E. Coli and Disease Transmission

BIOL 4P85
Exam 2 (Part one)
Mohammed Ibrahim
5939608
1. Answer to question 1A
Woodland Caribou are currently listed under the Species at Risk Act (SRA) as an
endangered species. Such a listing implies that the population of herds are quickly dwindling at
alarming rates and that if nothing gets done the species might soon be extinct. Environmental and
Natural Resources (ENR) gave a disturbing report that the population of the Bathurst herd

declined from 20,000 to 8,000 between 2015 and 2018 (Panza-Beltrandi, 2018). Several models
have been proposed in an attempt to arrest the situation. However, several concerns have been
raised from several quarters as to the capacity of the models to delineate the position and come
up with an ecologically sustainable solution. The Caribou issue is by far a simple one due to the
existence of some concerns. For instance, there is the plight of companies and persons who
depend on forests for economic activities such as oil exploration corporations. Attempts by the
government to use force by issuing a deadline to states to institute forest protection act as a way
of preserving Caribou habitat has failed. The best example is the State of Alberta that has
promised that it will fight such an attempt (Crydermarn, 2018). One of the reasons previous
models have failed is that there are two species, man and the Woodland Caribou, that have not
managed to co-exist together because one has overexploited the habits of the other. As a result,
there is the dilemma of coming up with a solution that will be favorable for both species. The
paper describes two models that can find a sustainable solution to the problem.
The reason the current strategies employed by the government under the SRA is that
some stakeholder feels that they have been left out in the model, or the mode threatens some
aspects of their interests. Animal, human conflict is not a new ecological phenomenon. Although
it is the responsibility of the government to protect wildlife in Canada, it cannot succeed without
involving various stakeholders and possibly the locals. Stewardship and education is a model
aimed at motivating the active participation of stakeholders and local communities. However, it
is essential that every party has a clear understanding of the primary objective and that issues
arising are addressed adequately.
The first approach will entail holding round table talks with locals and stakeholders to
collect their views on what they feel about being involved in the protection of Woodland

Caribou. These meetings will form a perfect platform to understand, and perhaps address the
issues of stakeholders such as oil exploration companies. Communities living close to Caribou
habitats or companies that use these habitats can be turned from potential environmental
stressors to parties that can support the program. Forceful and misguided restrictions will only
function to escalate the problem. The best approach, in this case, would be one that causes
minimal disturbances for both human beings and the sedentary Caribou. Sedentary Caribou does
not move around much. Therefore, there is the possibility of creating community managed
enclosures for the animals. The approach was successfully used in Sand County which now
enjoys community owned ranches with various species such as black bears, bald eagles, and
deer(Shogren & Tschirhart, 2001). The most important thing is educating the communities and
then giving them the responsibility of managing the ranches. Training should entail essential
considerations such as the possibility of turning the Caribou into a cash crop by selling Caribou
meat as a way of controlling the population once the threshold has been attained.
The second approach is habitat protection. The primary objective for habitat protection is
to ensure that the habitat for the Caribou is duly protected. The woodland Caribou often stay in
bushes where they primarily feed on trees. Therefore, when trees are felled for economic
purposes for the construction of roads or other activities such as oil exploration, it creates an
ecological problem. To ensure that the species is duly protected it is essential that the habitat for
the Caribou is duly protected. Therefore, the primary objective for this model is to ensure that
woodland areas that offer the perfect habitat for the Caribou get protected. Human practices are
the primary cause of the decline in the population of the Caribou. The Caribou is a sedentary
species that seldom move around. Furthermore, they mostly feed on trees, especially during

winter. Therefore, the primary objective of this approach is to ensure that human activities in the
localities where the Caribou reside get protected.
2. Answer to Question 1B
Perturbations as a result of human activities such as logging, oil and gas exploration, the
construction of roads, and other activities have either destroyed or fragmented Caribou habitat
thereby exposing the animals to predators or putting them in direct conflict with other species
such as deers that migrate from place to place. Therefore, to create a minimal ecological
disturbance of the species, it would be necessary to enclose the animals. The good thing with the
approach is that Woodland Caribou are sedentary and do not move around much. Local
communities will be educated on simple ecological management of the ranches, such as how to
monitor the populations and ensure that population threshold gets attained. Once the threshold is
achieved, and the animals are removed from the SRA list, then necessary measures can be taken
to keep the population in check. However, at the beginning promoting parturition and protecting
adults should be a key priority. Figure 1 shows a diagrammatic representation of the model that
will be implemented once the pre-test stage demonstrates that it is feasible and all the resources
have been mobilized. The primary objective of the approach is to ensure that the local
communities and other stakeholders can take an active role in the protection of endangered
species. Educating local communities to be responsible for the wildlife around is important
because it will reduce disturbances and ensure that they understand the primary objective of
conservation.
Skills

Baseline Survey Pre-Test
Knowledge
Attitude
Attitude
Active EEPES
Initiation Phase
Active
classroom
lessons
Hands-on-
activities
Field Exposure
Service
learning, small
projects, and
Practical
Baseline Survey Post-Test
Knowledge
Attitude
Skills
Attitude
Program for the protection of endangered species,
Woodland Caribou

Figure 1: Environmental Education for the Protection of Endangered Species (EEPES)
In habitat protection the first step that will be taken using this approach is to identify the
habitat occupied by the Caribou. Identification of the specific areas occupied by the species is
vital to assess the level of disturbance that has been inflicted that is perhaps causing a reduction
in the population. According to Panza-Beltrandi (2018), human activities are the major cause in
the reduction of the number of Caribou in Canada. Apart from illegal hunting that directly kills
the species, there are also other approaches such as the building of roads that have exposed the
animal to predators. Therefore, after the identification of the habitats, the next step will be to
come up with strategies to restore the destroyed areas and ensure that the current localities are
protected. The protection of habitats will require sacrifice from various stakeholders. For
instance, the companies that explore oil will be made to understand that some of their areas of
interest form the primary habitat for the Caribou. Therefore, they will have to hand over some of
these regions to the authorities for protection.
To protect the population of the Caribou, it is essential that the places that form their
primary homes are protected. Human beings have been identified as a stressor in this perspective.
Therefore, it is crucial to consider the role played by human beings in the process to ensure that
there are minimal disturbances once the project has been implemented. There are many projects
that will be sacrificed in the process. However, once everyone understands the importance of
environmental protection, it will be easy to convince the affected parties. The most probable
opposition to the program will come from people who are already benefitting from the places
that have been identified as the principle habitat for the Caribou. Therefore, this model will seek
to institute a proactive approach that ensures that states comply with the directive of the