Available online
Description
The programme examines the use of a mathematical model to the experimental growth model for studying population trends in endangered species, the specific example of the barnacle goose is featured.
The programme examines the use of a mathematical model to the experimental growth model for studying population trends in endangered species, the specific example of the barnacle goose is featured.
| Module code and title: | TM281, Modelling by mathematics |
|---|---|
| Item code: | TM281; 06 |
| First transmission date: | 14-06-1977 |
| Published: | 1977 |
| Rights Statement: | |
| Restrictions on use: | |
| Duration: | 00:24:30 |
| + Show more... | |
| Producer: | Colin Robinson |
| Contributors: | David Dartnell; Myrfyn Owen; Bob Tunnicliffe; Jane Holford; Nick Thomas |
| Publisher: | BBC Open University |
| Keyword(s): | Barnacle geese; Gloucester; Logistic; Maths; Wildfowl |
| Footage description: | Film shots of barnacle geese. Shots of two students, Jane Holford and Nick Thomas, making drawings of stuffed geese in a museum. Bob Tunnicliffe (voice over) introduces the programme. Shots of him walking through a nature reserve while he explains why wildlife conservation is of interest to everyone and how mathematical models help here. Shots of Tunnicliffe inside a hide and of white fronted geese at Slimbridge. Tunnicliffe, with the aid of an animated graph, works out a simple exponential growth curve for a population. Tunnicliffe goes on to modify his exponential growth graph to take into account reality. The resulting curve, the logistic curve, is shown on an animated graph. Over shots of barnacle geese, Tunnicliffe introduces Myrfyn Owen, an urologist. Myrfvn Owen explains how he became interested in studying geese and briefly describes their life cycle. Film shows part of the barnacle goose life cycle from its breeding grounds off Spitzbergen through its migration to Caelaverock, Scotland. Commentary by Bob Tunnicliffe. Myrfvn Owen uses a graph to point out population levels of barnacle geese counted at Caelaverock over the past 30 years. Rob Tunnicliffe and Myrfyn Owen examine possible reasons for the marked increase in barnacle goose population. Shots of geese and graphs while they talk. They go on to discuss, briefly, the possibility of calculating an equilibrium population for the barnacle goose. Tunnicliffe introduces David Dartnell (Head of the Natural History Section, Gloucester Museum). David Dartnell gives his reasons why three species of birds once common in Britain (red back shrike, marsh warbler and peregrin falcon) have declined drastically in numbers. He examines a stuffed bird of each species as he talks. Bob Tunnicliffe sums up the programme. |
| Master spool number: | 6HT/72562 |
| Production number: | 00525_5290 |
| Videofinder number: | 772 |
| Available to public: | no |
