...“Lemurs in Madagascar – Surviving on an Island of Change” video. Using the information found in this video, and in Ch. 5 and 6 of Visualizing Environmental Science, answer the following questions in 25 to 100 words each. 1. What are Madagascar’s biomes? Discuss the major features of at least one of these biomes. Use the textbook for biome examples. Madagascar’s biome is a tropical rainforest. One feature of the tropical rainforest biome is its temperature, which is pretty much warm all year with some rain or precipitation daily helping keeping everything green. The Madagascar biome has three layers. The first layer would be the tops of the trees that cover the rainforest. The second layer would be its canopy which has small pockets that let in sunlight. The final and third layer is the ground floor that has the least amount of vegetation due to the lack of light. 2. What changes happening in Madagascar are posing challenges for lemurs? Give details about the sources, time scale, and types of change. The changes happening in Madagascar that are posing challenges for lemurs are mostly due to human destruction like logging rather than evolutionary changes. Some lemurs such as the bamboo lemur eats leaves from the trees, as these trees are cut down and the tropical rainforests are destroyed, these species of lemurs will lose their source of food. 3. Which types of lemurs are adapting to the changes? Which types of lemurs are not adapting well...
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...| Midterm Review Project | Chapter 4-14 | | | 1/16/2014 | AP ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE CHAPTER 4 EARTH SYSTEMS AND RESOURCES I. The Nature of Ecology a. Ecology is the study of connections in nature i. Ecology is the study of how organisms interact with one another and with their non-living environment ii. An organism is any form of life. The cell is the basic unit of life in organisms. b. Population i. Members of a species interact in groups called populations. ii. Species of the same population live together in a particular place or habitat. c. Communities and Ecosystems i. A community consists of populations of different species living and interacting in an area ii. An ecosystem is a community interacting with its physical environment of matter and energy. II. The Earth’s life support systems a. The different spheres of life-parts of Earth that support life systems. i. The Earth is made up of interconnected spherical layers that contain air, water, soil, minerals, and life. i.i Atmosphere: thin envelope or membrane of air around the planet. Its inner layer is the troposphere; it extends only about 17 km above sea level. i.ii Stratosphere: subsequent layer; its lower portion contains ozone to filter out the sun’s harmful...
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...------------------------------------------------- Species in the environment, r and K selection K and r selection: * r - the intrinsic rate of increase * K - the carrying capacity for the organism in that environment * r and K selection was an early attempt to identify life-history distinctions * r-selected species do well at low population density, and are at an advantage in frequently disturbed habitats * K-selected species do well at high population density and are at an advantage in constant or predictable habitats * Heuristically very useful as it allows use to predict the types of species likely to occur under different disturbance regimes R selection: * r-selected species have a rapid rate of population increase. * This is typical of species that colonise short-lived environments or of populations that undergo large fluctuations * Eg. Weeds, aphids, bacteria K selection: * K - selected species have superior competitive ability in stable environments where rapid population growth is unimportant as the population is maintained near K Ways to categorize/class species: * By biome or community type * By life history strategy * By life reproductive strategy * By basic approach to the environment What governs the distribution of species? * Evolutionary factors populations separated on to geographically distinct regions have different evolutionary trajectories * Dispersal constraints species may not have reached all suitable...
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...1“Describe how climate affects your selected ecosystem?” The tropical rainforest is extremely important to the earth's climate. It affects temperatures worldwide, since as the name suggests, there is a lot of rainfall as a result of the forest's existence. The tropical rainforest aids in maintaining a somewhat stable weather habit and reduced global warming effects. This is why the clearing out of the rainforest has been extremely detrimental to the earth's climate the forest's rainfall helps reduce global warming, and without it, temperatures will continue to increase. The climate of the tropical rainforest itself is typically humid, warm, and the temperature rarely changes from daytime to nighttime. The extreme humidity causes the average rainfall each year to be around 200 cm. This type of warm temperature that ranges anywhere from 70 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal for lush growth and is very supportive of life and growth. The fact that the tropical rainforest supports great growth and life is an extremely important reason for humans to not destroy it. Species continue to become endangered and even extinct, so it is our responsibility to protect their habitat and growth as much as possible, not only for their sake, but for our own too. 2 “Explain, based on the first and second laws of thermodynamics, how energy flows through your selected ecosystem?” The Tropical Rain Forest, nowhere on earth, or ecosystem for that matter, has a richer and more blossoming...
