Both the reading and listening material discuss the possible strategies to present the crazy ant from

spreading and damaging the unique ecosystem of the palm forest. The reading points out three
appealing methods, whereas the listening clearly opposes them.

Firstly, the reading suggests that by using some traps that composed with a low concentration of
toxic chemicals, the invasive ants can be successfully controlled, just like they did in an island
near Australia. However, the lecture disagrees with it, arguing that applying such traps will
inevitably cause damage to the native species. Unlike the island near Australia, the palm forest has
a lot of native species, thus, using these traps with harmful compositions might harm the native
animals.

Secondly, the reading claims that cutting down broad-leaved trees can reduce the number of the
crazy ants because they are the ants’ favorite habitat. In addition to that, since the broad-leaved
trees are not native species in the palm forest, they can be removed without damaging the
ecosystem. But the lecturer stands on an opposite position. He believes that yellow crazy ants have
different habitats such as open areas with increasing sunlight. Therefore, cutting down the broad-
leaved trees would cause more clearings in the forest and hence favor another habitat the ant likes.

Lastly, according to the reading, human’s activities might also increase the ant’s population
because the ant might be transported by the movement of construction materials and feed on the
food left by the tourists. Nevertheless, the lecturer thinks that limiting the human’s activities will
not only deter the science research within the area but will also reduce the main income of the
palm forest. Both of these impacts will cause a negative outcome to the forest.