...profitability and the conservation of biodiversity’. There is a known trade-off between profitability and the conservation of biodiversity; the effort by farmers to increase crop yield usually diminishing biodiversity. Consequently, producers may not wish to tolerate agricultural plant diversity and remove trees and brush to increase profit margins. Such increases in profitability often occur in both agricultural monocultures and in mixed systems of land use. Monoculture is the practice of cultivating large tracts of land with trees or other plants of the same species. While it is an efficient and profitable theory from a commercial perspective, from the ecological point of view it is disastrous. The basis of all ecosystem diversity and monoculture practice is merely violating this principle. If there is less plant diversity there will also a decrease in animal diversity. On rubber plantations in Cuba and Indonesia, the number of rubber trees per unit area increased rubber production. Simultaneously, there was a corresponding decrease in the amount of other species of trees. In extreme cases, it can be very frequent when establishing monoculture crops or tree species with large economic importance. Another example could be in class, you acquire a beneficial amount of knowledge when you go to class, but if you didn’t go to class you could still gain benefits. So, if you come to...
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...cause extinctions. One estimate is that less than 1% of the species that have existed on Earth are extant.[1] Biodiversity biodiversity is divided into three, phenotypic, genoti, environmental Ecological diversity refers to the sum of the different types of environment or Ecosystem present in a region or the habitat which is the sum total of the climate, vegetation and geography of a region. Ecosystem is a unit of the biosphere in which there is an interaction between the living and nonliving factors so as to maintain a continuous flow of energy. It is a structural and functional unit of a biosphere. There are several kinds of habitats or ecosystems around the world. The variety of diversity of species in an ecosystem is influenced by the ecosystem it self. Examples of ecosystems: Grass land, wet land, desert, aquatic ecosystem etc. Species diversity is the variety of different species in a given area. It is very difficult to estimate the different species in a given area. Most of the species are found near the equator and a few at the poles. Genetic Diversity may be defined as variation in genes with a particular species. It refers to the heritable variation. Sexual reproduction play an important role genetic diversity. A species having more genetic diversity can adapt better to the changed environmental conditions. Threats to biodiversity Extinction of Species Since the planet came into existence, it has been subjected to five mass extinctions, which...
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...Great Barrier Reef The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system.[46][47][48][49] The reef is located in the Coral Sea. A large part of the reef is protected by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Particular environmental pressures include runoff, salinity fluctuations, climate change, cyclic crown-of-thorns outbreaks, overfishing, and spills or improper ballast discharge. [edit]Southeast Asia See also: Southeast Asia coral reefs Southeast Asian coral reefs are at risk from damaging fishing practices (such as cyanide and blast fishing), overfishing, sedimentation, pollution and bleaching. Activities including education, regulation and the establishment of marine protected areas help protect these reefs. [edit]Indonesia Indonesia is home to one third of the world's corals covering nearly 85,000 square kilometres (33,000 sq mi) and one quarter of its fish species. Indonesia's coral reefs are located in the heart of the Coral Triangle and have fallen victim to destructive fishing, tourism and bleaching. Data from 414 reef monitoring stations in 2000 found that only 6% are in excellent condition, while 24% are in good condition, and approximately 70% are in poor to fair condition.[50] [edit]Philippines In 2007, Reef Check, the world's largest reef conservation organization, stated that only 5% of Philippines 27,000 square kilometres (10,000 sq mi) of coral reef are in "excellent condition": Tubbataha Reef, Marine Park in Palawan, Apo Island in Negros Oriental...
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...Health Care Provider and Faith Diversity: First Draft Health Care Provider and Faith Diversity: First Draft Shannon R. Flinn Grand Canyon University: HLT-310V 07-01-12 Abstract Health care providers at every level interact with patients of many different religious beliefs and back rounds. When treating a patient with a holistic approach it is important to have an understanding of their spiritual perspective of healing. This paper will include critical components of the Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam cultures to better meet their spiritual needs when under the care of a health care professional. To compare and contrast the philosophies of, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam as a health care professional providing care, one must be aware of the diversity and the different perspectives associated with culture to help meet their spiritual needs. Every culture is so different in many ways. It would be very difficult to know all aspects of every culture. However, having a basic understanding of their spiritual needs and willing to ask questions you will be better prepared to help meet the patient’s needs. In order to know what their needs are it is important to know what ethnic background they are and what religion they practice. Hinduism is a culture that people from southern Asia (India, Pakisthan, Srilanka) follow. Hinduism is the third largest world religion with Christianity being first and Islam being the second (Islamreligion...
