A City Council Is Considering a Proposal to Change the Zoning

question 64

Essay

A city council is considering a proposal to change the zoning on a city-owned wilderness park so a corporation can build a new fertilizer factory.The park is a favorite spot for hikers, photographers, and birdwatchers.The stream running through it provides clean water to animals throughout the region.The corporation argues that any recreational loss will be offset by the jobs the factory will bring to the area.They say that people can have wilderness experiences elsewhere.Using the concept of ecosystem services, develop an argument for keeping the park.

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Definitions:

Habitat Loss

The destruction, degradation, and fragmentation of natural environments, leading to a decline in biodiversity.

Physical Environment

The natural and physical surroundings in which organisms live, including land, water, atmosphere, and climate conditions.

Cambrian Explosion

A significant event approximately 541 million years ago, characterized by a rapid diversification of life and the appearance of most major groups of animals.

Ediacaran Period

A geological period about 635 to 541 million years ago, marked by the appearance of the earliest large, complex multicellular organisms.