...and South-East Asia. Each region is facing varying degrees of serious deforestation. The result being widespread loss of humid tropical forest “Between 1990 and 1997, 5.8 ± 1.4 million hectares of humid tropical forest were lost each year, with a further 2.3 ± 0.7 million hectares of forest visibly degraded.” (Achard et al. 2002) The heart of the problem lies beneath a tangled mess of socio-economic growth resulting in massive deforestation chiefly for the land. Commercial farmers using the land for cattle, soybeans, palm oil and monoculture tree farms take advantage of loose government regulations. The most common tactic for land for forest removal is “slash and burn” where existing vegetation is cut down and burned for fertilizer. This technique has major impacts on multiple cycles key to forest health. Most notably the hydrological cycle, the nitrogen cycle and the carbon cycle. If this trend continues there will be major changes in precipitation and air quality, both locally and globally. This combined with already worsening global climate problems may spell catastrophe. Due to differing levels of importance placed on this issue by the various countries involved solutions would have to be fine-tuned at the local level. Every solution needs stricter governmental regulation and policies enforcing sustainability, this coupled with standard forest management will curb significant...
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...Shannon Esperson ENGL 1302 Dr. Christie Position Paper Final Just last month I was in Las Vegas Nevada dancing the nights away in some of the hottest night clubs around when someone in my party got a headache from all the secondhand smoke she was being exposed to. At that point in time we left the night club and shortly after her headache disappeared; it was as easy as that. This experience got me thinking about those who don’t have the ability to control their secondhand smoke exposure and what, if anything, is being done to protect them. As easy as it was for myself to leave this smoky environment, a child in a smoke filled car, for example, would be trapped with no hope or realistic ability to escape the situation. Smoke free citizens have pressed legislators for years to make their work and public environments smoke free. Smoking cigarettes is now illegal in government buildings, and many bars and restaurants nationwide and yet only six states have laws making it illegal to smoke in a car with a minor present. Shouldn’t minors be afforded the same liberties we adults demand for ourselves? I have struggled in my opinion on smoke free legislation for some time now. As a libertarian who appreciates the least government involvement possible, I support the freedom we have to smoke in bars and casinos in Las Vegas. These are adult only environments and as adults we have the choice to engage in the lawful behaviors we see fit. However, as a pediatric nurse who witnesses...
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...growth, rain, temperature fluctuations, predictions, parasitism, death and so on occurring in a relatively large geographic are tied together by some dominating physical feature. Thus one could envision ,and for example ”,the prairie ecosystem,”which would encompass a large, more or less self-sustaining, relatively flat and dry region in which perennial grasses were the dominant vegetation,characteristic native vertebrate animals were predominantly herbivores such as bis on and rodents, and the major shaping physical forces were fire,wind and extreme temperature fluctuations. If you're bored by prairie ecosystem,then of course you could envision a coral reef ecosystem,a desert ecosystem,or the most complicated ecosystem of all,the tropical forest ecosystem. In the absence of humane disturbance, ecosystem tend to remain stable for relatively long periods thousand of years. During most of Earths history, destruction resulted from global events,typically of geological origin,such as the drifting of continents and the rising and falling of ocean levels. The fossils record shows us that some,if not all,continents have experienced dramatic changes over the several hundred million years of their history. For example,Americas prairie ecosystem “bread basket”. The great plains,where most of our corn and...
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...Environment, Resources, and Competition University of Phoenix Ecology and Evolution BIO 315 January 14, 2011 Environmental Ecology The ecosystem I choose to analyze is the tropical rain forest. These forests contain large trees and dense vegetation with warm temperatures year round accompanied by frequent rainfall. Tropical rain forests also have very diverse species of plants and animals; there is a very high level of biodiversity present there as well. Most trees have very short roots, particularly taller trees, while others have deeper roots. The soil is very thin because the tree branches and leaves keep the ground shaded and void of sunlight. This also makes it more challenging for smaller plant life to thrive, due to a lack of rich soil needed for them to flourish. Thus, small plants and shrubs that do survive must have qualities that make living without much tillable land possible. Moreover, animal diets must not rely solely on small plants and shrubs, because they are of limited supply. The temperatures of the tropical rain forests are typically warm with an average yearly low of 20C and an average yearly high of 34C. These temperatures are often accompanied with constant rainfall. Tropical rain forests get an average yearly low of 200 cm of rainfall and an average yearly high of 400 cm of rainfall; this combination create humid conditions under the trees and at ground level (Smith & Smith...
