...climate change? The IPCC Status Report on Climate Change Summary for Policymakers is an assessment of the current scientific understanding of the impacts of climate change on natural, managed and human systems; the vulnerability of these systems and their capacity to adapt. The purpose of this report is to set out the findings of the Fourth Assessment of Working Group II of the Intergovernmental panel on climate change that they find to be relevant to those making decisions relating to government policy. The data used to compile the report are largely based on data sets that cover a period from 1970. According to the report, climate change is occurring. Observational evidence, including satellite imaging, from all continents and most oceans shows that many natural systems are being affected by regional climate changes, particularly temperature increases. Examples of natural systems affected include, but are not limited to: enlargement and increased numbers of glacial lakes, increasing ground instability in permafrost regions, warming of lakes and rivers in many regions, earlier timing of spring events, such as leaf-unfolding, bird migration and egg-laying, earlier ‘greening’ of vegetation in the spring linked to longer growing seasons due to recent warming, shifts in ranges and changes in...
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...anatomy, physiology, neurology, morphology, and behavior all of these aspects of living organisms have evolved through time. The study of the evolutionary processes that produced these traits provides the comprehensive framework for understanding them. Theory Of Evolution Evolution Theory: - Evolution is technically defined as: "a gradual process in which something changes into a different and usually more complex or better form." As it is most famously used, "evolution" is the process by which an organism becomes more sophisticated over time and in response to its environment. The Theory of Evolution is currently the most popular concept of how life reached its current state. Evolution as a biological mechanism is driven by natural selection. This theory is favored by many scientists to explain phenomena in nature, so much so that it is generally assumed as factual in most studies. While much evidence proves biological evolution to be a fact, we have different theories to describe how evolution occurs. Many people assume that the theory put forth by Darwin in Origin of Species is the final say on evolutionary theory....
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...True/False: 1. The ecological niche of an organism includes its habitat. T/F 2. Every organism within a species has the same ability to acclimate, since this trait is genetically determined. T/F 3. The proximate cause of an observation is its true root explanation. T/F 4. A species’ realized niche is usually larger than its fundamental niche. T/F 5. It’s believed that true learning intelligence (as opposed to mere instinct) is most likely to develop in response to highly consistent and predictable situations that are encountered frequently. 6. The ecological envelope of a species is the catalog of conditions it is known to live under. T/F 7. One reason Atolla jellies do bioluminescence is to scare away giant squid. T/F 8. The tolerance limits of the young of a species are often more narrow than the tolerance limits of the adults of the species. T/F 9. The process of speciation is always caused by selective pressures. T/F 10. When estimating the mean value for some characteristic of a population, one way to increase the accuracy of the estimate is to increase the number of individuals sampled from the population. T/F 11. A parameter is measured for a sample in order to estimate the corresponding statistic for the population. T/F 12. Mutations increase genetic diversity, while natural selection decrease genetic diversity. T/F 13. One drawback to being a highly social or communal species is that resources must be shared and may...
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...Marine conservation From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Coral reefs have a great amount of biodiversity. Marine conservation, also known as marine resources conservation, is the protection and preservation of ecosystems in oceans and seas. Marine conservation focuses on limiting human-caused damage to marine ecosystems, and on restoring damaged marine ecosystems. Marine conservation also focuses on preserving vulnerable marine species. Contents 1 Overview 2 Coral reefs 3 Human impact 4 Techniques 5 Technology and halfway technology 6 Laws and treaties 7 Organizations and education 8 References 8.1 Notes 8.2 Bibliography 9 External links Overview Marine conservation is the study of conserving physical and biological marine resources and ecosystem functions. This is a relatively new discipline. Marine conservationists rely on a combination of scientific principles derived from marine biology, oceanography, and fisheries science, as well as on human factors such as demand for marine resources and marine law, economics and policy in order to determine how to best protect and conserve marine species and ecosystems. Marine conservation can be seen as subdiscipline of conservation biology. Coral reefs Coral reefs are the epicenter for immense amounts of biodiversity, and are a key player in the survival of an entire ecosystem. They provide various marine animals with food, protection, and shelter which...
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...Really, it seems fair to anticipate that, as carbon dioxide increases, environment composition itself will change (e.g., cheatgrass and fires). A number of studies have, in fact, established that both rice and wheat can show a positive response to increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (Mandersheid and Weigel 1997; Horie, et al. 2000). Since 1960, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased from 315 to 378 ppm, a growth of approximately 20%....
