Questions:
1. Describe the importance of Charles Darwin's trip to the Galapagos Islands in 1831. What were some of the key insights Darwin gained on this voyage? After the publication of On the Origin of Species, were his ideas immediately accepted? Do you think his ideas would have gained wider acceptance in 1859 if the mechanisms of genes and heredity were more fully understood at the time?
2. Discuss how the process of speciation occurs and describe the two types of speciation. Use the internet to search for an example of each type, and provide a brief description of your examples.
3. What is the IPAT formula, and what do each of its variables mean? Do you think it is realistic to think that Americans could get their environmental impact close to that of a person living in an undeveloped country by using renewable resources and environmentally friendly technology? Why, or why not?
4. What is a keystone species and why does it play an important role in an ecosystem? Do you think that any one species or set of species is truly more important than others? Why, or why not?