If you watch or read the news, you get the idea that biodiversity concerns are principally about pandas. Tigers, elephants, whales, polar bears, etc. These are what conservation biologists refer to as the flagship species biodiversity, i.e. species who you are likely to recognize and care about. The flagship ecosystems are tropical rainforests and coral reefs. No matter how you divide up the planet in terms of what is important from a sustainability perspective, biodiversity is always one of the main categories.

This probably seems strange to the average person who wonders why scientists are so concerned about the survival of these species. After all, will the planet really be in peril if they end up existing only in zoos? The reality is that the biodiversity concerns of scientists are with the entire, vast array of millions of species from tiny to large that drive ecosystem functions, functions upon which we humans depend in innumerable ways. The other reality is that it usually takes something as a cute as a panda or big as an elephant to get the attention of most people.

photosynthesis and nutrient cycling

System functions are things such as photosynthesis. And nutrient cycling which are dependent on bacteria, fungi, algae, plankton at one end and plants, herbivores, and carnivores at the other end. System functions also include physical processes such as rainfall, wind, ocean currents, etc. Both ends of the living component (large species and small species) need to be in balance for the systems to function in a manner that works optimally for humans as well as the organisms that comprise the systems. The “work” that these organisms do that we take advantage of without having to “pay” anything for is referred to as ecosystem services, i.e. the ecological systems and species are providing a service to humans for free.

An example would be the breakdown of organic materials in the soil by bacteria and fungi that is needed for plant growth which translates into successful farming. At an even higher level, tropical rainforests are the water pumps that initiate the movement of the atmosphere which determines climate patterns worldwide. Take a look at this video to see what that looks like – Global Atmospheric Circulation  Now that is one heck of an ecosystem function! In addition, there are millions of other uses made of species from antibiotics to foods and medicines for everything from blood thinners (saliva from vampire bats) to cancer medicines – some of the latter are made from snake venoms, vampire bat saliva, etc. The list goes on and on.

Biodiversity, Ecosystem Services, & Environmental Decline

Unfortunately, much of the world’s biodiversity is in serious trouble due to both the direct and indirect actions of human activities. The situation has become so obvious and acute that there is a serious proposal to create a new geological period name, the Anthropocene, to formally recognize human dominance over the planet. Read this recent piece to get a better idea of what is happening beyond our many city limits. Species Decline Dramatic.

INSTRUCTIONS

Read Chapters 5-7 in the eText and do a web search to provide information and data to address the following questions. There are dozens of videos on biodiversity and ecosystem services on YouTube and ScienceDaily, ScienceNews, Google, and Wikipedia are excellent places to search for information.

Choose a single ecosystem of any type – desert, prairie, tropical rainforest, boreal forest, etc. – of your choice and briefly describe its diversity.

For the ecosystem that you chose, describe 3 ecosystem services it provides to humans.

 public health professional within a state health department

Imagine that you are a working public health professional within a state health department. Your supervisor wants you to research the pathophysiology of diseases caused by food or water. In this work Assignment, you may choose a topic dealing with either a food or waterborne disease. Your supervisor requires that your report must focus on the pathophysiological, biological nature of the disease. Furthermore, your supervisor asks that you discuss. And evaluate the basis of public health laws, policies, or regulations related to this disease. You must assess how our current understanding of the disease serves as a basis for public health laws, policies, or regulations related to this disease.

Your supervisor asks that you present your findings in a professional report, with the following sections: abstract, introduction, literature review, conclusions, and recommendations. A superior report contains scholarly depth, current APA format, proofreading for spelling and grammatical errors, logical flow of ideas and a logical conclusion, overall scholarly style and tone, and academic references throughout.

primary sources

Your report should include at least two (2) primary sources (current, peer-reviewed journal articles found through the Library). And at least six (6) total scholarly sources.

The body of the paper should be 4–5 pages, double spaced. Not counting the title page, table of contents, abstract, and reference list. Papers must be posted to the Dropbox by the end of Unit 9. The viewpoint and purpose of this Assignment should be clearly established and sustained. Assignment should follow the conventions of Standard American English (correct grammar, punctuation, etc.). Your writing should be well ordered, logical, and unified, as well as original and insightful. Your work should display superior content, organization, style, and mechanics.

All papers must include the following sections, at minimum: Introduction (subsections to include statement of the problem. Significance of the problem, and background), Literature Review (with topic-appropriate subsections). And Conclusions and Recommendations.

1) Title page

2) Abstract: Abstracts must be concise and specific. The basic idea of an abstract is to provide what was done in the paper. Including the key four or five findings, and the conclusion. Background information is not included in an abstract, nor are generalities. Abstract should be completed after you have written the rest of the paper. Albeit its placement at the beginning of the paper.

3) Table of Contents

4) Introduction: This must include the statement of the problem and the significance of the problem (validate with text citations and statistics). This section also includes any background and general information that is useful to understand the literature review that follows. For some topics, this may include historical context. Remember to introduce the public health law, policy, or regulation too.

5) Literature Review

: This is the heart of the paper. This section includes the analysis of the current (within 9 years) or gold standard primary literature and should consist of presentation of hypotheses, study methods, results, and conclusions in the student’s own words. Compare and contrast studies. Analyze them for flaws and value. Consider studies with conflicting results and similar results and postulate reasons for this as well as conclusions to be drawn. Organization of the literature review section may vary according to the topic, but this section should demonstrate a cohesive connection between all of the primary articles being discussed. Page numbers are required. The use of transitional statements is strongly encouraged.

6) Conclusions and Recommendations: This section is designed to pull together all of the information, including reiterating the significance of the problem and presenting the overarching conclusions of the current research that was analyzed in the literature review. The paper must include a discussion of the law, policy, or regulation level of consistency with what we know about the underlying biology and microbiology of the disease and recommendations for further policies, legislation, interventions, and/or research.

7) Reference List: All references that were cited in the text must appear here in APA format, single spaced with hanging indent. Full credit will not be given should the reference list lack the minimum number of two primary research articles. Keep in mind that most final papers will need many more than four to make the paper complete.

Theatre class

If you were unable to take the personal test revisit the Spotlight in Chapter 10 to identify your intelligences. {{{{{Discuss which intelligence(s) best defines you and discuss why.}}}}}

My intelligences down below

(((4. Spatial – ability to understand and manipulate space 5. Bodily-kinesthetic – ability related to using the body as a primary means of expression)))

Spatial intelligence. This is the ability to sense and retain visual images and to mentally manipulate them. It includes the abilities to transform two-dimensional images into three-dimensional objects and to make mental models, which are the key to understanding many scientific concepts. Sculptors, architects, football coaches, and theatre directors must have a high degree of this type of intelligence. It is also important to anyone who must read maps or create diagrams. •

Bodily kinesthetic intelligence. At first the idea of body movements as a form of intelligence may seem strange but our brain controls our muscles and allows us to judge the timing, force, and extent of our movements. When certain parts of the brain are injured, motor movements can be impaired even though the muscles are fully capable. This type of intelligence also includes eye-hand coordination and fine motor movements. Athletes, dancers, pianists, and actors need a high level of bodily kinesthetic intelligence