Psych 1010 out of class activity 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Psych 1010 out of class activity 5 - Essay Example Sleep Diary: Night 2. Tuesday. 1. Total time spent sleeping 7.25 hours 2. Number of times you woke up during the night None 3. Number of separate dreams you can recall at least partially.   None 4. Number of dreams related to experiences of the recent days.*   None 5. Overall Sleep Rating ( 1 – 7 ) 3 – I feel rested. Sleep Diary: Night 3. Wednesday. 1. Total time spent sleeping 5.25 hours 2. Number of times you woke up during the night Three 3. Number of separate dreams you can recall at least partially.   Two 4. Number of dreams related to experiences of the recent days.*   None 5. Overall Sleep Rating ( 1 – 7 ) 6 = I feel groggy. Sleep Diary: Night 4. Thursday. 1. Total time spent sleeping 3.75 hours 2. Number of times you woke up during the night Twice 3. Number of separate dreams you can recall at least partially.   Two 4. Number of dreams related to experiences of the recent days. One 5. Overall Sleep Rating ( 1 – 7 ) 7 = I feel very tired a nd want to go back to bed Sleep Diary: Night 5. Friday. 1. Total time spent sleeping 6.75 hours 2. Number of times you woke up during the night Once 3. Number of separate dreams you can recall at least partially.   None 4. Number of dreams related to experiences of the recent days.*   None 5. ... Sleep Diary: Night 7. Sunday 1. Total time spent sleeping 8.25 hours 2. Number of times you woke up during the night Once 3. Number of separate dreams you can recall at least partially.   One 4. Number of dreams related to experiences of the recent days.*   None 5. Overall Sleep Rating ( 1 – 7 ) 3 = I feel rested   MEAN/AVERAGE SCORE 1. Total time spent sleeping 6.54 hours 2. Number of times you woke up during the night 1.14 times 3. Number of separate dreams you can recall at least partially.   1.29 dreams 4. Number of dreams related to experiences of the recent days. 0.29 dreams 5. Overall Sleep Rating ( 1 – 7 ) 4.57 4 = I feel neither refreshed nor tired   5 = I feel somewhat sleepy   HANDOUT 8.2 In general, what do you dream about? How do you feel about your dreams, in general? Usually the dreams I have are pretty abstract but I have noticed that most of my dreams comprise of natural elements such as water or wind and sometimes animals such as cats and s nakes. Describe some of the dreams you had over this period. Were they recurring dreams or did they happen only once? Why did this dream stand out from others? I don’t recall having any recurring dreams during this period however I did dream of a very long snake with red eyes that appeared to be hissing at something hidden in the shadows. Also I do recall dreaming of a huge mansion on top of a hill which was lavishly decorated. I remember being trapped inside the mansion as water starts flooding in from all sides; anxious to find a way out I run out to the back exit only to find I was on the edge of a cliff. I remember jumping from the edge; such had been my fear of drowning in the growing amount of water. This was when I woke up (Thursday, Night 4). This dream

Loss of Top Predators in the Ocean

Loss of Top Predators in the Ocean It is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the sign of deterioration within the population dynamics of marine apex predators. Sharks, mammals, and large teleost fish amongst others species, play a critical role in maintaining a stable and balanced marine ecosystem by regulating species abundance, diversity, and distribution (Stier et al., 2016). Recently, researchers have shown an interest in the increasing densities of medium size predators known as the mesopredators due to rapid decline in apex predators (Brook et al., 2008). However, these rapid changes are having a serious adverse effect on the marine community, thereby leading to a top-down trophic cascade due to the removal of a top predator (Shackell et al., 2010). To be more specific, the loss of top predators affects the aquatic community on a number of levels: trophic, behavioral, and populations. This essay will provide an overview and highlight the importance of top predators in marine ecosystem as well as change in trophic levels and behavioral patterns that affect the aquatic food web. Apex predators have been victim to human imposed activities such as overexploitation through fishing industries, habitats destruction, introduction of