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...Food is a basic human necessity yet millions of people around the world go hungry every day. Food insecurity is a problem which afflicts many countries throughout the world. Achieving food security is highly critical to poverty alleviation. Health, education, ability to work productively (economic decline) and overall quality of life are affected by food insecurity. Climate change further exacerbates the threat of food insecurity. Food security situation in which all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. This depends on the availability, access and biological utilization of food. (World Food Summit 1996) Climate change refers to any significant change in the weather or distribution of weather events over an extended period. This includes major changes in temperature, rainfall, wind patterns, precipitation. The impacts of climate change food security may be felt primarily through changes in crop yields, water availability, pests and diseases and animal health (terrestrial and aquatic) The threat that climate changes pose to agricultural sector is alarming. The increased frequency and extent of floods, droughts and land erosion has rendered the agriculture sector more vulnerable and reduced the productivity of land and the potential for plant production. Although increases in temperature and carbon dioxide can be very beneficial to (some)...
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...are produced by fishery or farming for human consumption, the majority of it being shrimp and prawns. Krill and copepods are not as widely fished, but may be the animals with the greatest biomass on the planet, and form a vital part of the food chain. The scientific study of crustaceans is known as carcinology (alternatively, malacostracology, crustaceology or crustalogy), and a scientist who works in carcinology is a carcinologist. From the smallest krill to the largest horseshoe crab, Crustaceans are an integral part to the ecological environment where they live. The subclass copepoda are the most noteworthy of all crustaceans when it comes to ecological importance. There are literally billions upon billions of these exist in all the oceans of the world. They are the basis of marine life as we know...
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...temperature is just right, enzyme activity is maximized. It is the optimum temperature, where an enzyme or things work at its best. Can be applied to enzymes, performance, population growth rates. How does temperature relate to species richness? As temperature increases the species richness (the number of species in a given area) increases So, what’s the big deal? many biological processes exhibit the same basic hump-shaped relationship with temperature, in which temperatures that are too low or too high impair or sometimes even terminate critical biological processes.1This is why climate change is the focus of so much scientific research. Part 1: Detecting climate change What is the difference between weather and climate? How is this difference relevant to a discussion of climate change? Weather describes the short-term (minutes to months) behavior of the atmosphere whereas climate describes its behavior over the long-term (typically 30 years or more). Climate describes a region's average weather conditions over a long time period, and how much those conditions vary. What is “noise” in biological terms? And...
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...hundred million and beyond. Fishes belong to the kingdom Animalia; they phylum is Chordata. Fishes are locating in lakes, streams, estuaries, and oceans all over the world. About two hundred and twenty-five different species live in oceans and lakes. Some environmenttal factor has influence in fishes. Example competition and biological interaction. Fishes in fresh water demonstrate to like lakes or streams, they could be deep to cold or shallow to warm waters. Stream fishes may want a quiet zone. Fishes are beautiful creatures, but humans we have a big impact in their ecosystem. Rising the sea temperature surface, ocean acidification as well sea level can affect around one thousand and six-hundred fishes. Another thing that in the united states, in 1970, was import a species of carp to clean catfish pound. This carp’s scape the north side of the country. The carps lead to habit destruction. Import carps was a not wise decision after all. It makes expensive containment trails. This action brings a change in biodiversity. And can affect another fishes. This animal has an intersecting difference from high vertebrates. The cerebrum. The cortex of the cerebrum of the fishes is primitive. Instead fishes have an advance basal ganglia or corpora striata. In vertebrates and humans exist the basal ganglia that is in charge of primary response, motor control, motor learning, execute function, behavior, and emotion. Fishes way of breather is made by oxygen from water pas through blood...
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...Introduction The aim of this paper is to discuss the role of the law and science in moving us towards a more sustainable future. This will be done with the aid of selected global environmental treaties. In order to achieve this aim, the paper is going to begin with an introduction which is going to define key concepts identified. The main body will embark on the discussion at hand. The main body will begin by outlining the role of the law generally and will move on to look at the role of science generally. Thereon selected global treaties will be discussed in relation to their respective roles both at law and science. Lastly but not the least an elaborate conclusion will be given. Definition of Key Terms Environment: Environment refers to the totality of the surroundings within which humans live and exploit resources for their welfare and development. Main Body In order to effectively challenge problems that pose a threat to the earth, there is need for an effective approach which is backed by robust scientific evidence. This would ultimately usher into place a new and more powerful environmental law. In order to appreciate the relationship between the law and science, there is need for understanding of their respective roles towards the achievement of a more sustainable future. The Role of the Law The law has a fundamental role to play in the movement of protecting the environment towards a more sustainable future. In most jurisdictions in the absence of constitutional...
