aprisby's blog

Jaguars are an endangered species whose populations began to fall in the mid 1900s due to excessive poaching and hunting. Human development has also decreaed their populations, between building expansions and an increase in agricultural fields. Conservation should give this species top priority because jaguar populations continue to decline and suffer as a direct result of human impact. As a keystone species, jaguars help maintain balance in the food chain as the top predator by controlling populations of subspecies. Ecology can help conserve this species through the protection and conservation of designated habitat patches and corridors so that jaguars may be allowed space which will allow for the ability to survive and grow. Providing protection for the connectivity between different landscapes will allow the jaguars to be able to expand their population gene pool, which will then in turn create a healthier, more stable population. Ecology itself will allow humans to better understand changes in populations, and how more space will allow for increased population growth.

Jaguars are an endangered species which through poaching and habitat loss, populations began to fall in the mid 1900s. Human development has also hindered their populations, between building expansions and an increase in agricultural fields. Conservation should give this species top priority because jaguar populations continue to decline and suffer as a direct result of human impact. Jaguars help keep a balance in the food chain as a top predator, as they help to control populations of subspecies. Ecology can help conserve this species through the protection and conservation of designated habitat patches and corridors so that jaguars may be allowed space and ability to survive and grow. Providing protection for the connectivity between different landscapes will allow the jaguars to be able to expand their population gene pool, which will then in turn create a healthier, more stable population. Ecology itself will allow humans to better understand changes in populations, and how more space will allow for increased population growth. Ecology cannot help with the politics and law behind creating these protected habitat patches and preventing further illegal poaching and deforestation. It also cannot account for the enormous financial expenses that would be required to conserve these patches.

Monticello is located just outside of Charlottesville, Virginia, which has a four-season humid subtropical climate with all months being well-watered, though the period from May to September is the wettest. Winters are somewhat cool but mild, and Summers are hot and humid. The site was excavated using test units of equal sizes to keep the sampling strategy consistent. Each test unit was excavated stratigraphically using shovels and hand trowels. Stratigraphic layers were differentiated by soil color and texture. All of the sediment removed from the test units was sifted through a screen, and all artifacts were collected and labeled according to unit and layer. Summertime temperatures are high in the region, with indoor temperatures of around 100 °F. Jefferson himself is known to have been interested in ancient temperature-control techniques such as ground-cooled air and heated floors. Monticello's large central hall and aligned windows were designed to allow a cooling air-current to pass through the house.

We will investigate the effect resource petitioning can have upon two species of birds that exist within the same habitat. The goal of this study is to analyze differences between beak size and shape, habitat and how they obtain their food. We will use the University of Massachusetts Amherst avian collection to collect data on bill length, depth, and width from preserved bird skins. We will use this collection because it will allow us to compare beak measurements of different species using a primary source of data. We will also use reliable ornithology research articles to find information on habitat types, behavior, and diet that will be used to compare bird species.

One permaculture principle that can be applied to this intervention is Observe and Interact. We used it by observing how much water toilets waste per flush, combined with about how many times people go to the bathroom every day. Then, we came up with the idea of more eco-friendly toilets that could be implemented to save a lot more water, and in turn, reduce costs. Another permaculture principle that we used to plan our idea was Use and Value Renewable Resources and Services. The renewable resource in this case is fresh, clean water, which we have limited supply of. Since water is so valued, we should make an effort to contaminate less, so toilets that use less water to flush waste would be best. By adding more efficient toilets, less energy and fossil fuels is also used to clean the water in water treatment plants, further reducing waste and pollution. A third permaculture principle we used was Design from Patterns and Details. We observed that each day, people mostly go to the bathroom in the dorm at two major times, in the morning, and night. That is the time when people usually do their business before class, or bed. Another pattern we observed was the amount of flushing. Students would do either two things, flush, using a lot of water, or just not flush, leaving behind a disgusting mixture of their waste for the next person to discover. By installing low-flush toilets, people can always flush, reducing water usage, while also creating a cleaner bathroom.

We started by placing our vial full of adult flies in the refrigerator in a bucket of ice for at least 15 minutes, until the flies stopped moving, then moved this vial to our ice bucket to prepare to sort the flies. At the same time we labeled 4 plastic vials with our group name, lab section, and the date and treatment (appropriate ecdysone hormone concentrations), and put 2 grams of dehydrated fly media in the bottom of each tube, then added 10 mL of water or the appropriate concentration of reagent (control (water), 0.1, 1.0, and 10 µM of ecdysone), and mixed to create blue, uniform medias in each vial. Then we added flies to the vials by using a soft brush to gently sweep two male and two female flies into each separate vial, inserting cotton stoppers, and laying the vials on their sides until the flies regain consciousness. The vials were then placed into incubators.

About three quarters of all species on Earth died out in the Late Devonian mass extinction, though as a series of extinctions over several million years, rather than one event. Life that existed in shallow waters and seas were the the most affected; reefs were hit so hard that it was not until corals evolved over 100 million years later that reefs returned to their former glory. Aside from reef-building organisms, other groups that were hit hard include the brachiopods and the trilobites. During this time period, much of the sea bed became devoid of oxygen, which made it only sustainable for bacteria. Changes in sea level, asteroid impacts, climate change and new species of plants messing with the soil have all been probable causes for these extinctions. A major extinction, the Kellwasser event marked the beginning of the last phase of the Devonian period, the Famennian faunal stage about 375-360 million years ago. A second mass extinction, the Hangenberg event, closed the Devonian period. It is still unclear as to the extent of time during these extinctions, as it is uncertain whether there were two sharp mass extinctions or a series of smaller extinctions.

Mnemiopsis (comb jelly) are species of jellyfish native to the Atlantic Coast that became an invasive species released into the Black Sea. At the time, the Black Sea was already facing problems due to increased inputs of nutrients. This process is called eutrophication, an increase in the nutrient content of an ecosystem. Mnemiopsis is a carnivore that feeds primarily on zooplankton. Mnemiopsis increased rapidly causing populations of zooplankton to decrease, phytoplankton to increase, oxygen concentrations to decrease, and fish to rapidly decrease. This is an example of how populations change. Populations can change from birth, death, immigration, and emigration. Population dynamics and fluctuations are how populations change in abundance overtime, and may rise and fall about the mean. In 1989, the population of comb jelly had reached the highest levels, causing a massive drop in populations of other species. This was an example of population outbreak which occurs when populations are exploding in numbers. Population cycles are alternating periods of high and low abundance occur after constant intervals of time. They may be caused by Internal factors (hormones or behavioral changes) or external factors (weather, food, predators).

Each group will use quantitative data already collected and available on the beak sizes and shapes of their two species. This will have been collected from the University of Massachusetts Amherst Ornithology collection of bird skins. We will collect and present the beak morphology through a chart [and pictures..?] for each group. They will then be able to draw their own conclusions. Additionally, we will use the database, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Birds of North America which provides an extensive range of information on each bird species in North America. It provides tabs on appearance, systematics, distribution, migration, habitat, diet and foraging, sounds, behaviors, populations, conservation, research, as well as tables on bird measurements. The database, South Dakota Birds, Birding, and Nature also provides an overview of bird species in North America.