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.
Restoration Ecology
TABLE OF CONTENTS . INTRODUCTION ........................................................................... 2 2. WHAT IS RESTORATION ECOLOGY ................................................ 3 2.1 Overview .................................................................................... 3 2.2 Restoration ecology definition ............................................................. 4 2.3 Present state .................................................................................. 5 2.4 The need to create a conceptual framework .............................................7 3. RESTORATION ECOLOGY AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ........... 8 3.1 How can restoration ecology effectively contribute towards sustainable development? .................................................................. 8 3.2 Projections ................................................................................... 10 4. CASE STUDY: Converting a dairy farm back to a rainforest water catchment .......................... 12 5. RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................... 15 6. CONCLUSIONS ............................................................................. 17 7. LIST OF REFERENCES ................................................................... 18 . INTRODUCTION The problem of ecosystem damage is global nowadays, and probably
Entomology is the scientific study of insect.
INTRODUCTION Entomology is the scientific study of insect. Insect are groups of animals which have no back bone (invertebrate). They have three distinct regional divisions (head, thorax and abdomen) in their body make them different from other invertebrate. They have six legs, compound eyes and a hard outer casing made of chitin. Most insects have wings in some form, occasionally vestigial in nature, but some of the more advanced insects, which have evolved social living, have casts which have no wings at all, e.g. workers. Whilst Forensic entomology is a science field which involves the study of insects and other arthropods to gather information about crime scene and support legal investigations. Forensic entomology is mainly concern with the interpretation of insect evidence found in association with decomposing corpses found under suspicious circumstances. (Byrd, 2007) forensic entomology can be divided into three components; medico-legal entomology (this section focus on the criminal aspect of the legal system and similarly deals with the necrophagous (feed on dead tissue) insects that infest corpses) the Urban entomology (deals legal proceeding, which involves insect and other animals that affect human and their immediate environment) and stored product entomology (focus on insect infesting stored commodities, like foodstuffs). (Langford et al, 2005) Forensic
Does biodiversity increase inland at Crymlyn Burrows?
AS Geography Coursework Adam Mulley Does biodiversity increase inland at Crymlyn Burrows? This investigation is intended to determine whether or not the hypothesis that biodiversity increases inland at the sand dunes in Crymlyn Burrows. Biological diversity is the variety and variability among living organisms and the ecological complexes in which they occur Diversity can be defined as the number of different items and their relative frequency. For biological diversity, these items are organized at many levels, ranging from complete ecosystems to the chemical structures that are the molecular basis of heredity. Thus, the term encompasses different ecosystems, species, genes, and their relative abundance. Sand dunes are formed naturally over a period of time so long as there is a good supply of sand and powerful onshore prevailing winds to blow dried sand from a large tidal range. The sand dunes develop during a process of psammoseral succession whereby the whole ecosystem eventually develops into a Climax Community. It must be taken into account whilst doing the hypothesis that there is a possibility that biodiversity would be different if it had not been for external interference. Nevertheless the primary information needed for the basis of this investigation was the type and individual quantity of plants distributed over a selected area. We sampled herbs and grasses of
Examine the reasons for the existence and localities of biodiversity hotspots.
Supervision 2: Examine the reasons for the existence and localities of biodiversity hotspots "I have never experienced such intense delight... such a plenitude of forms, colours, behaviours-such a magnitude of Life! What explains the riot?" - Darwin (1851) "The current massive degradation of habitat and extinction of species is taking place on a catastrophically short timescale, and their effects will fundamentally reset the future evolution of the planet's biota." - Novacek & Cleland (2001) Biodiversity may be regarded as 'the number, variety and variability of living organisms' (MacDonald, 2003: 406). Whilst global variation in biological diversity has long been a source of fascination, it has recently been the basis for increasing concern (Tilman, 2000). Awareness of the extent and rate of the current biodiversity crisis (or the 'sixth extinction', as termed by Leakey & Lewin, 1996) has led to a significant re-assessment of the role of biodiversity in ecosystem functioning and the scope for policy intervention to enable its preservation, exemplified by the international ratification of the Convention on Biodiversity in 1992. The identification and analysis of spatial patterns of biodiversity has been central to conservation goals of maximum preservation at the least cost (Reddy & Davalos, 2003). The hotspots approach is one of many methods for delimiting areas of
Discuss the major factors contributing to current reductions in global biodiversity.
