Greenhouse Gas Lab
Title: The Greenhouse Gas Lab: Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Design: Background: The greenhouse effect refers to circumstances where the short wavelengths of visible light from the sun pass through a transparent medium and are absorbed, but the longer wavelengths of the infrared re-radiation from the heated objects are unable to pass through that medium. The trapping of the long wavelength radiation leads to more heating and a higher resultant temperature. Besides the heating of an automobile by sunlight through the windshield and the namesake example of heating the greenhouse by sunlight passing through sealed, transparent windows, the greenhouse effect has been widely used to describe the trapping of excess heat by the rising concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The carbon dioxide strongly absorbs infrared and does not allow as much of it to escape into space. Problem: What is the effect of various concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) on the temperature of the atmosphere? Hypothesis: If the concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) is related to the temperature of the atmosphere, then increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) will increase the temperature of the beakers/containers in a directly proportional relationship. Variables: Independent: the concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the container Dependent: the temperature of the air in the
Ecological Succession
Bio 104 Ecological Succession May 6, 2010 Looking at a photograph of the spruce trees behind my parents house taken in 1995 and comparing it to a photograph of the same trees taken only a week ago, it is easy to see the succession that has taken place over only a fifteen year span. Gazing at the current picture it is obvious that the trees have defoliated, but why? What could have caused this significant change? I believe the trees are in this condition due to parasites, such as gypsy moth caterpillars, using the trees as their host (from here on I will refer to them simply as caterpillars). In my estimation it was roughly 1995, or possibly a few years prior, when the area encountered an atrocious infestation of these caterpillars. Although their population has dwindled significantly since then, they are still a predator to our trees. The spruces have most likely survived as long as they have due to one important abiotic factor: temperature changes. Northeast Pennsylvania experiences cold winters whose frigid temperatures aid in the destruction of the caterpillar eggs. Additionally, it is not always warm in May, I can recall many years when it was snowing. During these sporadic cold spurts, the larvae that have already hatched are killed due to the unusually cold temperatures. Although the trees are weakened from the caterpillars, the winters allow them to have a
Biodiversity -reaction paper
February 27, 2003 Biodiversity -reaction paper #1 On February 20, 2003, Distinguished Scholar-Teacher Dale Bottrell from the Department of Entomology made a presentation on biodiversity. Biodiversity in simplest terms is variation amongst species, and, as Dr. Bottrell pointed out, it is a natural phenomenon which has its own benefits and drawbacks within the realm of the biosphere. He began his presentation with a general introduction about the cohabitation of the environment a discussion about the importance of insects for human survival. Many insects live symbiotically, meaning they live and produce off the waste of others. He also stated that the average lifespan of any given species is roughly 5-10 million years. Since some species are ecologically dependent on one another, it is important not to make too dramatic a man-made change since it might end up having unforeseen repercussions. However, this is not often the case as humans more or less practice Darwinism by picking the species that they feel have the most desirable traits, such as juicy oranges and seedless watermelons. Dr. Bottrell presented a case study of the effects that choosing a certain rice seed genotype had on its surrounding environment, and eventually the economy of an entire region. Rice is a seven thousand year old crop that is an integral part of the diet and economy of the Filipino people. The
Younger dryas glacial
Younger Dryas in the UK The Younger Dryas refers to the final phase of cold, glacial conditions preceding the abrupt climatic warming at the beginning of the Holocene. The existence of the Younger Dryas in Europe has been known for most of this century, although recent research suggests that the Younger Dryas cooling may have been global. Estimates of the timing of the event have also improved in recent years, showing that both the onset and termination of the Younger Dryas were abrupt, occurring within decades. The Younger Dryas has been linked with a large-scale shift of the North Atlantic thermohaline circulation (THC) to a near glacial mode with a consequent reduction in northward heat transport. This shift in the THC may have been triggered by a discharge of Laurentide ice, combined with meltwater inputs from several locations around the North Atlantic. Further study of the events leading up to the Younger Dryas is necessary for improving theoretical understanding of abrupt climatic change, and for evaluating GCM models which seek to simulate the response of the THC to freshwater forcing(Nicholas 2009). With predicted increases in freshwater input to the North Atlantic resulting from increases in atmospheric CO2, a future shift in the THC is a possibility. Predicting the magnitude and climatic consequences of such an event depends upon further study of the Younger
Should We Always Protect And Increase Biodiversity?
Should we always protect and increase biodiversity? Biodiversity, formed from the words "biological" and "diversity", refers to the diversity of life in a particular area, whether that is a backyard or a whole country or the entire earth. One example of a biodiversity measurement is bird watchers listing the species they see in an area on a given day. As Wilson put it, Biodiversity is: "The totality of hereditary variation in life forms, across all levels of organization, from genes to chromosomes within individual species to the array of species themselves and finally at the highest level, the living communities of ecosystems such as forests and lakes." Currently, animal and plant species are becoming extinct at an even faster rate than the dinosaurs' disappearance millions of years ago. We need biodiversity for food, medicine and future advances Over the last 25 years, 70% of new molecule drugs have come from natural sources. A wide diversity of plants and animals helps us develop new drugs, provides us with food and other desired products, such as fertilizer, silks, oils and adhesives. Some species of animals help us control invasive species like rats so we don't have to resort to poisons to lower pest levels, and many Wild animals and plants are sources of genes for hybridisation and genetic engineering. These diverse conditions could hold much in the way of future
Article Summary - Meachen, J. A. & Samuels, J. X. (2012), Evolution in Coyotes (Canis Latrans) in Response to the Megafaunal Extinctions.
