ENMT301 Enviroment And Ecosystems Prinicples
Case Study – Part A: Literature analysis/article summary of ecological lake case study
Instructions
The case study assignment is broken down into two parts, as described below. There is a grading rubric for each portion of the case study. Make sure that you fulfill all aspects of the grading rubric before turning in each assignment.
Part A: Literature Analysis/Article Summary
For this case study, select one of these lakes:
the case of the Aral Sea
the case of Lake Chad
These cases have similar themes that we will discuss in fuller detail after part A of this assignment has been completed.
Using the UMUC Library, search for relevant and scholarly articles that address reasons for the degradation and ecological damage of the lake or sea you selected during the last 50 to 60 years.
If you need help using the UMUC Library database, go to http://www.umuc.edu/library/ and click on the Ask a Librarian link, or use our library’s tutorial on obtaining research materials: http://sites.umuc.edu/library/libhow/research_tutorial.cfm
If you are unsure about how tell if an article is scholarly, please review the following information: http://sites.umuc.edu/library/libhow/articles.cfm
From among the articles, select one scholarly article to use for part A of this case study assignment:
Concise two- to three-paragraph summary of the main ideas in the article. Be sure to describe both the reasons for the degradation and the ecological damage with supportive detail. (50 points)
One-paragraph discussion of how the information presented in your article relates to ecological principles and sustainable practices that you have read about and discussed in class. In the case of your chosen lake or sea, were ecological principles ignored or unsustainable practices used? Be sure to clearly identify specific ecological principles and sustainable practices from the course readings, referencing at least one assigned course reading from Weeks 1-3. (30 points)
Clear, concise paragraphs, with transitions between paragraphs and no grammatical or spelling errors (10 points)
Appropriate APA in-text citations and reference list (10 points)
ENMT301 Enviroment And Ecosystems Prinicples
Case Study – Part B: Case study final report on ecological lake case study
Part B: Case Study Final Report
Continue researching your topic (Aral Sea or Lake Chad) with reliable resources. Then, write a complete case study report (with introduction and conclusion), answering the following questions:
What human activities led to the degradation of the body of water? How are the human activities that led to the degradation tied to human population growth, choice of technologies, and growing global affluence? Which ecological principles did we ignore as part of our degradation of this ecosystem?
Did any natural changes exacerbate the degradation? If so, identify them.
What are the effects of the degradation on the ecosystem itself? How has this ecosystem degradation impacted the people living in the area?
Was there a tipping point to the ecosystem degradation? Explain your answer.
What was the management plan for restoring the ecosystem, if there was one?
What suggestions do you have for a management plan, and how does your plan address the ecological principles that were ignored as part of our degradation of this ecosystem? Are there more data you need to collect before proceeding with recommendations? If so, what data do you need?