Purpose:

Students will investigate the following aspects of carrying capacity:

• What amount of space is needed to maintain a healthy animal population?
• Should predators be introduced into wilderness areas in which they have become extinct and what are possible public responses to such proposals?
• How are animal populations managed on our public lands?

Materials:

• Carrying capacity lesson and three activities;
• California Wilderness map;
• Topographic maps of National Parks or other wilderness areas (available through local outdoors outfitters or on-line at Terraserver);
• paper and pencil;
• Population and area chart with discussion questions;
• reading-"The Coming Wolf", from California Wild magazine, Winter, 2000;
• stop watch;
• two pounds of peanuts in the shell;
• 1 large bowl for every 4 students.

Duration: approximately 3 class periods of 40-55 minutes each.

California Standards that this lesson meets:

Wildlife-"Carrying Capacity" (Systems and Interactions)

Introduction/Background:

It is estimated that at one time then thousand Grizzly Bears roamed pristine California from Kalamath Mountains to the Mexican Border and from the Pacific Ocean to approximately 8,000 feet in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The Grizzly's demise apparently began in the early 1800's with the Spanish Vaqueros. Zenus Leonard, clerk of the Walker Expedition of 1833, described the Spaniards sport of pitting a wild grizzly against a bull in a small corral in a vicious, raging, snorting, growling bloodfest which continued until one killed the other, to the delight of a cheering crowd of drunken Vaqueros.

The Grizzly's doom was sealed in the Golden State with the advent of the high-powered rifle which allowed hunters the "luxury" of killing Ursis horribilis from a position of relative safety. In 1922, the last California Grizzly Bear was killed in a meadow in Sequoia National Park. Modern Californian's can find this awesome "King of the Wilderness" memorialized in two places-the zoo (Where all semblance of wildness and dignity have been stripped from this once-noble creature) and on the California State flag.

A group that calls itself "Grizzlies Come Back" has lobbied for reintroduction of the species into California Wilderness. This proposal appears to have a surprising grass roots' support in light of the many highly publicized grizzly/human maulings which have taken place in Glacier, Yellowstone, and Denali National Parks in the past half century.

In this lesson, students will consider whether predators (using the Gray Wolf as an example) should be reintroduced into wilderness areas from which they have disappeared and possible public responses to such proposals. They will also calculate what amount of space is needed by various predators to maintain a healthy population. Finally, students will perform a simulation, which will illustrate how our wild ecosystems should be managed in order to maintain equilibrium.

Directions/Activities:

1. (45 minutes) Have students complete "Activity 1": Do you have enough space for those animals??"

2. (45 minutes) Have students read the included article, "The Coming Wolf", from California Wild, winter, 2000 (preferably as a homework assignment the night before this activity). In class, complete "Activity 2" in which students may select interest groups for role-playing and explain their arguments to their fellow students.

3. (45 minutes) Complete "Activity 3". Students complete a simulation that illustrates management principals for wilderness ecosystems.

Evaluation/Outcome:

Using information gleaned from the three activities and working in teams of 2-3, have students determine whether it is actually feasible to expect that a program of reintroduction of grizzly bears in California could be a success. They should consult with the California Wilderness Map and associated information, which is available through the WildLink site.

Allow groups 20-30 minutes of preparation time, then have each group report to the class regarding the details of the feasibility of their plan, including:

a) Is the reintroduction of Grizzly bears to California Wilderness a practical, workable idea?

b) Suggest 2 or 3 possible specific wilderness sites that could provide adequate carrying capacity for Grizzly Bears-recommend one of them to the class as your favored location.

c) What are some possible problems/complications that this plan might create?

d) Following discussion, have your class vote on the Grizzly bear reintroduction plan.