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ACTIVITY ENGLISH Nº 01- SAVING BIODIVERSITY

How many species of organisms live on Earth?


Glosary: That seems like a simple question, but no one knows
1. Bacteria/bacteria: the answer. The uncertainty over this basic question
Microorganismo unicelular que illustrates how little scientists actually know about
carece de núcleo definido.
2.Biodiversity/biodiversidad: La
biodiversity.
variedad de organismos que se One thing is certain about biodiversity, though: it
encuentran en un área is disappearing fast. Biologists need good information
determinada. about biodiversity in order to choose the actions that
3.Biologists/biólogos: will save the most species. To focus conservation
Profesionales que se encargan del efforts, biologists agree that the first priority must be to
estudio de todos los aspectos de take an inventory of global biodiversity, determining
los seres vivos (anatomía, which species live where.
fisiología, comportamiento, A New Approach
ecología y relaciones evolutivas). Beginning in the late 1980s, a group of biologists and
4.Birds/aves: Vertebrados de
conservationists decided a shortcut was needed. They
sangre caliente, caracterizados por
tener un cuerpo cubierto de launched the Rapid Assessment Program, or RAP, to
plumas, pico sin dientes y speed the study of biodiversity. RAP sends small
extremidades superiores teams of experts to tropical habitats to quickly
modificadas como alas. determine what kinds of organisms live there. The
5.Fishes/peces:Término que se program focuses on “hot spots”, threatened areas that
refiere a un vertebrado no are high in biodiversity and contain large numbers of
tetrápodo. unique species. The aim is to survey as many of these
6.Flowering plants/plantas con hot spots as possible and identify areas that need to be
flores: Conocidas también como protected.
fanerógamas. Son plantas que
To conduct these surveys, Conservation
poseen sus órganos reproductores
dentro de una estructura especial International, the nonprofit organization that sponsors
llamada flor. the program, brings together several of the world’s
7. Insects/insectos: Animales leading tropical biologists. Each expedition also
invertebrados caracterizados por includes several scientists from the country where the
tener un par de antenas, tres team is working. (One of the goals of RAP is to train
pares de patas y dos par de alas biologists in tropical countries). The RAP team uses
(que algunas veces puede estar satellite photos, aerial observation, and discussions
reducido o ausente). with scientists and government officials in tropical
8. Mammals/mamíferos: countries to choose the locations it will visit.
Vertebrados de sangre caliente
con pelos y glándulas mamarias,
de reproducción principalmente Instead of taking an exhaustive, time-
vivípara. consuming inventory of all species, the team may focus
on a few familiar groups. An inventory of mammals,
birds, fishes, flowering plants, of an area’s total
biodiversity. A habitat with many species of plants and birds, for example, also probably
has many species of bacteria, insects, and others less conspicuous organisms.
The Rewards of RAP
RAP scientists describe their work as exhausting but exhilarating. “It’s what we live
for”, says Tom Schulenberg, an ornithologist (a biologist who studies birds) and RAP
team leader. “We’re always scheming to get back to the field”. While exploring new places,
Schulenberg feels “an incredible sense of excitement, knowing no other biologist has been
there and everything you see is being seen for the first time”.

How RAP helps conserve biodiversity


9. Natural resources/Recursos Though less exciting than exploring a rain
naturales.Bienes y servicios que forest, the next stage of RAP is just as important.
proporciona la naturaleza y que no The scientists return to the United States to
han sido transformados por el analyze their data. They then present a report
hombre.
containing their recommendations to the host
10.Ornithologist/ornitólogo:
Biólogo que se encarga del estudio country. RAP scientists stress that their role is to
de las aves. provide scientifically sound advice, not to tell
11.Rain forest/bosque lluvioso tropical countries how to manage their natural
Ecosistema terrestre que se resources. They leave all decisions to the
caracteriza por presentar altas individual governments. Using the information
precipitaciones, vegetación from RAP reports, tropical countries can guide
estratificada y alta biodiversidad. their land-use decisions to help preserve
12.Species/especies: Un grupo de biodiversity.
organismos que sólo se reproducen
entre ellos mismos y que
normalmente están limitados a una
región geográfica.
13.Survey/evaluación: Estudio
detallado que se realiza por medio
de la observación y el análisis.

Answer the questions:


Understanding concepts
1. What meaning RAP? Which is it using?
2. Find the words into letters

A C M T S M J B L
T B A C T E R I A Bacteria
M I M F C T Q R N Biodiversity
M O M O E R Z D D Biologist
A D A R S E R S I Birds
R I L E N L Y S N Fishes
B V S F I S H E S Insects
U E E T B A O A E Mammals
I R D V H O P R T
T S I G O L O I B
S I D R I B R S R
S T E C N I O A I
Z Y E A S T I F U
3. About “hot spots” the correct is:
a) Áreas con gran biodiversidad que contienen un gran número de especies
únicas.
b) Lugar del bosque tropical de baja biodiversidad donde se aplica un RAP.
c) Área protegida donde se realiza estudios de biodiversidad.

Critical thinking
1. That you think on how these surveys are conducted in each country?
2. What are the benefits of preserving biodiversity? It mentions three and it gives
examples of each.
3. If you were a scientist RAP you would feel that your work is exhaustive but exciting
as well as describe they it? Why?

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