Essays on Biosphere

The issue of conservation has been dominating the agenda of environmentalists in the recent decades, and the two articles under consideration provide insights into adverse and side effects of forest conservation and establishment of biosphere reserves. Generally, Paul Greenough discusses advantages and flaws of biosphere reserves and protected area networks that have been a crucial purpose of conservationists. The author argues that enclosing new territories of forests into protected areas and reserves allows not only for survival of animal and plant species but also for blossoming criminal activity. Providing examples of Mexican biosphere reserves and India’s Project Tiger ...

The objective of this experiment was to prepare Beer-Lambert calibration curves for different forms of nitrogen and to determine the concentration of nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia ions in different water samples from the Biscayne Bay.

Introduction

Nitrogen is the most abundant element in the Earth atmosphere. In is not surprising that it is one of the most crucial elements not only to human life but all life on our planet. The chemistry of nitrogen is rather diverse because it can exist in different oxidation levels – from +3 to -5. Due to its large impact on the biosphere, the circulation of ...

Like all other species, humans exploit their surrounding for all the multiplicity of resources they not only require for sustenance but that which they also need for survival (Bernhardt, n.d.). In the recent years, however, the rate at which humans exploit and consume these resources has surpassed those of the other species. Several reasons account for this trend. First, recent advancements in technology have enabled man to affect vast areas of the world’s natural biological and non-biological space like never before. Secondly, the skyrocketing human population has progressively played a significant role in determining the record extent to ...

Analysis of Sustainability and its Attributes

Analysis of Sustainability and its Attributes Sustainability of a system is its ability to persist over time. Any system that fulfills the need of the present generation without compromising the needs of the future can be termed as a sustainable system. This definition of sustainable development, now commonly cited as a definition of sustainability as a whole, is derived from Brundtland definition which is widely cited as the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (Brundtland, G. H. 1987). The concept of sustainability is gaining the ...

Introduction

a) Brassica rapa. The brassica rapa is a plant species that belongs to the genus Brassica and is one of the 51 genera in the tribe brassicae of the crucifer family (also known as the mustard family) (Rakow, 2004, pg.1). Within this family, there are the other 37 different members that provide edible seeds, flowers, stems, buds, and leaves (Rakow, 2004, pg.1). Based on their morphological characteristics there are three distinct groups of B. rapa. These include the oleiferous (oil-type rape) such as the Canadian Polish rape, the leafy-type B. rapa that includes the chinensis group, and the rapiferous-type ...

Economic issues of global warming are the most controversial and crucial nowadays.

In the nineteenth century, the volume of CO2 in the air was much less than today. Recently in the world rate of accumulation of this gas in the atmosphere has become unprecedentedly high. The majority of scholars consider that this problem is directly connected with economic growth. The inevitability of a number of difficulties that arise in connection with this process is the main problem along with the need for a relatively short period of time to adapt many economic activities to a rapidly changing climate and other components of the environment. Pessimistic forecasts the possible effects of anthropogenic ...

Why ecology? What does Ophuls argue? (p. 29, 39-43)

The main task of the ecology is to return humans back to the bosom of nature. Our present day situation is the depiction of our misunderstanding of our place in this world and our world as a whole. The ecology is a way of finding the peace and balance with our environment. In our paradigm, the concept of ruling and governing natural resources and nature itself has been rooted so densely that we have only recently started to notice that something goes wrong. Our dream techno civilization with its developed industry and high-yield crops, in reality, is not sustainable ...

The development of solar energy is based on a use of solar radiation for generation energy. Solar energy is the kinetic energy of the radiation (mainly light) formed by reactions in the solar interior. As its stocks are almost inexhaustible (astronomers counted that the Sun will “burn” some more millions of years), solar energy belongs to a renewable source of energy. In natural ecosystems, only a small part of the solar energy is absorbed by chlorophyll that contains in the leaves of plants and is used for photosynthesis, namely for the formation of organic matter from carbon dioxide and ...