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...Property 380 Issues and Trends Report on the Affect of Climate Change and Peak Oil on the Auckland Property Market September 19th 2011 Contents Part One: Background on Main Issues 1.1 An explanation of Climate Change and Peak Oil (presenting both sides including the ongoing Climate Change debate and Peak Oil debate). 1.2 An identification of some key consequences the world faces if these threats are left unmitigated (including economic, ecological and social consequences). 1.3 An explanation of how the two purported challenges are intertwined (beyond the fact that burning fossil fuels emits greenhouse gases). 1.4 A presentation of current present evidence (or ‘purported evidence’) of the early stages of these consequences which are currently unfolding. Part Two: S.W.O.T. Analysis on the post-peak Auckland property market An analysis of the associated Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats from the perspective of a property investor making direct investments, using a retail property product type. 2.1 Strengths 2.2 Weaknesses 2.3 Opportunities 2.4 Threats Section 1.1: Climate Change and Peak Oil Climate Change Human activities such as driving cars, burning coal and deforestation produce greenhouse gases (mainly carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide). These gases gather in the atmosphere, wrap around the earth and consequently trap the...
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...Threat of Overpopulation The United Nations projects that the world population will grow from its current level of 7 billion to 9.3 billion by 2050 and over 10.1 billion by 2100. Tomorrow’s population will be more industrialized, consume more resources, and produce even more waste than did previous generations unless actions are taken to control population growth. Bursting with People: Measuring the Impact Carrying capacity of the earth- the largest population that can be supported indefinitely given the resources available in the environment Simply, we are running out of the natural resources necessary to sustain us, and the problem is growing at an unprecedented rate. Impact on other species. Rain forests are being depleted, oceans are being polluted, and over half of the world wetlands have been lost in the last century. 12% of birds are threatened with extinction. More...
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...Status and Trends of Caribbean Coral Reefs: 1970-2012 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Jeremy Jackson “Perhaps the most striking aspect of plant life on a coral reef is the general lack of it. It seems anomalous to even the casual observer that tropical reefs, notable for their dazzling profusion of animal life, are almost devoid of conspicuous plants.†Sylvia Earle, 1972 INTRODUCTION Sylvia Earle’s early observations upon Caribbean reefs describe a forgotten world. Caribbean coral reefs have suffered massive losses of corals since the early 1980s due to a wide range of human impacts including explosive human population growth, overfishing, coastal pollution, global warming, and invasive species. The consequences include widespread collapse of coral populations, increases in large seaweeds (macroalgae), outbreaks of coral bleaching and disease, and failure of corals to recover from natural disturbances such as hurricanes. Alarm bells were set off by the 2003 publication in the journal Science that live coral cover had been reduced from more than 50% in the 1970s to just 10% today. This dramatic decline was closely followed by widespread and severe coral bleaching in 2005, which was in turn followed by high coral mortality due to disease at many reef locations. Healthy corals are increasingly rare on the intensively studied reefs of the Florida reef tract, US Virgin Islands, and Jamaica. Moreover, two of the formerly most abundant species, the elkhorn coral Acropora palmata and staghorn...
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...1 ESSAYS ON SUSTAINABILITY Thirteen Challenging Essays for Earthlings By Peter E. Black, 2008 Wheels and Water .......................................................page 1 Water and Humans on Planet Earth ................................... 2 Climate, Weather, and Global Warming ............................. 3 A Catastrophic Loss of Species ......................................... 4 The Naked Truth................................................................... 5 Asymmetrical Resource Distribution ................................. 6 Stormwater and Groundwater Runoff ................................ 7 Economy, Energy, Environment ......................................... 8 Drill in the ANWR? No Way! ............................................... 9 The Wonder of Water ......................................................... 10 Buffering Sands of Time.................................................... 11 Ecology and Civilization .................................................... 12 With a Bang, not a Whimper.............................................. 13 © 2008 Peter E. Black, PhD (US Copyright Registration TXu 1-580-484, July 13, 2008 as “Conservation is the Cornerstone of Sustainability”) Distinguished Teaching Professor of Water and Related Land Resources, Emeritus, State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, 1 Forestry Drive, Syracuse, NY 13210 peblack@esf.edu and www.watershedhydrology.com Essays on Sustainability Thirteen Challenging...
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...Introduction International politics has been shifted enormously into a new episode in the mid 20th century in the history of International Relation. Before 1950s world politics was confined within frequent wars including two world wars. But after 1950s world politics, including cold war was filled up by many variants to ensure each states security as arms race, nuclearization as well as security against global climate change. Like all other things, global climate change also got a strong basis of global agenda in international relations specificly in 1972. Since then international relations and global climate change have become very intimate to one another to be discussed. By 1972 and having a remarkable benchmark in 1992, global environment as well as global climate change is being practiced almost with every aspect of international relations which include state, non-state actors, domestic international relationship, various political approach, several global accord, security and world trade as well. In this paper, we will try to find out the intensity of the intimacy between international relations and global climate change through several different approaches. In the beginning of the paper we will survey on the theories of international relations through which both international relations and global climate change can be explained then the discussion will be shifted to the role of state and non state actors on climate change, which will be pursued to the effect of climate...
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