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5.6: Topics for Discussion

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    26778
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    1. Why does oil palm (>Elaeis guineensis, LC) cultivation represent a significant threat to biodiversity in Africa? (In addition to your own research, it might also be useful to read Box 6.1.)
    2. Read Harris et al. (2009) on the decline of the world’s mass wildlife migrations. Which lost African migration appeals to you most and why? What species were involved? What numbers of animals were involved? How do you think this migration can be revived?
    3. Which ecosystem in your region would you consider the most damaged, and which would you consider the most pristine? Can you explain why these two ecosystems have such different fates?
    4. Do you agree with the idea that human population growth is the primary driver of extinctions today? Why? How do we balance protecting biodiversity with providing for a growing human population, and the right of people to have children?

    This page titled 5.6: Topics for Discussion is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by John W. Wilson & Richard B. Primack (Open Book Publishers) via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.

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