Florida Endangered Species
Project Guidelines
Introduction
This Project is to be developed in the framework of NEPA and ESA. The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is a United States environmental law that promotes the enhancement of the environment and established the President’s Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). The law was enacted on January 1, 1970. As the bill was an early step towards the development of the United States’s environmental policy, NEPA is referred to as the “environmental Magna Carta”.
In 1973, ESA -Endangered Species Act- was enacted, and under the ESA species can be listed as either endangered or threatened. However, there is a more detailed tool system proposed under the IUCN agreement which provides a more accurate approach to classifying the status of a species.
This project is about:
- Elaborating a complete Profile of ONE endangered species of your choosing. In the Florida List species are cited as either endangered or threatened.
- Based on the information that you gather you will Asess and Classify your species using the IUCN categories explained in the document provided (Pages 14- 15) or IUCN website (iucn.org ). This is a more detailed and international system than the one used to elaborate the list.
Structure
The structure is going to be the same as in a Scientific Paper. You can also use subheadings.
Introduction
Objectives
Mention what you are going to do.
Material and Methods
How the work was done.
Results (Profile)
Include graphs, maps, tables, pictures and descriptions.
References
Results (Profile)
Introduction
Introduction is sometimes called the State of the Art chapter, so please use two or three parragraphs to introduce your topic, in this case your species, why it is endangered, it´s taxonomic position, it´s a Bird, a Mammal, a Plant, etc… It´s importance beyond the fact that it´s a key species, if it is the case, like economic importance.
Objectives
Mention what you are going to do. You are going to make a Profile as complete as possible, on a local (statewide preferably) species giving preference to updated information about it printed or online, and then you will make an assessment of such species using the IUCN categories available at the IUCN website.
Material and Method
It means Procedures. How the work was done, when and where. This is a home-based Project, or Library based, for which several websites as well as printed papers and books are consulted. It was done during the Spring Semester for the Bio 2010 class, at the MDC Kendall Campus.
Results
(Must have the following components):
Distribution: Inside and outside the US. Please include maps!
Distribution and Abundance are Critical topics in order to declare a Species as Endangered.
Abundance: How many individuals are usually found on natural populations. Make an emphasis on the genetics implications of Endangerement, decrease of diversity leading to diseases, etc.
Morphology: Description of the species including pictures. Emphasize remarkable aspects!
Comments or Remarks (Not Mandatory): Data on economic importance or other.
Assessment: According to IUCN categories, but proposed by YOU as Individual. It doesn´t have to be accurate, but please justify your decision.
References
Don´t forget we must cite the sources that you used for elaborating the Profile or making the assessment.
