Overview
In continuing with the theme of Environments of Africa, this lesson will address Africa's biosphere. You will be introduced to the general status of biodiversity across the continent and what some of the threats are. Fortunately, there are people working towards conserving plants and animals (specifically primates), and you will be introduced to some of the successful individuals that are making a difference. Finally, you will consider if Africa's conservation efforts should be of a global concern.
Learning Objectives
By the end of Lesson 3, successful students will be able to:
- Define biodiversity and describe structural, functional, spatial, and temporal aspects
- Describe the biodiversity of Africa including threats to specific species
- Describe the efforts of several individuals who have worked towards conservation efforts in Africa
- Begin to understand the complex relationship between humans and the environment by providing an argument on whether citizens should consider threats to specific species when building their nation’s economy
Reading Assignment
- Read the information provided in the pages of this lesson, including the readings and Web sites linked to these pages.
Deliverables
The following items are due by the end of this lesson (see the Calendar tab in ANGEL for specific due dates). Detailed information about the assignments and submission directions are included in this lesson.
- Discussion Forum Posting: Women for African Conservation
- Topic-Specific Assignment: The Fate of the Mountain Gorillas
- Discussion Forum Posting : Globalizing African Conservation
Questions?
If you have any questions now or at any point during this week, please feel free to post them to the Lesson 3 Discussion Forum. (That discussion forum can be accessed at any time by clicking on the Communicate tab in ANGEL, above, and then looking in the Discussion Forum section.)
