Analyzing Populations

Part A

Purpose

The purpose of this blogpost is to gain a greater understanding of population dynamics and growth, and to analyze how much population effects other aspects of countries.

Figure 1 - Population Overload

General Population Overview

As Molles (2010) states, “We look at population growth growth in the presence of abundant resources, growth where  resources are limiting, and how the environment can act to change birth and death rates..The concepts we review reflect the historical development of population ecology. That history has involved two complementary approaches. One approach uses mathematics to model population growth. The second approach focuses on studies of laboratory and natural population.” Both the approaches Molles lists are utilized in this assignment, as it uses mathematics to analyze population growth, and it uses studies to analyze populations.

Questions

1. China and India have the largest populations in the world. Which of these two countries adds more people to its population annually?

These answers were found by multiplying the rate of natural increase (crude birth rate minus crude rate divided by ten) to the given population for each country in 2010.

Table 1 – Annual Population Growth for China and India

Country	Number of people added annually
China	669,000,000
India	1,783,500,000

2. What proportion of the world’s people live the following continents/regions and what are the projected proportions by 2025 and 2050?

For Asia, you do the population proportion differently for the three different years to account for the change in world population, and Asia’s population. For 2010, you do 4157 million (Asia’s population) divided by the world population, 6892 million and move the decimal place two spots to the right. For 2025, you do 4845 million (Asia’s predicted population) divided by the predicted world population, 8108 million and move the decimal place two spots to the right. For 2050, you do 5424 million (Asia’s predicted population) divided by the predicted world population, 9485 million and move the decimal place two spots to the right. For North America you do the population proportion differently for the three different years to account for the change in world population, and North Americas population. For 2010, you do 344 million (NA’s population) divided by the world population, 6892 million and move the decimal place two spots to the right. For 2025, you do 391 million (NA’s predicted population) divided by the predicted world population, 8108 million and move the decimal place two spots to the right. For 2050, you do 471 million (NA’s predicted population) divided by the predicted world population, 9485 million and move the decimal place two spots to the right. For Latin America, you do the population proportion differently for the three different years to account for the change in world population, and Latin America’s population. For 2010, you do 585 million (LA’s population) divided by the world population, 6892 million and move the decimal place two spots to the right. For 2025, you do 698 million (LA’s predicted population) divided by the predicted world population, 8108 million and move the decimal place two spots to the right. For 2050, you do 729 million (LA’s predicted population) divided by the predicted world population, 9485 million and move the decimal place two spots to the right. For Europe, you do the population proportion differently for the three different years to account for the change in world population, and Europe’s population. For 2010, you do 739 million (Europe’s population) divided by the world population, 6892 million and move the decimal place two spots to the right. For 2025, you do 747 million (Europe’s predicted population) divided by the predicted world population, 8108 million and move the decimal place two spots to the right. For 2050, you do 720 million (Europe’s predicted population) divided by the predicted world population, 9485 million and move the decimal place two spots to the right. For Oceania, you do the population proportion differently for the three different years to account for the change in world population, and Oceania’s population. For 2010, you do 37 million (Oceania’s population) divided by the world population, 6892 million and move the decimal place two spots to the right. For 2025, you do 45 million (Oceania’s predicted population) divided by the predicted world population, 8108 million and move the decimal place two spots to the right. For 2050, you do 58 million (Oceania’s predicted population) divided by the predicted world population, 9485 million and move the decimal place two spots to the right.

Table 2- Populations Proportions for 2010, 2025, 2050

Continent	% living today	% by 2025	% by 2050
Asia	60.32	59.76	57.19
North America	4.99	4.82	5
Latin America	8.38	8.24	7.69
Europe	10.58	9.21	7.59
Oceania	0.54	0.56	0.61

The trends reflected in the bar chart are the decline in population in Asia, Latin America and Europe and an increase in population in North America and Oceania.

3. What proportion of the world’s people live in less developed countries (LDCs) and in more developed countries (MDCs) today? What proportion is projected to live in LDCs  and MDCs in 2025 and in 2050?

