Biodiversity and Ecosystem

a. Round 1 = In this round I removed lichens from the ecosystems. This would have a huge effect on the ecosystem because they play a role in the creation of soil where plants obtain nutrients. If they are taken out it can affect trees and flowers which affect bees, because they depend on them. This also effect humans that depend on the bees for honey and the fruit that the bees help pollinate. b. Round 2 = In this round humans was removed. By removing humans there was a little effect on the ecosystem. We are the top of the food chain and, but our actions do more damage then good for the environment. c. Round 3 = In this round bees was removed. This is a huge problem in today’s environment and effects the pollination of plants. Because of the removal of bees it really affects the ability of plants to produce fruits, which allow humans food. d. Round 4 = In this round flowers was removed. This was an affects to the ecosystem because flowers deliver food for bees. Bees provide honey and pollinate plants. Because of the removal of flowers it eventually removes bees which effect humans and the food chain. 2. Provide one action we as humans engage in that leads to the extinction of each of these components. Action affecting Lichens = Humans affect lichens with air pollution, industrialization and the introduction of sulphur dioxide can kill lichens. (Air Quality and Lichens, 2014) Action affecting Trees = Humans cut down trees to use for lumber, and to expand. This deforestation is the largest way for humans to affect trees. Action affecting Flowers = The way humans are affecting the flowers is by over population and polluting the air with automobiles that can produce acid rain. Action affecting Bees = The actions that humans take to affect bees is by destroying habitats, 3. Provide three specific actions that humans can take to minimize our impact on the ecosystem and ensure the survival of lichens, trees, flowers, and bees. Action 1 = Humans can reduce the amount of pollution that produced by using more efficient automobiles and public transportation. Action 2 = Humans can reduce the amount of pollutants the produce by using more efficient automobiles and public transportation. Action 3 = The other action they can do to minimize the impact on the ecosystem is to recycle this will save the need to destroy habitats for more resources. Experiment 1: Diversity of Plants Table 2: Number of Each Plant Species Present in Pot 1 and Pot 2 Species Observed Number in Pot 1(sunlight) Number in Pot 2(shade) Zinnia 2 1 Marigold 2 2 Morning Glory 3 1 Cosmos 8 4 Ryegrass 3 2 Total Number of Species in Pot: 18 10 POST LAB QUESTIONS 1. Develop a hypothesis on which pot you believe will contain the highest biodiversity. Hypothesis = I believe that the plants that are in the sun will develop the highest biodiversity. 2. Based on the results of your experiment, would you reject or accept the hypothesis that you produced in question 1? Explain how you determined this. Accept/Reject = I accept my hypothesis because the flowers that I grew in the planter that I placed in the sun made the most flowers and different types. 3. If each pot was a sample you found in a group of wildflowers, would you determine based on the diversity of flowers that the ecosystem is healthy? Why or why not. Answer = I was so impressed with the amount of flowers that grew in both environments. In my determination based on the diversity of flowers that the ecosystem is healthy. There was actually a lot of plants in both of the environment but of course the ones in the sunlight had a healthier ecosystem. 4. How does biodiversity contribute to the overall health of an ecosystem? Provide specific examples and utilize at least one scholarly resource to back your answer. Answer = Biodiversity is very important to the health of an ecosystem. The greater species diversity is it ensures natural sustainability for all life forms. It provides natural services such as soil protection, water resources, pollution breakdown, food, medical resources, and future resources, according to Shah (2014). She states â€Å"Each species depends on the services provided by other species to ensure survival. It is a type of cooperation based on mutual survival and is often what a â€Å"balanced ecosystem† refers to†(2014). Crops are used to feed cattle, then the cattle waste nourishes the crops. Crops, as well as yielding grain also yield straw , the straw provides organic matter and fodder, crops are therefore food sources for humans and animals then the soil and organisms such as bacteria and algae serve as nitrogen fixers. Rodents, then aerate the soil and improve its water-holding capacity Spiders, centipedes and insects grind organic matter from the surface soil and leave behind enriched droppings. This large biodiversity is accentual to maintaining health crops and animals for the food supply.

