...NEWS FEATURE Vol 460|16 NATURE|Vol 460|23 July 2009 RAGAMUFFIN EARTH A small group of ecologists is looking beyond the pristine to study the scrubby, feral and untended. Emma Marris learns to appreciate ‘novel ecosystems’. J oe Mascaro, a PhD student in a T-shirt and floral print shorts, is soaking in the diversity of the Hawaiian jungle. Above, a green canopy blocks out most of the sky. Aerial roots wend their way down past tropical trunks, tree ferns and moss-covered prop roots to an understorey of ferns and seedlings. The jungle is lush, humid and thick with mosquitoes. It is also as cosmopolitan as London’s Heathrow airport. This forest on Big Island features mango trees from India (Mangifera indica); Cecropia obtusifolia, a tree with huge star-shaped leaves from Mexico, Central America and Colombia; rose apples (Syzygium jambos) from southeast Asia; tasty strawberry guava (Psidium cattleianum) from the threatened Atlantic coast of Brazil; and a smattering of Queensland maples (Flindersia brayleyana) from Australia. It also has candlenuts (Aleurites moluccana), a species that humans have moved around so much that its origins have become obscure. There is at least some native Hawaiian representation in the form of hala, or screwpine (Pandanus 450 tectorius), which is pictured on the crest of Punahou School, where US President Barack Obama studied. There are no Hawaiian birds here though. Mascaro sees plenty of feral pigs, descendants of those brought by settlers...
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...Published by the Ecological Society of America Issues in Ecology Number 4, Fall 1999 Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning: Maintaining Natural Life Support Processes Issues in Ecology Number 4 Fall 1999 Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning: Maintaining Natural Life Support Processes by Shahid Naeem, Chair, F.S. Chapin III, Robert Costanza, Paul R. Ehrlich, Frank B. Golley, David U. Hooper, J.H. Lawton, Robert V. ONeill, Harold A. Mooney, Osvaldo E. Sala, Amy J. Symstad, and David Tilman Critical processes at the ecosystem level influence plant productivity, soil fertility, water 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...
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...divergence is highlighted. Themes of loss and reconciliation, hope and failure, friendship and familial conflict, added with mystic oriental flavor and healing power, have made Tan’s writing emblematic and well-received. Following the publication of The Joy Luck Club (1989), The Kitchen God's Wife (1991), Amy Tan’s third novel The Hundred Secret Senses (1995) again enjoys a high popularity and evokes strong responses from both readers and critics. Despite the fact that The Hundred Secret Senses still exhibits Tan’s trademarks of “a strong sense of place, a many-layered narrative, family secrets, generational conflict, Chinese lore and history”, unlike the previous two that are generally praised, this novel gets mixed opinions. Most reviewers receive the characterization of Kwan as “the most original and best one” among Tan’s works (Huntley 113). Some other critics, Michiko Katukani et al, criticize Kwan’s over-imaginary, sensational and superstitious beliefs in ghosts, reincarnation and fantasies (qtd. in Chen 120). Frank Chin asserts that Tan has made both Kwan and Changmian appear inferior for the purpose of "perpetuating and...
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...A Review of Management Problems Arising From Reintroductions of Large Carnivores Date: September 2014 Abstract | Introduction | Conclusion | Acknowledgements | References | PDF Abstract Large carnivores are often apex predators and are important in ecosystems as their behaviour promotes biodiversity. They frequently fall victim to anthropogenic causes of local extinction and subsequently, have often been the subjects of conservation efforts involving reintroduction programs. As land-use changes restrict ranges and reduce prey for large carnivores, the trend towards local extinction is set to increase; therefore ex-situ conservation is likely to be increasingly prevalent. Reintroduction programmes are divided into two distinct parts. The first part is pre-release, which includes selection, breeding, and preparation of animals. The second part runs from the time the animals are ready for release through the actual release process and may include post-release monitoring and the release of further, supplementary, animals where this is necessary and feasible. This study identifies and discusses a number of potential problems involved in the use of captive animals to seed reintroductions including welfare as well as ethical and political issues. Other challenges include the genetic and behavioural integrity of founder animals and disease control, both in captivity and post release. This study also identifies a number of points for consideration during and after release, including...