To calculate these numbers, you check the chart under the world population first. Then, for the MCD, you divide the more developed countries by the world population. For the LCD, you divide the less developed countries by the world population to find the percents.

Table 3- MDC & LDC Population Proportions

Countries	% of world’s population today	% of world’s population in 2025	% of world’s population in 2050
LDCs	82.06	84.1	86.02
MDCs	17.94	15.9	13.98

The economic implications of the changing of the changing proportions are not too large; the percentages only increase or decrease by about 2% every 15 to 25 years. This will not make that much of a difference in terms of these countries economies, except in terms of the labor force, which will probably grow or decrease. However, it is not a very large increase or decrease in the amount of people.

The social implications of the changing proportions of the world’s people are much larger than the economic ones. In the LDCs, there will be a higher rate of starvation and poverty and overall social crisis. There will probably be much social tension. In the MDCs, where the population is projected to decrease, there will probably be less effects.

4. Examine the crude birth rate, crude death rate, and rate of natural increase of any three countries (one being your own country) listed on the World Population Data Sheet.

To get these numbers, you check the given numbers for Crude Birth Rate, Crude Death Rate, Rate of Natural Increase in the World Population Chart.

Table 4- Rate of Natural Increase for USA, Canada, Botswana

Country	Crude birth rate (%)	Crude death rate (%)	Rate of natural increase (%)
USA	14	8	0.6
Canada	11	7	0.4
Botswana	30	11	1.9

The mathematical relationship among is that the crude birth rate and crude death rate allow one to calculate the rate of natural increase. The formula for the rate of natural increase is: (crude birth rate – crude death rate) / 10. Thus, to find the rate of natural increase for the USA, you do 14 – 8, and divide by 10, getting 0.6%. To find the rate of natural increase for Canada, you do 11 – 7 and divide by 10, getting 0.4%. To find the rate of natural increase for Botswana, you do 30 – 11 and divide by 10, getting 1.9%.

5. Select 2 LDCs and 2 MDCs from the data sheet and compute the age-dependency ratios for each.

To calculate these numbers, you check the world population chart which gives the percent population ages <15 and 65+. The two percents for <15 and 65+ are then added, and then that percent is subtracted from 100 and made the denominator of the fraction. The numerator is then divided by the denominator and multiplied by 100, which is the the age-dependency ratio. For example, Dijbouti has a percent of population ages <15 of 37% and 65+ of 3%. These two are then added to get 40%, then subtracted by 100 to get 60. 40/60 = .66666666666666666, which is then multiplied by 100 to get 66.7%.

Table 5- Age-Dependency Ratios

Country	Age-dependency ratio
LCD1 Dijbouti	37%+3%/60% x 100 = 66.7
LCD2 Gambia	43%+3%/54% x 100 = 85
MDC1 USA	20%+13%/67% x 100 = 49
MCD2 Luxembourg	18%+14%/68% x 100 = 47

It is clear that LCDs have a much higher age-dependency ratios then MCDs, as Dijbouti and Gambia have age-dependency ratios of 66.7 and 85, while the USA and Luxembourg have 49 and 47. This highlights the strict differences in most developed countries and least developed countries.

I think that the factors that contribute to a high age-dependency ratio are: a large amount of child births at one time, a high percentage of lay-offs at one time, or a lack education.

The economic and social consequences of a high age-dependency ratio are economic problems, such as higher taxes and people having to spend less money, and even greater social barriers between youth and the elderly.

Part B

Interpreting & Understanding Age-Sex Graphs

1. From the following table select one country from each column (two countries) from for your case.

Column A: France. Column B: Bangladesh.