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...UNIT 2 COMPLETION QUESTIONS: Monsanto Balances Environmental & Ethical Factors CASE SUMMARY: Summarize the key facts of the case in a paragraph. Monsanto Company is the world’s largest seed company specializing in biotechnology or genetic manipulations or organisms (Ferrell, Gatewood, Gatewood, & Taylor, 2010). Scientist of Monsanto spend numerous hours modifying crops, inserting new genes or adapting existing genes within plant seeds, to meet certain aims; for example, higher crop yields or insect resistance. Their seeds have increased quantity and availability of crops, and help all farmers worldwide increase food production and revenues. Monsanto was started in 1901 by John F. Queeny, selling food additives, food extracts, and artificial sweeteners to different companies. Times changed and in the seventies, Monsanto marketed its first roundup herbicide that would propel the company even more into the public’s consciousness. However, it did do that, but within a few years after the introduction of Agent Orange which contained carcinogenic chemical dioxin, Monsanto had legal problems and a lawsuit was filed in 1979 by veterans who claimed they had been harmed by the chemical. Monsanto and other manufacturers agreed to settle for $180 million. The leaders of Monsanto decided a new focus was needed and in 1981 the company made a change focusing on biotechnology. With this new quest, the company began selling soybeans, cotton, and canola seeds if they...
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...Human Population and Environmental Problems by PAUL R. EHRLICH, Ph.D.(Kansas) Professor of Biology and Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Biological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, U.S.A. rather small number that are thought of as 'important' forms of wildlife—will have a dramatic negative feedback effect on the capacity of our planet to support human life. This is because, although politicians and laymen tend to focus attention on air pollution and water pollution as the most serious environmental problems, in fact the most devastating of all is the destruction of the life-support systems of our planet. These are the natural ecosystems that provide us with a series of public-service functions without which we cannot persist indefinitely on this Earth—such functions as maintaining the quality of the atmosphere, controlling roughly 99 % of the potential agricultural pests, recycling of our waste products, and many other services that we cannot perform for ourselves (Ehrlich et al., 1973). The third message which I would like to give you is that the time for research as a major approach to the world's problems is long past. If you are trapped in a forest, downwind from a forest fire, and it is raging towards you at ten or more kilometres per hour, you do not immediately convene a committee to study reforestation—you call for water. In human society, calling for water basically consists of promoting political action...
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...Inle Lake wetland Sanctuary The lake is 22 kilometers long, 11 kilometers wide and virtually surrounded by the beautiful Shan mountain ranges. Inle Lake is the county’s second biggest lake after Indawgyi Lake in Kachin State. The inhabitants of the Inle Lake are generally known as In-Thas. Specifically, the region’s menfolk are called In-Tha and womenfolk are called In-Thu. They live in houses built in and around the lake, some partly on the lake bank and partly in the water, some on lands bordering the lake bank, some in the water near the bank. They are known for their industrious and persevering mindset, which has helped them survive by growing a wide variety of flowers, vegetables and fruits on the water on floating islands that are attached to the lake bed with long bamboo poles. The floating water hyacinth and tomato are the major products of the region. Many handmade accessories such as bags, shawls, headdresses, baskets and even robes for the monks are made from water hyacinth. The lake is also eminent for its Floating Market nearby Ywama village which is run on every 5 days with Shan ethnic people. Nga Hpe Chaung Monastery, also known as Jumping Cat Monastery as the monks have trained their cats to show acrobatic jump, near Ywama village is also one of the fantastic places to visit in Inle Lake. Site Profile Location * Located between 20° 10′ N and 97° 02′ E in Naung Shwe, Pinlaung and Peh Kon Townships of Southern Shan State. Elevation over 2900 feet. Area...
