Tree DNA - Teacher's Guide
Discover how DNA analysis may soon be used to catch tree thieves.
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Curriculum Connections
Science (Grade 7/8)
- Explain the long-term effects of the loss of natural habitats and the extinction of the species;
- Identify and explain the economic, environmental and social factors that should be considered in the management and preservation of habitats (e.g., the need for people to have employment).
Science/Environmental Studies (Grade 9/10)
- Analyse issues related to environmental sustainability and the impact of technology on ecosystems;
- Identify and evaluate Canadian initiatives in protecting Canada's ecosystems;
- Explain changes in popular views about the sustainability of ecosystems and humans' responsibility in preserving them.
Geography/Social Studies (Grade 9/10)
- Demonstrate an understanding of the interdependence of natural and human systems in Canada's rural and urban landscapes;
- Analyse ways in which Canadians use resources in Canada;
- Demonstrate an understanding of the challenges associated with achieving resource sustainability and explain the implications of meeting or not meeting those challenges for the future of Canada.
Geography/Environmental Studies (Grade 11/12)
- Explain the rights and responsibilities of citizens and consumers with respect to the environment and sustainable resource management;
- Evaluate strategies to promote sustainable management of resources;
- Demonstrate an understanding of the effect that environmental protection and resource management has had on careers and the workplace;
- Evaluate the implications for the future of developments in selected areas of technology;
- Explain how environmental policies can affect the economy;
- Describe the rights and responsibilities of individuals with respect to protecting the environment for future generations.
You Should Know...
Only 20 % of the world's primary virgin forests remain - and they are almost exclusively in Canada, Brazil and Russia. With more forest than any other nation in the world, Canada's forest ecosystems are priceless world-class legacies that need to be preserved. Although the focus for preservation has been in the west, particularly in British Columbia, there are other forested areas in Canada that also need to be preserved.British Columbia contains more than half of the old-growth rainforest left in North America, the majority of which is unprotected. Each year, over 200,000 hectares of old-growth forest is clear-cut in British Columbia.In Ontario, almost all of the Carolinian forests that once covered southern Ontario have vanished, along with the wildlife associated with these forests; in some areas, there is a concerted effort to re-establish these Carolinian forests. In the central part of the province, and even in provincial parks such as Algonquin, old-growth forest stands have been removed at an alarming rate. In northern Ontario, the logging of the boreal forests have changed the habitat of the woodland caribou, forcing them to move northwards.Preservation is not only for the forest itself, but also for the entire ecosystem; forestry practices harm the streams, fishing and the forest biodiversity.This video focuses on the use of DNA as a tool for catching "tree rustlers". However, the video also serves as a motivational tool to examine a wide range of issues related to the use/misuse of natural resources and the relationship between the use of these resources and the environment and economy.Questions
- What is the "environment" of this video?
- What areas in Canada have extensive "old-growth" forest?
- What problem is the DNA research attempting to solve?
- What methods were used to catch "tree rustlers" before the use of DNA?
- What makes it possible for DNA data to be used in this situation?
- Outline the process that is being used to establish a low probability of a random match among tree DNA.
Reflection
- Why is it important to preserve areas of old-growth forest?
- Define the following terms - genetic code, marker (micro-satellite), clear cutting, softwood, hardwood, annual allowable cut, seed tree and shelterwood cutting, selected cutting.
- Develop a chart to show the different types of harvesting methods for trees and the advantages and disadvantages of each type.
- Preservation of the world's forests is obviously a global as well as local and national issue. Research to determine the role, function and success of one of the following groups involved in preservation of the world's (or North American) forests: Canadian Forest Service; the Sierra Club; the International Forestry Partnership Program; Upper Lakes Environmental Research Network; The Council of Forest Industries.
- The role of DNA in identification has become a useful tool in the courtrooms of North America. What are the issues related to the use of DNA in identification and conviction of criminals (e.g., privacy)?
- Many corporate bodies are associated with environmental concerns (including the preservation of old-growth forests). Some examples of companies that are active in their promotion of environmental concerns are The Body Shop, Mountain Equipment Co-op, Roots and Bell Canada. Why do companies like these take an active role in environmental issues?
- The video states that Canada may be involved in a legal and scientific "forest first" with its DNA research and its application. What factors have put Canadian research at the forefront in this area?
Web Sites
www.oldgrowthfree.com/
www.glfc.cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/
www.ulern.on.ca/
www.cofi.org/
Assessment and Evaluation
- The logging issue has become an emotional as well as an environmental issue. As a result, there are often more than two "sides" to the issue. However, to keep it simple, develop a chart to illustrate the advantages and disadvantages of harvesting Canada's forests.
- The collection of data about the Canadian forestry industry is often confusing; in some cases, the data is used and explained differently by the different groups who use the data. Develop a "Canada's Forest Industry Fact Sheet" to clarify what you feel is the "true picture" of the industry in Canada (e.g., amount of forest logged in a year). At the same time, develop a "Forest Industry Confusing Fact Sheet" to illustrate facts which may really be opinions, or which may be biased, or which may be used by different groups for different purposes (e.g., some groups use forest volume to measure available forests, while others use area covered by forests).
- Ken Armason, a retired professor and former chief forestry officer for Ontario indicated in an interview...There may be social, aesthetic and ecological reasons for preserving some old growth, and I have no quarrel with the fact that we do in some places. But nature's way is renewal. You can no more confer immortality on a tree than a person. That's why old growth is not static. From my understanding and experience, old growth forests are neither healthy nor biodiverse. By definition, they become geriatric cases, filled with rot.
- Use this statement as the basis for a debate on the logging of old-growth forests. Sustainability of Canadian forests is important. Based on your research related to this video, develop a plan for the sustainability of Canadian forests; summarize your plan in chart form or in "lay person's terms" for use in a local newspaper article.
