Essays on Ecosystems

Marine trophic cascade is an ecological concept that has attracted a lot of attention in the recent days owing to the increase in overexploitation of marine resources. It is paramount that we gain clear understanding of the impacts brought about by the changes in the food web. Other possible causes include the environmental changes brought about by the climatic changes such as the global warming effects. Recent studies have shown an increase in the overexploitation of the marine top predators that has the potential to initiate a marine trophic cascade. Various scholars have studied the subject and accumulated reports ...

a) Elements of Ecology In “Kampung Boy”, the author has portrayed an intrinsic biography of a Muslim boy born in Kampong in Perak. How the young boy grows up in rural Malaysia is explained in a vivid fashion, from which the reader is able to draw various inferences on ecological factors and their influence on childhood. The Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological System Model analyses the child development paradigm in a framework of simple yet meaningful relationships with environment. The essay focuses on how these elements have been embedded in the childhood of the Kampung Boy.

The Microsystem

Urie Bronfenbrenner has identified microsystem ...

INTRODUCTION

One of the most heated debates of the modern era revolves around environmental issues and how best to repair current damages and prevent future damage. Unfortunately this is something of a controversial topic because there are some that heavily support the environment and the protection of it and there are others that actually do not believe that environmental issues are serious at all. That being said addressing a problem that some people will not admit exists is incredibly difficult. This is the case with the modern issues with air pollution.

DISUCUSSION

The air becomes polluted when harmful poisons and toxic ...

The design and goals of management policies are primarily influenced by the fisheries and marine ecosystems health mental concepts. The Cognitive Maps: Cartography and Concepts for an Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Policy article, discusses how these mental concepts that are held by some individuals are fostered by the approach of Back to the Future (BTF) to the policy of fisheries (Tony & Nigel 1976). Such cognitive maps are normally obtained from local and traditional knowledge and the interplay of science. The approach of Back to the Future action employs all the sectors in remedial and positive and is meant to engage the ...

DNA in Forensic Science

Forensic Science deals with investigations of suspects or criminals in crime scenes legally. In most cases, there are usually a lot of people involved in crime scenes. Some of them being innocent while some are the criminals. Also, there may be one criminal involved in an incidence. In Forensic Science, DNA is used to differentiate the individuals so that the criminal among them can be known. Additionally, DNA analysis is performed in the paternity testing. It enables the determination of a parent or parents of a child. DNA analysis is now being regarded as scientific evidence ("Application of forensic ...

Like many other United States National Parks, Badlands is unique unto itself with physical attributes that when they are seen one knows it is Badlands National Park. Located in an area rich with history, the Badlands was created and founded as a national monument in 1939 by President Roosevelt before officially becoming a national park in 1978 (Steiner, 1993). The landscape of buttes, ravines, and hills found in the midst of the prairie of Southwestern South Dakota influenced the Lakota Sioux to call the area, ‘mako sica’ or ‘badlands’ (“South Dakota Legends,” 2003). The Sioux Pine Ridge reservation lies ...

Eutrophication is the phenomenon caused by the increasing amount of nutrients in the water bodies which results to the decrease in the oxygen concentration and death of aquatic animals. The main nutrient which commonly caused eutrophication in some of the water bodies is the phosphates. In this process, nutrients from soil are carried to the water bodies through erosion (Chislock et al., 2013). The high amounts of nutrients in the water bodies results to the increase in aquatic plants and algae such as the phytoplankton. The decay of these plants and algae converts oxygen to other by-products resulting to ...

According to RCRA regulations its jurisdiction covers waste if it is ignitable, corrosive, reactive chemically, exhibits “TC” toxicity, unstable, fatal to humans in low doses, or has an LD-50 or LC-50 component, contains toxic constituents or is generically listed by the EPA in the industrial classification (Percival et al., 2013). In order to determine whether the following examples are hazardous or not we have to first determine what does RCRA means by hazardous. In short, it is a solid waste, which can cause a serious irreversible illness among humans, or pose a significant hazard to human health. The first ...