2. From the Excel file record the following data for the country you selected.

Table 6- Bangladesh’s Demographic Indicators

Demographic Indicators	Value
Total midyear population	156118
Birth Rate (per 1,000)	23.43
Death Rate (per 1,000)	5.81
Natural Increase (%)	1.762
Infant Mortality Rate (per 1,000 births)	52.54
Total Fertility Rate	2.7
Life Expectancy at Birth for males	67.64
Life Expectancy at Birth for females	71.3
Population <15 yrs. (%) / >65 yrs. (%) (from World Population Data Sheet)	32%/4%
GNP/capita (US $)  (from World Population Data Sheet)	1,440

Graph 2- Age-Sex Pyramid for Bangladesh

http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/idb/populationPyramid.php?BG|2010 (will not post onto wordpress for some reason)

Table 7- France’s Demographic Indicators

Demographic Indicators	Value
Total midyear population	64768389
Birth Rate (per 1,000)	12.43
Death Rate (per 1,000)	8.65
Natural Increase (%)	0.378
Infant Mortality Rate (per 1,000 births)	3.31
Total Fertility Rate	2
Total Fertility Rate	2
Life Expectancy at Birth for males	77.91
Life Expectancy at Birth for females	84.44
Population <15 yrs. (%) / >65 yrs. (%) (from World Population Data Sheet)	18%/17%
GNP/capita (US $)  (from World Population Data Sheet)	34,400

Graph 3- Age-Sex Pyramid for France

http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/idb/populationPyramid.php?FR|2010 (will not post onto wordpress for some reason)

3. Compare the demographic indicators from the two countries. What generalizations can be made concerning demographic indicators and level of development?

Comparison of the charts and demographic indicators of both countries leads one to believe that France is a more developed country than Bangladesh is. France has a much higher midyear population than Bangladesh does. The crude birth rate for Bangladesh is much lower than France’s, and it has an especially high infant mortality. High infant mortality rates usually indicates a less developed country, as it means the country is lacking in proper sanitation, nutrition, and medical knowledge (which are areas most developed countries are proficient in). The chart for Bangladesh also delineates the large age gap between youth and the elderly, which is another implication of a less developed country, while France’s does not. Moreover, for both females and males, France possesses a higher life expectancy which indicates an overall greater quality of life than Bangladesh.

References

1. Molles, M.C. (2010). Ecology. Concepts and Applications. 5th Ed. NY: McGraw-Hill.

2. Tomorrow’s World Population. Retrieved November 29th, 2010 from:http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=115×160432

3. World Population Data 2010. Retrieved November 29th, 2010 from:

(http://www.prb.org/pdf10/10wpds_eng.pd

4. U.S. Census Bureau “International Database. Retrieved November 29th, 2010 from:

http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/idb/

5. Video: youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b98JmQ0Cc3k

Final Preparation

Part A

B. The purpose of this post is to choose and elaborate on a topic for my final presentation in Ecology.

C. The topic of this presentation will be Deforestation.

D. This topic relates to class discussions we’ve already had, such as those about species that have gone extinct: deforestation is directly linked to loss of biodiversity, as many animal and plant species lose their living area, it becomes harder and harder for all members of that species to survive, and eventually they go extinct. Moreover, Molles (2010) claims that, “When a tract of forest is cut, the adjacent forest is affected by changes in the physical environment along its edges, by reduced habitat area, and by isolation.” (527), indicating that when deforestation occurs, there are many impacts on the environment.

E. Deforestation is to divest or clear a forest of trees. While Deforestation does not appear to be a topic that is that significant, the implication and effects of deforestation are abundant. These effects include, but are not limited too: loss of biodiversity, soil erosion, disruption of the water cycle, climate cycle, habitat loss, increase in greenhouse gases and reduction of soil cohesion. Trees are crucial because they store carbon.

Figure 1 – Insight into the Amazon Rainforest

Part B

G. The article “Deforestation” provides a thorough overview of the consequences, causes and impacts of deforestation. Forests are important because they influence climate, provide tools/products for us to use and keep biological diversity. Latin America and Asia are 2 areas which are plentiful in terms of tropical rainforest; however, they have lost much of their original forests. There are many causes to deforestation, such as need for timber, internal and social forces, and political pressures. While there are many plans in store to rejuvenate forests, there is only so much that can be done – there is a controversial ideology that tries to restore forests by recreating succession through the use of fire.