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...area of residence: North America, New Jersey and Southampton Township for the city. D. The specific biome: The temperate deciduous forest or woodlands. II. The Body A. Background: a. Sciurus carolinensis normally have a narrow, elongated body. Their fur is of a mixture of dark brown, black, and gray covering from head to tail on the backside and all four paws, with a white chest and belly. b. They live in the treetops and travel through them. If they have to swim, it is with the tail flat and...
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...ecosystem. Select an ecosystem, such as a temperate forest, desert biome, or the Everglades. For the ecosystem, I chose The Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Determine the interdependency of life in your ecosystem by examining its organisms. Include the following: List the organisms that can be found in your ecosystem. 1. Dolphin 2. Green Sea Turtle 3. Tiger Shark 4. Trevallies 5. Cardinal Fish 6. Manta Ray 7. Remora 8. Giant Triton 9. Crown of Thorns Starfish 10. Hard Coral 11. Zooxanthelleae 12. Sea Slugs 13. Sea Sponges 14. Spanish Dancer 15. Sea Grasses 16. Barracuda 17. Parrot Fish 18. Algae 19. Scorpion Fish 20. Goby 21. Saddled Butterfly Fish 22. Sea Anemones 23. Clownfish 24. Long Nosed Butterfly Fish 25. Barred Rabbit Fish 26. Branching Coral 27. Jellyfish 28. Coneshells 29. Bluestriped Fangblenny 30. Lizzard Fish 31. Phytoplankton 32. Coralline algae 33. Filamentous Turfalgae 34. Many species of seaweed 35. Bacteria (PBS evolution, 2003) * What is the benefit of this biodiversity? The Great Barrier Reef is well known for its vast biodiversity. Biodiversity is the variety of organisms that can be found to fulfill and the vital niches in an ecosystem. Each of the thousands of organisms are in a delicate balance with one and other, in that populations changes of one could drastically impact the numbers of others. Benefits...
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...ENS-314 Global Environmental Change Living in the Environment: Concepts, Connections, and Solutions, 16th ed., by G. Tyler Miller, Jr., and Scott E. Spoolman (Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole CENGAGE Learning, 2009). FINAL PROJECT Climate Change Prepared by Student at Thomas Edison State College Assignment Distributed Prepared for Global Environmental Change (ENS-314) Thomas Edison State College Technical summary of climate change Overwhelming scientific study demonstrate the earth’s atmosphere is warming rapidly, mostly because of human activities, and that this will lead to significant climate change during this century (Miller, Spoolman 2010). Climate change throughout history has affected evolution and natural selection, moving continents and dispersing populations throughout the world with these movements. Until the industrialization of the human population a hundred and sixty years ago our atmosphere...
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... | Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved. Course Description This course applies a broad, conceptual understanding of biology. Students are introduced to scientific ideologies and concepts that not only shape our biological world, but also shape us as humans. Students examine the scientific method, evolution and biodiversity, the biology of cells, energy systems, the dynamics of inheritance, and the effect humans have on the environment. The text emphasizes methods and the theoretical foundations of ideas, while minimizing isolated facts. It stresses the integration of ideas, making connections that form our understanding of the living world. Policies Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the following two documents: • University policies: You must be logged into the student website to view this document. • Instructor policies: This document is posted in the Course Materials forum. University policies are subject to change. Be sure to read the policies at the beginning of each class. Policies may be slightly different depending on the modality in which you attend class. If you have recently changed modalities, read...