invasive species and increased anthropogenic pollutants creating unfavorable conditions to thrive (Madin et al., 2016). The major impact relating to loss of top predators manifests in the trophic aspect following in a close correlation between the decline of the predators and preys (Baum and Worm, 2009). Extensive research indicates that the existences of the invasive species has a negative contribution towards the top predators (De Poorter et al., 2010). For example, in 1980s the comb jelly fish (Ctenophora) originally from North America was introduced in the black sea, which lead to a dramatic alteration within the food chain, thus releasing toxin causing the death a total of 14 humpback whales (De Poorter et al., 2010). On the other hand, overfishing across the globe has led to 90% decrease in large shark biomass regionally (Heupel et al., 2014). Due to the decline of larger sharks it has led to the inflexion of a particular ray species which diet constitute about 70% of scallops thus contributed towards the drop of scallop fishery causing ecological and economic losses in the North Atlantic Ocean (Ferretti et al., 2010) (Grubbs et al., 2013). For instance, a research conducted on the U.S eastern seaboard indicates that a decrease in 11 types of large sharks results in the additio n of 12 to 14 small mesoconsumers (Madin et al., 2016). Additionally, a decline in catch rates of 13 large pelagic predators results in an upsurge catch of pelagic stingrays and other small animals (Madin et al., 2016). Furthermore, studies showed that decline in the Canadian cod (Gadus morhua), led to the upsurge in the number of small pelagic and marine invertebrates. As a result, this has led to the cascading alterations in the copepod in addition to the phytoplankton communities (Araà ºjo and Bundy, 2012). Studies have also shown that shifts in the diet by destroyer whales, which move along the Aleutian island have resulted from a reduction in the number of sea otters present in the island. In effect, urchins are released from the predations thereby causing the reduction of kelp forest due to their overgrazing (Heithaus et al., 2008). Therefore, it is evident that there is a close connection between the decline of the predators and the prey in the ecosystems. Another aspect that should be closely examined is the behavioral one. The scholars believe that aquatic life uses the behavioral responses to different risk in efforts to avoid encountering predators. For instance, dolphins and other animals forage in productive shallow seagrass during a time when the number of sharks is reduced. However, they move to less industrious but harmless surroundings when the population of sharks in the ecosystem is high (Griffin et al., 2008). Additionally, when top predator disappear the mesoconsumer population increases and may shift their behavior in foraging pattern, which affect the ecosystem. For instance, shark and killer whale help maintain the seal population but due to loss in numbers the fur seals (Arctocephalus forsteri) in New Zealand thrives causing the temperate reef fish (morwong Chelilodactulus nigripes) to reduce foraging effort, leading to reduced grazing on turf algae (Heithaus et al., 2008). The impacts of behavior response to predation risks among the prey may include experiencing energetic cost and the lack of adequate utilization of resources (Langerhans, 2007). As such, their growth and reproductive outputs are limited in the ecosystems by the predation risks (Abdulla, 2004). In other cases, the risks of tiger sharks limit the number of prey and activate trophic cascades. Tiger sharks ultimately decrease browsing on the sea grasses in risky places but escalating in harmless environments that are portrayed in longitudinal processes of seagrass nutritional components (Griffin et al., 2008). Having examined all the points, that were mentioned in the paragraphs above, one is able to come to the following conclusion: top predators are important as they regulate the species abundance, diversity, and distribution that contribute to a healthy marine ecosystem. The significance of the risk effects as well as individual predator species depends on the community diversity, habitat heterogeneity, life history features of mesoconsumers and predators. A decrease in the predator diversity in some occasions leads to positive impacts on the mesoconsumers (Baum and Worm, 2009). The comparative