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...© Kamla-Raj 2010 J Hum Ecol, 30(1): 55-62 (2010) Determinants of Attitudes and Perceptions on Resource Use and Management of Marsabit National Reserve, Kenya Mohamed G. Shibia Department of Natural Resources Management, Kenya Agricultural Research Institute National Arid lands Research Centre, P.O. Box 147, Marsabit, Kenya Telephone: 254 69 2040, 254 722916149, Fax: 254 69 2220 E-mail: schibier@yahoo.com, mohamedshibia@gmail.com KEYWORDS Attitude. Perceptions. Wildlife Damages. Benefits ABSTRACT The establishment of protected areas had negative consequences on local communities. The shift in conservation resulted in restriction of access to resources, disruption of local culture and economies by tourists, increased predation on crops and livestock and displacement of inhabitants. A survey was undertaken to determine relationship between respondent’s socio-economic characteristics and their attitudes and perceptions towards protected area conservation, determine the effect of wildlife benefits and their associated cost on attitudes and perceptions and determine if respondent attitudes and perceptions was affected by proximity of their residence to Marsabit National Reserve. One hundred eighty-seven households were selected through stratified random sampling and surveyed using questionnaire composed of both open and closed ended questions. Information acquired was triangulated through informal interviews, field observations and focused group discussions. Cross-tabulation using...
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...The article I have chosen is a success story of wild turkey conservation in Ohio. The article (The Wild Turkey, Mike Reynolds) talks about the declining wild turkey population in the early 1900’s. In the 1950’s the Ohio Division of Natural Resources made a large push to reintroduce the wild turkey back into Ohio. With some setbacks by 1966 there was enough of a population to have a turkey hunting season. The article is relevant to our biology class because it has to deal with animals, conservation, and inheritance/genetics. In the article it talks about how the Ohio Department of Natural Resources tried to introduce turkeys into the wild that were from game farms. Those turkeys did not have enough genetics from their ancestors to survive in the wild. The first attempt to release wild turkey in Ohio was unsuccessful. This relates to conservation biology (Starr, Evans, and Starr, 2012, p. 370) This article caught my eye because I am a hunter and I am originally from Ohio. Wild Turkey is one of the most difficult animals to harvest. By doing research on the wild turkey in Ohio, I learned that the bird had to be reintroduced into the Ohio wildlife. Hunting in general is an important part of my life and my family’s life. Since I was young, I was raised to hunt, fish, and love the outdoors. Without animal conservation it would not have been possible for me to enjoy this sport and provide this type of food for my family. I believe that this type of research and project should...
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...External Environment Analysis Introduction This essay is written in regards to the Home Depot and the evaluation of their external environment. The Home Depot is a highly successful retail industry that has expanded globally. The Home Depot has a wide variety of supplies and materials for all home improvement projects. They even have tools, equipment, and trucks that can be rented out to assist with any larger home improvement needs. The Home Depot has made a continuity plan to assist with protection of the customers, associates, and the industry if a crisis or disaster occurs. A continuity plan is basically the instructional list or procedures for the company in the event that a crisis or natural disaster occurs and how they will handle that event. This essay will look at how the external environment affects that plan. This essay will also look at the affects of the environment in three other areas as well, including general, industry, and competitor. Finally, it will look into the business ethics and see how they play a role when gathering information for competitor intelligence. The Home Depot has a continuity plan that they follow that can be found in their code of conduct and ethics manual. That continuity plan is as follows: “We are committed to taking all reasonable steps to minimize risks to our associates, customers, facilities, information assets and supply chains and maintaining the continuity of our business when a crisis occurs. A crisis can be natural or man-made...
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...When it comes to matters of thermodynamics, which is the study of energy and it’s transformations, there are two laws that apply to everything in the universe. These laws, known as the 1st and 2nd laws of thermodynamics, describe the flow of energy throughout an ecosystem, and also how the process of transferring energy provides the means to sustain life within it. The rainforest is a very complex ecosystem that contains many different species of animals, insects, plants, and trees. The 1st law states that an organism can not create the energy it needs to survive on it’s own and therefore must capture it from it’s surrounding environment, i.e., photosynthesis. During this process, solar energy from the sun absorbs into the plant and vegetation population, converting the chemical energy into sugar. Insects and animals in turn eat the plants, and then use that very same sugar as an energy source to power their movement. This is called biological work. The energy remaining is given off as heat and released back into the environment from which it originated. This ensures that the amount of energy present in the environment is always the same, as it is borrowed and returned, but never lost. The 2nd law simply states that the amount of energy that can be used to do biological work within the universe may decrease over time, however because it is both borrowed and returned, the total amount of energy present will not decrease, and therefore will always be the same. The rainforest...
