Graduate Take-Home Exam

1. Explicitly connect your ecological footprint to landscape-scale conservation planning on the Coronado National Forest. [350 words or fewer; 10 points]

In-Class Exam

1. Infectious diseases are considered a re-emerging spike because infectious diseases have increased substantially three previous times in human history. Briefly describe one of the previous episodes, including dates, places, and primary correlates. [6 points]

2. The biblical Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are population-level phenomena. Briefly contrast this ancient perspective to the contemporary approach to management of human health in the United States. [2 points] Briefly describe the implications of this shift in perspective to local management of vegetation in southern Arizona. [5 points]

3. List two pieces of environmental legislation that predated the U.S Endangered Species Act of 1973. [2 points] Briefly describe the purpose of one of the two acts. [3 points]

4. Bills that pass through Congress are characterized by one of what three criteria? [3 points]

5. Briefly describe one section of the U.S. Endangered Species Act. [3 points]

6. Our panelists agreed that the federal government likely will develop a single federal firefighting force within the next decade or two. List and briefly describe one national-level political obstacle to creation of this force. [3 points] If this force is created, what do you think will be the dominant constraint to fire suppression on the ground in 2026? [2 points] Briefly describe why you selected this constraint. [4 points]

7. The "schizophrenic" mission of the U.S. National Park Service mandates protection and preservation of natural and cultural features while also allowing for enjoyment of parks by current and future generations of humans. Provide an explicit example that demonstrates how the Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management face similar pressures. [4 points]

8. Briefly describe the purpose of calculating an individual's ecological footprint. [3 points] Describe an assumption associated with the calculation that could lead to an incorrect conclusion, and describe how the assumption could be overcome. [5 points]

9. Leslie Liberti's presentation about the City of Tucson's Office of Sustainable Development included a definition of sustainability. How does your own definition of sustainability compare and contrast to the definition used by the City of Tucson? [8 points]

10. Briefly compare and contrast ecoregional planning with site conservation planning, as employed by the Nature Conservancy. [7 points]