User:Colubris29/Choose an Article

Article Selection
Please list articles that you're considering for your Wikipedia assignment below. Begin to critique these articles and find relevant sources.

Option 1

 * Article title: Nativar (Cultivated Native) :
 * Article Evaluation: This article does not yet exist, and the concept is only alluded to twice, once in "Native Species" and another time in "Tapestry Lawn". This topic is quite prevalent among gardeners and horticulturists, as well as ecologists in North America, where a movement for native gardening is taking root. I think the discussion and viewpoints could be highlighted well within a neutral setting like Wikipedia, and it would work well as a introduction to the topic for those who are not privy. The idea of a "Nativar" is a plant who's native range includes your local ecoregion, but who has been subjected to genetic manipulation by humans through selective breeding and genetic modifications. An example of a nativar could be a native plant like Echinacea purpurea, which has been bred to have bright red flowers as opposed to the naturally occurring pale purple wild type populations. The discussion around this topic is whether or not nativar plants have equivalent, improved, or worse ecological impacts for the surrounding ecosystem and how well they're able to support wildlife under the goals of "native gardening". Some studies suggest that nativars have decreased ecological benefits, such as reduced nectar count, and reduced nectar count, or altered chemical production for host plant relationships with insects. Additionally, there is an argument that nativars produce equivalent or improved ecological value by still supporting plant-pollinator or host plant- insect relationships. I think readers should be exposed to both arguments on a neutral cite like Wiki where they can be introduced to the topic. Ultimately the topic is quite nuanced and the value of native species and nativars should be taken on a species by species and cultivar by cultivar basis. :
 * Sources:
 * Baker, Adam M et al. “Suitability of native milkweed (Asclepias) species versus cultivars for supporting monarch butterflies and bees in urban gardens.” PeerJ vol. 8 e9823. 25 Sep. 2020, doi:10.7717/peerj.9823
 * Ricker, Jacob Gordon, "Suitability of Cultivated Forms of Native Shrubs to Support Pollinators" (2019). Master's Theses. 1323. https://opencommons.uconn.edu/gs_theses/1323 :
 * Ricker, Jacob Gordon, "Suitability of Cultivated Forms of Native Shrubs to Support Pollinators" (2019). Master's Theses. 1323. https://opencommons.uconn.edu/gs_theses/1323 :
 * Ricker, Jacob Gordon, "Suitability of Cultivated Forms of Native Shrubs to Support Pollinators" (2019). Master's Theses. 1323. https://opencommons.uconn.edu/gs_theses/1323 :

Option 2

 * Article title: Centre of Endemism :
 * Article Evaluation: This article is a stub that could use further development. There is only one paragraph, and all of the examples are of Tanzania and Southern Africa, which is not the limitations of endemic centers. This article could be improved by increasing the diversity of examples to truly reflect the centres of endemism in the world and their importance for conservation. Additionally, the sources are both sparse and incomplete for this article, :
 * Sources:
 * Clark, V.R. et al. "The Sneeuberg: A new centre of floristic endemism on the Great Escarpment, South Africa." South African Journal of Botany vol. 75 issue. 2. 2009. :
 * Clark, V.R. et al. "The Sneeuberg: A new centre of floristic endemism on the Great Escarpment, South Africa." South African Journal of Botany vol. 75 issue. 2. 2009. :

Option 3

 * Article title: Erosion of Biodiversity :
 * Article Evaluation: This article does not yet exist, but it is highly requested on the Ecology WikiProject. This article should touch on both the general loss of biodiversity through extinctions and reduced species ranges, but also the erosion of genetic diversity that happens through population decline, genetic drift + inbreeding depression, as well as potentially the loss of wildtype genetic information through genetic pollution of GMOs. :
 * Sources:
 * Dempewolf, Hannes, et al. "Our shared global responsibility: Safeguarding crop diversity for future generations." PNAS vol. 120 no. 14. (2022). https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.220576811 :
 * Dempewolf, Hannes, et al. "Our shared global responsibility: Safeguarding crop diversity for future generations." PNAS vol. 120 no. 14. (2022). https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.220576811 :

Option 4

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Option 5

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