ENMT301 Enviroment And Ecosystems Prinicples
Week 2 Discussion
DQ1 Biogeochemical Cycles
One of the key concepts in environmental management is biogeochemical cycles. Select one of the biogeochemical cycles we have learned about this week.
How does the matter move through the cycle?
What are some environmental concerns associated with this cycle?
What would occur to ecosystems without biogeochemical cycles?
How are you naturally part of this cycle?
If you need another review of the biogeochemical cycles, check out these videos (optional):
Crash Course Ecology, “The Hydrologic and Carbon Cycles: Always Recycle!” https://youtu.be/2D7hZpIYlCA
Crash Course Ecology, “Nitrogen & Phosphorus Cycles: Always Recycle!” https://youtu.be/leHy-Y_8nRs
DQ2 “Rewild the World”
In his TED Talk “For More Wonder, Rewild the World”, George Monbiot makes a compelling argument for rewilding the world to restore the self-regulating, healthy balance of natural ecosystems. Based on the many ecological concepts you learned about this week, can you provide some scientific facts to support this argument? Can you think of an ecological service not mentioned in the TED talk?
Which factors affect the stability of ecological communities? Provide specific examples of how producers, herbivores, carnivores, scavengers, decomposers or various interspecies interactions are important for ecosystem health.
DQ3 Thinking about your ENMT career: Connecting your career goals with the ENMT 301 course and ENMT program
Please reflect back upon what you have learned in college thus far (including concepts in ENMT 301 for the first two weeks) that might contribute towards your career goals.
Discuss 3-4 specific skills and concepts from your college courses that will likely help you to make meaningful contributions in your future career as an environmental manager.
What connections can you make between concepts covered in this and last week’s course content and your intended future career?
You are welcome to reply to what others have stated and add value to their connections in place of posting your direct response to this question. If you are taking this course as an elective, please share what skills your desired career have in common with what your are seeing as needed for environmental management. Remember that skills are not the same as knowledge.