Analysis of Business Excellence criteria Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Analysis of Business Excellence criteria - Essay Example This formula for such unflinching success has come through none of what management books could preach. The story behind the rise of Emirates Group lies in being an opportunist and seeking the opportunity at the right time and solving all their problems as and when they came through. This can be highlighted as one of company’s key strengths. Emirates has been working in a multicultural environment where the company seeks to address whatever shall keep the company motivated and ensure team functions to perform well. The key business practice is to keep things running as they are if they appear good, defying the conventional wisdom of not having any functional fit in the organization. Emirates group is run like a family rather than a management driven organization. It is a fully owned government organization based in Dubai. As a part of business strategy, the company has a policy of not entertaining any alliance and believes in making strategic partnerships with its competitors t o move forward on the path of success. Its range of services includes commercial airlines offering all of passenger, postal and cargo services. It also sells consumer goods in airlines as both wholesale and retail. It also operates in hotels and resorts and engineering products is leisure and destination management (The Emirates group, 2013C). As a part of company strategy, Emirates group does not believe in a fixed organizational structure and has built its company structure based on people strengths. Also, the company does not have a board of directors that comprises of executive and non-executive directors. They have a group of 30 people who discuss an agenda openly. The senior management and HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum act as the sole decision making body. This senior management believes in focussing on details, rather than the bigger picture. Emirates also follow a strategy of hiring people from all across the world. Staff salaries are pegged to their home country base s but recruitment from across the globe has its own economic advantages. Employees get attracted to the company despite its comparatively lower salary because of lack of tax implications in Dubai. This allows the company to have a competitive advantage over its staff costs. The paper is a survey that is based on the EFQM model. It analyses the Emirates Group on nine parameters of the model through survey results. The results are analysed and helps in determining key strengths and weaknesses of the company. Based on the analysis, the paper concludes with recommendations of suggested practices. Methodology In this section, the research methodology has been discussed. It is to be noted that the research was carried out by means of a questionnaire based on the EFQM excellence model. The questionnaire was answered based on the secondary data obtained from various print and online sources. Based on self assessment study, the answers to the questions were formulated, wherein each answer is based on information obtained through secondary source of data. No outside person, group of persons or body corporate was approached for seeking answers to the questionnaire. The question response format was based on a Likert scale of 1 to 6. However, each one of these numbers was defined in terms of attributes as Zero Base, Very Weak, Weak, Acceptable, Strong and Extremely Strong. The scores were assigned as 1

Silver, the Inventor of the Adhesive Polymer on Which Post-It is Based Essay

Silver, the Inventor of the Adhesive Polymer on Which Post-It is Based - Essay Example The specific product, which is unique worldwide, has made 3M a leading firm in managing innovation. The review of the actual history of Post-It, up to its entrance in the market, proves that the development of the particular product has been quite difficult for its designers. In fact, the inventor of Post-It, the chemist Spencer Silver, spent many years in trying to persuade leaders in his organization in regard to the value of his invention: an adhesive polymer of various uses. At the end, and mostly due to the efforts of Silver and those who believed in the product’s value, Post-It entered the global market. The case of 3M and Post – It shows that product innovation can be a quite challenging process, the complexity of which is often not clear even to those working for its promotion. In the context of modern businesses, product innovation is a concept which is related to the following target: the examination and evaluation of ‘the need for innovative products and services’ (Rainey 2005, p.10). The above definition leads to the assumption that product innovation is a rather simple process. Still, such assumption would not be valid. In fact, product innovation has a series of aspects which are analytically presented in the sections that follow. Another characteristic of product innovation is the following one: the methods used for the promotion of product innovation within each organization are not standardized (Rainey 2005, p.10). Different tools and techniques can be used for promoting product innovation, depending on the potentials of each organization to provide the required funds and infrastructure (Rainey 2005, p.10). One of the most common issues that appear each time that product innovation schemes are promoted is the following one: can the particular process be introduced in any organization or it is necessary that certain requirements are met. Moreover, innovation, as a process is based on certain rules or it is not controllable as of its structure and components? The answer to the above questions can be identified in the study of Cogliandro (2007). According to Cogliandro (2007) innovation, in all its aspects, needs to be based on three principles: a) innovation needs to be related to all aspects of the organization; in fact, innovation would be expanded across organization covering all organizational activities (Cogliandro 2007, p.18) and during all periods of the life of the organization.