AMNH Library Digital Repository
The AMNH Library Digital Repository is an archive maintained by the Research Library for AMNH Scientific Publications, AMNH scholarly output and other original and published materials digitized by the Library. All information in the repository is freely accessible to scholars around the world to support their research.
Communities
Select a community to browse its collections.
- Contains scientific data and/or field notes and other digitized material from the Division of Anthropology.
- Contains scientific data and other digitized material from the Department of Astrophysics.
- Contains scientific data and/or field notes and other digitized material from the Center of Biodiversity and Conservation.
- Contains scientific data and/or field notes and other digitized material from the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences.
- Contains scientific data and/or field notes and other digitized material from the Department of Herpetology.
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Recent Submissions
Genetically Modified Crops and Biological Conservation on Farmlands
(New York, NY : Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, American Museum of Natural History, 2019) Leslie, Timothy; Jabbour, Randa
The human population is forecasted to approach 11 billion people by 2100 and increased demands for agricultural production are expected. A sustainable approach to agriculture will need to balance increased production with conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Genetically modified (GM) crops designed for pest resistance and herbicide tolerance, among other traits, have been rapidly adopted since their introduction in 1996. Their widespread use represents a profound change in global agriculture. This case study explores how GM crops may influence agricultural management practices, and the subsequent effects on diversity and ecosystem function on farmlands. The case study describes the distinguishing features of GM crops, what GM traits and crops are available for commercial use, and adoption patterns. The exercise then presents the following three hypothetical scenarios taking place on a corn farm in Iowa in which users are asked to infer potential effects on biological conservation: 1) converting natural areas to farmland; 2) adopting insect-resistant Bt corn; and 3) adopting herbicide-tolerant corn. The exercise poses questions that require interpretation of data and critical thinking skills to address complex issues. Upon completion of the exercise, users should have a more nuanced understanding of GM crops and their role in biological conservation.
Biogeography in Conservation: Tools to Explore the Past and Future of Species in a Changing World
(New York, NY : Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, American Museum of Natural History, 2019) Arnillas, Carlos Alberto; Smith, Sandy M.; Ni, Felicity j.; Martin, Adam
Humans have now altered essentially every natural ecosystem in the world, and among the numerous consequences of anthropogenic global change, many of the Earth’s species are currently living under drastically different environmental and ecological conditions. On one hand, many species that once thrived in the wild are now threatened by extinction, while at the same time, species that were historically benign are becoming invasive in different parts of the world. To address this major challenge, it is critical that conservation practitioners understand the multiple short- and long-term climatological, geological, and evolutionary mechanisms that have resulted in the current distribution of species; understanding how these same mechanisms interact is also key in predicting species distributions—and possible extinctions—into the future. Using the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), an open-access worldwide database of species occurrences, this research project exercise is designed to guide teams of students through the process of: a) identifying and researching characteristics relevant to understanding species distribution (e.g., age of the group, habitat requirements, dispersal capabilities); b) representing the present and historic species distribution; c) critically assessing the quality and amount of information available; d) using that information to understand species history and potential future challenges the species may either face or impose on the ecosystems; and e) sharing the results with peers and learning from that experience.
Exploring the Social and Ecological Trade-offs in Tropical Reforestation: A Role-Playing Exercise
(New York, NY : Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, American Museum of Natural History, 2019) Fagan, Matthew; Schwartz, Naomi
This exercise introduces students to the complexities of conservation in rural tropical landscapes. It introduces the concepts of payments for environmental services (PES), trade-offs and synergies between agricultural land-uses and society’s needs, and introduces students to tropical land-uses and common rural stakeholders in the tropics. The exercise has two main parts. In Part 1, students learn about a new reforestation program in the fictional country of Nueva Puerta and must debate how to direct the reforestation program: towards poverty alleviation, export production, water protection, or habitat connectivity. In Part 2, students break into small groups to negotiate the placement of PES in a tropical land-use simulation game. The land-use simulation is designed to show students some of the realities and limits of tropical conservation. In the final phase of the exercise, students reflect on their experiences through discussion questions. Optionally, they can write a reflective essay and/or vote which real-world reforestation project they are interested in supporting as a class.
Bird Conservation Along the Lower Colorado River: Exploring a Complex Conservation Scenario Through Four Exercises
(New York, NY : Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, American Museum of Natural History, 2019) Fletcher, Dawn M.; Harter, Lauren B.; Leist, Amy; Ammon, Elisabeth M.
In this exercise, you will reflect on the Bird Conservation Along the Colorado River case study and consider some of the diverse anthropogenic and environmental factors that affect bird habitat and populations. You will organize information and connections presented in the case study through concept mapping. Concept maps consist of ideas, terms, or contributing factors arranged around a page/white board/computer screen, with lines or arrows to illustrate linkages. These maps help synthesize ideas, identify cause and effect, and encourage deep understanding of the material.
Bird Conservation Along the Lower Colorado River
(New York, NY : Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, American Museum of Natural History, 2019) Fletcher, Dawn M.; Harter, Lauren B.; Leist, Amy; Ammon, Elisabeth M.
Riparian corridors in the southwestern deserts are among the most threatened bird habitat types in the United States of America. In the early 1900s, dams were built along the length of the lower Colorado River, the primary water source for the Southwest, to meet the increasing water needs of a rapidly growing human population. These changes altered annual flood regimes and disconnected the river from its historic floodplain, which dramatically reduced riparian corridors and affected the organisms that inhabit them. In this case study, we present an overview of efforts to conserve riparian birds, restore their habitat, and monitor their populations along the Colorado River. Our goal is to prepare students to think like a professional conservation practitioner who makes decisions that maximize conservation outcomes in light of limitations in local opportunities, budget, and political will for conservation. We also discuss how to determine effectiveness of conservation action, and manage adaptively to further optimize conservation outcomes as new data become available. We use the example of avian population data to describe the role of monitoring in assessing conservation needs, assessing the effectiveness of conservation actions, and the unique opportunity bird monitoring lends for citizen science by the birding public in conservation science.