INTRODUCTION

There was a time when the world was almost entirely covered by forests, marshes, mountains and rainforests however, as human societies became more and more industrialized and the population continued to grow more and more natural environments were cleared to accommodate housing needs of people, the grazing lands for animals, room for human industries, and the obtaining of natural energy resources, like coal and oil. This is a reality for many states in the United States. That being said there are many people who have never spent a single day surrounded by authentic nature. It was in the 1860s ...

Executive Summary

Ecosystem-based management (EBM) is a place-based way to utilization of natural resources with the aim of protecting and restoring the energy, flexibility and activity of the entire ecological environment to benefit its inhabitants. EBM is a great tool to preserve the environment in a better way that will not destroy the economy and humans. Movements of traditional environment have improved the ecosystem at the expense of economy, which has been viewed as a failure. People cannot continue repeating the same mistakes again. This is where EBM approach comes in where the ecosystem would be protected while at the same ...

Grizzly bear is a subspecies of a brown bear, which can be found in Alaska and Western Canada. Isolated populations of grizzly bears can also be found in northern Idaho, western Montana, in north-western Wyoming and North Cascade Mountains (Washington State). In all ecosystems in which grizzly bears live, they play an important role and significantly affect their functioning. Due to being omnivorous, these bears are included in the food chain at various levels. Despite the fact that the diet of this species is dominated by vegetable food, grizzly bears are the largest land predators in the territories where ...

Water Resources

The Moscow city's location gives it access to Palouse River in Idaho as well as Paradise Creek whose upstream basins are the main water resources in the area. The Palouse River is from formation of the lava basins on both sides of the Moscow mountain that describes its high gradient at its youthful stage and thus flowing fast as it loses its height down the mountain. Just like most of the streams in active tectonic areas, the Palouse River has a straight channel considering the existence of alluvial fans as well. Regarding the fact that this stream has its ...

Homework Assignment # 2: Sustainable Communities

Part 1: Community Observations A closer view of my city which is Corvallis Oregon reveals that there is a general lack of sustainability regarding the three dimensions including ecology, social equity, and economy. Most people still get to work using public means of transport which pollutes the environment hence is not sustainable. Further, there are very few locally produced foods available in the community and the number of green spaces like parks, trails and greenways are not that many though there are a few of them around. There is only one gathering place for the community which is a ...

The General Assembly of the United Nations has stated that “Changes to the climate, brought about by increasing levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, will thus lead to changes in the oceans, including sea-level rise and ocean acidification, which will put marine ecosystems and coastal communities at risk. Most of these changes can be attributed to human activities and will negatively affect the animal inhabitants of the marine environment. Some effects of global warming on marine animals include changes in distribution, reduction of habitats and reductions in diversity and sex ratios. In the last hundred years, the rate ...

The climate of Canada is governed by a number of elements of climate which lead to a regional variety of weather patterns in the country. These weather patterns are pertinent in determining the type of climate which each particular region experiences. Climate has many impacts on a country’s ecosystem, sociology and economy, and is therefore a key component in the overall health of any economy. Disruptions to climate can have enduring outcomes for Canada and its people. This paper attempts to discuss the current climactic patterns which occur in Canada, and outlines some ways in which climate change ...

Letter of Transmittal

Richard Albert Sylvester Management Consultant Lamplighters Corporation Ottawa K I P 5B5 Phone: 613-563-1509 www.lamplightres.ca The Right Honorable Justin P.J. Trudeau

Office of the Prime Minister

80 Wellington Street

Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2

RE: Project Suitability Report on the Proposed Trans Mountain Expansion Pipeline Project Dear Right Honorable Prime Minister, It is with great pleasure and honor that I submit this report on the suitability of the proposed Trans Mountain Expansion pipeline project. The Trans Mountain Expansion pipeline project proposal by Kinder Morgan aims at increasing the current capacity of the existing Trans Mountain oil pipeline. Currently, the existing infrastructure has a capacity of 300,000 barrels per ...

