Developing Regionalism

Developing Regionalism 1790 * South produces 3,135 bales of cotton * Scarcely 100,000 white settlers lives in Trans-Appalachia * Great cities such as Chicago and Pittsburgh are still small villages * Land companies start hawking vast areas of New York, Ohio, and Kentucky to prospective settlers * Huge increase in national population start 1793 * Eli Whitney develops cotton gin, designed to strip fibers from the seeds. Speed up laborers’ work and raised value of southern land, opened economic opportunities 1800 Average farm at this time is no more than 100 to 150 acres, due to division of farms* Nearly 20 percent of male taxpayers in southeastern Pennsylvania are single (evidence that young men delayed marriage until they could establish themselves financially. ) * Southern agriculture is in disarray†¦ low prices, land exhausted for its fertility, and the loss of laves during the revolutionary war left Chesapeake economy in shambles * Absentee landlords have engrossed much of present-day West Virginia, Tennessee, and western Carolinas. 1803 * Georgia and South Carolina alone import 20,000 new slaves 1805 Cotton accounts for 30 percent of the nation’s agricultural exports * Human tide appears to grow in trans-Appalachia. 1808 * Slave trade ends 1810* Number of people living in trans-Appalachians grows to 1 million 1820 * South’s cotton output mushrooms to 334,378 bales 1830 * As Northeast’s population and demands grow, the region’s once heavily forested landscape depletes. * Dramatic changes in port cities of Northeast: region contains four cities of more than 50,000 * Cities in trans-Appalachia like Chicago and Pittsburgh hold 30 percent of nation’s population. New York finally establishes safe and adequate water supply with the construction of the Croton Aqueduct. * Indian-White Relations 1790 * Vast areas of trans-Appalachians still controlled by Native American tribes * Federal govt. starts to establish policies that would govern Indian-White relations* Non-intercourse act of 1790: declares that public treaties that were ratified by Congress would be the only legal means of obtaining Indian land. 1793 * Congress appropriates $20,000 to promote literacy, agriculture, and vocational instruction among Indians. 794 * President Washington sends General Anthony Wayne to smash Indian resistance in Northwest. White settlers won against Indians at the Battle of Fallen Timbers. Treaty of Grenville is passed, opening the heart of the Old Northwest to white control. 1799 * Iroquois prophet, Handsome Lake begins preaching combination of Indian and white ways: temperance, peace, land retention, and a new religion combining elements of Christianity and traditional Iroquois belief. 1808 * Cherokee National Council adopts a written legal code combining elements of U.S. and Indian Law 1809 * Shawnee leaders Tecumseh and Tenskwatawa start to warn regional tribes about the dangers that would come. They form al liances and established headquarters and Kithtippecanoe. Tecumseh carries his message south to the Creek and Cherokee, seeming very bitter. 1811 * Even though southern tribes refuse to join, more than 1,000 fighting men gather at Kithitippecanoe. 1813 * Red Sticks (fighting Creeks) carries out series of devastating raids and assaulted Fort Mims on the Alabama river, killing 500 men, women, and children. 1814 Climax of Creek War: While American cannon fire rakes the Red Stick’s town of Tohopeka, Cherokee warriors cut off all hope of retreat. More than 800 Native Americans dies afterwards as Andrew Jackson finishes his victory with destroying the rest of the Red Stick towns. 1820 * More than 1,300 black slaves in the Cherokee nation. 1822 * Congress abolishes factory system where Indians would go for fairer treatment 1824 * Tribal law forbids intermarriage with blacks in Cherokee nation. 1827 * Cherokee National Council devises written constitution similar to those of nearby st ates.Council also issues bold declaration that Cherokee were an independent nation with full sovereignty over their lands. 1829 * Cherokee government makes it an offense punishable by death for any member of the tribe to transfer land to white ownership without the consent of tribal authorities. Perfecting a democratic society 1790 * Second Great Awakening starts to sweep across nation. Americans by the tens of thousands sought personal salvation and social belonging in the shared experience of religious revivalism. * Charitable institutions in the nation are only at around 50. Establishment of female academies starts.* 20% of Methodist church members are black 1794 * Bethel African American Methodist Church in Philadelphia is organized by Richard Allen and small group of black Methodists. 1800 * 20 year old slave Gabriel devised a plan to arm 1,000 slaves for an assault on Richmond, VA. 1805 * New York’s Mayor DeWitt Clinton asks state legislature for help 10,000 impoverishe d New Yorkers/ 1814 * Relief agencies assist nearly 1/5 of the city’s population. 1816 * Women and children suffers disproportionately from poverty, outnumbering men. American Colonization Society found: supported colonizing free blacks in western Africa enjoyed widespread support among northern white men and women. 1819* Depression of economy: triggered by financial panic caused by the unsound practices of hundreds of newly chartered state banks 1820 * Depression was lifting, but left behind broken fortunes and shattered dreams * Most blacks in northern cities lived in autonomous households * In New Orleans, free blacks accounted for 46 percent of the black population. 1823 Proslavery mob in Illinois torches state capital and threatens Governor Edward Coles for his efforts to end de facto slavery in the sate 1829 * One of every 10 residents in Cincinnati was black, city leaders announces that they would begin enforcing Ohio’s black laws by requiring black residents to carry certificates certifying their free status. 1830* Rich cultural ad institutional life takes root in the black neighborhoods of American cities. War of 1812 1810 * Election of 1810 brings Congress new members, firmly Jeffersonian in party loyalty but impatient with administration’s foreign policy and demanding tougher measures 1812 Madison declares war against Britain: due to general British arrogance and America’s continuing humiliation * Emotions ran high among Federalist critics and Jeffersonian Republican supporters of the war. Bloody riots emerge in Baltimore. Several people were badly beaten in the streets. 1813 * Oliver Hazard Perry- defeats British fleet on Lake Erie. Marked an impressive American victory in war of 1812 and ends any threat of British invasion from Canada and weakens British-Indian alliance that menaces American interests in the region. 1814 August- British troops torch Capitol in Washington DC* December- Hartford Convention: 5 New England states meet to debate proposals for secession. * Christmas Eve- Treaty of Ghent ends war, British agreed to evacuate western posts, but ignores other outstanding issues. 1815 * Andrew Jackson’s smashing victory against British and New Orleans- Most dramatic American triumph but had little to do with the war’s outcome. * Nation starts to focus energies around internal development- occupying more land, building economy, and reforming American Society Politics in Transition 816 * Madison signs bill creating second Bank of the United States to help stimulate economic expansion and regulate the loose currency-issuing practices of countless state-chartered banks 1820* Henry Clay with National Republicans proposed more tariffs and internal improvements in the American System 1824 * Election of 1824: Adams wins, marks the fall of the Federalist-Jeffersonian party system * Louisa Catherine Adams: launched strong campaign for Adams in the election of 1824, showing women’s increase role in politics.

Business Payment Methods Essay

At this time of building my business I need to consider the ways in which I will permit my customers to pay for the books that they buy from my book store. Today there are a wide array of payment solutions available for any buyer of goods and services and to buy books, almost all modes of payment available can be used by the customer whether it is electronically or by direct use of card at the shop or by paying in cash. If the customer is   regular and can be trusted or is a regular bulk customer, check payments can also be accepted. In view of the competitions in the sale of books I have to take some element of risk in this regard in keeping with the business practices. For direct sales at the store a wide choice of payments are available to the customer. He can pay directly in cash or by credit or debit card. I believe cash payment has the least hassles applicable as the money has already come in the moment a sale is done. In the ase of debit and credit cards a wide margin has to be provided for without any applicable discounts since a percentage of the sale amount has to be given to the financial institutions as part of the applicable commission for use of their services. The business of electronic payments is growing rapidly in view of the convenience involved and a wide array of payment options are available which are acceptable in the case of my book store. In addition to the tradition card payments other options are also cceptable to me such as mail order, online payments, acquiring bank payments and through payment bureaus. I understand that as long as a sale is taking place I can accept 2 any of these payment modes provided the financial institution is reputed to make fast payments and is reliable for its transparency in fair dealings. In such cases I may have to reduce my margins a little, but that is ok since most businesses work on volumes and hence I can make up on the low margins.