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...PRICING STRATEGY AND PROFITABILITY OF HONEY MARKETING ORGANISATIONS IN THE NORTH WEST PROVINCE OF CAMEROON D. Malaa1* ; G. A. Muluh2 ; F. Kamajou2 1* Institute of Agricultural Research for Development (IRAD), Dschang BP 44 Dschang, West Province, Cameroon Tel 237 777 00 69 email: dorothymalaa@yahoo.co.uk 2 Faculty of Economics and Management University of Dschang Cameroon ABSTRACT This study assessed the efficiency of three honey marketing organisations, which emerged at the advent of market liberalisation, in the Bamenda Central, Belo and Elak- Oku Sub-Divisions in the North West Province of Cameroon. This research addresses the question: are honey marketing organisations efficient in their pricing. Two types of honey (white honey and brown fluid honey) are marketed, and the marketing organisations are judged organised and efficient given the marketing functions have been liberalised with little or no state intervention in the honey sub-sector. Honey marketing organisations are profitable with the return of profit margins to total cost equal to or greater than the minimum interest rate of 18%. Whilst it is recommended that actors or stakeholders in this sector should organise workshops/training sessions in processing and marketing to empower themselves, further studies should be focused on the cost of processing techniques. Key Words: Honey, Marketing organisations, Pricing strategy, Profitability, Profit margins...
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...Research Tropical Rain Forests. Do you think it is important to preserve these rainforests - and why? What is the best way we might go about doing this - especially considering we don't have any Tropical Rain Forests in this country? Yes, I think it is significant to preserve what few hot Rain forests that are remaining. Tropical rain forests are one of the most bio-diverse and biologically important areas on the planet. Much of their living thing and stand life is unique and unreproduced anywhere else. Classification and farming are the two largest influences on the rain forest, causing many thousands of acres to become either deforested or even unfruitful. Rain forests are the prime land-based stand systems for the water and carbon cycles in the mood and groundwater; removing more and more of the rain forest causes the carbon cycle to become disturbed, with not enough carbon dioxide converted back to oxygen. The undergrowth in some areas of a rainforest can be restricted by poor penetration of sunlight to ground level. If the leaf canopy is destroyed or thinned, the ground beneath is soon colonized by a dense, tangled growth of vines, shrubs and small trees, called a jungle. There are two types of rainforest, tropical rainforest and temperate rainforest. It is important to preserve what few Tropical Rain forests that are remaining. The Tropical Rain forests provide the world with so many important tools for our survival. The rain forest is home to a variety of different animal...
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...Deforestation Jason Hennessee Axia College of University of Phoenix Deforestation “Dad! Dad! It’s opening day! Can we please go to the forest to watch the boats race?” Junior, age 10, was very excited about the idea of watching the boats race from the relative quiet and shade of one of the forests to border the river. “Sissy already has the car packed for the trip, and I think she even remembered to grab the charcoal this time!” Dean opened one eye. Seven in the morning was a bit early to leave for the boat races thirty minutes away when they started at nine. But, such was Junior’s excitement that Dean forced himself out of his bed earlier than he planned on. “Ok, son. Let’s check Renee’s packing and we’ll see about weather and conditions. Does Mom have her work finished yet?” Anne appeared framed in the bedroom door. “Yeah. I have some more reading to do, but I can do it at the site. The races are not my favorite thing, but you’ll need my help if the kids want to get wet. However, there is something I need to talk to you about. Junior, honey, please go make sure you have a cooler full of water and juice for us today.” Off like a shot, Junior dashed out of the room and Anne went in, closing the door behind her and lifting Dean’s laptop to the bed. “Dean, I think the forest is gone. Check this out.” Dean read the headlines and cutlines of the pictures and articles that Anne showed him. He shook his head as one by one they all told a devastating...