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...The data I collected for Life Cycle assessment was of LCD TV. I was surprised after this study that whatever products we are using is causing at least some environmental damages either during production; transportation or at end of its life cycle stages. Owens is right in quoting Jevons that the economical use of fuel is not equivalent to a diminishing consumption. Same thing I noted in my life cycle assessment of TV that within 5 years alone the consumption of LCD TV rose from 100 million to 200 Million, as many consumers are now purchasing TV for pure aesthetic reasons as it is more energy efficient and prices of productions are also going down with improved technology. Materials on the business and environment (owens, lovin, senge, de botton, documentary) compelled me to think differently. Before reading these materials I was aware of the fact that corporates for their own profits are damaging the environment by emitting greenhouse gases or by polluting the sea or rivers and I was thinking it’s the responsibility of the Governments/Regulatory authorities to control them. But as Senge suggested that: People blame greedy corporations or corrupt government for creating a system that deplete natural resources, destroy species and generate waste but things will not change as long as everyone is blaming someone else. Now onwards every time I had to take buying decision for any product will definitely think about how much carbon foot prints were left in the environment for making...
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...Sustainable Companies Sustainable development is a concept that looks to meet “the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (Lawrence & Weber, 2011, p. 223). Weyerhaeuser and The Stow Company are two companies that are known for their production of sustainable products and their commitment to social responsibility. Weyerhaeuser has been in the business of making wood products for over 100 years. During this time, their commitment to the sustainability of the environment has been unwavering. Weyerhaeuser has always been concerned with the sustainability of the forests that they log and as environmental concerns have arisen and technological advances have been made, they have adapted their sustainability goals to include such things as a 10 percent reduction of waste water discharge, a 40 percent reduction of emissions, a 20 percent energy efficiency improvements in their facilities, a 10 percent reduction in solid waste, and a supplier code of ethics (Progress towards sustainability, 2011). Weyerhaeuser’s efforts to improve their social responsibility commitments has helped them to increase their net sales, revenues, and net earnings despite the housing market slump over the past 5 years (Financial results, 2011). Weyerhaeuser’s vision and mission statement is “to release the potential in trees to solve important problems for people and the planet. We do this through strong leadership, unwavering values,...
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...4.0 ISSUES, CORCERN, AND OPPORTUNITY (ICO) There are the issues, concerns and opportunities in Perlis State Park that relate to distinctive features and characteristics of the Perlis State Park area and the relationship of the area with the elements that existing including stakeholders related to Perlis State Park. An opportunity class defines the resource, social and managerial conditions considered desirable and appropriate within the Perlis State Park. There are a few issues, concerns and opportunities that we found in Perlis State Park that divide by two zoning, that are zone A for rural and zone B for roaded natural. Zoning | Places | Items | Issues | Concern | Opportunities | ZONE A(Rural) | 1. FELCRA KAMPUNG LUBUK SIREH 2. PEKAN KAKI BUKIT 3. KAMPUNG WANG KELIAN 4. KAMPUNG BATU 15 5. KAMPUNG BATU 15 6. TASIK MERANTI 7. GUA KELAM | MANAGERIAL | Accessibility ProblemNo transportation provided for their event. | No participate from local community to increase the value of PSP. | To give opportunities of local community to participate in activities and benefits to PSP. | | | SOCIAL | Recreational activities not be emphasizedNo periodically activity is performed. | Residents cannot take advantage of facilities and interaction with natural environment at the PSP. | Resident will get opportunities and the variety of recreation activities and can fulfil their satisfaction as well. | | | | No Interaction with VisitorNo communication and attractions...