Nursing Precpetor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Nursing Precpetor - Essay Example This definition describes the many roles or functions the preceptor fills, and illustrates how difficult and complex it is to be a preceptor. Furthermore, being a preceptor is especially important since it affects the quality of care given by preceptees (the new nurses or student nurses which are taught and guided by the preceptors) to patients. As highlighted in the analysis of the available literature on the subject, preceptorship is an "essential part of the socialization and professional development of nurses with a new registerable qualification" (OMalley, Cunlitte & Breeze, 2000. It was also found by Davis (2003) that the professional development of nurses, which is incorporated in the preceptorship program, is linked to high quality service provision (as cited in Davidson, Glasper & Donaldson, 2005). Hence, it is obvious that the preceptorship improves the quality of care being given to patients. A preceptor has many responsibilities, which can be divided into two groups- fundamental responsibilities and procedural responsibilities. The ones of the former group are: commitment to the role of the preceptor and desire to teach and share expertise with co-workers. The responsibilities of the latter group, the procedural responsibilities, include: orientation and socialization or the preceptees to the unit, assessment of the developing objectives of the preceptees, being a role model, observing and evaluating the preceptees, giving constructive criticism and supporting, facilitating preceptees development, supervising patient care provided by the preceptees to ensure it is safe and competent nursing, documenting a summary of the preceptees performance and maintaining strict confidentiality of all preceptee-related information (OMalley, Cunlitte & Breeze, 2000, Smith, 2006). The complexity and multiplicity of the preceptors responsibilities were recognized by Cerinus and Ferguson (1994), and were

Reseach in Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Reseach in Education - Essay Example In terms of education, research plays a vital role as it adds to what was previously known. This will in turn result in the betterment of educators and students’ performances as well as improving communication among those characters situated within the learning environment. The function of research in education is to increase knowledge and provide solutions to problems. In addition to this, research can improve the different methods of teaching. When an educator responds to a question of concern, this is also known as basic research. In contrast, when a reply is more complex, it is termed applied research. Because of this, basic research looks to increase comprehension and knowledge; applied research attempts to fix problems that have been highlighted. Furthermore, make a differentiation between basic research and applied research is a difficulty that thwarts research in the field of educational technology. Throughout this essay we will illustrate the nature of research in edu cation, its procedures, and how educational research can be carried out in the dealings of information and communication technologies. The educational research characteristics: Educational research contains an exclusive environment that is compelled from its extraordinary features. A researcher needs to make sure that these features are included in his or her research and should also be relevant in a useful manner. Researches that encompass a number of these attributes can be thought of as trustworthy resources of information and knowledge. There are many research traits that have been suggested by a number of experts (Tuckman, 1994; Wiersma, 1986). Educational explorations should be valid, dependable, and methodical as wells as taking shape in an assortment of forms. Consistency in our research backs up our hypotheses and proposals. In support of this, Wiersma (1986) remarks, â€Å"validity involves two concepts simultaneously: the extent to which the results can be accurately interpreted and the extent to which the results can be generalized to populations and conditions" (p.4). From this explanation, it can be concluded that validity comprises two level s: internal and external. Also, if research is short of internal validity, thus the conclusions cannot be understood. Following on from this, external validity will also be unavailable for this very reason. However, it is virtually impossible to include both internal and external validity in research (Wiersma, 1986). It is really only a predictability of validity that makes a research’s results both rational and practical. Dependability is one more crucial part of educational research. As Weirsma (1986, p. 6) says, this is â€Å"the consistency of the research.† In other words, research can come up with identical results even if it is recreated under the same conditions as well as the same subjects. If research does not have dependability, it cannot be repeated another time. If so, it will be harder to understand the results and it will even be more impossible to come to a reliable conclusion. The third characteristic involved in research is methodical research. Resear ch is an ordered procedure that can be concluded one step at a time. A methodical research process contains a number of elements that range from locating the problem, re-examining accessible data,

African American Family & Resistance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

African American Family & Resistance - Essay Example In the late eighteenth century, Methodists formulated strong rules against slavery, claiming it to be contrary to the laws of God, and also threatening to excommunicate all slaveholders who did not free their slaves. However, it was not until the rebellion of Nat Turner in 1831 that the white slave owners truly became afraid for their lives. With the view of preserving their lives and their way of life, the southern slave owners got laws passed restricting the rights of the slaves to hold meetings, whether religious or otherwise, and even to read or write. They feared that once the slaves were allowed to do all this on their own, they would no longer be able to be controlled by the slave owners. The reasons behind the slave owners wish for control over the religious schooling of their slaves was not only that by this method they could ensure that the slaves learned to turn the proverbial other cheek, as Christianity preached, but also that this was the only way to ensure that the slaves did not read the bible on their own and got their own message from it, like that of the Exodus. By ensuring that the religious teaching remained in the hands of the whites, the slave owners ensured that only the message they wanted to send across would reach the slaves. One can say that it was their way of portraying Christianity in a light they wished to make the slaves docile and subservient. A lot of this teaching was designed to prevent the slaves from mounting any insurrection and to ensure there were no rebellious thoughts fostering in the minds of the slaves due to a free reading of the Bible by the slaves themselves. In a way Christianity does not deal directly with the prohibition of slavery, there is no verse that specifically denounces it, however, there are chapters in the Bible, especially the Old Testament, that lay bare the fact that whenever there is oppression, God leads the oppressed to safety and

Financial Inclusion in Kiva Org Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 129

Financial Inclusion in Kiva Org - Case Study Example Kiva is one organisation working to bring financial services closer to the excluded the world over and it leverages on technology to achieve its mission. The organisation’s goal is to connect people across the world through lending with the sole aim of alleviating poverty. It gives opportunities for people to lend a minimum of $25 which is used in creating opportunities for poor people around the world. The whole 100% of the lender's money towards funding affordable loans to the needy and once repaid the lenders could withdraw their money in full or lend again to the needy borrowers. Kiva is currently present in 86 countries around the world, works with 293 MFI as field partners and has already disbursed loans worth $683,511,700 with an impressive repayment rate of 98.75% (Kiva.org, 2015) The organisation envisions a world where everyone in the world has the power to create and unleash their own opportunities. For this reason, they are making possible for those who are financially excluded to also access capital that is cheap and safe. Kiva has a worldwide network of volunteers who collaborate with partners to make it possible for the smooth running of its programs. Most of the organisations' funds come from donors and corporate sponsors who share the vision.  Ã‚  

Business environment challenges or trends that threaten the long run Essay

Business environment challenges or trends that threaten the long run performance and survival of the company. Develop a coheren - Essay Example The businesses are also tasked with corporate social responsibility issues and the same time expected to observe business ethics in their daily operations. Facebook Company Case Analysis This company is situated in the United States and it serves over a billion clients in the internet, making it the largest social networking site. Its an internet corporation company that runs the social networking site whereby people express their views and communicate all over the work. By the year 2012, the company had over 4500 employees working on various capacities in the company. The main competitors of Facebook are MySpace, Twitter, LinkedIn, IGLOO, among other companies that offer internet social services (Strategic Management Insight, 2013). STEEPLE Analysis of Facebook SOCIAL TECHNOLOGICAL ECONOMICAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICAL LEGAL ETHICAL Lifestyle changes New inventions and development Economic growth Sustainable energy Trade polices Employment laws Reputation Career and leisure attitudes I ndustrial focus on technological effort Taxation Global warming International trade regulations Contract laws Business ethics Labour and social mobility Rate of technological transfer Competition Threats from natural causes Political stability Consumer protection Client confidentiality From the STEEPLE Analysis, the challenges facing Facebook range from social, technological, economical, environmental, political, legal, and ethical problems. The users and the governments have been expressing privacy concerns leading to legal suit against the company (Marketing Mix, 2013). The privacy issues have made most consumers to question the business ethics of the company resulting to reduced confidentiality. Facebook being the market leader in social networking services enjoys the benefits that come with economics of scale, but the company profits are also subjected to global economic performance. The lifestyle changes and social mobility of most users is also affecting the company since some begin to see Facebook as a social interaction site for the younger generation. Facebook pays tax from their businesses with rates changing from time to time thus largely consuming their profits. There is stiff competition from related companies like Twitter and MySpace who have launched aggressive campaigns and products to outshine Facebook. Facebook was a result of technological invention and others are also exploiting the same to come up with other related services that are likely to give Facebook a strong competition. Facebook being a company with global footing is vulnerable to problems with corporate social responsibility being a major concern facing most companies and Facebook is not exempted. All businesses are expected to practice business ethics in their daily operations to avoid conflicts and hence Facebook must abide by it. Competition is a major threat to all businesses as Facebook is facing competition from MySpace, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Challenges facing Facebook Cor porate Social Responsibility (CSR) The role of the business is critical in ensuring that the corporate social responsibility is well taken care of since businesses can only flourish when the communities around them and their ecosystems are well taken care of (Hart, 1995). There is growing recognition that everything we do has a positive or negative impact on

Fishikawa Diagrams Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fishikawa Diagrams - Assignment Example Being a manufacturing company running business in the manufacturing industry, the company identified five elements of the cause and effect diagram. Each major component of the Fishikawa diagram had various other root causes enumerated below. First, the team identified materials. In this category, we had the shrinking of materials, poor tensioning of the screens, and applying poor squeeging. The environment comes in as the second of the components on the list. Having ambient heat lets the drier temperatures getting out of control as well as failed organization becoming difficult to spot among the products. The method of executing various processes in the company also entailed issues. The team discovered that the current problem was very clear and everyone knew it is big. The company lacked standard process of addressing any issue because the procedure remained vague with scanty details. Among the known problems, the trying temperatures remained all-time high and excessive pressure coming from the squeeze. Lack of standard process constitutes inadequate details on the procedure, too much concentration on inspection raising questions on its fitness, and having machines in the production sector running at a high speed. Deficiencies emanating from the work force include failing to empower the employees to own the production and the business through motivation, allocation of authority, and other ways of increasing commitment. Additional problems from people are questions of resources, increased tension among staffs to deal with all assigned duties, and insufficient appropriate skills. The last element among major causes is machines. Every major constituent of the cause and effect diagram had various other root causes enumerated below. First, the team identified materials. In this category, we had the shrinking of materials, poor tensioning of the screens, and applying poor squeeging. The temperatures from the driers remain

Nathan Hale Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Nathan Hale - Essay Example To be able to identify a terrorist, we must be able to define the terrorist whether it is an individual, an organization, or a sponsoring state. Freedom fighters are generally defined as a local organization, possibly military or pari-military, that is fighting a military force that is believed to be illegally occupying the local territory (Ash 2001). Freedom fighters were instrumental in impeding Nazi aggression across Europe during WWII. Guerrilla warfare is fought by small bands of irregular soldiers usually against an oppressive government in their own country, and generally restricts its targets to military and government facilities. The FBI, CIA, State Department, and United Nations all agree that to attain the label of terrorist they must target the civilian population (Beres n.d.). It may be an individual, a group, an organization, or a country that funds and advocates terrorism. Terrorism must use misappropriated violence or the threat of violence against the civilian populace to alarm or intimidate a government. The Department of Defense further defines terrorism as, "...violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives" (Beres n.d.).

