...Invasive plants and grasses that are in a certain location where they are not native to that area. They have the ability to spread aggressively outside of its natural originated location. To be invasive you have to be non native. Plants/grasses are not the only species that can be native, this goes for animals and bugs. One of these species would be the red fire ant. The red fire ant is an example of an invasive species. The red fire ant is also called the red imported fire ant; it is a smaller red ant which can appear to be more brown, and is from South America, specifically from Brazil. Now you can also find them in infested areas of the U.S. such as lawns/gardens, school grounds, parks, roadsides, etc. Red fire ants like to nest in large open areas and irrigated soil. There is six species of the fire ant, and three can be found in Arizona. They live in colonies, several of which are winged males, and reproductive/worker ants too. Worker females range to be about 3 - 6 mm long. You can find these ants mainly in the U.S. and Southern America in sandy earthen mounds....
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...Taz and Ant; One Endangered, One Invasive Taylor Drake Biology 106A, Fall 2012 In a world dominated by humans there are many things that also inhabit Earth, one of those being animals. Sometimes these animals can thrive in certain or multiple geographical areas while others, due to humans, may fail to adapt and survive. An invasive species is one that has a native geographical range but then somehow gets transferred to a new geographical range where it possibly can thrive and cause problems such as the Red Imported Fire Ant. On the other hand, there are some species of animals that are endangered and on the brink of extinction like the Tasmanian devil. With the encroachment of humans on the animal’s environment, they have hindered their ability to thrive forcing them to become endangered. Humans influence on the ecosystem, animals have to adapt like the Red Fire Ant or be forced to near or possible extinction like the Tasmanian devil. 1 The Tasmanian devil (Figure 1), Sarcophilus harrisii, is the largest carnivorous marsupial of the family Dasyuridae found on the Australian island of Tasmania (Figure 2) (Tasmanian devil). The devil is normally black with a white patch around its neck and generally about the size of a small dog weighing between fifteen and twenty Figure 1. The Tasmanian devil, Sarcophilus harrisii pounds (Tasmanian Devil). On Tasmania, it lives in coastal scrubs and eucalypt forests but is also found near places of human inhabitance because S...
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...with the state of armed conflict that is war, and for as long as there has been civilization there has been war. Upon first glance, Henry David Thoreau’s “The Battle of the Ants” seems like a simple descriptive story of a battle between two different species of ants, one red and one black, but if one were to further inspect the text, they could see that Thoreau uses the ants and their battle as a satirical allegory for human conflict. Thoreau chooses to use ants as a metaphor to make it clear to the reader that war is futile, pointless, and a waste of life. “The Battle of the Ants” begins with Thoreau casually walking out to his wood-pile as he stumbles upon the battle between the red ants and the black ants. After this, he compares these ants to humans, making the allegory apparent from the start. “It was the only battle which I have ever witnessed… On every side they were engaged in deadly combat, yet without any noise that I could hear, and human soldiers never fought so resolutely” (575). Thoreau uses hyperbole early in his essay to reinforce its anti-war theme as he describes the fighting ants to be in the middle of war. However, he implies that this war is miniscule by reminding the reader of its setting: a wood-yard. Thoreau goes on to describe an even smaller battle he witnesses between two ants, again, amid the chips, giving more scope to the idea that war is irrelevant compared to the broader schemes of the world. “I watched a couple that were fast locked in each...
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...Red imported fire ants (RIFA) are invasive nuisance insects that have spread throughout the southeastern United States since their initial arrival more than sixty five years ago. Red imported fire ants, or Solenopsis invicta Buren, is native to Mato Grasso, Brazil and other areas throughout central South America and was accidentally brought to Mobile, Alabama in the early 1940s. Although the method of introduction is not clear, the USDA states that it is possible that the species may have arrived in the United States on ships’ ballasts. Since their initial invasion in the 1940s, the species has spread throughout fourteen states. Red imported fire ants impose substantial negative impacts on people, animals, rural and urban environments culminating...
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...Brenda Greer 05/11/2011 Biology Concepts John Distefano The Texas horned lizard, known by most people as a horny toad has been on the Texas endangered species list since 1967. The Texas horned lizard has a spiky body, which gives them their name horned lizard or horny toad. The horny toad can be found in Texas, Georgia, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, the Carolinas, and Mexico. The Texas horny toad is the largest and most widely distributed of the 14 species of horned lizards in the western United States and Mexico. These unique looking creatures have a flat body and are fierce looking. The head of a horny toad has numerous horns; the two central head spines are much longer than the other horns. Most of the Texas horned lizards have a light line that extends from its head down the middle of its back. The Texas horned lizard is the only species that has dark brown stripes that radiate down from their eyes across the top of their head. The horny toad can be found in aired regions as well as semiarid habitats that have at least some loose soil for burrowing. They are usually found in sandy soil with a limited amount of vegetation. They can also be found in areas with gravely soil as well. The Texas horned toad hibernates from September or October to around late April or May. While the horny toad hibernates they slow their metabolism down so they can go for long periods of time with no food or water. Their mating usually occurs soon after hibernation. After the female...