impacts of specific predator type elimination can decrease per an upsurge in variety, which relies on the pursuing strategies utilized by the alienated slayers in the population. The environmental structures have an influence on the ecological effects of top predators declines as well as the relative strengths of risk effects. Furthermore, the decreased number of predators results in the increase d prey populations and other adverse effects such as shifting coral reefs to algae dominated habitats, a decline of seagrass among others. Resent research states the predators play a major role in carbon cycling within the ocean (Atwood et al., 2015). Therefore, there is the need to protect these predators from future declines through establishing some effective strategies. The strategies may include decreasing the demand for shark products, reducing the number of top predators reared for commercial fisheries and ensuring improved management. References Abdulla, A., 2004. Predator-prey interactions in coral reef fish: The implications of Predation risk on the behavior and growth of prey (Doctoral dissertation, James Cook University). Atwood, T.B., Connolly, R.M., Ritchie, E.G., Lovelock, C.E., Heithaus, M.R., Hays, G.C., Fourgurean, J.W and Macreadie, P.I., 2015. Predators help protect carbon stocks in blue carbon ecosystem. Nature Climate Change, 5(12), pp. 1038-1045. Araujo, J.N. and Bundy, A., 2012. Effects of environmental change, fisheries and trophodynamics on the ecosystem of the western Scotian Shelf, Canada. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 464, pp.51-67. Baum, J.K. and Worm, B., 2009. Cascading top down effects of changing oceanic predator abundances. Journal of Animal Ecology, 78(4), pp.699-714. Bourdaud, P., Gascuel, D., Bentorcha, A. and BrindAmour, A., 2016. New trophic indicators and target values for an ecosystem-based management of fisheries. Ecological Indicators, 61, pp.588-601. De Poorter, M., Darby, C. and MacKay, J., 2010. Marine Menace. Alien invasive species in the marine environment, IUCN. Edwards, H., 2016. When Predators Become Prey: The Need For International Shark Conservation. Ocean and Coastal Law Journal, 12(2), p.5. Ferretti, F., Worm, B., Britten, G.L., Heithaus, M.R. and Lotze, H.K., 2010. Patterns and ecosystem consequences of shark declines in the ocean. Ecology letters, 13(8), pp.1055-1071. Griffin, E., Miller, K., Freitas, B. and Hirshfield, M., 2008. Oceana: Predators as Prey: Why Healthy Oceans Need Sharks. Grubbs, R.D., Carlson, J.K., Romine, J.G., Curtis, T. and McElroy, D., 2013. Save the bay, eat a ray: a purported trophic cascade mediated by declines in large shark populations and the consequences of applying simplistic models to complex ecosystems. Conference abstract. In 141st American Fisheries Society meeting. American Fisheries Society, CITY, Maryland. Abstract_Book_ (pp. 9-20). Heithaus, M.R., Frid, A., Wirsing, A.J. and Worm, B., 2008. Predicting ecological consequences of marine top predator declines. Trends in Ecology Evolution, 23(4), pp.202-210 Heupel, M.R., Knip, D.M., Simpfendorfer, C.A. and Dulvy, N.K., 2014. Sizing up the ecological role of sharks as predators. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 495, pp.291-298. Langerhans, B.R., 2007. Evolutionary consequences of predation: avoidance, escape, reproduction, and diversification. In Predation in Organisms. Springer Nature, pp. 177-220. Madin, E.M., Dill, L.M., Ridlon, A.D., Heithaus, M.R. and Warner, R.R., 2016. Human activities change marine ecosystems by altering predation risk. Global change biology, 22(1), pp.44-60. Myers, R.A., Baum, J.K., Shepherd, T.D., Powers, S.P. and Peterson, C.H., 2007. Cascading effects of the loss of apex predatory sharks from a coastal ocean. Science, 315(5820), pp.1846-1850. Shackell, N.L., Frank, K.T., Fisher, J.A.D., Petrie, B. and Leggett, W.C. 2010. Decline in top predator body size and changing climate alter trophic structure in an oceanic ecosystem, Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 277(1686), pp. 1353-1360. Stier, A.C., Samhouri, J.F., Novak, M., Marshall, K.N., Ward, E.J., Holt, R.D. and Levin, P.S. 2016. Ecosystem context and historical contingency in apex predator recoveries, 2(5). Thomsen, S.K. and Green, D.J., 2016. Cascading effects of predation risk determine how marine predators become terrestrial prey on an oceanic island. Ecology, 97(12), pp.3530-3537.

