Read the Following Excerpt Describing a Tough Decision to Be

question 51

Essay

Read the following excerpt describing a tough decision to be made by Haleakala National Park's superintendent in Maui, Hawaii. Then provide a concise argument, based on scientific principles, that either supports or refutes the superintendent's use of pesticides for the pests attacking the Haleakala silversword plants.
To spray or Not to spray
According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife service, silversword (Argyroxiphium sandwicense)plants, located in Haleakala National Park on Maui, Hawaii, have been a threatened species since 1922. Over the years, human vandalism along with browsing by domestic cattle and feral goats has reduced the number of silverswords to a fraction of their former abundance. Recently, park staff members have become concerned about the damage that insects appear to be doing to the park's silversword. An entomologist suggests that insects may be damaging the plants to the point that almost no seeds are being produced.
The park's superintendent is being pressured to start a program for spraying the silverswords with a pesticide to take the stress of insect predation off the plants and increase their chances of reproducing. Do you think the superintendent should begin a spraying program?

Understand the concept and application of unobtrusive research methods.

Identify different types of unobtrusive measures including accretion, physical erosion, and archival strategies.

Analyze the use of public and private archival materials in research.

Recognize the importance of reducing researcher bias and reactivity through unobtrusive measures.