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...Likening the red ants and the black ants to "the republicans (colonists) and the imperalists (the British)," Walden compares the battling insects to humans: For numbers and for carnage it was an Austerlitz or Dresden. Concord Fight! Two killed on the patriots' side, and Luther Blanchard wounded! Why here every ant was a Buttrick--"Fire! for God's sake fire!"--and thousands shared the fate of Davis and Hosmer (two colonists killed)....I have no doubt that it was a principle they fought for, as much as our ancestors, and not to avoid a three-penny tax on their tea; and the results of this battle will be as important and memorable to those whom it concerns as those of the Battle of Bunker Hill, at least. Clearly, Thoreau satires the importance that men have put upon going to war on "principle." Facetiously, he earlier compares the red ant who runs into battle to the the Spartan whose mother told their sons to return victorious or dead: "It was evident that their battle cry was "Conquer or die." Studying the red and black ants fighting for no other reason that they hate each other, or one has taxed the other, brings Walden's passage to the point/thesis of the futility of war as well as the terrible waste of life that it is. FUTILITY: I never learned which party was victorious, nor the cause of the war; but I felt for the rest of that day as if I had had my feelings excited and harrowed by witnessing the struglle, the ferocity and carnage, of a human battle before...
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...The Battle of Ants By Henry David Thoreau You only need sit still long enough in some attractive spot in the woods that all its inhabitants may exhibit themselves to you by turns. I was witness to events of a less peaceful character. One day when I went out to my wood-pile, or rather my pile of stumps, I observed two large ants, the one red, the other much larger, nearly half an inch long, and black, fiercely contending with one another. Having once got hold they never let go, but struggled and wrestled and rolled on the chips incessantly. Looking farther, I was surprised to find that the chips were covered with such combatants, that it was not a duellum, but a bellum, a war between two races of ants, the red always pitted against the black, and frequently two red ones to one black. The legions of these Myrmidons covered all the hills and vales in my wood-yard, and the ground was already strewn with the dead and dying, both red and black. It was the only battle which I have ever witnessed, the only battle-field I ever trod while the battle was raging; internecine war; the red republicans on the one hand, and the black imperialists on the other. On every side they were engaged in deadly combat, yet without any noise that I could hear, and human soldiers never fought so resolutely. I watched a couple that were fast locked in each other's embraces, in a little sunny valley amid the chips, now at noonday prepared to fight till the sun went down, or life went out....
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...Red ants are originally native to South America. They arrived in the United States when they were introduced in the 1930’s. They came over in ship ballast, which is a heavy piece of wood that was placed in the bottom of the ship for stability. They are polymorphic, meaning that they will range in size from small to large (1.5-4mm). Red ants are known for their painful sting to humans and aggressive behavior. These ants will attack and sometimes kill newborn domestic animals, pets, and wildlife. They are also known to destroy crops, such as seedling corn and soybeans. Red ants build mounded nests that disrupt the growth of plant life in fields and can leave eyesores that resemble big piles of sand in lawns and gardens. The state of Virginia...
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...The iDeal Reader Henry David Thoreau, ‘‘The Battle of the Ants’’ © The McGraw−Hill Companies, 2000 Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862), transcendentalist essayist, naturalist, editor, and social critic, was born David Henry Thoreau in Concord, Massachusetts. Thoreau graduated from Harvard University and taught briefly at a school in Concord but resigned rather than be expected to strike his students. He ran his own school from 1838 to 1841, teaching Latin, Greek, and science. In 1938 Thoreau also began lecturing, which he continued intermittently, often emphasizing his strong opposition to slavery, but his message was not always well received. Thoreau began his lifelong friendship with Ralph Waldo Emerson when he tutored Emerson’s brother William in 1843 on Staten Island, boarding with Emerson and his wife. He helped Emerson edit the Transcendentalist magazine The Dial. Thoreau kept a journal at Emerson’s urging, which aided him in his writing. He took a canoe trip with his brother John during the first two weeks of September 1839, which experience he transformed into a volume of poems and essays entitled A Week on the Concord and Merrimac Rivers (1849). While he published 1000 copies himself, only about 300 sold. On July 4, 1845 Thoreau moved into a cabin on the shores of Walden Pond, on land belonging to Emerson, about two miles from Concord, and lived there alone for over two years. Thoreau condensed this outdoor life as if it were a single year in his...
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...Iconography contains visual images and symbols used in illustrations or portraits. In most medieval art, iconology is used. It is typically used the represent God, Jesus, and the Virgin Mary. The Holy Spirit was represented instead of always being drawn as a man. In medieval art, The Holy Spirit would often be drawn as fire. There are many symbolic attributes when studying the iconology of medieval art. For example, the Virgin Mary is usually seen wearing a cape and tunic, often either blue or red. The blue is believed to be a representation of her deity, and is a representation of heaven. Many believe that the red represents Jesus' blood on the cross, and symbolizes the human race. Her head is often covered, showing her modesty and virginity....