Association Football and B Essay Example for Free

Association Football and B Essay Introduction Soccer is the worlds most popular sport. It is the national sport of most European and Latin-American countries, and of many other nations. Millions of people in more than 140 countries play soccer. The World Cup is held every four years. Soccer is one of the most famous international sports. Soccer is known world wide and is played in the Olympics. In a soccer game there are two teams of 11 players who try to score a point by kicking a ball into the opponents net. Soccer is played on a rectangular field with a net on each short side of the field. All players must hit the ball with their feet or body and only the goalie is allowed to touch the ball with his/her hands. There are many things you can do to condition yourself to play. Soccer the way we play it came from England in the 1800s. Soccer was not that popular until the mid-1900s. Today soccer is very popular and it is one of the nations fastest-growing sports. There are many exercises and drills you can do to improve how you play soccer. There is also many physical conditioning that players can do. Soccer can help you stay fit and healthy. Many people can play soccer and benefit from it. Soccer is very fun and a great recreational sport. History of the Activity Games similar to soccer were played in China as early as 400 BC. In about 200 AD the Romans played a game in which two teams tried to score by advancing a ball across a line on the field. The Romans passed the ball to one another but they never kicked it. London children in about 1100 played a form of soccer in the streets. During the 1800s the people of England played a game similar to soccer. Many rules changed and each person interpreted the rules differently. In 1848 a group of school representatives met at Trinity College in Cambridge and drew up the first of soccer rules. In 1863 English soccer clubs founded the Football Association. By the late 1800s soccer began to spread to the rest of the world. The Canadian Soccer Association was established in 1912 while the United States Soccer Federation was set up in 1913. The first World Cup Championship was in Montevideo, Uruguay. Since then it has been played every four years except during WWII. During the 1970s soccer grew to be a very popular spectator sport as well as participant sport. A soccer game begins with a kickoff in the center of the field. A coin is flipped to decide which team will kickoff. The other team kicks off at the start of the second half when the teams switch sides or nets. After a team scores the other team gets to kickoff to begin again. The kickoff takes place in the middle of the field. When the ball is kicked it must travel the circumference of the ball and touch another player before the kicker can touch the ball again. After the ball is in play it remains in play unless it crosses a goal line or a touch line. All players attempt to stop the ball from coming in their zone while at the same time trying to score a goal. A player may kick the ball into the net with any part of the body except the hands and arms. If the ball goes out of bounds the play is restarted with a corner kick, a goal kick, or a throw-in. The referee decides what type to use. If the ball crosses the goal line and the defensive team touched it last then there is a corner kick by the offense. If the offense touches the ball last and crosses the goal line then it is a goal kick. A throw in happens when the ball crosses the touch line. When it crosses the touch line the team that did not touch it last throws the ball in bounds. The ball is thrown over their head with two hands. Fouls are called when a player does not obey the rules and acts unsportsman-like. When a foul is called the opposite team receives either a penalty kick, a direct free kick or and indirect free kick. Physical Conditioning There are many exercises that people can do to improve in soccer. Exercises that strengthen your legs and improve flexibility are ideal. Physical conditioning is important if you plan on being good at soccer. Here are five exercises that are ideal for soccer: Running: running helps to improve cardiovascular fitness. In soccer there is lots of running for the ball so endurance and a speed is a must. Leg Stretches: using weights can help strengthen the legs. Using weights makes you kick harder and makes the ball travel farther, as a result you become a better player. Leg Machines: exercising all muscles in the leg makes you kick harder and prevents injury when you are diving all over for the ball. The strong muscles help prevent injuries. Stretching: stretching allows you to be more flexible. Sometimes soccer players need to kick the ball in the most awkward positions. Flexibly helps the player to kick the ball in those positions more effectively. Weight Training: all around weight training makes a soccer player even better. A stronger body helps prevent injury and improve all around performance. Practice Drills help the soccer player be more skillful and a better player. There are many drills that can be done. Drills like dribbling to head butting are often used. Some of these drills include: Practicing kicking the ball is a very important and often done drill. To practice the player will kick the ball into the net. Often there is a goalie that they try to score on. Kicking is the most important skill in soccer. Practicing will make your kick stronger and more controllable. Passing is also a very important skill. One drill that can be done is to run side by side with another player and pass the ball back and forth. This skill will improve your passing and receiving skills. Passing is also vital in the game of soccer. Heading is one of the only ways to legally hit the ball when it high in the air. With another player heading can be practiced. One player throws the ball high over top of the other player. The player then will jump up and hit the ball with his forehead and try to control the ball. Heading is very hard and often lots of practice is required. Control of the ball is also very important. By setting up pylons in any order and distance and weaving through them in a pattern like formation can improve your control of the ball. Trying to go quick can also improve your speed of running while dribbling a ball. One on one practice improves both your dribbling and tackling. With two players one is given the ball and must keep the ball away from the other player. While one player is improving his faking and dribbling the other is practicing his defense and tackling. When this drill is done often it can improve your offense as well as defense. Soccer can be done in many age groups. Children often play the sport in school as early as elementary school. Many adults also play the sport. Seniors rarely play soccer because of the easiness it is for them to get injured. Soccer is often very demanding. Soccer for many kids can be very fun. Most children dont think of soccer as work and often enjoy playing soccer. Adults also sometimes find soccer fun and even some adults have careers in the area as a professional soccer player. Soccer is very valuable in obtaining life long fitness. Soccer can be a very demanding sport. Soccer can improve your cardiovascular fitness as well as strength and flexibility. All the physical conditioning and practice drills are very important in keeping fit. Soccer players are able to be healthy and strong because of the physical involvement.

Analysis of CAN Architecture

Analysis of CAN Architecture In 2016 there were 261.8 million cars registered as they are a pivotal part of the economy and peoples everyday lives. Cars were once all mechanically made with carburetors but after development of technologies cars are now running off of fuel injection. The difference between the two is that a carburetor controls fuel flow with mechanical bits that allow a certain amount of fuel to mix with air to go to the cylinders and fuel injectors use a pressurized rail system controlled by a computer with carious camshaft and crankshaft sensors. In the 1980s cars started using computers called the Engine Control Unit( ECUs), which control basic main engine functions such as airflow, fuel and spark. There are ECUs in every car on the road today because with a computer and a set of sensors, the ECU can dynamically tune the car live, increasing performance and lowering emissions. Cars do this with various sensors including Mass Airflow Sensors, temperature sensors, O2 sensors pre and post catalytic converter. The problematic issue arises from the fact that we went from computerizing basic components to computerizing everything. To understand the issue, look at the diagram below to go over some of the things that a typical ECU has control over. Further increasing risk, cars now come with embedded GPS and cellular chipsets connecting the car to the outside world. With everything interconnected, it would not be hard for a hacker to gain access to the whole system through one point in in the system. The way these components communicate is through the CAN bus. The CAN bus is a really bad system when it comes to security because everything is broadcasted on the CAN, requested or not. This is so when a component needs information from another, it doesnt not need to request it, it is always broadcasting so its efficient. Can you guess why thats a security issue? I will now analyze the CAN architecture explaining its design flaws. The CAN protocol was developed because before it was released, every computer component had to be connected with wires to each other, but with CAN bus, everything connected to that central bus and it reduced the wiring complexity saving weight and money. Another reason for its development was for emissions control, and because data is always broadcasted on the CAN bus, the car can dynamically adjust fuel/air ratios to get the cleanest burn with the least emissions. The CAN bus is really good at what it is designed for, but it was never designed for security. The main security flaws that need to be addressed first are unencrypted traffic on the bus, lack of decoupling and segmentation and no authentication of devices. The major security flaw is the lack of encryption, but it was designed purposely like this. It was meant to be lightweight and encrypting data would go against that, especially in the 80s when computing power was very slow. Today this is a critical flaw because the data can be sniffed. This would allow the hacker to sniff data packets, modify the CAN message and inject it back into the system. Another major flaw is the lack of decoupling and segmenting the CAN network. Since everything in the bus os connected to each other, it is possible to gain access to the whole system through something like the infotainment system. This could be devastating because new cars have electronic driven steering and ECU controlled brakes. The last main flaw is that the CAN interface has no authentication method for attached devices, meaning that a hacker can spoof messages and other parts of the ECU will react. For instance, if a hacker can spoof and broadcast a brake signal on the CAN bus, the brakes will activate without the drivers knowledge. These are just some of the concerns I came across during my analysis, but has anyone exploited the CAN bus yet? The answer is yes and its been done multiple times by various research groups. In 2010 researchers from the Center for Automotive Embedded Systems Security published a paper entitled Experimental Security Analysis of a Modern Automobile. They exploited vulnerabilities and discovered that it was possible to change a vehicles functions by injecting spoofed commands onto the CAN bus. They showed that an attacker could disable the brakes, the engine, and change the speedometer values (Koscher et al., 2010). This research was dismissed by many because its very unlikely that someone would have a wired connection to the CAN bus. The team responded with a follow up analysis in 2011 with the diagram below. The electric bolts represent possible points of entry into the CAN bus system. Then put emphasis on Telematics as those are ways to gain access wirelessly, dismissing the media and automakers claims that a connection isnt possible to a car without a wire. more recently in 2015, Charlie Miller successfully exploited a Jeep Cherokee remotely and injected spoofed CAN commands, without making any physical contact with the car. This was groundbreaking as it showed cars could be hacked from anywhere with an internet connection. This was the first time an automaker had to take action, as the Fiat Chrysler Automotive group had to recall more than 1.3 million vehicles. Essentially what Miller did was that he exploited the vehicles infotainment system which governs media and cellular functions of the car. The cellular functions is what caught Millers attention because it gave him a remote way into the car. From there he discovered that the communications system had a microcontroller connected to the CAN bus! This was his point of entry, using this door he got access to everything connected to the CAN bus, which we now know controls the entire car since everything in computerized. To access the car though, Miller had to exploit the vehicles cell ular microcontroller, which was supplied by sprint. All he had to do was port scan and find an open service port. According to sprint shortly after they patched this bug, any sprint device capable of 3g had access to this service port. Normally this port is entirely internal, but sprint did not make its scope private. Because of this bug, he used a 3G sprint device connected to his laptop to remotely gain access to the microcontroller and then the CAN bus. Just as we discussed in class, there is no perfect system and there is no single security solution. The recommended solution, although it might take a while to implement, would have to be encrypted data transmission, hardware backed or not; Device authorization protocols so outside devices cant spoof CAN bus commands; And decoupling/segmentation of the CAN bus network. As professor Kathleen Fisher said, the CAN bus is hopelessly insecure. it was developed decades before cars were connected to the Internet and lacks features to blo ck malware programs or reject commands from unauthorized intruders.