H. I believe this is a credible source because it provides references and links at that bottom to refer too, and has certain highlighted words in the article that can take the reader to links for proof of the point. Moreover, it provides graphs and charts throughout the article. It also an article from a university web site, as it says umich in the link, and it says at the bottom “All materials © the regents of the University of Michigan unless otherwise noted.”. The article is free from bias; it does not list any personal opinions, just facts.

References

1.

Molles, M.C. (2010). Ecology. Concepts and Applications. 5th Ed. NY: McGraw-Hill.

2.

Deforestation. (2010) Retrieved November 7th, 2010 fromhttp://www.globalchange.umich.edu/globalchange2/current/lectures/deforest/deforest.html

Ecological Footprint Fun

Part B.

The purpose of this assignment is to examine the resources we take from the Earth, and its impact.

Part C.

An ecological footprint is the amount of resources one utilizes with respect and comparison to the world’s available resources, and how fast they are renewed. As we mentioned in the chat room, ecological footprints measure how many Earths would be needed measured by a person’s lifestyle. There are many levels in an ecosystem; it begins with the producers, who create their own food, and produce the most energy in the ecosystem. They are eaten by primary consumers, which are eaten by secondary consumers, which are then eaten by tertiary consumers. The amount of energy/nutrients is higher at the bottom of the food chain; the energy and biomass both decrease. For every increase in trophic level, 90% of energy is lost – for example if a mouse is eaten by an owl, the owl only receives 10% of the mouse’s energy.

Diet	Source of Calories	# of Calories	Ecologically Equivalent Calories	Totally Ecologically Equivalent Calories
100%  0%	Plant  Animal	2,000  0	2,000  0	2,000
90%  10%	Plant  Animal	1,800  200	1,800  2,000	3,800
50%  50%	Plant  Animal	1,000  1,000	1,000  10,000	11,000
100%  0%	Animal  Plant	2,000  0	20,000  0	20,000

Part D.

The ecologically equivalent calories to support the four diets would be (respectively) – 730000 calories, 1387000 calories, 4015000 calories and 7300000 calories.

The ecological impact changes a bit- the more animal products there are, the higher the ecologically equivalent calories there are. If someone consumes a meat product, they are probably eating a secondary consumer, which is higher up on the food chain. Moreover, processed meat requires lots of effort and resources: animals must be isolated, and in some cases given antibiotics and other drugs, killed in industrialized environment, and be transported all around the world. According to a report from Cardiff University, the foods with the overall highest ecological impact are: beef, butter, fish, lamb, cheese, chocolate, and ice cream – all of which derive in some shape or form from animal products (chocolate, ice cream, butter, cheese = dairy products). You consume 2,000 additionally ecologically equivalent calories by including as little as 10% of your calories from animal sources.

Mine is probably 90% plant, 10% animal – I am a strict vegetarian, meaning that the total ecologically equivalent calories is 3,800. I consume only a few dairy products, such as milk and cheese, and even those only sparingly. The total ecological impact of my diet is less than that of an omnivore.

Providing food becomes more difficult for nations because healthy foods that are good for the body become more expensive and with people stuck in low paying jobs/countries with bad economies, it becomes more difficult to purchase things like fruits and vegetables – people then turn to fast, cheap style food like fast food, especially meat based products. This can lead to medical problems and diseases, things like malnutrition, diabetes, food borne illnesses – meats are processed in unhealthy environments. The movie Food Inc examines this issue, and explains that such cheap fast food is not sustainable, economically and environmentally.

Part E

1. Ecological Pyramid. Retrieved October 22, 2010  from: http://www.enotes.com/topic/Ecological_pyramid

2. Cardiff – Home, Cardiff’s ecological footprint, Cardiff’s ecological footprint. (2010) Retrieved October 21, 2010 from: http://www.cardiff.gov.uk/content.asp?nav=2%2C2870%2C3148%2C4119

3. Vegetable Group. Retrieved October 22, 2010 from: http://www.drpbody.com/veggies_ex.html

Polaregulation

Part B

All About Polar Bears

The purpose of this post is to understand why certain animal/plant/microbes adapt to different kinds of environments, and gain a greater understanding of their survival tactics.