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...possible suitors, he has ostracized himself from all others, which causes him extreme emotional pain. c. Example: The hidden statue is a metaphor to Narcissus’s inevitable fate. Significance: Just as the statue is difficult to see behind the mountain tops, Narcissus is unable to see his destiny, which is to die. Although it is difficult to detect, the constant presence of his pre-determined future is undeniable. 3. Body Paragraph #2 Juxtaposition d. Example: The figure of the living man contrasts sharply with the stone hand. Significance: This is the most explicit reference of the stark difference between the world in which Narcissus is alive and the realm after his death. Obviously, the living man, colored in warm reds and yellows, depicts a living Narcissus, full of emotion and vibrancy. On the other hand, the stone hand, colored in cold greys and silvers, indicates the eerie silence of his demise....
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...Climate change Welcomes the Asian Needle Ant into its ecosystem The Asian needle ant is a native species of ant which has begun vastly spreading throughout the ecosystem; eliminating various native ant species and therefore corrupting how the ecosystem functions. The six-legged, brown-red insect appears to have an almost identical appearance to the Fire ant and Argentine ant; as well as 30 other species of ants. The Asian needle ant has already rapidly migrated from Asia, and can already be found in forests in 9 different states around North East America. It is not uncommon for ants to establish populations outside of their native habitat; with over 200 ant species already discovered in other habitats, with the international transportation and tourism trading system said to be the main cause. Guénard, Benoît, (2009) Formicidae. But what causes the Asian needle ants to invade new habitats and eliminate other ant species? Ants and their survival are greatly affected by changes in temperature and humidity. Therefore, climate change causes the colonisation of ant species in colder climates that are more suitable. Studies and experiments based on the distribution of the Argentine ant have proven that the major factor responsible for their numbers increasing Worldwide is due to climate change. The invasion of the Asian needle ant has had a large range of negative impacts on the ecosystem and its natural ecological functioning. The species is one of the most difficult to rid...
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...earth we live on, and surely narrowed down the definition of living life for me. Life is simply to breathe, eat, sleep and be happy. 12 hours passed by and it was time to rest. I laid out my sleeping bad and snuggled inside. Not wanting to leave the comfort of my sleeping bag I went out to grab my water bottle and have a drink. I didn’t really pay attention to where I was sitting but sat on a rock that was covered with hundreds of fire ants. As soon I saw a couple crawling up through my pants my childhood horror story came to mind. I have an ongoing phobia of red ants. One day when I was a child a red ant went up my pants and I ran around the house naked and afraid. The cold weather kept me from doing the same now, but I managed to wiggle them off. After I got rid of the ants, an earthworm follows. The earthworm was crawling from the water bottle in my hand onto my arm. I was absolutely disgusted! I thought to my self “well that wasn’t a very good move to get out of bed”. I quickly ran back into my sleeping bag wishfully thinking none of the red ants got into my seeping bag. The next morning came by and I had three hours left till I was finished with my time. I had found a notebook that was placed right next to me when I woke up, I supposed I was supposed to record my experience upon it, so I did. I wrote about anything from being straight up terrified in the beginning to the dreamt I dreamt that night This writing time I’d say was one of the pleasant times I’ve had in the camp...
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...First Quarter Week 1 The Crow and the Pitcher Adapted from Aesop by Dinah C. Bonao On a hot summer day, a thirsty crow looked for water to drink. “It’s hot! I am thirsty!” said the crow. “I need to find water.” (Have the pupils predict: What do you think will the crow do?) The crow flew from one place to another looking for water to drink. He finally found a pitcher near a well. But there was only little water in the pitcher. He tried to drink from the pitcher but no matter how much he tried, he could not reach the water. “My beak is too big. The pitcher’s neck is very narrow. How will I get the water?” he thought. (Have the pupils predict: What do you think will the crow do so he could reach the water in the pitcher?) Then an idea came to the crow. He picked up some small stones. He dropped them into the pitcher one by one. (Have the pupils predict: After he had dropped some stones into the pitcher, what do you think will happen?) “One, two, three…” Plop, plip, plop. Little by little, the water rose in the pitcher. “Four, five, six…” Plop, plip, plop. The water rose some more. Soon the crow could reach the water. “Now, I can drink!” said the crow. “Ah! It’s cold and good!” Discussion Questions: 1. At the beginning of the story, what did the thirsty crow do? 2. Where did he find water? 3. Could he drink right away? Why not? 4. How do you think the crow felt when he could not drink? 5. What did the crow do then? 6. If you were the crow, what would you do? ...
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... The red on this boat seemed to slowly fade away as the sun receded into the clouds. Both mules on each side seemed to slightly lag behind the boat. All of a sudden a crack of lightning and a boom of thunder shook the plateau about 3 miles away from the boat. The planks on the boat shook with mighty force as a strong wind past through the trees and over the boat. Marco however was on...
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