Temptations Of Odysseus Essay -- essays research papers

Temptations of Odysseus   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Odysseus: a hero in every way. He is a real man, skilled in the sports, handy with a sword and spear, and a master of war strategy. Most of the challenges and adventures in his return voyage from Troy show us this even if we had no idea of his great heroic stature and accomplishments in the Trojan war. I found in my reading of the Odyssey that most of the trials the gods place upon him are readily faced with heroic means. These challenges are not necessarily welcomed by Odysseus but accepted as part of his role. He is the hero, its his lot to wield sword and shield and bravely face the next army or monster. Then we begin to see more of the challenges do not require our hero to fight his way out. These threats are the most difficult problems for Odysseus to overcome. The tests like the isle of the lotus eaters, Circe's island, and Calypso's island were the hardest challenges for Odysseus. His encounter with Polyphemus the Cyclops, the Laestrygonians, Charybdis and Scyylla, and the kingdom of the dead: these dangers were on his level, heroic battles where he could fight valiantly and if it was his fate, die valiantly. The challenges where heroic means were not a solution to overcome the danger were the most formidable tasks that could easily destroy Odysseus.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Odysseus and crew are finally on their way home after the war, after nine days on the rough sea, they arrive at the isle of the lotus eaters. The lotus eaters are a group of people who have a lot of fun, thanks to their consumption of the lotus flower. This confrontation provides Odysseus and his crew with the first of their challenges (Odyssey 9:1-103). This threat is definitely one that a heroic confrontation is unlikely. This danger is not any physical threat to him or his men. The lotus eaters create a situation where Odysseus and his crew are tempted by a gift. This gift of immediate gratification threatens to take away several their basic heroic element. By eating the lotus flower they would find immediate happiness, however they would never make it home. They would died old men on that island without their families, they would be broken in a sense. Without the memories of their homes, wives, and children they would be just a shell of who they were. Odysseus would sooner die than to never see Penelope again and be ... ...n or ever see his son. If he couldn't ever get back then there would have been no reason to ever leave. All of his heroic deed would have been in vain and no one would have even remembered him. He could not have fought the suitors and proved himself . The act of returning was always the ultimate goal for Odysseus and the temptations of happiness, beauty, immortality, and eternal youth were much harder for him to pass up every time he had to put his life on the line and fight an army or evade a monster. He could have given in to any of the temptations at any time and never had to endure the pain and strife that came from his homeward journey. Without his heroic resources to help him escape the temptations by battling his way out or using his wit to escape he holds on and endures and finally returns. Dying on the battlefield would be a fantastic ending for a hero such as Odysseus. Dying alone without a fight or giving in and living without ever returning to his home or Penelope would be a fate no hero could accept. He would have been forgotten and others would claim what was his. Odysseus does endure and returns, escaping danger and great temptation to be the hero and claim his own.

The Once And Future King :: essays research papers

Wart and The Master   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many people wish to be an animal if only for a day, just to see what it is like to be that animal. The obvious problem is that nobody knows how to turn himself into an animal. However, in T.H. White's Once and Future King, Wart has the opportunity to experience life as an animal because his tutor, Merlyn the magician, transforms him into many different animals. Of all the adventures, the most significant transformation to Wart's kingship occurs when he becomes a badger because the badger teaches Wart valuable lessons about human behavior.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Wart's transformation into a badger provides him with insight to become a great king. The badger teaches him certain characteristics about humans which help him to rule his kingdom. For example, he states, 'True warfare is what happens between bands of the same species'; (194). The animals in Wart's other transformations teach him only about their societies. The most important information that the badger gives to Wart is that humans are one of the only species in the world who fight among themselves. The badger supports this statement when he says, 'There are more than four thousand different sorts of them, and from all those kinds I can only think of five which are belligerent. There are the five ants, one termite that I know of, and Man';(194). This insult influences Wart to create the Round Table when he becomes the King. The purpose of the Round Table is to get all the barons to stop fighting among themselves and to form an alliance to fight only to protect th e weak. Therefore, the badger's insult influences the creation of the Round Table.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Wart's adventure as a badger was the most beneficial transformation to him as a king.

Education Empowers Women Essay

Education empowers women. To prevent a problem from aggravating shouldn’t we start from the root of it? The beauty of education is that it allows us to work with the root- Girls. Empowering girls with education can show girls that femininity does not entail docility instead a women can be assertive and at the same time exude femininity. With this mindset, women would more likely stand up for themselves. Only when women and girls in these poor countries are given their due education would they be willing to stand up for their rights. Education not only allows adolescent females to stand up against unjust actions towards them it is also a way out of poverty. An ifidiof cocktail of repressive patriarchal belief about female worth, sexual abuse, human trafficking, child labor and child marriage practices prevent girls from ever developing the skills they need to escape poverty only education shines a small light leading them away from poverty. Think about it, if a girl was given the education, she has a chance of surviving outside her village. Let’s say she finishes high school and is given a small scholarship to study university in the capital. After she finishes university, she manages to get a job and starts sending in money to her family. Soon enough, her family would be able to buy food and necessities escaping the rut of poverty. That woman has broken the cycle of poverty. The return on a country’s investment in its women is enormous. Investment in girls’ education, especially secondary education, yields high returns in the form of increased wages it also increases their standing in the household. Until women are numerate and literate, it is difficult for them to start a business or contribute meaningfully to their nation’s economy, therefore if a country wants to prosper, it would be wise to start investing in women’s education. People might say that if a boy was given the same education he might be able to do the same however the majority of man after getting their pay would rather spend it on prostitution or maybe in a bar. A study has shown that when women gain control of money, less money is spent on instant gratification and more is given to the family. We also know that educated mothers are more likely to educate their own children — and that can have carry-on effects for generations. China presents itself as a good role model in terms of providing education to women. China used to be one of the most sexist societies in the world. However, when its citizens started showing interest in providing their children with education, the china government gladly funded the course. Sadly, the above scenario is definitely an ideal one. There are always possibilities that mothers may pull out their children due to their financial difficulties. Therefore to make sure that there is no hiccup when providing education to women we have to come up with ways to make children especially women stay in school. Of which one of the ways would be to present the family with bribes. One of the way to make adolescent females stay in school is actually by giving them free meals in school as well as even paying the family. The UN’s school feeding program distributes food to the school-going kids for free and if the child has a good attendance they would get a take-home ration which acts as a bribe to the family. This not only allows the child to stay in school for a longer period of time, it helps the family as well. Education for women unlocks the door to a better world. When a women is armed with education, the possibility of her child being raised educated would definitely be higher. She would also treat herself with respect, women suicides would then be reduced, maternal mortality rate would also decrease as she makes use of health services. Former UN secretary once said: â€Å"Study after study has taught us that there is no tool more effective for development than the empowerment of women. † Nevertheless, the whole idea of education would work only when the men in the family realize that the way out of poverty would be allowing their daughters to actually study. However, the discrimination of women has greatly been imprinted into their minds and thus when male chauvinism kicks in the chances of them allowing their daughters to be educated would also be minimal. Therefore, not only should we educate the females we have to educate the males as well so that they understand that women rights should not be neglected. This way they would not feel that a women is stealing a man’s position when she pursues education, instead it is just merely their right. I do believe many people are still skeptical of investing in women’s education however I would like to urge countries to give it a try and see for themselves what a wonder it would do for the country as a whole.