It is claimed by the scholars that the ocean temperatures are affected by the climate change. In addition, there is a set of other effects of the climate change for the marine organisms - such as changes in the ocean chemistry, supply of nutrients, systems of wind and food chains. These factors make their impact on the abundance, distribution, breeding cycles as well as migrations of marine animals and plants. With the increase of the temperature, the animal and plants, which inhabit the ocean and seas, shift towards the poles. In such manner, the marine food webs are changed ...

Introduction

Seagrass beds are amongst the most productive marine habitats and their wide-ranging distribution. They provide homes and food sources for many marine animals, prevent erosion and provide nurseries for many commercial and recreational fish species. Despite their importance to the environment, seagrass beds are increasingly being decimated by the results of human activities. The destruction of seagrass beds may have serious consequences on the biodiversity of coastal regions and as a consequence, may negatively impact on commercial and recreational fishing, and ultimately all marine species.

Description of Issue

Seagrasses are flowering plants that live in marine and estuarine habitats. They are rooted ...

Scientists, the world over, have a common belief that over 90% of earth’s species have become extinct over the last three billion years that the planet has supported life . It is estimated that there have been at least five mass extinctions spread over millions of years at a time. The latest known mass extinction was towards the end of the Cretaceous period. It is most likely so well known because, the event which occurred over 65 million years ago, caused the end of the dinosaurs. Although in terms of the scale it was smaller than the previous four, ...

Introduction

Both Judith Carney and Rafael Marquese examine the contribution of African Slaves in the development and production of specific cash crops. Carney believes that the production of Rice in South Carolina is as a result of diffusion of agricultural culture from Africa to Americas. She argues that rice production was the culture of the West Africans far before the Portuguese explorers reached Africa in in the 14th century. Rice was the staple food among most of the West African communities. They used the mangrove swamps to create paddies and used canal irrigation to water the rice. The same methodology ...

The Name of Class

The Name of the School The City and States where it is located 1. Analysis of findings

Research Question- Why is it a problem if the earth’s average temperature gets a little warmer?

1.1 Results The average rising temperature can have vast impacts only by slight increase. The vast impact the average temperature can have can be shown with the average temperature in the last ice age, when the average temperatures were only around 5 degrees Celsius lower than today’s average temperatures. From the Figure 1 it is seen that the global average temperature, which combines the surface and ocean temperature have been on the rise and have reached the highest levels in the ...

Introduction

Over the course of the last few decades, global pollution has overwhelmingly been on the rise. As years go by - the humans' way of thinking evolves. Hence, the technological aspect of life keeps on advancing rapidly at the expense of contaminating our planet. Similar to other elements associated with human life, the natural environment is also undergoing a continuous change. There is the unchallengeable need of developing knowledge of the issues that characterize this change. The modern world is experiencing an increase in the natural calamities and varying weather patterns. These changes are primarily associated with the environmental ...

Impacts of Pollution on Wildlife

Introduction Impacts of pollution on wildlife has been a controversy and a contradicting issue since it has been experienced in the world and specifically in the united States of America for a long period of time. There are environmental laws which are hard on some manufacturing and production industry in North America and this makes them to be held responsible of various wildlife cases. The environmental laws in the United States of America have enacted endangered species Act in which it is a general rule which has held several companies responsible of the reduction of Wolverines in Montana glacial ...

Identifying Environmental Hazards

Identifying Environmental Hazards

The study is designed to determine whether there is increases or decreases in the population of invasive species as well as ascertain the implications associated with the alteration of the population of the invasive species to the ecosystem as a whole.

Introduction

Today, due to factors such as foreign travel, globalization, the increase in human population, and uncontrolled development patterns, the frequency and magnitude of introductions of non-native invasive species (NNIS) into native lands has grown at an alarming rate (Mooney & Cleland, 2001). Invasive species pose serious risks to the native ecosystems, threatening to change not only ...

The principal value, which the principles of morality are based on, has always been discussed. The most widely accepted answers are happiness and safety. Nietzsche in his theory of morality also approaches this concept but from a different direction. He claims that the aim of any society, as well as the supreme value in the ethics, are the happiness of the minority – aristocracy. He explains that, essentially, all life is built upon exploitation, appropriation, violence and struggle for dominance. He argues that they are unavoidable because they represent what life really is – the will to power. Accordingly, power is ...