The scientific name for a polar bear is the Ursus maritimus. Polar bears often have access to bodies of water around them, as they spend lots of time in water. Polar bears are found in the tundra; geographically, they live in areas such as the Arctic Circle, Alaska, Russia, Barents Sea, Norway and Canada and are thus forced to deal with extremely harsh temperatures. As Molles (2010) states, “The tundra climate is typically cold and dry”, exemplifying the need for the polar bear to be able to alter their physiological state to fit with the tundra.

All organisms need to thermoregulate; it allows them adjust to environments. “Tundra is the coldest of all the biomes. Tundra is the coldest of all the biomes.” (University of California Museum of Paleontology). Moreover, as an animal that spends much time in freezing cold water hunting and must hibernate, it is essential that polar bears be able to thermoregulate. However, polar bears  adjust through various creative ways, using their surroundings and atmosphere to their greatest advantage; physical characteristics and traits are also utilized when keeping warm. “Body temperature, which is normally 37°C (98.6°F), is maintained through a thick layer of fur, a tough hide, and an insulating fat layer (up to 11 cm or 4.5 in. thick). This excellent insulation keeps a polar bear warm even when air temperatures drop to -37°C (-34°F)…Polar bears move slowly and rest often to avoid overheating…Polar bears also swim to cool down on warm days or after physical activity.” (Animals)

Polar Bear

Part C

Polar Bear Mania

As an endotherm, polar bears, meaning they generate their own body heat. Whereas ectotherms rely on exterior heat sources, endotherms rely on the temperature of their environment more. Thus, the polar bear balances heat loss and heat creation. To do accomplish this the polar relies on Hm – the metabolic heat from food/energy, as referenced in K. Schmidt Nielsen’s equation.

Polar bears use their fur and fat to keep themselves warm during the cold and hibernation. They may also “burrow in the snow to create an insulating blanket which, while cold, is still warmer than the outside world. This is sometimes combined with a biological process called winter sleep, which helps polar bears stay warm by slowing down metabolic processes.” (WiseGEEK) As humans often do, as stated in Molles (2010) “At low temperatures, we start shivering, which generates heat by muscle contractions. We also release hormones that increase our metabolic rate, the rate at which we metabolize our energy stories, which are mainly fats. Increasing metabolic rate increases the rate at which we generate metabolic heat, Hm”.

Polar bears must learn to deal with their environments because if they did not do so, they would surely die. They are active creatures that are constantly dealing with changing temperatures. Polar bears must be able to gather food, have the ability repopulate, and survive.

Polar Bear Thermoregulation

Part D

Bibliography

1.Molles, M.C. (2010). Ecology. Concepts and Applications. 5th Ed. NY: McGraw-Hill.

2. The Tundra Biome. Retrieved October 18, 2010 from http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/biomes/tundra.php

3. POLAR BEARS – Adaptations for an Aquatic Environment. Retrieved October 18, 2010 from http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/info-books/polar-bear/adaptations.htm

4. Polar Bear : Facts, Pictures, Video : Animal Planet. Retrieved October 18, 2010 from http://animal.discovery.com/mammals/polar-bear/

5. How Do Polar Bears Stay Warm?. (2010) Retrieved October 18, 2010 from http://www.wisegeek.com/how-do-polar-bears-stay-warm.htm

6. Architecture’s Look at Wildlife/Fauna. Retrieved October 18, 2010 from http://www.ymag.it/schede.asp?id=1184

Assignment #3

Part A

Global warming will affect the proportion of Earth’s water that resides in the ocean because when the temperature of the atmosphere increases, it allows more ocean water to become warmer; this allows the volume of ocean water to increase and raise its surface level. The EPA believes that the chance of global warming not changing the current trend toward a sea rise is a mere 5%. Global warming also changes the hydrologic cycle. There is also evidence that the global warming has raised the acidity rates of oceans, which occurs when CO2 found in the atmosphere together with water forms carbonic acid.