Contemporary societies Essay

The art of literature in contemporary societies has always led to more critical discussions between man and himself and between man and his neighbor. Literature pushes us to rethink our stance on normal societal norms and beliefs. Sula is such a work of art. It is the based on two women living at the †Bottom† in Ohio, a predominantly black community. Helen Wright is a socially conscious and quite a conservative woman. She has one daughter; Nel. Hannah Peace a beautiful flamboyant and a woman with many men at the Bottom is the mother of Sula. Sula is raised with Eva Peace, her grandmother who does not stifle her granddaughter’s freedom unlike Nel who comes from a restrictive household. Nel and Sula develop quite an inseparable and good friendship, a friendship that does not settle well with Helen who possesses grave misgivings due to the reputation of Sula’s mother however she does not object openly after her realization that Sula is a very polite house guest. After High School these two great friends diverge ways for 10 years. Sula goes to college where she experiences a new wave of sexual promiscuity much like her mother. Nel On the other hand is married by a Bottoms resident, Jude Green. Their separation last for period of three years before Sula comes back from the college and their relationship resumes without any hindrance. However, this relationship is cut short when Nel learns of the relationship between Sula and Jude. This affair ends both the relationship between Jude and Nel as well as that of Nel as Sula who leaves the bottom for three years. Nel is forced to raise her two children alone and she doesn’t communicate with Sula for the three years that she goes away. Their next meeting occurs when Sula is terribly sick and almost dying. Their last conversation before Sula dies constitutes the literary wealth of this masterpiece; it is the discussion between good and bad. She dies and is buried at the Bottom cemetery. Thereafter, Nel visits Eva Peace who is quite old and is kept in a nursing home where she tries to retell the moments she had together before Sula died. While walking home she begins to feel the loss of the relationship with the death of Sula, her single and true friend. Her judgment of Sula as bad begins to haunt her as she recalls an incident that happened when they were friends; the Chicken Little incident. Chicken little was a young boy who also lived at the Bottom. When playing on a tree, Sula lost grip and the child plunged in the river and drowned. They kept this secret for the whole of their lives. These are the memories that unsettled Nel emotionally, she begins to challenge the concepts of good and bad and the choices and sacrifices people make in life. Later on, she kills her drug addict sun as she struggles to raise his family single handedly. Sadly, we see her sitting and crying over Sula’s grave at then cemetery as the story comes to an end. The story questions the decisions that people make in life; the calls for a rethinking of common societal problems. Critics mention the humor in the novel. For example the place called bottom is actually at the mountain top. The creation of binary oppositions in the novel not only makes it too interesting and informative but also lets the reader glance at the depth of common conventions in the community and the effect these societal conventions have on the lives of children who are supposed to be brought up in a comparatively free world where people are supposed to make free will. Satire as a theme is also developed in the story and it fuse well with the binary notion. The complexity of characters in the story conveys an account of human flaws in decision making and in the way we relate to other people in the community. While parents do everything in their power to ensure that their children justifiably lead a good life, little is done in ensuring that the children also get freedom. This makes the children not to acquire their own experiences in life but only proceed to copy the characters of their parents and grandparents. The fact that Sula turned out to be an exact replica of her mother and grandmother is an attestation to this fact. The book is feminine masterpiece and there is also an element of female chauvinism. This can be justified by the fact that all the major characters in the book are women and their actions are affected by men in a very little sense. Jude, Chicken Little and Nel’s son who became a drug addict after leaving the army are all victims of the women’s stereotyped dispositions. Shadrack being physically and emotionally scarred fro the experience of war is disowned and almost excommunicated by the community without the community fully understanding the reasons behind his behavior. Let us now give a critical analysis of Sula, the main character. Sula is the major influence on his friend Nel. Sula has been influenced by her mother leading to the passage of what can be argued to be a bad character trait through generations. Eva is a strong woman. She has endured loneliness, abject poverty but she is proud and unrelenting. Sula is quite an extraordinary woman, she is energetic but she has no suitable outlet to release her energies. This makes her potentially dangerous in that that she has no knowledge of wrongdoing. She does not understand that she sins when she sleeps with men and carelessly tosses them aside. Her sin is unintentional. The community, however do not understand the context of her upbringing or they simply do not care. They despise her but tolerate her. One very interesting aspect is that Sula is quite independent in her isolation, she does what she pleases and she simply does not care what everybody else does. She lives her the way it pleases her effectively earning her isolation from the community. After her death the rules shift suddenly, there is a renewed sense of acceptance, of defining right and wrong, good and bad. It is important to try and delve into the reasons why Nel and Sula united even after Sula betrayed their friendship by having an affair with Nel’s husband, Jude. Nel realizes that Sula was neither good nor evil; she was just indifferent to everything and everybody. Wives had to put extra effect in making sure that their husbands do not fall into bed with Sula, children were treated better so that they don’t grow into adults who are indifferent and uncaring like Sula. This is good fortune to the bottom community because they were held together in the rethinking process. Remember the National Suicide day? After Sula’s death the community did not have any productive outlet to channel their energies, they could not just sit and talk and so they become enraged and tear up the tunnel the result of unfocused energy. This eventual realization went a long way in ensuring that the residents of Bottom engaged in productive work for their survival. If Sula would have directed her energy to something else, maybe something a little more worthwhile would have resulted. Racial prejudice is highlighted when Jude is denied a chance to engage in the building of anew bridge, because of the color of his skin; he is denied the opportunity even though he is willing to do something productive. He stands in line for six days while the white boys get an opportunity to build the new River Road, his job at the hotel is demeaning and an insult to his masculinity. The scarcity of job opportunities remains to be the why Eva and Hannah had very little chance of gainful employment. They had to contend with the injustices being meted out on them because they were females and most importantly black. To escape the pangs of hunger in the winter, they have to prepare canned food in the summer. The life of Sula Peace, her childhood and her death in 1941is surrounded by the inability of the environment to shape her into a ‘good’ woman The black community residing in Medallion; â€Å"the bottom† is judgmental but not in any way assisting to solve the crisis within itself. Sula’s life story shows us how the community and family can shape somebody’s identity. She not only displays how children are nurtured but also her later relationship with the same community who natured her. She is a strong independent character but the community does not see her positive potentiality. To go against these societal norms she is not married and she sleeps around. The Peace family has been frowned upon by the Bottom community. This could have elicited an element of antagonism from Sula because she does not follow accepted societal conventions but in this case she is the protagonist and not the community. The novel poses her as the central character and the community constitutes only bits and pieces that seem to knit her life together in a predetermined fashion from the time of her birth to death. If change is to take place the community remains the playing field and Sula undoubtedly remains one of the players in the field. Whether she deserved to be rewarded for fearlessly instigating the rethinking process is not a matter of discussion as it is evident that her one and truly friend had in her own way knowingly or unknowingly lent credit to her stance in life by crying over her grave at the cemetery after realizing what Sula stood for. The character Sula is structure less, that any character interaction with her only invokes an element of structurelessness. This is because philosophically her evil is not her own but a reflection of what had been unknowingly imparted in her. Fortunately, her story is one where what is regarded as evil triggered change in the society. In analyzing one of the important masterpieces in the history of black American writing it is prudent to expunge on the growth of protagonism and non conformism in the society. The society’s vilification of the ‘heroine’ Sula who does not fit into the society’s conformation of a heroine is a classic example of the inability of a people to look within themselves and try to solve the problems within its own structures. Works Cited Daniel Dawkins: A Character Analysis of Sula; Considering Morrison’s Main Character as the Protagonist. 2008

