"Wisdom begins in wonder" – Socrates
Aquatic Plants
11/08/24
“What are plants that have adapted to aquatic life?”
Plants can be found all over the world. Aquatic Plants are plant species that are specifically adapted to aquatic ecosystems. These typically come with a few adaptations that make their survival feasible.
Wild Fisheries
11/07/24
“How can we have fisheries in open waters?”
Fish is a popular protein source for people. This is obtained through fishing. Open waters that provide fish for fishing are known as Wild Fisheries.
Animal Grazing
11/06/24
“What happens when animal livestock is allowed to roam freely outdoors for food?”
Animals livestock need a lot of food to live. One method is Animal Grazing, where the livestock is allowed to roam outdoors free range and consume grass. This is often done on land unsuitable for growing crops.
The Pantanal
11/05/24
“What is the world’s largest tropical wetland area and why is it so special?”
Wetlands exist all over the world. But there’s one that’s very special. The Pantanal, the largest tropical wetland in the world, is nestled on the western border of Brazil with Bolivia (small portions of the wetland are in Bolivia and Paraguay). 80 percent of the wetlands are submerged during the rainy season. The Pantanal is incredibly diverse, containing over 2,000 different plant species and 10,000 animals species.
Image credit https://familytripmagazine.com/
Environmental Impact Assessments
11/04/24
“How can we evaluate the environmental impacts of projects?”
Governments and institutions carry out construction projects. These are bound to have environmental impacts. The scale of these impacts can be measured through Environmental Impact Assessments, where professionals review the impacts of all possible projects compared to doing nothing at all.
Why Rainstorms Exacerbate the Public Health Hazard of Polluted Waterways
11/03/24
“Why do rainstorms exacerbate the public health hazard of polluted waterways?”
Polluted waterways are a nuisance. They produce vile odors, look bad, and can be dangerous to enter. When rainstorms occur, they cause the waterway to expand and flood the surrounding area, exacerbating danger. This is Why Rainstorms Exacerbate the Public Health Hazard of Polluted Waterways.
Why Recently Restored Wetlands Do Not Offer as Much Ecosystem Services as Older Wetlands
11/02/24
“Why don’t recently restored wetlands offer as much ecosystem services as older wetlands?”
Restoring wetlands helps environments recover from the ravages of industrialization. However, these zones are less ecologically developed than older wetlands given that the latter have been operating continuously for upwards of millions of years. This is Why Recently Restored Wetlands Do Not Offer as Much Ecosystem Services as Older Wetlands.
Ecological Succession
11/01/24
“What governs how a species changes after a large change in their environment?”
Species adapt to environmental changes. When there is a large change in the environment, there will be a series of changes in the species organization called Ecological Succession.
Ecotones
10/31/24
“What is the transition zone between two ecological communities?”
There are different ecosystem types all over the world, from forests to grasslands to tundras. But how does one ecosystem type transition from one to another? Well, there might be a transition called an Ecotone. Ecotones can be either sudden or gradual.
Isaac's Science Blog 