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...--------------4 Diversity Amid Globalization-------------------------------------------------------5 The Changing Global Environment----------------------------------------------11 North America---------------------------------------------------------------------------12 Latin America---------------------------------------------------------------------------23 The Caribbean--------------------------------------------------------------------------27 Sub-Saharan Africa-------------------------------------------------------------------31 Southwest Asia and North Africa------------------------------------------------32 Europe------------------------------------------------------------------------------------34 The Russian Domain-----------------------------------------------------------------39 Central Asia-----------------------------------------------------------------------------42 East Asia---------------------------------------------------------------------------------45 South Asia-------------------------------------------------------------------------------47 Southeast Asia-------------------------------------------------------------------------50 Australia and Oceania---------------------------------------------------------------57 Conclusion------------------------------------------------------------------------------60 Bibliography----------------------------------------------------------------------------61 Introduction Diversity Amid Globalization...
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...Culture Essay Culture is pervasive in all marketing activities”, (Albaum et al, 2005) Hall distinguishes culture according to the degree of context in their communication systems (De Mooij, 2010). High context cultures (Japanese, Chinese) contrast greatly with low context cultures (USA), who require a more explicit conveyance of messages. As Hall (1984) says, “Many Americans don’t seem able to evaluate anything unless they can attach a number to it”. Introduction One of the early scholars of culture, Linton (1945), defines it as: ‘‘The configuration of learned behavior and results of learned behavior whose component elements are shared and transmitted by the members of a particular society.’’ Other early scholars like Kluckhorn (1954) conceptualized that the cultural influences transcend in terms of the beliefs, norms, traditions, and values of society and this view still prevails among the scholars of culture. Why is culture important? Global Marketing in the simplest description attempts to understand customers in terms of what they buy, when they buy, why they buy, how much they buy, where they buy it, and with what they buy. Internationally, this means understanding culture. How marketing efforts interact with culture determines the success or failure of a product. "There are many examples of cultural differences that have affected marketing success or failure." (Buzzell) The relationship with culture comes into play with the realization that each of the consumer...
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...by Stephen Oppenheimer In all our cells we have genes. Genes are made up of DNA, the string-like code of life that determines what we are, from our fingernails to our innate potential for playing the piano. By analysing genes, we can trace the geographic route taken by our ancestors back to an ultimate birthplace in Africa, at the dawn of our species. Further, if we take any two individuals and compare their genes, we will find that they share a more recent ancestor - living, in all probability, outside Africa. What is more, I believe that we can now prove where those ancestors lived and when they left their homelands. This remarkable proof has become fully possible only within the last decade, as a result of pioneering work by a number of people. Many of us have wondered what we would find if we could perhaps board a time machine and travel back through the generations of our ancestors. Where would it take us? Would we find ourselves to be distantly related to some famous or notorious person? How many generations would we pass through before we arrived at the first humans? Does our line continue back to monkeys, and beyond to worms and single-celled creatures, as Darwin maintained? We know from dry biology lessons at school that this ought to be so, but as with the uncertainty of what happens to us after we die, it is hard to fully grasp. We are now so used to the pace of technical advances that the sense of wonder fades with each new one. Yet, until very recently,...
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...Sarju Patel BC607 Assignment 7.1 Oil Producers vs. Oil Users Oil is a unique and finite commodity. Every person in the world is affected by oil and it plays a vital role within modern society. It has also been associated with conflict since the First World War. The importance of oil is such that nationals and ethnic groups are prepared to go to war for this commodity if necessary. As such, a unique set of economic circumstances and policy issues surround oil. These include oil’s links to industrialization, economic growth, the distribution of wealth, and global warming. Oil is vital to the functioning of the economy of individual countries as well as the global economy. It plays an essential role in transport systems (ground, air and sea), agriculture, chemicals, and the military. Thousands of products are made using oil including plastics, pesticides, paints, inks, synthetic fibers, solvents, medicines, and other vital everyday use products. The reality is that oil is all around us, even when it is not being used in vehicle or other transport engines. Since oil is a finite commodity, concerns about when the supply of oil will decline and run out is of paramount importance and concern. The world’s supply of readily accessible oil is declining simply because more oil is being extracted than being discovered. New technologies that gain access to reservoirs previously hard to access may extend the life of these reserves. However, demand for oil in developed...