Notes on Ecosystems

Topic 1: Ecosystems at Risk A. Ecosystems and Their Management 2. Vulnerability and Resilience of Ecosystems * Vunerability is the sensitivity of an ecosystem to cope with stress. * Resilience is the ability of an ecosystem (or a component of an ecosystem) to adapt to a changing environment and to restore function and structure following an episode of natural or human-induced stress. * All ecosystems function in a state of dynamic equilibrium or a continual state of balanced change. This state of dynamic equilibrium is the product of the interrelationship of the elements in the ecosystem: the atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere.* Change occurs because the interrelationship between minerals, energy and communities varies over time. * It is also the interdependence of these four elements that makes an ecosystem vulnerable. * A change beyond the limits of the equilibrium, in any of these elements, means that the system as a whole cannot exist in its original state. All ec osystems are, in a sense, vulnerable, but the level of vulnerability depends on how small a change is needed in any element to upset the equilibrium. * Ecosystems, are therefore, not equally at risk – some are more resilient than others. Which ecosystems have greater resilience? Resilience is the ability of an ecosystem (or component of an ecosystem) to adapt to a changing environment and to restore function and structure following an episode of natural or human- induced stress.Ecosystems rich in biodiversity generally have greater resilience than those with little diversity. They are able to recover more readily from naturally induced stress (including drought and fire) and human- induced habitat destruction. 2. Under what conditions does long-term degradation occur? Long-term degeneration occurs when the magnitude and duration of the stress exceed the ability of the component to repair itself. 3. Explain the process shown in Fig 1. 1. 28. Figure 1. 1. 28 shows the impact of stress on the functioning of ecosystems.It shows the Elasticity and the rate of recovery of an ecosystem property following disturbance. It also shows the rate of amplitude and the threshold level of strain beyond. The intensity and duration of stress is important in terms of the effect it has on ecosystems. 4. Outline how natural sources of stress can play an important role in the functioning of ecosystems. These changes could be in response to changes in the availability of water, average temperature or many other natural events. In nature, these changes usually take place very slowly.The biome gradually adapts as animals and plant species that have characteristics unsuited to the change die out and those more suited the environment remains alive to breed and pass on their characteristics to successive generations. This process is known as natural selection. Causes of Ecosystem Vulnerability * All ecosystems have some ability to withstand stress. * They tend to resist being distu rbed or altered and will restore themselves to their original condition if not disturbed too dramatically. * In other words, ecosystems maintain themselves within a tolerable range of conditions. A number of factors are relevant to the vulnerability of ecosystems to stress, including location, extent, biodiversity and linkages. a) Location * Where an ecosystem is will affect its functioning. * At a global scale, latitude, distance from the sea, and altitude play decisive roles in determining climate and ultimately the nature of particular ecosystems.* The microclimatic features of a location can be significant enough to create a range of distinctive ecosystem types within relatively small areas e. g. aspect. * Some ecosystems are located in nvironments that are extreme e. g. deserts, polar, hypersaline lagoons. * Organisms capable of living in such conditions are highly specialised. * The greater the degree of specialisation of an organism to a particular set of environmental condit ions the more vulnerable it is to changes in those conditions e. g. coral * Corals are highly specialised organisms that flourish in the relatively shallow, nutrient-deficient waters of the tropics. †¢ * Any increase in nutrient levels promotes the growth of algae, which reduces the amount of sunlight available for coral growth. If high nutrient levels continue the corals become stressed, reefs contract in size and the number of coral species declines. * Coral is also sensitive to changes in water temperature, and flourish between 25 °C to 29 °C. * A small increase in the temperature can kill the coral polyp, leaving only the white calcium skeleton (coral bleaching).* Proximity to large concentrations of people is another important contributing factor to ecosystem vulnerability; demand for land grows as populations grow. Urban, industrial and agricultural land uses destroy natural ecosystems, while oceans, rivers and the atmosphere become dumping grounds for pollutants. b) Extent The extent (size) of any particular ecosystem is the product of a variety of factors. †¢ Recent research has shown that the boundaries of ecosystems tend to overlap each other. †¢ E. g. river ecosystems extended beyond the river channel to include the whole drainage system. †¢ Thus, human activity in the drainage basin can impact on the river itself even when it occurs some distance from the channel. E. g. may increase soil erosion †¢ A study showed that stoneflies and other creatures living in shallow wells on the flood plain of the river, up to 2km away from the river, mated along the riverbanks before returning to lay their eggs in the wells.†¢ This means the floodplain and the river cannot be considered as separate systems. †¢ Ecosystems that are restricted to relatively small areas or have already been distributed extensively are especially vulnerable †¢ Tropical rainforest, have relatively small populations of a large number of pecies confined to relatively small, localised communities †¢ Loss of small areas of rainforest can lead to extinction of plant and animal species †¢ Savanna grasslands, have large populations of a small number of species spread out over much larger areas †¢ Loss of a small area of grassland therefore need not result in the extinction of species. †¢ Large herbivores typical of these regions require extensive grazing areas†¢ c) Biodiversity Biodiversity is usually considered at three levels: genetic diversity, species diversity and ecosystem diversity. ) Genetic diversity – Genetic diversity is the variety of genetic information contained in all the individual plants, animals and micro-organisms †¢ Genetic diversity occurs within and between populations of species as well as between species. †¢ Genetic diversity favours the survival of a species, because it increases the chance that some members of the species will have characteristics that aid thei r survival †¢ Often a gene has costs as well as benefits †¢ A study has shown that peach potato aphids that are resistant to common pesticides are less able to survive ii) Species diversity – Species diversity is a measure of the number of species at each trophic level of an ecosystem†¢ The greater the species diversity the more robust the ecosystem †¢ If the population of one consumer organism crashers there are other producers available that can fulfil a similar function in the ecosystem †¢ When ecosystems are diverse, there is a range of pathways for the ecological processes, such as nutrient recycling †¢ If one pathway is damaged or destroyed, an alternative may be used and the ecosystem can continue to function at its normal level †¢ If the level of biodiversity is greatly diminished, the functioning of the ecosystem is put at risk †¢ The greater the level of diversity, the greater the opportunity to adapt to change †¢ Many di verse ecosystems are characterised by highly specialised organisms †¢ A species may be vulnerable even if the ecosystem as a whole is not †¢ iii) Ecosystem diversity – Ecosystem diversity refers to the diversity present within ecosystems in terms of habitat differences, biotic communities and the variety of ecological processes d) LinkagesInterdependence, or linkages, is related to species diversity †¢ The greater the level of interdependence within an ecosystem the greater its ability to absorb change †¢ The loss of a primary consumer from a food web, e. g. s unlikely to have a major impact on secondary consumers if there is a range of alternative primary consumers on which to feed †¢ Ecosystems that have low levels of interdependence are much more vulnerable to change †¢ Krill are the dominant primary consumer organism and the main source of energy for some species of whale †¢ Interdependence can take very subtle forms e. g. some flowering plants can be fertilised by only one species of insect †¢ Anything that jeopardises this third organism, therefore, will affect the reproductive success of the flowing plant †¢ Primary consumers have highly specific food sources, and many parasitic organisms depend on specific hosts †¢ The same characteristics can be exploited by humans in the biological control of pest species †¢ Large consumer animals may range across a number of small, localised ecosystems, having genetically adapted to the variations in all of them †¢ 1.Outline (using examples) how the level of interdependence within an ecosystem will affect its vulnerability. Interdependence, or linkages, is related to species diversity. The greater the level of interdependence within an ecosystem the greater its ability to absorb change. The loss of a primary consumer from a food web, e. g. is unlikely to have a major impact on secondary consumers if there is a range of alternative primary consumers o n which to feed. Ecosystems that have low levels of interdependence are much more vulnerable to change 2. Give an example of the subtle forms this interdependence can take. Interdependence can take very subtle forms e. g. ome flowering plants can be fertilised by only one species of insect. This insect may turn, be dependent on some other organism for part of its life cycle. Case study: Vulnerability of Minnamurra Rainforest The Minnamurra rainforest is a small pocket of rainforest located on the South Coast of New South Wales near Kiama.The extent, biodiversity and location of the rainforest all work together to make this a vulnerable ecosystem. It is located close to urban development and is surrounded by farms. This increases the levels of pollutants entering the system and has lead to significant weed infestation. Natural and Human-Induced Environmental Stress Ecosystems are constantly changing and evolving in response to stress-induced changes within the total environment. * Th ese changes may be brought about naturally e. g. drought, or may be human-induced e. g. deforestation. * Natural changes usually take place more slowly than human-induced changes and the biome gradually adapts as animals and plant species that have characteristics unsuited to the change die out, and those more suited to the new environment remain alive to breed and pass on their characteristics to successive generations (a process known as natural selection).* Sudden natural disasters have occurred from time to time which have caused whole species to die out almost instantly because they had no time to adapt, however this is rare. In contrast, human-induced changes are usually rapid and do not allow species to adapt. * The ability to instigate large-scale environmental change means that people are able to push the state of dynamic equilibrium beyond its limits. * This means that people have created situations where they are required to maintain a state of equilibrium by utilising re sources found elsewhere e. g. the use of fertilisers and pesticides to maintain an agricultural monoculture, which would collapse without them.* Today, human activities destroy or seriously threaten species and destroy or degrade their habitat. Changes affecting ecosystems by cause and rate |Catastrophic |Gradual | |Natural sources of environmental stress |Drought |Climatic Change | | |Flood |Immigration of new species | | |Fire |Adaptation/evolution | | |Volcanic eruption |Ecological succession | | |Earth Quake |disease | | |Landslide | | | |Change in stream course | | | |Disease | | |Human-induced sources of environmental stress |Deforestation |Irrigation- salinization, waterlogging | | |Overgrazing |Soil compaction | | |Ploughing |Depletion of ground water | | |Erosion |Water/air pollution | | |Pesticide application |Loss and degradation of wildlife activity | | |Fire |Elimination of pests and predators | | |Mining |Introduction of new species | | |Toxic Contamination |Overhuntin g/Overfishing | |Urbanisation |Toxic contamination | | |Water/Air pollution |Urbanisation | | |Loss and degradation of wildlife activity |Excessive tourism | a) Natural environmental stress * Some natural sources of stress can be catastrophic and cause very rapid change e. g. droughts, floods, fire, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, landslides, disease, tsunamis and cyclones.* Most natural sources of environmental stress are more gradual and do allow species to adapt e. g. climatic change, immigration, adaption/evolution, ecological succession, disease, geographical isolation. Climate change was thought to be the reason behind the extinction of the dinosaur. * Ecological succession involves one species gradually taking over an environment from another as circumstances within the environment change e. g. as a climate becomes drier, drought-resistant species will gradually take over. Some of the effects of environmental stress Organism Level Physiological and biological changes Psychol ogical disorders Behavioural changes Fewer or no offspring Genetic defects in offspring Cancers Population Level Population increase or decrease Change in age structure Survival of different genetic strains based on stress threshold Loss of genetic diversity ExtinctionCommunity-ecosystem level Disruption of energy flows -Decrease or increase in solar energy uptake and heat output -Changes in trophic structure in food chains and webs Disruption of chemical cycles -Depletion of essential nutrients -excessive nutrient levels Simplification -reduction in species diversity -reduction or elimination of habitats -less complex food webs -possibility of lowered stability -possibility of ecosystem collapse Case study: Mt. St. Helens volcanic eruption 18th may 1980 at MT st Helens Washington state. A large volcanic eruption disrupts the natural order. New populations of flora and fauna were beginning to colonise the harsh environment.The new ecosystem formed and the process of regeneration was observed as the organisms with enough resilience survived and repaired. b) Human-induced environmental stress * People play a role in maintaining or disturbing the dynamic equilibrium of any ecosystem. * The impacts of human activity have a global dimension, operating within the context of an interdependent global environment. * Global co-operation is needed to address the threats to the world’s biophysical environment. * The causes of environmental degradation in today’s world include: – massive population growth – developing world poverty and the crippling burden of debt – non-sustainable agricultural practices in many countries environmentally damaging industrialisation and exploitation of natural resources, especially in poor countries struggling for export earnings* Each of these issues need to be effectively dealt with if humans are to combat environmental degradation. * Human threats to biodiversity include: – species introductions à ¢â‚¬â€œ habitat destruction – hunting/trade in animal products – pollution * The World Conservation Union’s analysis of animal extinctions since 1600 found that 39% resulted from species introductions, 36% from habitat destruction and 23% from deliberate extermination. answer the questions from the information on page 32-33 1. Outline the history of human-induced change. Humans have induced change in ecosystems since very early days in their evolution.The effects have been either caused intentionally or inadvertently. eg: Aboriginals burnt bushland to aid in hunting as well as inadvertently promoting growth and shaping the Australian bushland through natural selection promoting growth. 2. Outline how humans have simplified natural ecosystems and what this has resulted in the need for. Humans have been shaping ecosystems for their benefit. In this process the useful parts of the ecosystem have remained and the other parts have changed or died out. This process ha s also simplified the ecosystem in some cases making it unable to support itself. Eg crops, farms require money and time for upkeep. 3. What is the great environmental challenge for humans?The great challenge that humans face with their environment is to maintain a healthy balance between simplified ecosystems and neighbouring complex ecosystems. 4. Outline the ways in which humans modify natural vegetation, and the ability of the affected ecosystems to recover in each case. Human induced change can be either intentional, inadvertent or a result of negligence. The changes made can result in complete ecological destruction but occasionally the ecosystem can adapt due to its resilience and survive with the change. The Nature of Human-induced Modifications – Human-induced modifications to ecosystems may be either intentional or inadvertent. – In some cases they are the result of negligence on the part of people. i) Intentional ecosystem changeHumans bring about intentiona l ecosystem change for human benefit. An example of this can be found in the aboriginal burning for easier hunting or simply clearing land and producing food from crops or livestock. ii) Inadvertent ecosystem change ? These are changes that are not intended, but occur indirectly as a result of human activity. ? Meeting the needs and wants of humankind and a rapidly increasing human population will inevitably bring about large-scale environmental change. ? Unlike other species, humans have the ability to transfer resources from one region to another and to modify ecosystems in order to sustain continued population growth.Examples of human activities and the inadvertent effects they have include: Farming – Reduction of biodiversity, destruction of habitats, soil erosion, introduction of harmful pesticides killing native flora/fauna. Urbanisation- Total destruction of habitat, fragmentation of habitat destruction of ecosystem linkages, Increased pollution affecting surrounding e cosystems, Destruction of ozone o3 layer through use of cfcs iii) Ecosystem change caused through negligence People sometimes cause environmental change through negligence. Some of the more notorious examples of humanity’s failure to protect ecosystems at risk are the: ? Explosion of the reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the Ukraine ?Minamata children being poisoned by mercury accumulated in the food chain ? Grounding of the Exxon Valdez in Prince William Sound, Alaska which caused widespread environmental destruction Consequences of human-induced changes . Human induce change is occurring worldwide in ecosystems. . The magnitude and rate of change is closely linked to human population size. . Salinization and desertification are two large scale problems with deforestation a major cause of ecosystem destruction through change. . Almost 11 million ha of land is degraded each year. Takes between 100 and 250 years for topsoil to build up in an area, can be destroye d in less than 10 by human activity.

