In this lesson, students learn about the ways in which geographical studies can be put to practical use, such as in helping to preserve the rain forest. Students will think about the importance of counting and studying all the species in an ecosystem, such as the Congo River Basin. Students will learn about biogeographical barriers, biodiversity, and conservation.

Geography, ecology, conservation

Standard 8: "The characteristics and spatial distribution of ecosystems on Earth's surface"
Standard 14: "How human actions modify the physical environment"
Standard 18: "How to apply geography to interpret the present and plan for the future"

Three to four hours

• Computer with Internet access
• Writing materials

Students will

• read about biologist Michael Fay's travels in the Congo River Basin and list the animals, plants, landscape features, and human impacts in these places;
• discuss the meaning of "biogeographical barriers," and explain why it is important for scientists to study these barriers;
• discuss the importance of conducting a species count;
• read some of the Congo Trek field reports, and list the plant and animal species mentioned; and
• prepare skits in which they role-play Fay meeting with a conservation organization and explaining to its directors the importance of Congo Trek.

Have students explore National Geographic's Congo Trek site, especially the "Dispatches and Map" section. Ask them to practice with the navigation on the left by dragging the square around the map. Have them change the view by clicking on the terms at the bottom of the square to see political, scale, and locator maps of the region. Ask them to click on a few of the numbers in the map that show the progression of biologist Michael Fay's journey through the Congo River Basin.

Have students make a five-column chart and label the headings of columns two through five: "Animals," "Plants," "Landscape features," and "Human impact." Leave the first column's header blank; this column will contain the names of the regions of the Congo River Basin that the students will be researching. Have all the students go to the first dispatch from Fay's trip and ask them to click on "Polygon Profile," using the "Next" tab to read through the profiles and look at photos of each region.

As they read about each location Fay and his team visit, have students label a row of their chart with the name of that location and list the things that are described. For example, the human impacts in the Mingouli Forest include roads and a hundred-house logging camp, while the landscape features include waterfalls on the Ivindo River. Students can do this individually or in small groups.

Have students go back to the section on Lengoue, and ask them to reread it carefully, paying particular attention to Fay's comment on "our first biogeographical barrier." What do they think this term means, considering the context in which it is discussed? Have students write down their definitions of "biogeographical barriers," and/or discuss their ideas as a class.

Inform students that biogeographical barriers are barriers that separate areas containing distinct types of animals and plants. These barriers are often, though not always, along rivers, mountains, or other geographical features. In this case, Fay noticed an immediate change in species as soon as he and his team crossed the Sangha River. What biogeographical barriers can students think of in their state? If they live in a state with mountains, they should think about the barriers that exist between different elevations.

If students live in a state that does not seem to have much geographic diversity, have them think about this question: What species can be found in forests versus fields, or in areas near water versus areas without easy access to water? Ask students why they think it's important for someone like Fay to notice and study the biogeographical regions he explores.

Inform students that it is also important to learn as much as possible about a region's animal and plant species and to count (or estimate) the numbers of animals and plants of each species in a given area. Why do they think this would be so important? Why might it be important to count the numbers of species? Have students briefly look at the Man in the Biosphere Species Databases. Explain that these are databases of the plant and animal species in the world's biosphere reserves (designated by UNESCO, a branch of the United Nations, as protected areas). Ask students why they think it is important to count and classify the species in these reserves or in other areas.

Have students read three or four of Fay's field reports, and ask them to list the animal and plant species he encounters. Then discuss the following questions as a class: If you were interested in working toward preserving the Central African rain forest, what would you need to know about its biodiversity and biogeographical regions? What is Fay learning that will help him in his conservation efforts? Why is it important for him to know so much about the species that live there?

Have students write paragraphs addressing the following questions:

• Why are Congo Trek and the methods by which Fay is conducting it (e.g, taking careful notes and counting species) important?
• What do you think will be the short- and long-term effects of Congo Trek?
• Do you think it will be successful in helping to preserve this region's ecosystems? Why or why not?

• Ask students to compare Fay to another conservationist that they have heard about or that they find through research. Do these individuals seem to share the same work styles? If not, what are the differences between the ways in which these people conduct their conservation work? What special skills does each one possess? If students were to become conservationists, do they think their work would be more like Fay's or more like the other person they've studied?
  
  
• Have students go back to the Man in the Biosphere Species Databases to find out the animal and plant species listed for the Republic of the Congo (as opposed to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, formerly Zaire, which is east of the Congo Trek area) and Gabon. How many species are listed for each country? Do students think this is a useful database? Why or why not?
  
  
• Have students visit the National Geographic magazine feature Africa MegaFlyover to learn about Michael Fay's exploration and efforts to spur conservation of Africa's ecosystems.

Man in the Biosphere Species Databases
National Geographic Magazine: Africa MegaFlyover—Charting the Last Wild Places on Earth
National Geographic: Congo Trek