Article Summary Meachen, J. A. & Samuels, J. X. (2012), Evolution in Coyotes (Canis Latrans) in Response to the Megafaunal Extinctions. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. Vol. 109, no. 11, 4191-4196. It can be theorized that the evolutionary changes that a species undergoes throughout the history of its existence, as well as the divergence of new species and subspecies, can be attributed to a range of different factors, both biotic and abiotic. Meachen and Samuel's research delves into the evolutionary changes in the size of the coyote (Canis Latrans) throughout the Pleistocene and Holocene eras, up to the extant coyote populations. Meachen and Samuel explore the biotic factors that may have contributed to the evolutionary changes during this time, and they present evidence that shows why it was probably not the abiotic factors, such as climate change, that spurred these evolutionary changes. Meachen and Samuels also studied the evolutionary changes of the grey wolf (Canis Lupus) and compared these changes with those of the coyote. In their research, Meachen and Samuels looked at the lengths and circumferences of several different bones in both species of canids. They collected bones and fossils deriving from different locations and times, from the Pleistocene era, the Holocene era, and the present. The Pleistocene and Holocene
The estimation of population size and the analysis of spatial distribution in a population of immobile organisms
The estimation of population size and the analysis of spatial distribution in a population of immobile organisms Introduction Population ecology is the study of the dynamics of organisms and there interaction within the community. It is important for us to study the interactions of different species within the habitat in order to understand each species niche and in order to ensure sustainability and maintain the habitat. Previous studies have shown how human interaction and the introduction of infrastructure affects habitats such as the study by Turra,A and Denadi,M.R in Brazil, where they noticed that due to intense urbanization, new habitat and new organisms were found to colonize the newly formed rocky areas. Biodiversity is essential for human survival and economic well being and for the ecosystem function and stability (Singh, 2002). Over exploitation and incorrect habitat management can lead to severe consequences such as the loss of biodiversity. With this citied, it is important to be able to take precautions with careful planning and the introduction of sustainable management. A study into an ecosystem or part of an ecosystem can help us understand how to efficiently maintain and survive as one with the environment without causing destruction. Estimation of population size through the use of quadrats, line quadrats, transect sampling through the use of belt
Overpopulation Crisis
Overpopulation Crisis The Fraser Institute claims that "For decades, environmentalists have predicted that the planet is doomed to run out of food, energy and space as a result of an overpopulation crisis... [however], lack of space is an imagined crisis." They present facts that the world's food population is increasing faster than the population. While this fact is true, they are trying to convince the reader that there is no overpopulation crisis. Rather, they state that the world's population could move into the state of Texas, and the population density per square mile would be 20, 705, roughly the same as the current population of Paris or Toronto. This is just a novel fact that clouds the reader's mind to further sway them from the truth. The Fraser Institute is an independent non-profit research and educational organization that measures and studies the impact of competitive markets and government interventions on individuals and society (http://www.fraserinstitute.org/). Critics of the Institute and other similar agenda-driven think tanks have claimed the Fraser Institute's reports, studies and surveys are usually not subject to standard academic peer review or the scholarly method (CBC, 2004). The Fraser Institute has a history of attracting high profile people such as the former Ontario Premier Mike Harris and Reform party founder Preston Manning (CBC, 2004).
What is Biodiversity?
Biodiversity Simone M Brady SCI210 Dr. Hoffman August 31, 2005 INTRODUCTION Biodiversity will inevitably take a beating. Humans care about nothing but themselves even though every action a human makes effects another organism in some way, shape or form, whether the effect is positive or negative. The world is past due for a change in attitude and activity on this planet in order to ensure more positive effects are practiced because biodiversity sustains all life on earth. This paper will discuss biodiversity and the effects human have on it. WHAT IS BIODIVERSITY? Biodiversity is the variety of life here on Earth. Variety includes the many different micro-organisms, plants, animals, genes and ecosystems living beneath the biosphere, (Department of the Environment and Heritage, 2005), and can be subdivided into three parts; genetic diversity, species diversity and ecosystem diversity (National Biological Information Infrastructure, n.d.), with its main focus being the species (Wright, 2005). Biodiversity, originally known as biological diversity has taken on a few descriptions, with the main issues being conservation value. To some, conservation may apply to all species, to others conservation may apply to a specific species and is called biospecifics. Yet to some, biodiversity concerns the maintenance of ecosystem processes and is called bio-processes (Stanford
Placentals are better adapted to terrestrial life than marsupials and monotremes because they show a greater diversity of locomotory types. Discuss.
Placentals are better adapted to terrestrial life than marsupials and monotremes because they show a greater diversity of locomotory types.