Humanity :: Environemtn Humans Humanity Essays

Humanity I was sitting in my laundry room the other day sorting through piles of dirty laundry, courtesy of my seven year old son (who seems to change his clothes every five minutes) and I found myself thinking, "If he only knew the complexities of the Watershed, the Everglades, the South Florida Water Management District, and the Biscayne & Floridian Aquifers maybe he wouldn't change his clothes so often." But then again maybe if he knew these things he would, like so many people in South Florida, not care. We all sit here, on the very edge of an entirely unique eco-system that does not exist anywhere else on the face of the Earth. Yet, the majority of the South Florida community is concerned not with the health of this eco-system but rather with the availability of "credit". Credit which they can use to buy the right clothes, the right SUV, the right set of fake boobs and the perfect pre-fab, cookie cutter house in the right Kendall subdivision. Hence, they can appear to be successful members of this consumer driven society. Now I realize that this is a blatant generalization and that it is a rather cynical view of humanity. But, let us not forget that in this society appearance is everything. And if that is really the case, what does humanity mean in this place, in this time and in this society?" You are probably asking yourself, "What does a contemporary conceptualization of humanity have to do with the Everglades?" Well, to me, the key to humanity can be found in the Everglades a nd the rest of the natural world beyond it. In the biological sciences there exists the concept of "niche." I have always understood a niche to be a place or a condition in which the abilities of an organism are best utilized and best suited. Essentially, a niche is a place where an organism can belong and be successful; it is a place where it fits. All organisms on the face of the earth have found a niche somewhere and barring human intervention they have flourished in those niches. They have adapted to the world around them. It is only human beings who seem incapable of adaptation and thus expect the world around them to adapt to their presence. Is that then the characteristic and the nature of mankind which distinguishes us from other beings?

My Heritage Essay

My heritage is something that I am immensely proud of. The origins of my heritage began along the Andean region of South America. The depth of my culture is represented through Ecuador’s musical and gastronomical roots. My family strictly follows a strong religious background which has influenced my life greatly. Besides cultural gastronomy and religion, the celebration of holidays is very important to my family as well. Therefore, there are many different factors that my heritage is composed of. One part of my heritage, that I particularly enjoy, is the music and cuisine which pertains to my culture. Ecuador has a wide variety of music ranging from Incan tribal music to current traditional Ecuadorian music. Every time a song is played, it tells a different story, allowing the listener to visualize and experience the rhythm first hand. Among the many plates Ecuador has to offer, a few in particular have been established as my favorites; one of them is called â€Å"Locro†, which is a thick soup made from potatoes, cheese, and meat. Locro is usually served with a light salad, topped off with cilantro and avocado. The aroma emanating from this culinary concoction sends my mind into a state of euphoric tranquility. Therefore, the combination of these two can make any event a moment to savor. In addition to the music and the food, religion plays an important role in my heritage as well. Catholicism is the dominant religion in Ecuador, and the religion with which I was raised. The Roman based religion has a high influence amongst my people. I remember during my childhood how important it was to go through my religious sacraments. As a Catholic, going to church with my family every Sunday was a never broken tradition. Although I am respectful of all religions, my religion has played an important role and has allowed me to flourish. Among the many rituals that are practiced within the Catholic religion, we show a significant amount of respect to Catholic holidays. Holidays are a very important ceremonial event which is glorified amongst my family. Once a year, my family gathers together for a much acclaimed event, the birth of Jesus Christ. To some, this day is known to be filled with folktales about a gift giving Santa Clause hidden in the North Pole. In my family, we are  taught from childhood about the son of God, Jesus Christ, and the many miracles and sacrifices he had to endure for us. Another part of this tradition was attending midnight mass to show respect for the birth of baby Jesus. This religion and its holiday are not only pertinent to the country of my origin but also a large part of what I consider to be my heritage today. In conclusion, my heritage is drawn from different factors all of which depend on the types of influences that are present in a person’s life. The parts of my heritage which I consider important include the gastronomical and musical roots of Ecuador, Catholicism, and lastly the celebration of an important religious holiday. These combinations have had a substantially large influence on what I consider my heritage today.