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...What is biodiversity? Why does it change? Why is it important to conserve it? INTRODUCTION Presently these days, lots of people live in urban areas. In this case they are separated from the environment. But another important reason why humans will always depend on the environment is because our lives depend on biodiversity. Meaning that we get clothing, medicines, food and furniture from other species. Just because that people rely on biodiversity they have to conserve biodiversity and can save it for future generations (www.scienceclarified.com). But before knowing all the damage this can cause to us, firstly we should know what biodiversity is. Why does it change? Why we have to conserve biodiversity? The aim of this essay is to answer these three questions, so in this paper I will try analyze most important things about biodiversity. MAIN ARGUMENTS The definition of biodiversity has many different connotations, description of species composition interactions between organisms and their environment (Orians, G. H. 1996, p.49). But the major definition of biodiversity is: the variety of life in all its manifestations (Lecture notes). This modern definition can sound like the variety of life on earth, variety of species, and the communities in which they occur. The major elements of diversity are: genetic, taxonomic, and ecological. The first one is Genetic (populations, individuals) – individuals of the same species. It means genetic variations between individuals...
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...Natural environment From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia For other uses, see Environment. See also: Nature and Environment (biophysical) Land management policies have been developed to preserve the natural characteristics of Hopetoun Falls, Australia while allowing ample access for visitors Bachalpsee in the Swiss Alps; generally mountainous areas are less affected by human activity. A satellite image of the Sahara desert; the world's largest hot desert and third-largest desert after Antarctica and the Arctic The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species.[1] The concept of the natural environment can be distinguished by components: * Complete ecological units that function as natural systems without massive civilized human intervention, including all vegetation, microorganisms, soil, rocks, atmosphere, and natural phenomena that occur within their boundaries * Universal natural resources and physical phenomena that lack clear-cut boundaries, such as air, water, and climate, as well as energy, radiation, electric charge, and magnetism, not originating from civilized human activity The natural environment is contrasted with the built environment, which comprises the areas and components that are strongly influenced by humans belonging to a civilized (i.e. hierarchically structured, agricultural, densely populated...
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...A wave is vibration that travels and all waves are created by something vibrating. Waves transport energy but do not transport mass. 2. Describe the following terms associated with waves: a. amplitude height of wave b. wavelength length of a wave c. frequency number of waves per second (Hz) d. period how long a wave lasts when it arrives at a fixed point (measured in seconds) 3. What are radio waves? An electromagnetic wave of a frequency used for long distant communication. 4. Explain the difference between a transverse wave and a longitudinal wave, and give examples of each. In a longitudinal wave, the vibration travels in the same direction that wave travels. Examples of longitudinal waves include: Sound, p-waves (earthquakes) In a transverse wave, the vibration direction is perpendicular to direction that wave travels. Examples include: Light/electromagnetic, (radio, microwave, xray, etc.), water waves, swaves (earthquakes). The major difference between longitudinal and transverse waves is their direction. Longitudinal waves move left to right while transverse waves move up and down. 5. Compare and contrast: light waves vs. sound waves Light waves are transverse and sound waves are longitudinal. Light waves can travel through a vacuum but sound waves cannot. Speed of light is nearly 300 million m/s while sound has a speed of about 340 m/s. 6. What changes the pitch of sound? The frequency of vibration. Faster vibration would c...
