ENVS002 Exam (Biodiversity)

According to Christy Schuetze, what is a 'fortress narrative,' who makes/produces them and what are the impacts of these narratives?

Fortress Narrrative: the connections between divergent understandings of threats to land and resources and the production of fortress-style management practices in conservation programs. (discrepancy between what's actually happening and what people are saying) **ALL about perspective -They're produced by people who want control over a land and want to convince people to support them taking control of the land (ex. Greg Carr)

What does Greg Carr argue that Gorongosa National Park project is achieving and what does Dr. Schuetze argue that the park project is achieving?

Greg Carr argues that the GNP project is achieving a win win for EVERYONE (conservation biologists, Mozambican government, foreign tourists, and long time Gorongosan residents) Schuetze argues that the situation is more complex and is creating animosity and conflict between gorongosan residents and the parks actors

How have we come to distinguish hunters from poachers? What are the colonial roots to this distinction?

Hunters: wealthy, typically white men on big game reserves. Poachers: typically poor black men selling game for a living

What does race have to do with celebrities and conservation?

It perpetuates the "white savior complex" the way that Western markets shape conservationists in Africa has created a demand for white "superheroes" that Africa helps to fill - is a growing market: voluntourism

Convention on Biological Diversity

Multilateral treaty whose 3 main goals are... 1. Conservation of biological diversity (or biodiversity) 2. Sustainable use of its components 3. Fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from genetic resource *Sovereignty over bio-resources by nation states, as the treaty recognizes their right to regulate and charge outsiders for access to their biodiversity

Is 'biodiversity' equivalent to 'nature'? Why or why not?

No - external nature (ecological processes, material) and internal nature (nature that has lost it's 'capacity to act', it's internal to commodity processes) - nature is a more broad term, and includes processes beyond the biosphere such as nature-cultures - nature includes virtual worlds

E.O. Wilson admitted that he had a particular political motive when he began advocating for a biodiversity approach to nature and to science. What was E.O. Wilson's political agenda?

People were too concerned of what was happening at a molecular level and he was interested in the interrelations of the ecosystem as a whole. Bioblitz becomes a political act when he does not acknowledge the local name, only the scientific name. Brings biology back to the whole organism as opposed to the molecular genetic level

Be able to explain in what ways parks or protected areas, species lists and celebrities are scientific, technological, cultural, political and colonial interventions to protect/save biodiversity

Scientific- medicine Political- rules are being implemented, Government agreed with Greg Carr wanting the mountain to be part of the park which overruled the local people's opinions for it not to be. Greg Carr having money and power to do what he wants- such as flying helicopter to the man's house on the top of the mountain Cultural- Tsing making a species lists with the woman who used local names as opposed to just scientific name/latin name. Categorized by water, near water, ect. Species close to her home. Locals didn't want Gorongosa to be part of the park because of the spirits on the mtn, story of a man who caught on fire for going to forbidden(?) place on the mountain. Glory days of the park in Greg Carr's opinion were not glory days according to the locals because the Portuguese had colonized the park- which is also what Greg Carr has done(also colonial) Colonial- Portuguese colonizing the area; Greg Carr coming in Technological- tagging animals to track them, drones

What is a species and how many species concepts are there? (e.g. at least...)

Species- a group of living organisms consisting of similar individuals capable of exchanging genes or interbreeding *There are at least 22 species concepts

In what ways did the 2014 film The Guide correct some of the errors in the 60 Minutes Clip from 2008? According to the film The Guide, who is the 'expert' regarding the species living in Gorongosa National Park? Who else might also be an expert on the species living in the park?

The Guide corrected errors from the 60 minutes clip that assumed the Carr Foundation was dominating the local community and taking away their voice/power when REALLY this tour guide was the 'expert' when it came to the species in Mozambique and took Wilson around to teach him about the species

What did Teddy Roosevelt have to do with 'Africa' or with nature?

- he wanted to demonstrate man's relationship to nature - displays in museum are social and cultural versions of nature = no humans - links between exhibits and parks: both are meant to educate Americans about their role with nature (protecting and dominating)

What is an enclosure?

-An ideological boundary, different forms like physical -Something/where that you can exclude people from -All parks and protected areas are enclosures, but not vice versa -Protected area with borders, involvement can be limited by regulations (rules for conduct in enclosure) permeability varies

If you "discover" a species, where should you register the species and its name? What did I just put "discover" in quotes?

-Any "discovered" species would be registered through the CITES website -"discover" is in quotes because, in reference to the Tsing, there are people native to areas where species have been "discovered" that knew about them before scientists gave them a proper name (also worth mentioning that these local people had their own ways of identifying species that do not follow the rules of proper nomenclature)

Drawbacks of protected areas and parks

-Cause eviction and physical displacement -Economic displacement -Deny people access to valuable resources -Displace people symbolically (they write them out of the landscape's history) *Parks are a means by which states extend their bureaucratic powers (can marginalize and disempower local resource management)

What did Carl Akeley have to do with 'Africa' or with nature?

-He was a taxidermist -Went on expeditions in Africa -Filled museums with exhibitions that were 'faithful to nature'

What are some of the problems or limits of the CBD (according to MacDonald)?