I humbly appreciate this opportunity to address this congregation at the 10th Annual Environmental Protection Agency’s meeting [Acknowledge any VIP in the audience]. Warfare is a great deterrent to the attainment of sustainable development. How can the future generation meet their need if the needs of the present generation are not assured? [Pause for a few seconds]. Each time war breaks out between nations, the negative impacts are leveled on the natural resources and consequently, on the environment. [Refer to slide for the main triggers of these wars]. It is interesting to note that war has been an ...

07th of April 2016

Air pollution impacts the human health and the environment in various ways - by direct and immediate threat (smog, etc.) to the slow and gradual destruction of the body's various life-support systems. In many cases, air pollution negatively affects the structural components of the ecosystem to such an extent that the regulatory processes are not able to return to their original state and thus the homeostasis mechanism fails. The atmosphere is the air shell of the Earth. Air quality involves the totality of its properties, reflecting the level of exposure to physical, chemical and biological factors on humans, plant ...

Nature in city; seed bank; ecosystem and social-urban development.

The terms “ecology” and environment” have different conceptual meanings which often overlap with the concept of “nature” in the context of academic and scientific research and analysis. For instance, ‘Natures and Ecologies’ studies explore the environmental dimensions of ecosystems which includes both physical parameters and biotic attributes of a particular region. The “environment "includes the physical world, the social world of human relations and the built world of human creation. [Ankers 2005] Within the various uses of the word today, "nature" often refers to geology and wildlife. Nature can refer to the general realm of living plants and animals, ...

In 2008, the Thames River was a polluted mess. There were many untreated sewage, industrial waste, and garbage deposits which made the river not only an environmental nightmare, but a risk to public health. The primary souce of the pollution in the Thames river was caused by thousands of gallons of untreated raw sewage, which overflowed into the river from the overwhelmed sewage treatment infrastructure in London during storms and periods of heavy rainfall. Due to inadequate funding for and development of infrastructure necessary to prevent ecological disasters like the mass expulsion of waste water into the Thames, the ...

Increasing concentrations of nitrogen in the environment, a phenomenon called as nitrogen saturation occurs when the inorganic nitrogen levels exceeds the demand by organisms and plants. Increased concentrations of nitrogen have detrimental impact on the air quality, owing to the oxidizing capacity of nitrogen oxides and their function in the formation of ozone layer . Excessive nitrogen deposition causes an increase in foliar nitrogen content, which subsequently leads to increase in tree growth . Other negative effects on the ecosystem are frost-hardiness in conifer trees in the presence of large doses of nitrogen. Excessive nitrogen concentrations may also lead to tree ...

Hymn to the Nile explores the status that river Nile had before the people of Egypt as their lives depended on it. These people even referred to the river as god and even made sacrifices to appease this god. More importantly, the hymn appreciates that it’s the importance and benefits that the Nile brought to the people of Egypt that made them hold the river so close to their hearts that they referred to it as god. Looking at the hymn to the Nile, human beings should take care of the environment just as the environment takes care ...

Chapter #16:

Question 1. Insect-eating birds will decrease in number since their source of food has been reduced. The birds may also migrate to warmer areas during this period.

Question 2.

The habitat is the specific place where the organism lives e.g. a fish’s habitat is water. On the other hand, niche is the position and the role played by the organism in an ecosystem. It includes how the organism obtain food and shelter, the mode of survival, and the mode of reproduction (Sutton & Anderson, 2009, p. 46). For instance, a lion’s niche in the ecosystem is that of a predator.Question ...

Seawater Desalination

Availability of adequate clean and fresh is a primary aspect that determines the establishment of any human settlement. With the access to clean water, a population is likely to lead a healthy life, and such a community is highly productive. Climatic changes and other various factors have prompted water shortages in many areas. It is more worrying that the situation is likely to become worse in the future. This highlights the need of finding alternative and efficient strategies for addressing this life threating issue. Failing to adopt such strategies is tantamount to preparing for a disaster that will be ...