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...NATURAL HISTORY OF NEW YORK Natural History of New York New York State covers an area of 54,077 square miles (141,229 square km), 87% of which is land. Inland lakes and rivers cover 1,894 square miles (4,908 sq. km) and the State has jurisdiction over 981 sq. miles (2,541 sq. km) of the Atlantic Ocean as well as 3,988 square miles (10,329 sq. km) of the Great Lakes. Climate New York State lies in the humid temperate region of the northeastern United States. Average January temperatures range from 15.8 to 33.8 degrees Fahrenheit and 66.2 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit in July. Rainfall is evenly distributed throughout the year and most parts of the State receive about 40 inches annually. Variation in topography and proximity to bodies of water causes large climatic variations and these deviations have created distinct ecological zones, which are home to a complex web of biological diversity. The Landscape New York’s land forms were shaped by the recent glacial stage which disappeared not more than 8,000 to 10,000 years ago. Thompson (1977) identified nine major land form regions within the state. The Adirondack upland in the northern-most portion of the State includes New York’s highest point, Mt. Marcy, hundreds of glacial lakes, and rich mineral deposits. Other upland regions include the Appalachian upland, which occupies nearly half the state, and the Tug Hill Upland, which is the least settled part of the state due to its poor soils, bad drainage and excessive precipitation...
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...Case brief of Malaysia case To make the case brief it is necessary to divide our analysis in 5 phases: • Situation • Questions • Hypothesis • Proof and action • Alternatives 1) Situation Government of Malaysia is in front of big challenges, prime-minister is going to have very important meeting, where will be held discussion about future of the country. Malaysia developed its economy by exporting timber, and this caused destruction of local nature, which was a serious threaten for global world. So government should decide how to respond to the western environmentalists, as they were threatening they would make an important restrictions against Malaysia. 2) Questions The important questions which may appear around this case are following: 1) What is the basic motive for western environmentalists? (Are they really interested with condition of the world or just lobbing their countries?) 2) Are there other substitutes for Malaysia, which can replace the export of timber? And also important question is, that how the restrictions of environmentalists will hurt the economy of Malaysia? 3) Hypothesis By foreseeing socio-economical situation of Malaysia, we can make an appropriate hypothesis. Export is very important for every country, especially for the developing countries. And in Malaysia the export of timber is the greatest part of whole export. In spite of this, Malaysia is trying to shorten the export of timber as raw materials, and they try to encourage local industries...
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...in the South to dry savannah in the North ,which is flat and sparsely vegetated. The country is blessed with mineral, physical, biological and energy resources. From the mangrove and rain forests of the south, through the various savannahs, and semi-arid ecosystems of the north, the nation is richly endowed. But what went wrong? The word ‘wildlife’ brings to mind ‘animals in the forest’. It is difficult to give a specific definition of the word. However, wildlife traditionally refers to non-domesticated animal species, but has come to include all plants, fungi and other organisms which grow or live wild in an area without being introduced by humans. The term ‘wildlife management’ on the other hand I will refer to mean preservation and conservation or maintenance of wildlife resources. Also it is the art of maintaining balance in the needs of wildlife and the needs of people using the best science. It includes game keeping, wildlife conservation and control, which aims to halt the loss in the earth’s biodiversity by taking into consideration ecological principles such as carrying capacity, disturbance and succession and environmental conditions such as physical geography, etc. About a century ago, that is before the arrival of Europeans, a diversity of animals roamed the country’s forests and grasslands in appreciable numbers. A stable ecological relationship existed between people and wildlife in many areas during this period. However over the last twenty years, various human...
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...the coast, the largest being by the Pacific coast of North America. The Daintree rainforest in Australia is by far the most interesting tropical rainforest. It is located north of Australia near Daintree, Queensland by the coast. This rainforest contains 30% of frog, marsupial and reptile species in Australia, and 65% of Australia's bat and butterfly species. It also contains 20 % of bird species in the country. In the rainforest there are both abiotic components and biotic components. Abiotic components are the nonliving things, such as ware, air, temperature, wind and the sun. Biotic components are the living things, such as plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms. One can only imagine the richness of plant life in the tropical rain forest. The mix of moisture and moderate heat make for a perfect ecosystem for life go grow. Elements such as carbon, nitrogen, or phosphorus enter living organisms in a variety of ways. Plants obtain elements from the surrounding...