-It ignores the role of consumption and capitalist expansion in driving biodiversity loss -Codification of nature into material for trade in the global market raises questions over a broader definition of nature -business as usual model

Critiques from the 60 minutes video

-doesn't show the heated conflict between local residents and park officials -shows the locals as not knowing very much about environmentalism or conservation, even though they have been preserving the land for a long time and have sustainable agriculture

Why are so many celebrities involved in biodiversity conservation initiatives?

-easy, non-controversial cause -can gloss over all the issues on the ground

What kinds of information can you learn about a park from a helicopter flyover and satellite imagery? What kinds of information is missing from these perspectives?

-images are depicting mountain during its dry season; the "mountain on fire" is really a method of agriculture- slash and burn/ swidden (natural) -missing local people's commentary on the land which is essential in gaining a holistic understanding of the park

Explain the Yellowstone creation myth. Why is it merely a myth?

Yellowstone creation myth- Yellowstone was the first park *This is FALSE **Documentation of PA's written into records of powerful leaders and societies

Bioblitz

a celebration and search for new species naturalists search and identify species found by them or others is a restricted location and time (Wilson having the local children bring him species they found)

Gorongosa National Park: What is its history within the broader history of Mozambique?

before- Portuguese colonized Gorongosa- locals had to pay taxes by working for tourism and agriculture(?) 1960's- "best game reserves in Africa" 1990's- democratic Mozambique is the poorest country 2000's- Greg Carr enters

Species List

compiled to estimate the degree of threat to a species and used to identify keystone species that need protection

Benefits of protected areas, for whom? For what?

not easy to catalogue the way that parks distribute fortune and misfortune among different groups in society - safeguard ecosystem services (prevent soil erosion, genetic diversity for food crops and medicine) - provide recreation - make valuable contributions to the economy - provide aesthetic pleasure to visitors and image industries - focus for research - inspire people to conserve nature

What are the three major kinds of biodiversity?

1. Genetic diversity- measure of different versions of the same genes within a species 2. Species diversity- measure of variety of organisms within individual communities or ecosystems 3. Ecological diversity- the richness and complexity of a biological community, including the number of niches, trophic levels and ecological processes

What role do different celebrities play in biodiversity conservation? What are Brockington's three major categories of celebrity in conservation?

1. Popular endorsement: Celebrities that are already famous that take up conservation causes (ex. Leonardo Dicaprio) 2. Wildlife filmmakers: market a connection to nature, famous for conservation activities (Steve Irwin) 3. Celebrity conversationalists: famous for their efforts in the field of conservation and advocacy (E.O. Wilson)

How did the CBD refute the idea of a "global commons" or "common heritage" in which global actors attempt to make management decisions about biodiversity resources within sovereign states?

the treaty recognizes sovereignty over bioresources by nation-states, and their right to regulate and charge outsiders for access to their biodiversity

What is the definition of biogeography? What kinds of questions or problems does the field of biogeography address?

Biogeography- the science that attempts to document and understand spatial patterns of biological diversity (how did that species get there?) *includes studies of all patterns of geographic variations in nature **Asks SPATIAL questions

What does CITES stand for and what is it supposed to regulate? What is an invasive species according to the Global Invasive Species Database?

CITES stands for the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora -it is supposed to regulate international trade of endangered species -invasive species= alien species that threatens native biodiversity and natural areas (covers all taxonomic groups from microorganisms to animals and plants)

According to Dr. Christy Schuetze, what are the major differences between what she observed on Gorongosa Mountain in terms of social relations and land use and land cover and what the park authorities and Carr claimed about Gorongosa Mountain. Was Gorongosa Mountain originally part of Gorongosa National Park?

Carr Foundation's depiction was that the locals were destroying the land, burning down the forests, showed images during the dry season, claimed that there would be only five years until the mountain was degraded beyond recovery. "Crisis"and heightened sense of urgency. Schuetze noted that Gorongosa had looked the same as it did years before, and the burning of trees was swidden(slash and burn) agriculture that had been a form of agriculture on the mountain for years.

Fortress Conservation and example

Consists of the enclosure of commonly held natural resources through the creation of reserves, parks, and other bounded areas for conservation and tourism related activities, to the exclusion of local residents and users from these areas *example- Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda

Why did Greg Carr invite E.O. Wilson to come to Gorongosa?

"first" Bioblitz, show different species found in the area and put names to them

How effective are parks at reducing poverty, improving or increasing biodiversity and protecting 'nature'?

**The question to ask instead is under what circumstances are parks strong and when are they weak? The effectiveness of PA's is difficult to be sure about due to methodological problems -the studies being conducted are not appropriate -problems with how the term 'park' is defined -problem with data and analysis -"in short, local control in any sort of form may be better than distant state control"

History and overview of protected areas and how this history compares to the timing of the ratification of the CBD.

- CBD was presented in 1992 and entered into force in 1993 - last two decades have seen substantial growth of PAs in response to increasing rarity, endism and land use change - This period has also seen substantial critiques of conservation, resulting in a vigorous examination of PAs

Why is making species lists so much fun? What harm could making such lists cause?

"Its a mix of pleasure and theft" Fun: - childhood passions and storytelling - multicultural exercise - collaboration that produces knowledge Harm: - biodiversity prospecting and theft - 'saving the earth through proper naming' and power dynamics - a lingering past in our present