one provided below: Animal Behavior Recording Chart: http://rwtinteractives.ncte.org/view_interactive.aspx?id=32

Chart Recording Software: http://www.onlinecharttool.com/

Give your chart a title and include it in your essay.

Your chart should look similar to this one:

       Panda Bear Activity

1. Did your perception of the species you watched change as a result of seeing it on the webcam? Why or why not?
2. Do you believe technology has a positive influence on people’s feelings toward wildlife and conservation? Why or why not?