How Wolves Change Rivers

Think back to yesterday’s final question: why do environmental scientists believe it is important for us to “save” the Delta Smelt - a tiny fish that humans don’t eat?

Share some of your responses together before continuing to yesterday's question before moving on.

What do you think would happen if all the Delta Smelt disappeared for some reason other than unhealthy water. Let’s say they just all disappeared?

What if a top predator in an environment disappeared? Let’s say the top predator that ate the Delta Smelt disappeared instead, there would probably be more smelt to go around to all the other predators. What other effects might occur if a top predator vanished?

What if wolves disappear from an environment? Would that be good or bad? Would there be winners and losers?

Watch the video below to find out.

Wolves: How One Species Changed an Entire Ecosystem

Wolf Reintroduction Changes Ecosystem in YellowstoneWolves are causing a tropic cascade of ecological change, including helping to increase beaver numbers and bring back aspen and vegetation.

Discuss the video:

What did you find surprising?

What are some of the effects the wolves had on the ecosystem when they were reintroduced?

Engineering is about problem solving and finding solutions, and I think we can probably all agree that protecting our environment and natural resources is a problem we need to continually work on for the benefit of all. The Yellowstone Ecosystem is pretty complicated and It is pretty unlikely that anyone could have predicted just how much the wolves would impact the environment. That said, we clearly have to learn as much as we can about our environment if we are to understand how it works and to protect and conserve it. A solution does not have to involve a new technology. It can be re-introducing an apex predator into an ecosystem to save it from destruction. Environmental engineers will consider all possible and reasonable solutions. They don’t have to be high tech.

However, this is indeed a robotics class. How can robotics be used in conservation to conserve our environment and natural resources so we have clean air and water as well as beautiful places. Here are some examples.

Here is how robotics drone technology is helping researchers understand the polar bear in its environment. Learning as much as they can about the environment will help them protect it.

View the video embedded in the article, “San Diego Zoo Will Use Drone to Monitor Polar Bear Habitat”.

San Diego Zoo Will Use Drone To Monitor Polar Bear HabitatSan Diego Zoo Global researchers will use a custom drone next month to monitor the impact of changing sea ice patterns on polar bears in the Canadian Arctic, zoo officials announced Thursday.

Discuss the video:

What are your impressions or reactions to the video?

Here is another example of robotics being used to learn about an environment.

View the video embedded in the article “Slow Moving Robots Speed up Conservation”

Watch: Slow moving robots speed up conservation - The Wildlife SocietyRobotics engineers recently built a robot — nicknamed “SlothBot” — that moves as slow as a sloth in order to linger above the trees and monitor plants and wildlife. Researchers say the new technology can ...

What are your impressions or reactions to the slothbot?

Here is a completely different application of technology. This application uses 3d printing, which is a type of robotics. Instead of programming a machine to fly, a machine is programmed to follow specific pathways in order to print a 3 dimensional object.

Watch the video below : 3d printing tech helps coral reefs grow

Share and discuss you reactions to this application of technology.

This week has had an environmental and conservation focus, but there are all sorts of other problems in the world that need solutions. Think about what other problems can be solved by engineers. They can be environmental or conservation problems, but they can be other types of problems as well.

In Google Classroom, respond to the "Question" prompt: A Problem to Solve

We started this week talking about drought in California and water usage. The first step in solving a problem is knowing as much as possible about the problem, its causes and all the factors that affect it. (Just think of all the different parts involved in the Yellowstone ecosystem!) There are a lot of things that contribute to our drought conditions. What actions, strategies or technologies do you think we could use in order to address our drought problems in California? Be creative!! After all Ellis Chesbrough decided to lift the city of San Francisco in order to put a sewer under it. List at least three ideas that you think we could use to help us in our drought situation.