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Surveying Gorongosa's Biodiversity

Topic

  • Environmental Science
  • Human Population & Impacts
  • Conservation

Resource Type

  • Videos
  • Scientists at Work

Level

High School — GeneralHigh School — AP/IBCollege

Duration

00:08:24
Saved By
38 Users
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Description

In this video, biologists Piotr Naskrecki and Jennifer Guyton identify and record the diversity of species in Gorongosa National Park’s Cheringoma Plateau.

An important part of the conservation effort in Gorongosa National Park is to identify the species living in the park to ensure their protection and monitor their recovery. Every year, teams of scientists conduct biodiversity surveys in different areas of the park.

Naskrecki leads the survey project in a particularly remote area: the limestone gorges of the Cheringoma Plateau. He has assembled an international team of experts who use a variety of innovative methods to capture species large and small. Guyton, a bat expert and graduate student at Princeton University, is part of the team. She identifies several new species of bats and discusses their important role as indicator species.

The accompanying “Student Worksheet” incorporates concepts and information from the video.

An audio descriptive version of the film is available via our media player.

The “Resource Google Folder” link directs to a Google Drive folder of resource documents in the Google Docs format. Not all downloadable documents for the resource may be available in this format. The Google Drive folder is set as “View Only”; to save a copy of a document in this folder to your Google Drive, open that document, then select File → “Make a copy.” These documents can be copied, modified, and distributed online following the Terms of Use listed in the “Details” section below, including crediting BioInteractive.  

Student Learning Targets

  • ​​​​​​Learn about research practices.
  • Develop scientific explanations and justify claims using evidence.
  • Analyze and interpret data from a biodiversity survey.

Estimated Time

One 50-minute class period to complete the associated handouts.

Key Terms

Africa, bat, conservation, indicator species, scientific methodology, scientific process

Terms of Use

Please see the Terms of Use for information on how this resource can be used.

Accessibility Level (WCAG compliance)

PDF files meet criteria. Video files meet criteria.

Version History

Date Published 08.19.15
Date Updated 04.30.20

NGSS (2013)

HS-LS2.C, HS-LS4.D, HS-LS4-5; SEP4, SEP5

AP Biology (2019)

ENE-4.A, ENE-4.B, SYI-1.H, SYI-3.F, SYI-3.G; SP2, SP4, SP5

IB Biology (2016)

C.1, C.4

AP Environmental Science (2020)

Topic(s): 2.1, 2.7, 3.8
Learning Objectives & Practices: ERT-2.A, ERT-2.I, EIN-1.C.1, SP1, SP4, SP5, SP6

IB Environmental Systems and Societies (2017)

3.1, 3.3, 3.4

Common Core (2010)

ELA.RST.9-12.7, WHST.9-12.1
Math.A-REI.3; MP2, MP3

Vision and Change (2009)

CC5; DP1, DP2

Materials

Resource Google Folder (link)
HD (M4V) 301 MB
HD (WMV) 248 MB
SD (M4V) 69 MB
SD (WMV) 63 MB
Transcript (PDF) 187 KB
Student Worksheet (PDF) 677 KB

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