Due Diligence

â€Å"Due  diligence† is a somewhat technical phrase used to describe a range of assignments, legal obligations, reports and investigations which take place in business, manufacturing and law. Its most frequently heard version is the one pertaining to business, where â€Å"duediligence† refers to the steps taken by venture capitalists before investing a round of capital in a startup, the ongoing investigation as to how the funds are being distributed, or the precautionary steps taken by a larger company in deciding to acquire a smaller company. Sometimes the phrase is referred to as a capitalized proper noun:  Due  Diligence. The precise definition of â€Å"due  diligence† varies between firms and organizations. In manufacturing for example, certain environmental requirements must be met, which are verified in an Environmental Site Assessment called a â€Å"due  diligence  report†. It consists of a checklist of specifications and sections for open commentary. Ads by Google |IT Due Diligence Experts |Information & Communications Technology Due Diligence. Munich | | |www. oach. de | |Due Diligence Checklist |Industry proven 600+ pt checklist available for immediate download | | |www. birds-eye. net | |Due Diligence |Worldwide offices Know-how, experience & resources | | |i-factanalysis. om/due_diligence | |M&A Cross-Border |Mergers & Acquisitions Business Sales, Invest in Europe | | |www. eleusis. eu | |Free Trading Webinar |Learn how to use technical analysis to make better security trades. | | |www . equis. com | In venture capitalism,  due  diligence  involves looking into the past and present of the people and structure of a company requesting  venture funding. For instance, venture capitalists are wary of investing in companies that lack people with credentials or a proven track record. Depending on the overall level of caution in the investment environment at the time, a  duediligence  investigation may be more or less stringent. Typically a  venture capital  firm will have a dozen or more investigators whose task is to research specific details of the personal history of people in the company. With the Internet, researching a person's past associations and experience has never been easier, much to the delight of investment communities. Of course,  due  diligence  is not a panacea against investment failures. Even a company made up of well-educated high achievers can falter  due  to unpredictable market conditions, unforeseen competition, or technical setbacks. Due  diligence  generally refers to the background checks conducted after a venture partner has already made a decision about the company. Typically, partners will prefer to invest in companies led by people they already know are very trustworthy, and probably have been given funds in the past. In law,  due  diligence  refers to precautions that are supposed to be taken by a person or company in some context. For example, did the company thoroughly check their product beforehand to ensure it was non-toxic or was not a strangulation hazard? If they do not, and bad results come of their  negligence, they can be held criminally liable. Due Diligence â€Å"Due  diligence† is a somewhat technical phrase used to describe a range of assignments, legal obligations, reports and investigations which take place in business, manufacturing and law. Its most frequently heard version is the one pertaining to business, where â€Å"duediligence† refers to the steps taken by venture capitalists before investing a round of capital in a startup, the ongoing investigation as to how the funds are being distributed, or the precautionary steps taken by a larger company in deciding to acquire a smaller company. Sometimes the phrase is referred to as a capitalized proper noun:  Due  Diligence. The precise definition of â€Å"due  diligence† varies between firms and organizations. In manufacturing for example, certain environmental requirements must be met, which are verified in an Environmental Site Assessment called a â€Å"due  diligence  report†. It consists of a checklist of specifications and sections for open commentary. Ads by Google |IT Due Diligence Experts |Information & Communications Technology Due Diligence. Munich | | |www. oach. de | |Due Diligence Checklist |Industry proven 600+ pt checklist available for immediate download | | |www. birds-eye. net | |Due Diligence |Worldwide offices Know-how, experience & resources | | |i-factanalysis. om/due_diligence | |M&A Cross-Border |Mergers & Acquisitions Business Sales, Invest in Europe | | |www. eleusis. eu | |Free Trading Webinar |Learn how to use technical analysis to make better security trades. | | |www . equis. com | In venture capitalism,  due  diligence  involves looking into the past and present of the people and structure of a company requesting  venture funding. For instance, venture capitalists are wary of investing in companies that lack people with credentials or a proven track record. Depending on the overall level of caution in the investment environment at the time, a  duediligence  investigation may be more or less stringent. Typically a  venture capital  firm will have a dozen or more investigators whose task is to research specific details of the personal history of people in the company. With the Internet, researching a person's past associations and experience has never been easier, much to the delight of investment communities. Of course,  due  diligence  is not a panacea against investment failures. Even a company made up of well-educated high achievers can falter  due  to unpredictable market conditions, unforeseen competition, or technical setbacks. Due  diligence  generally refers to the background checks conducted after a venture partner has already made a decision about the company. Typically, partners will prefer to invest in companies led by people they already know are very trustworthy, and probably have been given funds in the past. In law,  due  diligence  refers to precautions that are supposed to be taken by a person or company in some context. For example, did the company thoroughly check their product beforehand to ensure it was non-toxic or was not a strangulation hazard? If they do not, and bad results come of their  negligence, they can be held criminally liable.