Sunday, October 30, 2011

Dirt the Movie!

       The movie helped me learn a lot about dirt. For one thing I had no clue that dirt had so many little biotic micro organisms in it. I did know that dirt was made up of decomposed/decomposing plant and animal mater though. I think maybe if we composted things like paper and plant scraps that we would have less waste and less need for landfills. Instead of using cement we could use hardened mud for things like flooring, mud also can make plaster, it would keep the houses cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. In history if you pay attention civilizations rose to power when they began agriculture. They used methods so as not to use up all of the nutrients in the soil. This was smart but now we plant in the same fields one kind of crop and we plant in the same field every year. This can cause the soil to become less nutritious to the plants. We use nitrogen fertilizer and it causes the algae in the Gulf of Mexico to grow until fish are smothered and strangled in it. Now, I realize that dirt is important to daily life everywhere and if we treat it properly we can solve a lot of issues.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Current Event

Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? Coyotes
 Sept. 11, 2007
by the Wildlife Conservation Society 
 Studies show that coyote population in areas also inhabited by wolves can result in around a 30% decrease in population. Coyotes are beginning to form packs to increase their odds when attacked by wolves. Even wolves don't top the mortality rate that humans cause on coyotes. About 29% is the mortality rate caused by humans on coyotes, wolves have only caused a 39% decrease in the coyote population in Yellow Stone since their reintroduction but this new behavior seems to keep the numbers from too low.
       I really liked this article wolves are my favorite animal and studying their behavior is one of the debates I have when I think about what career I would like to have, so I found it easy to read this article. Wolves and coyotes will always be rivals but they both definitely contribute to their ecosystem(s).

Bibliography:Wildlife Conservation Society. "Who's Afraid Of The Big, Bad Wolf? Coyotes." ScienceDaily, 11 Sep. 2007. Web. 26 Oct. 2011.

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Current Event

Tree Frogs Chill Out To Collect Precious Water
September 29, 2011
University of Chicago Press Journals



       Recent Studies show that tree frogs cause for climbing trees on cold nights is to retrieve dew that condenses on the leaves, by standing still the dew condenses on the frog, the frog then in the mourning when the sun warms it up crawls back to its den where the dew is absorbed by its skin. Studies show that the tree frog collects almost 1present of its body weight in water. This is enough for the tree frog to survive the dry season. 
       I thought this article was really interesting. Learning about animal survival instincts helped me make a connection with this article. I didn't know that tree frogs were that smart.

MLA Bibliography: University of Chicago Press Journals. "Tree frogs chill out to collect precious water." ScienceDaily, 29 Sep. 2011. Web. 9 Oct. 2011.