Food and the Endless Waltz Essay

Akira Kurosawa’s seminal work Seven Samurai is a stirring and heart-rending commentary on 16th century Japan. The movie focuses on the rigid caste system of Japan where warriors fight while peasants farm to support them. The film’s artistic value makes it worthy of being called a Kurosawa masterpiece. However, it is in the lesson the film seeks to impart that is perhaps where the true genius of Kurosawa is seen. Set in the Sengoku Jidai, the century of war, the haughty warrior class are locked in an endless waltz of bloodshed while the food producing peasant, the true heart of Japan, are ignored though they always win in the end. For pure production value alone Seven Samurai was a masterpiece. Kurosawa introduced a number of filming techniques that would soon be mainstream fare for action films the world over. One example is the use of slow motion filming to emphasize the death of a main character. It was also the most expensive Japanese film of its time and is possibly the most successful Japanese film period. The premise of the film is as common as rice in Sengoku Jidai Japan. A group of bandits, either masterless samurai called Ronin or desperate peasants driven to banditry by the loss of their farms to the constant warfare, are terrorizing a village. Peasants lacking the skills and weapons to fight back they seek help from the Gentleman Warrior class known as Samurai. After much hardship they find Seven Samurai, well six considering that Kikuchiyo was just a pretender, who after much blood shed succeed in fending of the bandit. Ironically, instead of a victory parade or laurels they are ostracized by the people they just bled for. The main theme is the separation between the Warrior class and the peasants. The peasants humbly admit that they are incapable of fighting and are forced to go to the city and recruit Samurai who are willing to fight for mere three meals a day since that is all they can afford to pay. The haughty Samurai reject this offer since, as member of the gentleman warrior class they deserve better than three peasant meals a day as wages for their services. With the help of a grizzled veteran Samurai named Kanbei they managed to recruit Six Samurai plus a straggler named Kikuchiyo. They receive a cold welcome from the other villagers who fear them as much as they feared the bandits. This theme continues to be played out during the movie. In the past wounded, fleeing Samurai were killed and robbed by the villagers when the Samurai sought refuge there. The Seven Samurai are enraged at this brutality and nearly turn on their employers. The farmers are worried that the Samurai would take their young women and in fact one of the Samurai does carry on an affair with a village daughter. All this is the result of the age old tradition that only certain worthy individuals could become Samurai warriors. The rest of the rural folk are consigned to becoming peasants. The Samurai choose to break this tradition by training the local peasants to help them defend the village, albeit with limited success. The end of the movie displays the most poignant scene in the whole film. Four of the Samurai are slain but the village is sucessfully defended. Instead of showing gratitude, the villagers ignore the surviving Samurai and busy themselves with planting next year’s crop. Kanbei lament that â€Å"He has never won a battle† is given new meaning. Doubtless, the three surviving Samurai will move on to another of the endless battles of the era known as â€Å"The century of war† leaving the villagers in peace. Victory belongs not to the slain bandits nor the ostracized surviving Samurai but to the common peasants. They won because their life can now go back to normal to planting the life giving rice that sustains Japan to this day. True, they are maltreated by their lords, helplessly slaughtered in the battles, and at times forcibly conscripted as they were in the film. But the peasant’s life will continue, planting rice, water and tend the crop, then harvest just as he had for centuries, just as he will continue to do.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another theme is the superiority of modern technology over the old. Many subplots in the movie are about disabling the firearms of the bandits. There are fourty bandits and only seven Samurai but the Samurai are better skilled only the firearms give the bandits the upper hand. In fact all four of the Samurai killed died due to gunfire and not in honorable single combat.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Finally there is the wisdom of Kikuchiyo. He was a phony Samurai lacking the high-birth of a proper member of the warrior class. Yet with the exception of Kanbei perhaps he had the most significant role in the movie. He is the one who sucessfully breaks the ice and convinces the Villagers to flee from their hiding places and meet the other Samurai. He was also the one who pointed out that the reason the fleeing Samurai are maltreated by the villagers is because they too absorbed cruel treatment from the warrior class. It was mainly through his wisdom and understanding, he is not actually a Samurai but a farmer’s son, that the Samurai and the villagers are able to work together in harmony. Truly, despite his unworthy roots and oafish behavior he is probably the most ‘Samurai’ of the seven. He dies a noble and worthy death avenging a fallen comrade and slaying the leader of the bandits.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As stated earlier, Seven Samurai is a testimony to the skill of Akira Kurosawa in both writing and directing. The films shows the suffering of the peasants during the Sengoku Jidai. The Samurai win victories only to waltz on to another of the endless battles perhaps to win or perhaps to die. But after the warrirors leave the food producing peasant will stay in his field and contiue planting his life giving crop. Sources Kurosawa, Akira â€Å"Seven Samurai† (26 April 1954)   

