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CSE621S - CONSERVATION ECOLOGY 2 |
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nAmlBIA unlVERSITY
OF SCIEn CE Ano TECHn OLOGY
FACULTYOF HEALTH,NATURALRESOURCESAND APPLIEDSCIENCES
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES SCIENCES
QUALIFICATION: BACHELOR OF NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
QUALIFICATION CODE: 07BNRS
LEVEL: 7
COURSE CODE: CSE621S
COURSE NAME: Conservation Ecology 2
DATE:November2022
DURATION: 3 hours
MARKS: 150
FIRSTOPPORTUNITY EXAMINATION QUESTION PAPER
EXAMINER(S) Mr. Richard Kavari, Prof. Theo Wassenaar and Mr. Jeremia K.L. Amutenya
MODERATOR: Prof. Morgan Hauptfleisch
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Answer ALL the questions.
2. Write clearly and neatly.
3. Number the answers clearly.
PERMISSIBLEMATERIALS
1. Examination question paper
2. Answering book
3. Calculator
THIS QUESTION PAPER CONSISTS OF 4 PAGES (Excluding this front page}
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QUESTION 1
Write short notes to define or explain the following ecological terms:
1.1. Ecological Disturbance
(2)
1.2. Savanna
(1)
1.3. Succession
(1)
1.4. Landscape ecology
(2)
1.5. Metapopulation
(1)
1.6. Land degradation
(1)
1.7. Minimum viable population (MVP)
(2)
[10]
QUESTION 2
Differentiate between the following ecological terms:
2.1. Resistance vs. Resilience
(2)
2.3. Carrying capacity vs. Stocking rate
(2)
[4]
QUESTION 3 Ecosystem Health and Management
3.1. Briefly, explain any 5 of the 12 principles of an ecosystem approach provided by the
Convention on Biological Diversity.
(5)
3.2. Write an abstract on the topic of 'Ecosystem health towards sustainability",
based on the article by Lu et al (2017) titled; Ecosystem health towards
sustainability.
(6)
[11]
QUESTION 4 Dryland ecology and habitat suitability
4.1. Explain the difference and similarities between the concepts "habitat" and (5)
"ecological niche" using an example where applicable.
4.2. With reference to your assignment on the topic of the limits of adaptability,
discuss one example of a species that will be affected by climate change,
explaining the main mechanism through which it will be affected, and how it will
be affected.
(5)
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4.3. Explain how a habitat suitability model works.
(3)
4.4. Explain two main applications of a habitat suitability model, giving one example
of each.
(4)
4.5. Name four ways in which biodiversity is affected by climate change.
(4)
4.6. Explain how the concepts "habitat" and "ecological niche" relate to species
distribution.
(3)
4.7. True or false: the Kaokoveld Centre of Endemism will most likely experience
significant species loss as a result of climate change.
(1)
(25]
QUESTION 5 Population Ecology and Management
5.1. Explain how you will determine the number of samples to truly represent a
(2)
population or community?
5.2. Calculate the mean height and percentage difference for the following data set. (4)
Tree-number Height(m) Mean Height(m)
% difference
I•
1
20
2
15
3
12
4
14
(Half a mark for each correct answer)
5.3. In a mark recapture survey, 323 barbel (fish) from a small dam were tagged and
released. Five days later 360 were caught. Of the 400 caught, 60 were recaptures.
a) Calculate the estimated population size.
(2)
b)
Between the marking and the recapturing, fish eagled predated upon the fish
and due to the shininess of the tag, they tended to catch a high proportion of
tagged fish. How would this affect the estimate? Would it tend to be an over or
underestimate? Explain why?
(3)
c)
What other assumptions are made which might easily be violated in the field? (2)
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5.4. In 2015 during a 48-hour waterhole count in the Waterberg Plateau Park, NUST
students counted a total of 650 buffalos. Data from literature suggests that
buffalo drink every 28.8 hours on average. Calculate the estimated population
size of buffalo in the park in the year 2015.
(3)
5.5. In an estimation of cover, a 50 m tape measure was laid out 8 times. 180 m of
the tape measure intercepted the cover of trees. What is the estimated % cover
of trees?
(2)
5.6. Explain how rainfall may influence natality and mortality of wildlife?
(4)
5.7. Draw and fully label a hypothetical graph showing an elephant population
growth curve.
(3)
5.8. After five years, the population in question 5.7 went extinct. Provide four
possible reasons for this, referring to habitat conditions and predation, and the
Allee Effect and demographic and environmental stochasticity, as well as other
concepts you have learnt.
(6)
5.9. A population of 450 elands was introduced into a game park. In the first year,
200 were born and 80 died. Calculate the size of the population after 25 years,
assuming a constant growth rate based on the natalities and mortalities of the
first year. Show all calculations.
(5)
[36]
QUESTION 6 Disturbance and Response
6.1. African savannas are complex systems, however, they are prone to disturbances. (5)
Name five (5) different disturbances that can affect a savannah ecosystem.
6.2. Briefly discuss how you will use the intermediate disturbance hypothesis to
successfully manage a fire and provide high nutrient quality forage to wild
animals in Waterberg Plateau Park.
(8)
6.3. Compare the impacts of natural and anthropogenic disturbances on a savannah
ecosystem, using a table.
(10)
6.4. Why did the equilibrium dynamic theory experience criticism from ecologists? (3)
[26]
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QUESTION 7 From ecology to management at landscape level
7.1. Discuss at least two ways in which landscape ecology is used in biological
conservation and management and give an example.
(5)
7.2. Ecological impact assessments (that part of Environmental Impact Assessments
that focus on impacts to biodiversity) are often not well done or often ignored
completely. Discusswhy and how a landscape ecology approach can benefit the
assessment of impacts to biodiversity and give an example of a landscape
ecology concept that can be included in an assessment.
(5)
7.3. Discussthe arguments for and against the southern African elephant population
as a metapopulation?
(5)
7.4. Define island biogeography and give one example where it has a practical
application in Natural Resource Management.
(3)
7.5. Define the Unified Neutral Theory of Biodiversity.
(2)
[20]
QUESTION 8 The ecology of a changing world
8.1. Mention the main causesof land degradation. Clearly explain the measures you will
put in place to curtail the devastating consequences of land degradation.
(8)
8.2. Explain how habitat fragmentation is a threat to biodiversity.
(5)
8.3. Explain how an alien invasive species, such as Pennisetum setaceum, may
(5)
influence biodiversity negatively.
[18]
Total: 150
End!
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