Ecosystems

Fresh water lake ecosystems are very susceptible to invaders which degrade lake habitats and food webs. The Chinese mystery snail (Bellamya chinensis), referred to as Bellamya, is an understudied invasive species that is becoming more abundant in the fresh water lakes of North America and poses a threat to the ecological community of the Great Lakes. Understanding how Bellamya can effect lake ecology is critical to preventing the possible extinction of native snail species and the degradation of…

scientific principle that drives all environmental and ecosystem management decisions are sustainability. Sustainability is defined by Miller & Spoolman, (2009) as the “Ability of earth’s various systems, including human cultural systems and economies, to survive and adapt to changing environmental conditions indefinitely.” Applying this definition to ecology, there are four scientific principles of sustainability that highlight how the ecosystem has naturally sustained itself for billions of…

This is one way in which energy is transferred between organisms in an ecosystem. The energy is used for a number of life processes. In a food chain only around 10 per cent of the energy is passed on to the next level. The rest of the energy passes out of the food chain in a number of ways: 1. via heat energy 2. is used for life processes (for example movement) 3. uneaten parts that pass to decomposers 4. is excreted and passes to decomposers. As less energy is transferred at each level…

microbiome, and how does it change when introduced to new microbes. First, was the fact that every individual has their own microbial ecosystem specific to themselves. Where one lives and what someone eats can define the makeup of these ecosystems on the skin, in the mouth, and in the gut. These items are relevant to the classroom in that we must be aware of this dynamic ecosystem, especially when prescribing antibiotics. Results from the handshake experiment conducted in the podcast showed…

A symbiotic relationship is the interaction between two species living closely together. Mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism are the three main categories of symbiotic relationships. These relationships are important in maintaining a stable ecosystem because they are similar to cause and effect. Both parties in the symbiotic relationship play a key role, and one of them missing from the equation would mean disastrous effects. In the movie, we see an example of mutualism between Scar and the…

Alibaba is the largest online and mobile commerce company in the world in terms of gross merchandise volume in 2013, according to industry sources. Alibaba operate its ecosystem as a platform for third parties, and do not engage in direct sales, compete with merchants or hold inventory. Alibaba operate Taobao Marketplace, China’s largest online shopping destination, Tmall, China’s largest third-party platform for brands and retailers, in each case in terms of gross merchandise volume, and…

human interactions, which depleted the natural resources and destroyed the ecosystems. He states that Native Americans and Europeans played a significant role in changing these landscapes. According to Cronon, Native Americans and Europeans affected the New England ecosystem very differently in their relationship with the economy and living style. Firstly, the arrival of Europeans had significantly changed the New England ecosystem in the Colonial Era. European were driven by capitalism in…

Besides the usage of our powers to bring lower back charismatic species, de-extinction has to restore crucial functions that these misplaced animals performed, and consequently advantage other inhabitants of their ecosystems. De-extinction is also almost irresistibly cool .…

can have a devastating impact on the aquatic ecosystem, in particular that of Daphnia.  For years, pesticides have been known to have devastating impact on the ecosystems surrounding the agricultural centers they are used in. On a regular basis, run-off from farms that utilize both fertilizers and pesticides can seep into the watershed and slowly trickle into bodies of water where these chemicals can have a devastating effect on the ecosystem. Pesticides are a large variety of chemicals…

Deep sea mining is a fairly new issue within the scientific community only being utilized in mineral collecting for the past two decades (Theil). Although this action is fairly new, it still can have devastating effects on ecosystems, especially the seafloor. “Because of the high demand for minerals and metals for making technological items, this new way of mining has gathered a lot of attention in the last five years. Three forms of deep-sea mineral resources have been considered thus far for…