Practical advice for business Essay

E-commerce has radically revolutionalized the act of selling and buying, introducing both speed and efficiency. It refers to the process of buying and selling goods and services over the internet. It stands for Electronic Commerce, referring to carrying out of trade transactions through the internet. The concept of E-commerce owes it roots to the 1960s after the introduction of electronic data interchange (EDI) . From the days of EDI, E-commerce has undergone many rapid changes that have seen it grow into an efficient instrument evidenced today; the internet. This is a technology that still continues to marvel humanity, it has reduced long hours of wait and long distances traveled to a click of a mouse over the worldwide web. E-commerce involves a multiplicity of varieties ranging from banking, marketing, logistics and many others. A website is a collection of interconnected files available on the worldwide web providing information about a specific topic or organization. It exercises the overfull combinations of multimedia texts, images and sounds. Access to these files requires the use of a web browser like the Microsoft internet explorer. Almost every organization or institution owns a website, with an intention of providing relevant information either to the public or to specific people. It is this website that has totally changed how business organizations are carrying out their trade. Advertising, marketing, purchasing and may other processes have all changed to embrace this modern phenomena and hope to increase customer satisfaction. A website is created with an intention of easing a customer’s access to information he or she may require from a particular organization. It should be attractive by designed, but not too flashy to distract the customer. Implementing a website simply refers to operationalism of it (www. bsinesslink. gov. uk). This is done after a website has been designed, planned and created. The first step in implementing a web page is to design a homepage that should load quickly. This can be achieved by designing a short page, but not too short such that it compromises on the subject of the site (www. rocketface. com). The images too on the webpage should also not be unnecessarily large; this is achieved through the use of graphic software that maintains the images at an agreeable size and shape. There are some few tips on implementation to ensure that the best possible results are got. (www. rocketface. com) †¢ Background music is highly unadvisable as it might distract the web visitors. †¢ The web page should contain no videos; these should be made available as a visitor browses deeper. The next step in implementing a website is to resize the graphics. These graphics should not be larger than they are supposed to be and not be too small as to obscure clarity. Music, video or images should strictly not be put on the web page but should be put further inside so as not to cause distractions to a visitor. Ensure too that navigational tools are available on the webpage, these are tools or commands that when clicked provide instantaneous link either forward or backwards, this in addition to a home link to help a visitor browse through the various pages easily. An FAQ page should also be installed; this is a page that displays the most frequently asked questions saving the organization time instead of having to answer the questions over and over again. Install an FTP program (File Transfer Protocol). It is a program that aids in transferring files from one computer to another, allowing access to any files in a computer connected to the internet. It facilitates either a download or an upload (www. thecomputershow. com). After all the above have been accomplished, it is important before the site can be accessed over the internet, to test the system. This ensures that errors are detected and corrected early enough. It also helps to access how fast it can load and respond during peak times as well as how easily the visitors will be able to navigate through the site. The website now needs to be rolled out or launched out to the people. It is up to the organization to decide whether it will be availed on the internet without hype or through a promotion. The web address through whichever means used should be widely promoted to ensure that the potential customers are aware of it (www. ixda. org). Factors to consider when implementing a website There are several factors that should be put into consideration when implementing a website. It is these factors that will dictate the general outlook of the websites. There is a need to analyze the target audience of the website. The skill level and knowledge of the expected audience should be analyzed as well as the state of technology they are likely to be using. Be it slow or fast computers, high or low quality. It should also be analyzed on the expectations of the audience, what they may want to find out from your website. They might be looking for prices, physical location of the organization or manual. This will have an impact on the implementation (www. techsoup. org) The content of the website also should be put into consideration when implementing a website. This includes whether the information should enable either printing or downloading and whether it is available directly on the screen. Nature of the organization as well as the nature of its product will also influence the web implementation. It will affect the background of the site, the fonts to be used, language, and flashiness of the visual images. Should the fonts indicate seriousness or fun, the colors to be used will also be influenced by the nature of products or services. Funeral homes or hospitals are not expected to have similar presentation with music stores or boutiques (drupal. org) Impact of a Website As noted before, websites continue to ease communication between customers and business organizations. Now transactions are conducted over a matter of seconds or minutes regardless of the distance and location of the two components. If a website is created and implemented effectively, it can result to a turnaround of a business. A website presents a ripe opportunity for an organization to expand its clientele due to its ability to reach a large number of people at the same time. It has no physical limitations and can be structured to reach people of different linguas, whenever they maybe providing them with current and updated information regarding the organization’s products and services provided. This can help an organization expand. Its customer base and consequently their revenue. It is an opportunity for the small companies to compete on equal ground with the big companies at no additional costs. This can be done through the proper imaging and designing of the website. The structure and design of a website does not relate with the size of the business entity. A small company can prepare even a better website than a bigger one. Website ensures that organization compete with each other from the same footing. What differs then is the presentation of the webpage (www. 10e20webdesign. com). Websites have seen companies cutting on the costs of doing business, especially reducing on labor costs. For a business to be competitive in the business, it requires good marketers and sales people who take up a lot of company’s resources. This can be changed through a website. E-Marketing allows a company to get hold of a customer without any physical interaction. Although it has a disadvantage as immediate feedback is not certain. It can lead to reduced operation costs for an organization as it does not have to maintain leads of people to deal with potential customers. Marketing is done through the web and those who are interested can get in touch with the organization through E-mails. It saves the company a lot of finance as it can reach long distance customers without any physical traveling. E-marketing is not also limited to hours. It is available to customers 24 hours every day wit no additional costs (www. passioncomputing. com. au) Administration costs are also reduced due to the decreased paperwork. Information on customers is gotten and recorded online. By providing information on how to do it manuals and answers to the frequently asked questions, an organization ends up reducing the number of public relations staff (www. design4dot. com). Follow up calls to customers are replaced by E-mails, promotion cost are cut, and need of prints is reduced greatly (www. yhanpolo. com). It should be noted that simple creation of a website does not eliminate the need of other follow up systems like calls and mails. Alot of businesses lack in the traditional customer service systems or customer inquiry programs. These websites are more structured to suit marketing needs with minimal concerns for customers navigational needs. Not all people are comfortable in dealing with an impersonal organization and an organization should use retain the traditional system as a backup to the modern technology. There a number of negative impacts websites may have on anorganisation arising from the disavantages of implementing a website. One major disadvantage arises from the stiff competition of products in the website, it is a maze of information that needs to be navigated through. Before a customer gets to see your products he or she shall have come across many competing products that may be superior to yours. With an intention of maximising their satisfaction they might opt to go with the competitors products (www. quickregister. net) Many online customers’ nowadys are having a preconceived perception that some online marketers are out to make a killing and hence wary of giving their credit cards details. They fear these details may be stolen. This presents the biggest challenge to organisations today because customers would wish to be guaranteed the security of their details to protect themselves from unscrupulous dealers. The issue of cost also arises, every technology has a catch. The cost of designing a website, implementing, and maintenance costs have to be factored in. There is also the addition cost of softwares and hardwares needed to suport these systems. All in all, the benefits of a website surpasses those of the traditional means. Marketing and administration costs are minimised. The firm too is armed with a potential of competing with bigger organisations offering the same products. References History. Electronic Commerce. Viewed on 12/8/2007 http://flysyko2. netfirsm. com/ecommerce/history. htm Website advantages, 2005. Viewed on 12/8/2007 http://www10e20webdesign. com/website-design-planner-advantages. htm Website advantages. Passion computing http://www. passincomputing. com. au/articles/website-advantages. aspx Advantages of a website. 2007 design 4 dot. com. Viewed on 12/8/2007 http://www. design4dot. com/advantates-of-a-website. htm Advantages of a website. 2006. Yhanpolo. com. Viewed on 12/8/2007 http://www. yhanpolo. com/web-design-articles/advantages-website. htm Practical advice for business. Business link. Viewed on 12/8/2007 http://ww. businesslink. gov. uk/blotg/action/detail? type=RESOURCES&Hemld=1075383651 Susan Tenby, 2000. Implementing your website. Site wise: laying the foundation. Tech soup. Viewed on 12/8/2007 http://ww. techsoup. org/learningcentre/webbuilding/page5065. ifm Planning a website2006. Viewed on 12/8/2007 http://drupal. org/node/88594 Website implementation, 2007. Webmaster tutorial. Viewed on 12/8/2007 http://www. rocketface. com/implement-website/implement-website. html AlGrovett: Designing and implementing your website. Viewed on 12/8/2007 http://www. thecomputershow. com/computershow/news/websitecreation. htm How to implement a dialogue, 2007. IX DA. Viewed on 12/8/2007 http://beta. ixda. org/discuss. php? post=11054 Chameleon net to develop and implement new website for telehouse Europe. 2007. Chameleon net. Viewed on 12/8/2007 http://www. chameleonnet. co. uk/news-item. asp? id=197 Internet marketing. Advantages and disadvantages. Quickregister. net website promotion Articles. http://www. quickregister. net/articles/internetmarketing/internet_marketing_Advantages_and_Disadvantages. html

ORGANISMS FROM MY CLASSMATES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

ORGANISMS FROM MY CLASSMATES - Essay Example In this web Gloeophyllum sepiarium and human beings have the highest trophic level; they are at the top of their food chain. The Alaskan paper birch receives its nutrients through photosynthesis and nutrients from the soil. The Gloeophyllum sepiarium is a fungus that gains its energy through decomposing dead organic matter such as dead wood and leaves that the Alaskan Paper Birch provides but the decomposition if dead matter is returned to the soil and recycles the nutrients produced by the tree through improving the soil. Humans also use the tree for nutrition. The sap from the tree is edible and used in producing wine, beer and health tonics. The Black Bear and the lynx are on the next trophic level in the food web. As mentioned this web is a simple illustration but in this example the bear and lynx will gain their nutrition from the American Jewel Scarab. The bear's diet consists of plants, meat and insects in this case the American Jewel Scarab. The bear will also eat the bark from trees and the edible sap produced by the Alaskan Paper Birch. The web demonstrated here is known as a detrital web it contains plants, omnivores, carnivores and fungi the decomposers. All the organisms rely upon another for their nutrition and energy to maintain the circular food web of the ecosystem. The energy flows from one trophic level to the other. Each trophic level passes on biomass to the next level but pass on much less than they receive (Tscharntke & Hawkins, 2002). The Alaskan Birch in this web is known as a producer as it produces its own energy; food and glucose from photosynthesis producers have the most energy in a food chain, and is the first trophic level. Humans, the Black Bear, the Lynx and Gloeophyllum sepiarium are all on the secondary trophic level. There are no examples of the primary level in this web as there are no herbivores. All organisms in the web are able to be decomposed by Gloeophyllum sepiarium and the nutrients are broken down and returned to the soil that the Alaskan Paper Birch once again recycles to produce its energy. References Tscharntke, T., Hawkins, B., A., (eds) (2002) Multitrophic Level Interactions, Cambridge University Press,