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...Week 8 212-241 FORESTS -economically valued -timber from coniferous->softwood (important to Canadian economy) -timber from deciduous->hardwood -timber harvested in many ways -clear-cutting -new forestry, sloppy way of clear-cutting to leave trees, mimick natural disturbances -selection systems, some left behind -ecologically valued -NA timber industry focus on fast growing tree species in plantations -plantations more as crop agriculture than ecologically functional forests -maximum sustainable yield, argues for cutting trees shortly after they have gone through their fastest stage of growth -trees may be cut long before grown as large as they would in absence of harvesting -some harvesting seek uneven-aged stands, similar to natural forests -growth of NA fuelled by land clearing and logging -agriculture major cause of conversion of forests and grasslands -many parts of developing world uses slash and burn agriculture -agriculture in many countries supported by govt -Brazillian govt give subsidies to farmers clearing rainforest for farmland -livestock graze ¼ earth surface -possible overgrazing, ruin soil -deforestation proceeding rapidly in developing nations Forest Management Principles -harvesting of material should not occur at rate that exceed capability of resource to replenish -National Forest Strategy -many managers practice ecosystem-based management -attempts to manage harvesting to minimize impact on ecosystems -adaptive management...
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...Do threats to biodiversity pose the greatest challenge to humanity for the 21st century? Introduction: The term biodiversity refers to the variety of life on Earth at all its levels, from genes to ecosystems, and the ecological and evolutionary processes that sustain it. Biodiversity includes not only special we consider rare, threatened, or endangered, but every living thing even organisms we still know little about, such as microbes, fungi, and invertebrates. Biodiversity is important everywhere; species and habitats in your area as well as those in distant lands all play a role in maintaining healthy ecosystems. Biodiversity is important because it boosts ecosystem productivity where each species, no matter how small, all have an important role to play. For example, a larger number of plant species means a greater variety of crops. Greater species diversity ensures natural sustainability for all life forms. There are five main threats to biodiversity that I can cover later on in this report are: 1. Invasive alien species 2. Climate change 3. Nutrient loading 4. Water pollution 5. Loss of habitat 6. Overexploitation In this report my goal is to explain what biodiversity is in detail in depth and explain how important it is to the world. Also, to outline if and how these threats pose a threat to humanity in the 21st century. How important is biodiversity? Biodiversity is important for all species' survival. We need a variety of habitats for...
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...There has been debate over the present day characteristics of biomes of tropical regions. For some, they are seen as a natural response to the climate of the area, whereas for others they are regarded as a product of human interference. Discuss the statement in the context of the tropical biome you have studied. [40] A tropical rainforest is an ecosystem type that occurs roughly within the latitudes 28 degrees north or south of the equator (in the equatorial zone between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn). This ecosystem experiences high average temperatures and a significant amount of rainfall. In particular, I will be focusing on Borneo Rainforest, which is the oldest rainforest in the world. The island is divided among three countries (figure 1): Malaysia and Brunei in the north, and Indonesia to the south. Approximately 73% of the island is Indonesian territory. In the north, the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak make up about 26% of the island. Climate is the average weather the region receives over a 30 year period. Climate can be on a global scale or a local scale, for instance where it is mountainous more rainfall is generated therefore that region sees a different climate to perhaps a neighbouring region. Aspect and altitude also affects climate, which will be explored in greater detail. The purpose of this essay is to explore whether the natural, climatic factors have influenced the characteristics of the rainforest, or whether humans have had...
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...day: Tuesday Exercise 9 Plant Adaptations Lamberton conservatory Introduction Plants have many different types of adaptations which allow them to survive in many different ecosystems including ones which get less than 25 cm of rain a year and ones which get over 4.5 m of rain a year! Plants must be adapted to be able to gather the materials needed for photosynthesis- CO2, water and sunlight. There are many different ways that plants have solved these problems. The Lamberton Conservatory, located in the Highland Park area of Rochester, houses a variety of seasonal plants, and plants adapted for special environments. Epiphytes, orchids, ferns, and exotic plants grow in the SW room of the actual greenhouse. The tropical forest room and the desert environment room display plants which have specialized for these climatic areas. We won’t see every habitat of the world, but we will see a variety of plants that are from a variety of ecosystems. We will be given a 30 - 45 min. tour of the conservatory then you will be allowed to spend 30 - 45 minutes browsing through the rooms in order to answer the questions on this worksheet. You may have to research the answers to some of the questions. Purpose 1. To introduce students to the beauty and fascination of plants in their "natural" environment. 2. To help develop more highly refined observation skills 3. To experience the joy of learning about the most abundant biological organisms in the environment. ...
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