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...What is Environmental Sustainability? | Environmental sustainability is development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.EPA efforts in the area of sustainability practices and approaches include labeling green products and promoting green chemistry and engineering, managing materials rather than creating waste, using green infrastructure to manage storm water runoff, and supporting the sustainable design of urban communities | | Supporting development and conservation strategies that help protect our natural environment and make our communities more attractive, economically stronger, and more socially diverse. * Environmentally Responsible Redevelopment and Reuse (ER3) * Green Buildings * Green Homes * Making Smart Growth Happen * Sustainable and Healthy Communities Research * Sustainable Skylines Air, Climate & Energy Working to reduce atmospheric levels of pollution and greenhouse gases, promote green energy, and adapt to a changing climate. * Air, Climate and Energy Research * Clean Energy * Clean Automotive Technology * Greening EPA * Green Power Partnership * Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) * SmartWay Transport Water Helping to manage, protect, and restore water resources and ecosystems through sustainable management of natural resources. * Green Infrastructure * Safe and Sustainable Water Resources Research...
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...Before managers can begin to formulate an effective strategy, they must make a critical examination of the firm’s environment. Assessing the strategic situation is the first phase in determining the content of the proper strategies for a firm. This process begins with an assessment of the general environment of the firm, in terms of economic, technological, social, and political/legal influences. Analyzing the organization's industry is the second major aspect of assessing the firm's strategic situation. An industry structure analysis identifies the major forces affecting competition in an industry and determines the strengths and weaknesses of the business relative to the industry. Michael Porter has identified five basic competitive industry forces: the threat of new entrants in the industry, the intensity of rivalry among existing competitors, the pressure from producers of substitute products or services, the bargaining power of buyers of the industry's outputs, and the bargaining power of suppliers to the industry's companies. Management must find for a firm a position in the industry from which it can best defend itself against these competitive forces or can influence them to its advantages. Another major element of the industry environment is the product/market life cycle which assumes that all products, and, therefore, industries, move through stages of a life cycle. In analyzing an industry, its is also useful to determine if the industry is a global industry...
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...Environmental Pollution Outline 1. Complete the following outline using Ch. 21–25 of the text. Use complete sentences. Here is an example: a. Example - Environmental History 1) Before 1960 a) Few people had ever heard the word ecology. b) The term, environment, meant little as a political or social issue. 2) Silent Spring by Rachel Carson a) Rachel Carson published Silent Spring in 1960. b) At about the time the book was published, several environmental events were occurring. c) Examples of these environmental events are oil spills and highly publicized threats of extinction of many species. d) Environment became a popular issue. 3) Early Days of Modern Environmentalism a) Environmentalism was dominated by confrontations between those labeled environmentalist and those labeled anti-environmentalists. b) Environmentalists believed that the world was in peril. c) The anti-environmentalists believed that social and economic heath and progress were necessary. 4) Today a) The situation has changed from the early days of modern environmentalism. b) Public opinion polls show that people around the world rank the environment among the most important social and political issues. c) No longer is there a need to verify that the environmental problems are severe. 2. Complete the rest of the worksheet based on the example above. Remember to be thorough in your answers and write in complete sentences. a. Water Management 1) Describe Water Management and Use a) Freshwater...
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...SCI/275 Assignment: Urbanization Urbanization is the process by which cities grow or by which societies become more urban. Urbanization is the process by which large numbers of people become permanently concentrated in relatively small areas which forms cities. Urbanization is the term used for the process of a society changing from rural to urban. Urbanization has its benefits as well as its challenges. As a number of people move into a city and make it urban, and expand urban centers, it begins to erase rural, agricultural, and forest lands. Many ecologist believe urbanization in abundance is ruining the environment ant the earth’s natural beauty. Studies have shown that children being raised in urban areas have the highest rate of respiratory problems than those living in rural areas. Ecologist think the urban activities like combustion, mass vehicular use, industrial activities, drilling, and other urban activities is the leading cause of high levels toxins being released into the air that is being breathed in. these toxins are linked to illness like bronchitis, bronchiolitis, pneumonia, asthma, allergies, sinusitis, and other pulmonary conditions and diseases. Urbanization can also have a negative effect on the environment. All of the toxins released in the air do not only affect humans, but it isn’t healthy for delicate plants and animals. Urbanization destroys the natural habitats of many animals. Environmental specialist think that the increase in toxins that...
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