Sustainable tourism: the real challenges

Question 1 (a) Anthropocentrism and ecocentrism has always been the concepts compared to each other. Anthropocentrism is a paradigm in which the nature is understood as the means to satisfy human needs. From the anthropocentric point of view, people occupy the priviledged place in the world, and the nature is valued and preserved because it can maintain the good quality of human life and help them achieve their goals (Thompson  Barton 149). Ecocentrism is a concept that supports the idea of the nature as the mother of life and everything in the world is connected to each other (Gladwin ...

Environmental Worldview

Impacts of Petroleum Exploration, Extraction and Transport

Oil shale may be defined as those rocks that usually contain a high proportion and percentage of organic matter such as kerogen. Oil shale is mainly characterized by the low calorific value as well high ash and even mineral content. Oil usually produces energy, which serves a very crucial purpose to our planet. Energy is regarded as the lifeblood of the planet earth and its occupants, thereby, being categorized as among the essential commodities that normally powers the intentions to expand the global economy (Burnham, Stubblefield, & Campbell, 1980). In the 1950s, natural gas and oil became the primary sources of liveliness ...

The impact of the environment on human health is quite significant. Many diseases are caused by air pollution, polluted drinking water, and consumption of chemically processed food. Health depends on lifestyle with 50%, 20% from the environment and technology development, 20% bad heredity and only 10% of it depends on the level of health care (Landon 2013). Nowadays, an enormous amount of pollutants is released into the environment from industrial sources, whether pipe, that pour wastes into rivers or huge production waste landfills. Industrial toxic emissions into the atmosphere so rain and dust return to the surface and ...

Hydrosphere is a water medium, which includes surface and groundwater. Surface waters are mainly concentrated in the world's oceans, containing about 91% of all the water on Earth. The surface of the oceans (water area) is 361 million per square km. It is about 2.04 times the area of ​​the land - the territory occupying 149 million square km (Cunningham & Cunningham, 2011). If an even layer of water was spread over the earth, then it would cover it as thick as 3,000 meters. The water in the ocean (94%) and below ground is salty. The amount of fresh water ...

Just as James Lovelock once said, “We live at a time when emotions and feelings count more than truth, and there is a vast ignorance of science”, it is true that in this age it is increasingly important to listen to the scientific facts, as science is the best tool we have to discern whether or not climate change is caused by mankind. The term “anthropogenic” is used to describe human-made climate change and means originating in human activity. Climate change is defined in the change in global climatic patterns since the mid-20th century and is not limited to ...

Define the terms ecology, ecosystem, and biosphere.

Ecology may be referred as the study of how organisms interact in their environment including both the physical (abiotic) and the living (biotic) aspects of the environment. Ecosystems endure through the (abiotic) and (biotic) relations within them. It also studies the community and the population, and assesses cause and effects of the reactions of communities and populations to change in environment.

On the other hand, an ecosystem may be referred to as a community of organisms that interrelate with each other and the non-living elements for sustainable adaptation and development to varying conditions. There many different forms of ecosystems that ...

Introduction

Pollution of the environment is one of the oldest problems in the history of civilization. Man has long been considered the environment primarily as a source of resources, seeking to achieve independence from it, to improve the conditions of its existence. While population and the scale of production was small, and very extensive natural spaces, to achieve the goals we were willing to sacrifice some of the untouched nature, exactly as some degree of purity and water. This process in our relatively closed, not unlimited world cannot continue indefinitely. For example, it is estimated that each year for every person ...

Global warming has evolved into a demure problem in the present-day world. The problem is very serious, as it concerns a possible lift of temperature and climate alter. Climate warming is a slow and gradual upsurge in the medium temperature on our planet that there is currently. Climate warming is a fact, with which to argue is pointless, and it is therefore necessary to take a sober and objective approach to its understanding. The Earth is warming and this has a tragic effect on the glaciers of our planet. The temperature surges, the ice begins to melt, and the sea level begins to rise. This ...

Biodiversity refers to the diversity of life forms on Earth, millions of species of plants, animals, microorganisms, their sets of genes and complex ecosystems that make up the wildlife. Biodiversity is the main habitat-forming element of the planet, which provides the ability to save the environment and biological resources. Biological diversity is the result of close interaction with the physical shell of the biosphere, since each species is the result of a natural historical development of the organic world. Biodiversity is necessary for maintaining the functional structure of the biosphere and its component ecosystems, as its aesthetic value is the ...