Coral reefs have been intensely negatively impacted by humans, and one reef that has been especially destroyed is the Great Barrier Reef. One of the greatest ways we have harmed this area is through pollution and overfishing. Overfishing damages causes imbalances in the population of fish, as usually only  specific types of fishes are captured. As the number of these fish gradually dwindle, the fishermen next select to capture the herbivorous fish, thus allowing seaweed to take over more of the coral and kill them. Pollution harms all the organisms living in the coral reef. Pollution usually comes in the form of pesticides or fertilizers. Fertilizers, which, for the most part come from agriculture, add things like phosphorous and nitrogen to the ocean. These lead to eutrophication. Eutrophication leads to intense algae bloom and hypoxia, which in turn leads too oxygen depletion. Pesticides also easily enter the Great Barrier Reef, harming the entire area as they are composed of metals. 80% of the area surrounding the Great Barrier Reef is used for farming, thus making the pollution very intense. This is an area of great interest to me because although I’ve never been to the Great Barrier Reef, I’ve always wanted to visit and if it continues to be destroyed at its current rate, future generations will never be able to see it either. That would be sad, because it seems to be such a natural, beautiful place.

Part B

I have never experienced water scarcity in any form; water has always been available to me. However, if I were to be in a drought or any situation like that, I would reduce my water usage by taking much shorter showers, turning of the faucet when brushing my teeth, not using sprinklers to water the garden, use a compost instead of a garbage disposal and reusing glasses for drinking instead of using different ones every time (that way I wouldn’t have to waste water cleaning all of them). I think the cause for scarcity would be a drought; historically, they seem to be the most common reason that water scarcity occurs.

I feel that places which are characterized by water scarcity are usual because of the biome that they are located in; Saudi Arabia has an extremely arid, hot climate and it has lots of problems with water. This happens to many areas in the Near East which have hot climates.  However, problems with water may also arise if a country has limited clean water for a large population. Places such as Sudan, Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Tunisia and Cuba suffer from this problem.

The total world population is predicted to change by six and a half billion, as indicated by the diagrams; this is a huge population growth for only one century.

The average world per capita availability predicted to change from approximately 16,000 m^3 to 4,000 m^3, or 12,000m^3.

As the population increases, water availability decreases. The correlation between the two is negative.

This is easily explainable; as there are more people on Earth, more of them require water, thus decreasing the amount of available water. Water is something that everybody needs to survive. Even as the population goes up, the amount of water is fixed; it cannot increase.

If the predictions for 2050 were true, the world would be in a water crisis. There will not be enough available fresh water to support the world’s population. Whereas things like religion may have been a source of conflict in the past, water might be a new problem.

Bibliography

Part A -

Global Warming

http://whyfiles.org/091beach/5.html

http://timeforchange.org/ocean-acidification-effect-of-global-warming

Great Barrier Reef

http://www.coralfilm.com/about.html

http://sitemaker.umich.edu/gc2sec7labgroup3/pollution

Coral Reef Picture

http://indosight.host56.com/environment/coral-reefs/

Part B -

Water Crisis

http://info.k4health.org/pr/m14/m14chap3_2.shtml

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_crisis

Water Picture

http://www.topnews.in/pay-higher-cost-water-after-overhaul-2264713

Assignment #2 (continued

The ecological footprint for people in Bangladesh is small probably because they are not a very industrialized country; the US probably has a large ecological footprint because it is very industrialized, and many people rely on automobiles and buses for basic everyday travel.

I think that the higher average per capita income, the higher the ecological footprint.

Compared to the US, my footprint is much smaller; the US has 9.5, whereas I have 5.84. It is much larger than Bangladesh’s 0.5. It is also larger than Armenia, Sudan, and Mexico, which have ecological footprints of: 1, 1 and 2.6 (respectively). Actions I could take to reduce my ecological footprint include walking as opposed to utilizing automobile transportation or rail transportation. I could also insulate my water heater, choose energy efficient appliances, unplug use a compost instead of a garbage disposal, and shop at a local farmers market more often.

Assignment #2

Part A

This assignment is designed to make students more aware of their surroundings, and be more informed about the specifics of the area where they live.

