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Biome to research: Desert, Sources:, https://www.nationalgeographic…
Biome to research: Desert
Links to UN SDG Goal 15: Life on Land
Goal: "Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss"
Deserts fall into the "fragile ecosystems" category, and so "combating desertification and drought" is the subject of Chapter 12 of Agenda 21. Desertification includes land degradation caused by climatic variations but mostly human activities. Countries, especially in Africa, face desertification, leading to serious droughts.
Animals
Sarahan Cheetah
Native to Saharan Deserts
Critically endangered (Population estimated to be less than 250 in 2008)
Historic distribution of cheetahs is very wide, but cheetahs were seen as vermin to be eradicated, so their population dropped significantly. Nowadays, they inhabit 10% of their historical range
Only about 5% of cheetahs survive to adulthood
Some extinct desert animals include: the addax antelope and dama gazelle
How humans have disrupted the ecosystem
Human-wildlife conflict
Animals often encounter humans, most often farmers, because they lack prey and therefore attack livestock. Sometimes, the farmers would kill them in retaliation
Habitat loss
The expansion of human populations lead to roads and settlements that destroy savannahs and deserts
Higher temperatures because of global warming may lead to wildfires that eliminates slow-growing trees and shrubs and replacing them with fast-growing grasses. This will alter desert landscapes and limit biodiversity
Illegal trade
Some animals have expensive pelts which lead to people poaching them. Other times, animals are traded illegally to the exotic pet trade. The East African region is notorious for illegal live trade, so the impact on wild populations there are greatest
Habitat disruption
Even small changes in temperature or precipitation can drastically impact plants and animals living in the desert
Oil and gas production may disrupt sensitive habitat
Since deserts are commonly used as nuclear testing grounds, the nuclear waste in deserts will disrupt the habitat
Irrigation used for agriculture can lead to high salinity levels in the soil unable to support plants
Livestock can destroy many desert plants and animals when grazing
Target Audience
Kids between the ages of about ten to twelve years old, as kids this age are younger secondary students (grade 6 to 7). Kids this age are somewhat educated but still curious about the world around them
They will most likely be from an industrialized first-world nation, since they will probably have less of an understanding of animals facing extinction
These kids also have a decent chance at becoming influential people in society so it is important that they're educated on matters as these
Solution
Because I don't have the power to physically fix this issue, I can raise awareness for the issue by creating a flat-pack product of the animal in question. This is beneficial for a variety of reasons:
Cheap
Compact
Environmentally friendly
Sources:
IUCN Red List
AWF Website
UN website (sdgs.un.org)
National Geographic
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/desert-threats
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Potential problems, solutions, target audience
https://www.awf.org/wildlife-conservation/cheetah