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Chapter 14 Balancing Agriculture and Conservation

Discussion Questions

  1. Do you think that sustainable food production is a realistic goal? Why or why not? What do you think agriculture will look like in 2050, and how will it interact with human health, biodiversity, and ecosystem services?
  2. How might genetic engineering of crops make agricultural production more sustainable, and how might genetic engineering make it less sustainable? Ground your answers by discussing potential pros and cons for real examples of existing and proposed GE crops.
  3. Government subsidies have been used to promote unsustainable practices (for example, the overproduction of certain crops) in the United States, the European Union, and many other regions. Some nations are also using government subsidies to promote wildlife-friendly agricultural practices such as maintaining hedgerows along farm edges. What do you think is the most appropriate role (if any) of government-sponsored subsidies in agriculture? Defend your position.
  4. Consider a protected area and a typical farm in the region where you live. For each of the following vertebrate groups, identify one species likely to be found in the protected area but not on the farm: carnivora, ungulates, birds, and amphibians or reptiles. Now, for these same vertebrate groups, identify an undomesticated species likely to be found on farmlands. From these eight species (four found in a protected area and four found on a farm), can you make any generalizations about the types of species that are likely or unlikely to inhabit agricultural lands?
  5. Annual consumption of meat (mostly pork and chicken) in China nearly doubled from 17 kg/person in 1979 to 33 kg/person in 2003. In the United States, annual consumption of meat (primarily beef, chicken, and pork) exceeds 100 kg/person. Explain three distinct ways that reducing meat consumption could improve the prospects for conservation.

Group Projects

Useful Websites

Suggested Readings for In-class Discussion