The United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development (1987) defined Sustainable Development as “the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” But Sustainable Development is more complex than this simplified definition. Sustainable Development has many issues concerning it such as development of underdeveloped nations, climate change, environmental damage, environmental regulation, addressing the problem of world poverty, population control, sustainable tourism, ecosphere preservation, urbanization, and conservation of earth’s resources. Sustainable Development is truly a challenge that is global in nature as it concerns the earth’s ...

Introduction

The article is about the East African Rift System. Its authors James Wood and Alex Guth believe that it requires more study and attention from the scientists around the globe. The purpose of the article is to discuss the geology of the rifts, their formation as well as possible consequences of their shifts. The article represents how closely intertwined are the tectonics processes and changes in climate and biosphere. Shifts in plates could also have effect on human evolution, culture and lifestyle. This makes the article highly informative not only in terms of geology of the processes but also ...

Global environmental systems are networks which compose the surroundings in which living things cohabit, and which constitute the planetary arena as we know it. Examples of global systems include the atmosphere, Cryosphere, biosphere and oceans. The global environmental system is intertwined with ecosystems, culture, economics, and societies. These are in turn related to other phenomena, which are dynamic in nature. These dynamic and natural systems vary in nature, found in a given period of time, and closely based on the existing global human activities, as Steffen et al. (2004) alludes. An example would be our current natural environment: the monsoonal ...

Causation of Climate Change

The world’s climate system is composed of five elements that include hydrosphere, lithosphere, atmosphere, cry sphere, and biosphere. It varies naturally with time and is dependent on the incoming and outgoing energy which determine the optimal balance of the earth’s energy. These determinants constitute factors that cause climate variation that result in either warmer or colder states. This result into a phenomenon referred to as climate change. This is a condition, in which, the earth experiences adjustments in its weather that occurs over a period. This essay provides a detailed analysis of the causes, characteristics, and the impacts of climate change ...

Environmental protection has become a major issue on a global level lately. Numerous conferences and negotiations aim to eliminate worldwide consequences of environmental pollution and preserve the biosphere. Leading scientific experts are developing technologies using alternative energy sources and renewable resources. Researchers investigate the possibilities to reduce the industrial and consumer-related environmental harm and improve energy efficiency. Ecosystems protection is also one of the priorities to legislative authorities on both international and national levels. However, governmental initiatives cannot be fully efficient without support of a private sector. Various eco-initiatives are regularly held by civic organizations to raise environmental awareness of the ...

Abstract

The Great American Interchange lasted for about two million years between North America and South America. The objective of the essay is to look at the symmetrical results of the great American interchange in the beginning and how the interchange became asymmetrical after time progressed. The unbalanced nature of the interchange offers a model to explain the asymmetrical results of the land-mammal interchange between the two Americas. Both Geological and biological data are looked into the get insights the past and present distributions of fauna.

Introduction

The Great American Interchange is a crucial paleo zoogeographic event that occurred between North America and ...

Sustainable agriculture 1

Executive Summary: 3 Introduction 4 Goals and Objectives 5 Method Used 6 Key Trends: 6 Economic Trend 6 Culture and Social Trend 7 General Trends 8 Ecological Trend: 8 Agriculture 9 Data Analysis 9 Questionnaire Analysis: 10 Interview: 11 Focus Group Interview: 12 Data on Birds: 13 Recommendations 14 Limitations 15

References 16

Appendix: 17

Redberry Lake Biosphere Region has a historical background in terms of providing a place to live for migrating birds as well as offering the people of the area with preservation, facility building ...

If there is one big problem that not only a particular country but the entire world has today, that would be global warming. Global warming refers to a process wherein there is a continuous rise in the temperature of the planet’s climate system. According to experts, since the latter half of the twentieth century, as much as ninety percent of the total rise in temperature accumulated has occurred in oceans and other bodies of water. This is because bodies of water have been identified as dominant carbon dioxide absorbers. However, it is important to remember that global warming does not only ...

What is Global Warming

What is global warming, and how is it affecting the Earth and its inhabitants? Global warming is sometimes referred to as the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is the absorption of energy radiated from the Earth's surface by carbon dioxide and other gases in the atmosphere, causing the atmosphere to become warmer. The greenhouse effect is what is causing the temperature on the Earth to rise, and creating many problems that will begin to occur in the coming decades.

