To accompany “Rewilding returns lost species to strengthen ecosystems”

SCIENCE

Before Reading:

1.  What does it mean for a species to go extinct? Name at least two extinct species.

2.  What is an ecosystem?

During Reading:

1.  What are Tasmanian devils? Where do they live? Where are they being reintroduced?

2.  When scientists talk about “rewilding,” what do they mean?

3.  Why do people need properly functioning ecosystems?

4.  What can cats and foxes be a problem for Australian ecosystems?

5.  How might Tasmanian devils help to protect Australian wildlife?

6.  What is mammoth steppe? How could restoring it help fight against climate change?

7.  Name 10 animals that have been introduced into Pleistocene Park.

8.  Why does Nikita Zimov say that eventually predators will be needed in Pleistocene Park?

9.  Not all beavers are considered a “nuisance.” What makes for a nuisance beaver?

10.  List three ways that beavers can help an ecosystem.

After Reading:

1.   A beaver family has made a dam that caused flooding near your school. Some people have suggested killing the beavers. Using evidence from the story, create a poster that says why killing the beavers is a bad idea. Present at least one other option for dealing with the animals.

2.  All of the animals in this story are either herbivores or small carnivores that don’t pose a threat to humans. How might these stories be different if the animals were large, dangerous carnivores? Should such animals ever be reintroduced into the wild? Explain your answer.