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...Cambodia Source: http://cambodia.panda.org/wwf_in_cambodia/endangered_species Special thanks to: Samnang SAN Student of Faculty of Forestry, Royal University of Agriculture for providing Khmer names to some of the wildlife below. Just 50 years ago, large herbivores like Banteng, Asian Elephant, and Eld’s Deer as well as predators like Indochinese tiger and leopard were so abundant in the Dry Forests of North and Northeast Cambodia that scientists compared this ecoregion to the savannas of East Africa. In the troubled decades that followed, however, habitat destruction and hunting greatly reduced animal numbers and diversity. Today, the largest intact dry forests in Indochina remain in north-eastern Cambodia in an area known as the Eastern Plains Landscape (EPL). Cambodia large variety of habitats both on land and in water are home to a significant diversity of threatened wildlife species. Among mammals, wild cattle and deer species as well as predators like tiger and leopard still roam the remote forests of the Eastern Plains Landscape, while a small population of Irrawaddy Dolphin inhabits the Cambodian section of the Mekong River. Birds are equally plentiful - especially Cambodia's populations of large waterbirds in both forests and wetlands stand out as globally significant. The Mekong River is also home to several endangered and iconic fish and reptile species, and critically endangered Siamese crocodile have been observed in the Eastern Plains'...
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...OPPORTUNITIES IN THE CURRICULUM 1 Rights and Responsibilities Curriculum of Inclusion Inclusive Learning Responding To Diversity Discrimination, Harassment and Bullying Celebrating the diversity of achievement Learning Support Needs and interests of communities Respecting Diversity Beyond Europe – Encompassing World knowledge in Teaching & Learning Learner Support Skills and Knowledge for Work in the Multicultural World Differentiation of Teaching and Learning Citizenship Legal Compliance Ofsted Inspection EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES IN THE VOCATIONAL CURRICULUM ©Gordon Ffrench Associates Depending on the nature of the subject and the learners, it includes some or all of the following ingredients: Inclusive teaching which takes account of the diverse learning needs, styles and preferences of learners. Responsive teaching which aims to manage the learning experience in a way which empowers and validates the diverse perspectives of learners. ©Gordon Ffrench Associates 3 Anti-discriminatory teaching which teaches learners about their rights and responsibilities to each other in the classroom, the workplace and the wider society. Attitudinal teaching which fosters understanding of how stereotyped attitudes and prejudiced thinking damage relationships, hinder communication and are therefore bad for education and bad for business. Diversity teaching which acknowledges and celebrates the contributions of men and women of all backgrounds, ages, cultures, religions...
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...bordering South-Southern Nigeria and South-Western Cameroon, an area recognized as a biodiversity hotspot characterized by species diversity and endemism (Edet, 2011). The subspecies is one of the most critically endangered primates of Africa (Oates et al., 2008; IUCN, 2013). The subspecies is also one of the world’s 25 most endangered primates (Mittermeier et al., 2009). As humans extend their land use, Cross River gorilla habitat is rapidly disappearing, and this may have adverse effects on number of individuals within the subspecies. The Cross River gorilla, Gorilla gorilla diehli, chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes vellorosus) and drill (Mandrillus leucophaeus), though legally protected by the Endangered Species Decree 11 of 1985, are some of the primates hunted for bushmeat and other purposes (Edet, 2011). The Major threat to the survival of the subspecies is lack of thorough conservation strategy necessary for its protection. The survival of this endangered species and ecosystems depends on long-term participation and understanding of local populations (Oates, 1999). Due to the close relationship between cultural diversity and biodiversity, traditional knowledge systems play an important role when developing species conservation and management strategies (Caldecott et al., 2005; Hens, 2006). For example, the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD) (article 8j) calls for parties to respect, preserve, and apply knowledge and practices of indigenous and local communities...
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...Global warming is the rise in the average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans since the late 19th century and its projected continuation. Since the early 20th century, Earth's mean surface temperature has increased by about 0.8 °C (1.4 °F), with about two-thirds of the increase occurring since 1980. scientists are more than 90% certain that it is primarily caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gasses produced by human activities. A greenhouse gas (sometimes abbreviated GHG) is a gas in an atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect.The primary greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere are water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone. The causes of increasing greenhouse gases are: Burning fossil fuels, thus releasing into the atmosphere carbon that has been safely stored for millions of years by burning coal, oil and natural gas for transport and electricity. An enormous demand for electricity. The growing population of the earth all want cars, refrigerators, air-conditioning and a double garage. Most electricity is generated by burning coal. A constant and growing demand for red meat. Cattle belch out methane, a toxic greenhouse gas, much more dangerous than carbon dioxide. More and more forests and bushland, which absorb carbon dioxide from the air, are being cut down so more cattle can graze. A reduction in the planet's ability to remove...
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