Effects of Global Warming

For the last 10,000 years, the Earth's climate has been extraordinarily beneficial to mankind. "Humans have prospered tremendously ...

1) Information technology particularly the internet has transformed the way organizations conduct business. The continued use of the internet by the society will have significant implications on the future of e-business. The use of internet by the society will change how companies conduct marketing and advertisement. According to a research conducted by Pew Research Center’s Internet & America Life Project, young adults form the majority of users of social media (http://www.pewinternet.org/). This implies that business targeting this group will introduce marketing strategies based on social media platform. Businesses will increasingly conduct market research using social media. Additionally, more companies will ...

Abstract

In this essay, a description of a non-pathogenic and of a pathogenic microorganism is made. As microbiology aims the study of the microscopic organism that inhabit the ecosystems, the understanding of what are the species present in the biosphere, what are the condition in which they live, what are their metabolic processes and products, and of how can these influence, positively and/or negatively other living forms, including humans, it is essential to study them to know how their caused illnesses be prevented, treated and, furthermore, how can possibly help the health welfare. As examples, the Lactobacillus casei and Clostridium botulinum species of ...

Abstract

This essay aims to explore several scientific issues: the relation between the burning of fossil fuels and its consequential unbalance of the carbon cycle and the increase of the greenhouse effect that follows it, causing a biosphere change with multiple deleterious effects, both on environments, species and life itself; understand how Darwin’s theory of Natural Selection explains the existence of different species of a being (such as lizards) in one same island; why, now in the Genetics area, a cell’s DNA is only visible during mitosis for being condensed, why “daughter cells”, in meiosis, all have unique genetic material, caused ...

Belovezhskaya pushcha national park, Belarus

Critical analysis About Belarus Belarus is a European country located in the east side of Europe and shares its borders with Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. It is a landlocked country with a total land area of 207, 600 square kilometers. Minsk is its capital city but it has other major cities across its land area. The country’s major economic activities are in the agricultural and manufacturing sectors. 40% of the country’s land area is forested thus having a cool and favorable agricultural climate. Belarus took shape in the early 1940s after joining the Soviet Union. Its borders ...

In order to preserve the biosphere in a good condition international and national governments should seek the collaboration of non-governmental organizations and scientist. This paper analysis the importance of combined strategic efforts and the issues associated with biosphere conservation.

Biosphere conservation and various organizations

It was in 1971, UNESCO came out with the idea of biosphere reserves. Later onwards, the same idea passed through several different concepts proposed by several different agencies such as governments, non-governmental organizations and scientists. This discloses the importance of sustaining biosphere as an organized effort both by various governmental institutions and non-governmental firms and as an individual efforts proposed by ...

For too long, we have tried to ignore a sneaking suspicion that as a race of people we cannot continue to use our planet’s resources in the way that we are accustomed. It has been said that we are “long on things but short on time” (see Durning 179, for example). In this essay I will look at why that is: how stress is being placed upon our water resources and upon our biosphere as a whole, and how this is generating conflict between people, governments and personal values; in addition I will consider specifically what, if any, responsibilities should be ...

The Return of Depression Economics and the Crisis of 2008

The Return of Depression Economics and the Crisis of 2008 is an economics book that was written by Paul Krugman. The book is an analysis of the 2008 financial crisis that followed an economic downturn amid huge economic activity in the financial sector of many economies including that of the United States of America. The book further follows and traces integration of the unfavorable economic conditions into the financial crisis experienced in the year 2008. In addition, Paul Krugman considers the parameters that characterize a relationship in an economic depression context basing the argument on the depression and the economic ...

Introduction

Eukaryotes especially multi-cellular organisms, plants and animals, actually have a mutual relationship that entails interdependence between them. This relationship is based on several factors but the most significant and fundamental one is the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. As a matter of fact, plants are the chief sources of organic material in all living things through the process of photosynthesis (Hopkins, 2006). This paper basically tries to demonstrate and illustrate the mutual benefits that exist between plants and animals for survival.

Discussion

According to Hopkins (2006), plants are the chief source of organic matter in nature especially carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, fats ...