Olivia Finch Discuss the major factors contributing to current reductions in global biodiversity. Biodiversity is the blanket term for the natural biological wealth that undergirds human life and well-being. Global biodiversity therefore covers a huge range of factors that occur on a vast spatial and temporal scale, making any assessment of biodiversity loss a complicated matter. The term biodiversity represents a complex interplay of species, genes and ecosystems, all three of which are necessary for the continued survival of species and natural communities (Primack, 2000). Any loss of biodiversity is therefore most usually manifested in species extinction and thus knowledge of extinction patterns is essential for determining rates of biodiversity loss. In 1993 the US Nature Conservancy stated that 'today, species are becoming extinct at a rate faster than at any time in the Earth's history - one species per day'. Such unprecedented and irreversible loss of species has had the effect of reducing global biodiversity. Throughout human history, species richness and global biodiversity has decreased as human populations have grown, and for this reason current reductions in global biodiversity are blamed almost exclusively on human actions. It is necessary, therefore, first to identify which human activities have affected the stability of biological populations and driven
Discussion of the adaptations of plants in a salt marsh community.
Discussion of the adaptations of plants in a salt marsh community Salt marshes are intertidal ecosystems, surrounded by land and open to the sea by way of an estuary (Pomeroy & Wiegert 1981). As a result salt marshes are constrained, by silt and saline water, to the type of communities it can sustain (Ranwell 1972). However because of the tidal nature of these ecosystems and the presence of many migratory birds we find some of the the most widley distributed plant species in the world (Ranwell 1972). The habitat is typically high in phosphates but low in nitrogen. Sulphur washed in from the sea collects in the soil and during dry periods lowers the soil pH (Chapman & Reiss 2000). Essentially the main problem for salt marsh plants is that salt marsh ecosystems are perminantly waterlogged by seawater. Land plants obtain oxygen for their roots by diffusion of oxygen found in air spaces in the soil. When soil is waterlogged, water displaces oxygen from the air spaces and reduces oxygen transport to as much as 1/300000 of its original value (www.biome.ac.uk). Most land plants are used to water that has an osmotis potential close to zero, however salt marsh plant communities have to exist in water conditions of much lower osmotic potential, approximately -2 Mpa. Most land plants subjected to such low osmotic potentials would loose water to its environment and die
Using field and class laboratory data, compare and contrast the base metal nutrient cycles for two contrasting soil ecosystems
Using field and class laboratory data, compare and contrast the base metal nutrient cycles for two contrasting soil ecosystems. Introduction (context of study, background info) 'West Walk' is located in Hampshire, England and is the largest remaining fragment of the 'Forest of Bere' at 350 hectares. Consisting of a wide range of different plant and tree species, it is rich in biodiversity (Fig. 1) which in turn has a direct affect on the types of soils and nutrients in the area and the locations the differences can be found in. Figure 1. 'Biodiversity in West Walk' Soils are complex materials, reflecting the variability of the parent rock material and organic residues from which they form (McBride, 1994, p. 31). Soil is formed due to a combination of the weathering of inorganic material (the material in which McBride, 1994, labelled as the parent rock material or which could also be known as rock or sediment) and the decomposition of organic material (vegetation litter resulting in humus and decay products), a process known as 'Soil Genesis'. 'Soil Organic Matter' consists of all living and dead organisms contained within the soil including for example, remains of plants and animals. Carbon, however, is the main constitute of organic matter accounting for approximately 58% of the total weight and so when measuring the amount of organic material in a soil, carbon is the
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
The extinction of dinosaurs must have been related to a major event. Something enormous had to have happened in order to completely devastate these really massive animals.
Dinosaurs' Extinction: An Incredible Mystery by Shahznane Molou Introduction to Geoscience Dr. Peter Bolton 26 March 2009 Index Content......................................................................................................................................3 Bibliography...............................................................................................................................8 What were the dinosaurs? The first dinosaurs appeared 230 million years ago during the Mesozoic era which is also called "The Age of the Dinosaurs". They survived ice age until a big natural phenomenon hit the earth and extinct them (Buckley, 1997). There were basically two types of dinosaurs living in the earth. They were the Saurischia which were the dinosaurs of similar hips to reptiles of today; and the Ornithischia which were of bird hips. Scientists distinguished the reptilian hips due to the steepness of the hips themselves compared to the other bird-hipped dinosaurs (Power point on Dinosaurs from Dr. Bolton). A huge argument scientists have been through is whether dinosaurs were warm-blooded or cold blooded. The evidences that prove the first argument are the bone structures dinosaurs had which are very similar to us human beings. Their long legs show that dinosaurs were fast runners so there are chances they were warm blooded. However, other scientists