The coordinates for Thessaloniki Bay Haman are  40⁰’38N and 22 56 E.  Below is a photograph of it.

These are the coordinates for my home: 40⁰50’ N and 73⁰27’ W. This is an aerial shot of home in Long Island, New York.

The biome that corresponds to the area where my house is the Temperate Deciduous Forest. This claim is warranted by Ecology Concepts and Applications, which states that the Temperate Deciduous Forest biome is found from latitude 40^0-50⁰, and the coordinates for my house fall within that range. Ecology Concepts and Applications states that the climate for this biome is not very extreme (with the exception of snowfall) and that the temperature for summers and winters are mild. Personally, I do not think this description perfectly fits where I live on Long Island; winters are usually very cold. This could be because I am located very close to the water.

Part B

Country	Ecological Footprint (EF) (hectares per person)	Proportion relative to world average	Proportion relative to world area available	Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita – (in PPP dollar) (obtain these data from Globalis)
Bangladesh	0.5	0.22 (0.5/2.23)	0.28 (0.5/1.78)	1700
Colombia	1.3	0.58 (1.3/2.23)	0.73 (1.3/1.78)	6370
Mexico	2.6	1.17 (2.6/2.23)	1.46 (2.6/1.78)	8970
Sweden	6.1	2.74 (6.1/2.23)	3.47 (6.1/1.78)	26050
United Arab Emirates	9.9	4.44 (9.9/2.23)	5.56 (9.9/1.78)
Thailand	1.4	0.63 (1.4/2.23)	0.79 (1.4/1.78)	7010
United States	9.5	4.26 (9.5/2.23)	6.42 (9.5/1.78)	35750
World Average	2.23	1.0 (2.23/2.23)	1.25 (2.23/1.78)
Armenia	1	0.45 (1/2.23)	0.56 (1/1.78)	3120
Venezuela	2.4	1.08 (2.4/2.23)	1.35 (2.4/1.78)	5380
Sudan	1	0.45 (1/2.23)	0.56 (1/1.78)	1820
Finland	7	3.14 (7/2.23)	3.93 (7/1.78)	26190
Your personal footprint	5.84	2.62 (5.84/2.23)	3.28 (5.84/1.78)

Assignment #1

Hi everybody, and welcome to my blog. My name is Jherna Kaul; I’m seventeen years old and currently live in Thessaloniki, Greece. I study at the American College of Thessaloniki, and after this semester study abroad in Greece I’ll be heading back to the USA to attend college at Northeastern University in Boston for my undergraduate education. My major is History, and I’m in my freshman year.

What is this blog about?

I am currently enrolled in Ecology, and writing this blog for my class. My ecology teacher will be having us answer assignments on our WordPress blog. I’m very interested in eutrophication, and would really like to learn more about it this semester.

My Place of Origin

I was born and raise in Long Island, New York. Characterized by many little quirks and idiosyncrasies, New York’s environment is not really one of them. To summarize Long Island weather in one word, it would definitely have to be extreme; it’s either burning or freezing. However, weather usually leans over to the freezing side. In April 2009, it rained every single day. A little known fact about Long Island is that it used to be covered by glaciers. Long Island is also covered by many little lakes and forests; this makes the area look very beautiful, and it is one of the large reasons I love the way I love. Where I live, Woodbury, there is a lake very close to my house. Also, I live in a development where every person has a small trail in their backyard.

Environment in the News

My senior year of high school I took Environmental Science, which made me much more conscious aware of the world around me. Lots of environmental issues involve the Long Island Sound, and the pollution that it incurs. Lots of places dump sewage into the Sound, which usually leads to hypoxia, which kills fish. Pollution also affects many estuaries here. Many times non-point source pollution (such as fertilizer or oil) ruins the water of rivers and lakes.

What is the Difference between an Ecologist and a Scientist?

An ecologist is somebody who specifically studies the science of ecology (the relationship between abiotic and biotic things), while a scientist is a general and broad term for anybody who studies science. An ecologist is encompassed in types of scientists.