"Wisdom begins in wonder" – Socrates
Category: Ecology
Lowland Rivers
10/16/24
“What are the characteristics of rivers in lowlands?”
A river’s natural environment affects its properties. Rivers in lowlands, termed Lowland Rivers are slower because they go through a smaller gravitational potential difference. They also contain more sediment than upland rivers which makes them contain less oxygen and appear more opaque.
Upland Rivers
10/15/24
“What are the rivers that originate in mountainous environments?”
Rivers are found almost everywhere on Earth. Rivers that start in mountainous environments are labeled Upland Rivers. These rivers are typically fast-moving due to their steep drop in elevation. Upland rivers are typically clear and have copious amounts of oxygen.
Phylogenetic Trees
10/12/24
“How can we represent evolutionary history on a tree diagram?”
Phylogenetics studies how organisms evolve with time. But how can we visualize how organisms evolve from one another? Well, what if we were to visualize all organism’s genetic history as starting out from a root (the first single-celled organism) and then evolving outwards in a tree-like structure? This is the idea behind Phylogenetic Trees and it’s one of the most standard ways to display an organism’s evolutionary history.
Phylogenetics
10/10/24
“How can we use genetics to study the evolutionary history of life?”
Genetics can tell us a lot about an organism. One of the things it can do is tell us about the evolutionary history of life and how organisms became the way they are. This field of science is called Phylogenetics.
Biodiversity Collapse
10/09/24
“What happens when the biodiversity of an ecosystem collapses?”
Biodiversity loss is a tragedy. When enough biodiversity loss happens, it can set off a domino effect that leads to a Biodiversity Collapse where a healthy environment becomes unable to be maintained.
Biodiversity Loss
10/08/24
“What happens when an animal or plant species goes extinct?”
The total summation of plant and animal genes makes up an area’s biodiversity. When a species dies out, the total amount of biodiversity goes down. This creates something called Biodiversity Loss.
Biodiversity Hotspots
10/05/24
“What are some of the most biodiverse yet threatened ecological spots in the world?”
Species of plants and animals live all across the world. However, some places have a large nucleus of biodiversity with a plethora of endemic species. These Biodiversity Hotspots are also some of the most threatened spots on the planet. Examples of biodiversity hotpots include the Western Cape and the Caucasus Mountains.
Biodiversity Cold Spots
10/04/24
“Are there places with low biological diversity threatened by human-induced activity?”
It’s common to focus on biodiversity hotspots for regions threatened by climate collapse. However, there are places with low biodiversity but contain a large number of endemic species. If some of these species die off, then it could lead to a rapid systems collapse. These Biodiversity Cold Spots are a vital part of the Earth’s functioning and need to be cared for. Atolls are classified as biodiversity cold spots.
How Atoll Lagoons Form
10/03/24
“How do atoll lagoons form?”
Atolls are some of the most beautiful pieces of land in the world. But how exactly do they form? Well, it usually starts when an island sinks into the ocean due to volcanic or seismic activity. When this disappears, the coral reefs that surround it may continue growing, and in time will form a lagoon barrier against the ocean. This is How Atoll Lagoons Form.