Walt Disney Company has been a pillar of excellence within the international business community for being innovative in every aspect of their business. Aside from their wonderful and precious films, Walt Disney has operated with the notion of making a difference in the world and using their branding to help implement change. For example, Walt Disney could have just kept their business to the industry of film making; however, Walt Disney decided to opt for something more that is giving joy to children and families all over the world. What has made their business model so special is that ...

Botkin and Kellar (2014) describe an ecosystem as “communities of organisms and their nonliving environment in which nutrients and other chemicals cycle and energy flow.” I have chosen the forests of Pennsylvania as a holistic ecosystem to examine. Pennsylvania has approximately 17 million acres of forest, making up 59% of this State. The predominant species associations are oak/hickory in the central and southern areas and Northern hardwood (including black cherry, maple and birch) in the north and north-west (Sustaining Penn’s Woods, 2001). The vast forest area contains mature ecosystems with the aforementioned tree species as the climax species. ...

07th of April 2016

Air pollution impacts the human health and the environment in various ways - by direct and immediate threat (smog, etc.) to the slow and gradual destruction of the body's various life-support systems. In many cases, air pollution negatively affects the structural components of the ecosystem to such an extent that the regulatory processes are not able to return to their original state and thus the homeostasis mechanism fails. The atmosphere is the air shell of the Earth. Air quality involves the totality of its properties, reflecting the level of exposure to physical, chemical and biological factors on humans, plant ...

Did Human Bipedalism Evolve from a Knuckle-walking Ape Ancestor Did Human Bipedalism Evolve from a Knuckle-walking Ape Ancestor

Introduction

The narratives of human evolution are one of the oft-told scientific stories whenever the topic of the origin of man crops up. However, this topic is also one of the thorniest and most highly contentious. There are major disagreements in the manner in which man first came to be, and every interpretation of almost every new find on the matter will be sure to find opposition among scholars on the field (Harcourt-Smith & Aiello, 2004). While there are numerous causes of disputes ...

in the industrial and infrastructure sector

Abstract

In most parts of the Arab countries, the limited resources of water pose adverse constraints to both the social and economic development, while also threatening the people’s livelihood. The available surface water keeps on declining, and the ground water over-pumping that goes beyond the natural recharge rates has continued to cause great negative impact in the lowering of water table. Over-pumping of ground water also increases ground water salinity, ground water depletion, and ecological degradation (SCENR 5). The outcome prompted the Qatar government to start regulating its water resources as a measure ...

Analysis of Energy Sufficiency, Sustainability and Conflicts of US Forests

Abstract The focus of the paper is to analyze the economics of US forests. In particular, the paper analyses the energy sufficiency, sustainability, as well as potential conflicts regarding this essential us natural resource. Concerning forest sustainability, the paper will consider issues such as how the US can use and retain forests to meet different human needs, how it can preserve and promote healthy forests, and how the country can make ethical choices concerning forests. Key findings in the paper reveal that although the United States has shown some efforts in creating sustainability concerning forests, there is still much ...

Acknowledgement

For this paper, I would like to thank especially my professor for providing me the necessary insights for the development of the article. Without his lecture, progress will not be achieved in this paper. You are very much appreciated. For the other people who helped, I also would like to extend my deepest gratitude. Learning will not be as enjoyable as this without you.

Abstract

Natural resources are continuously being consumed due to the demands and needs of the people and the different institutions. However, the need to protect and preserve the natural resources is being less prioritized by most ...

The earth’s habitat is rapidly changing owing to human activities that have compromised the stability of ecosystems. In this regard, the degradation of the environment has been attributed to irresponsible use of natural resources and the lack of consideration of vital components essential for a stable ecosystem. One of these human activities is deforestation. As a result of the increase in the human population, incredible strain has been placed on the available resources, in order to accommodate the growing number of individuals. As such, the environment has borne the adverse effects, as currently witnessed in climatic changes such ...