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...different species, these environment could fail horribly. Every living organism has a purpose in order to keep the balance of biodiversity. In order for there to be “biological diversity, these items are organized at many levels, ranging from complete ecosystems to the chemical structures that are the molecular basis of heredity” (1987). Not always in a friendly environmental manner, Human actions has played a big key role in the changing of the environment. A nonproductive planet would be result, if we did not have an abundance of species and ecosystems. All living organisms rely on one another to survive and thrive. Biodiversity is the total of species living together in an area, a community, or the entire planet. Genetic diversity, habitat diversity, and species diversity are three different concepts can be defined as Biodiversity. The same species in different populations found with patterns of variations and a bundle of different genes located in one species is known as genetic diversity. Within a specified area, the number of different habitats is habitat diversity. When checking for species diversity there are three qualities that you should look for species dominance, species evenness, and species richness. The most abundant species measured is species dominance. The entire number of a particular species is measured by species evenness. An overall number of species is measured by species richness. All species need nutrients and it takes a diversity of species, in a...
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...Question 1 Most insects use external sources of heat to achieve their operative temperature range. Heinrich's research on the sphinx moth (Manduca sexta) indicates that some insects can thermoregulate by using their flight muscles and: A. using their blood as a coolant. B. decreasing their metabolic rate. C. possessing an internal respiratory system. D. using a countercurrent heat exchange mechanism. Question 2 The thermal stability of aquatic environments is a result of the: A. high specific heat of water. B. low latent heat of vaporization of water. C. low latent heat of fusion of water. D. All of the choices are correct. Question 3 Animals that rely mainly on external sources of energy for regulating body temperature are called: A. epitherms. B. endotherms. C. ectotherms. D. peritherms. Question 4 In general, reptiles are considered to be a/an: A. poikilotherm. B. homeotherm. C. endotherm. D. heterotherm. Question 5 Mammalian and avian aquatic endotherms use all of the following mechanisms to thermoregulate EXCEPT: A. fat. B. internal respiratory systems. C. fur or feathers. D. concurrent heat exchange. Question 6 The water availability for organisms is determined by: A. internal dissolved ion concentrations. B. external dissolved ion concentrations. C. movement of water down its concentration gradient. D. movement of water...
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...categorized by the amount of rain that falls throughout the year. Rainforest are some of this planet’s most complex ecosystems. “They once covered 14% of the earth's land surface and now they cover a mere 6%” (RainTree, 2010). Nonetheless, more than half of plant and animal species make it their home. It is home to some magnificent creatures and even some unidentified species. The largest part of the plants and animals that exist in the rainforest are endemic, which means they do not live anywhere else in the world. For this paper, Team C will discover the different aspect of the rainforest; also, how it functions within itself. Rainforest Climate The rainforest climate is humid, and has rain most of the time. Michael, (2001),"The sun warms the land and sea and the water evaporates into the air. The warm air can hold a lot of water vapor. As the air rises, it cools. That means it can hold less water vapor” (para. 1). When the warm meets, the cold vapor happens, clouds produced, and clouds make rain. Adapting to the climate the plants make up the underlining of the rainforest. Moreover, the rainforest is hot because of where it is to the equator. In addition, its plant life will die out if the temperature changes. First and Second Laws of Thermodynamics flows The first law of thermodynamic state that energy cannot be destroys, it can only move from one form to the next, and it can be transfer. A number of essential cycles take place in the rainforest ecosystems, which...
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...quality, atmospheric chemistry, and many other local and global environmental conditions that ultimately affect human welfare. These ecosystem processes are controlled by both the diversity and identity of the plant, animal, and microbial species living within a community. Human modifications to the living community in an ecosystem as well as to the collective biodiversity of the earth can therefore alter ecological functions and life support services that are vital to the well-being of human societies. Substantial changes have already occurred, especially local and global losses of biodiversity. The primary cause has been widespread human transformation of once highly diverse natural ecosystems into relatively species-poor managed ecosystems. Recent studies suggest that such reductions in biodiversity can alter both the magnitude and the stability of ecosystem processes, especially when biodiversity is reduced to the low levels typical of many managed systems. Our review of the available evidence has identified the following certainties concerning biodiversity and ecosystem functioning: • • • • Human impacts on global biodiversity have been dramatic, resulting in unprecedented losses in global biodiversity at all levels, from genes and species to entire...
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