Discussion Notes Name ________________________

Topic ________________________

1. List at least 3-5 things you learned from the articles. Short, bulleted statements are fine.

I learnt that if wolves die, the deer will have a high population and eat the plants on the
mountains and this can cause other organisms to die. I learnt that the plants also helped
prevent landslides on the mountains. I learned that the elements of the ecosystem are
interconnected.

2. Has this topic or how could this topic affect you personally or professionally?

Yes it has. I had a friend who would kill wolves as a ‘hobby’ and had the same
mindset that it is ‘exciting’ and it will increase the amount of deer. The land ethic
part has not effected me personally.

3. What ethical issues do you think are related to these topics? Think individual, societal,
and global.

An ethical issue related to this topic is ‘cleaning’ the range of wolves and killing them which eliminates
their role. Killing the wolves can cause the population of deer to increase rapidly and eat the plants
which grows on the mountains. When the plants are gone, the animals are gone too. This is a societal
issue. In addition, for the land ethic, us individuals tend to ignore the role of the land and Leopold
emphasized on that.
4. Do you agree or disagree with what you read/watched? Why?

I agree that we need a land ethic and we need to treat the land properly. I think that we
should we should emphasize on preserving healthy ecosystem. In addition, I agree that native
animals and plants are what keep the energy cycle going. We should try to do whatever that
has the least harm or effect to our environment. I believe that a majorities of organisms have
no economical worth. I also agree that we should not kill the wolves because they play a role
in our ecosystem.

5. What are 3-5 questions you have about what you read?

What exactly is the land ethic? It was explained quite vaguely.

What would happen if the wolves were killed in a different environment that
was not mountainous.

What is the importance of land ethics?

What are some specific rights and wrongs on how we should treat our land?