Category: Environmental science

The instructions are down below, but for the 
Marine life species, instead of a blue mussel,
you need to research Phytoplankton. Let me 
know if you have any questions!

One of the most important services provided by the natural world is pollination. Module 3 material explained how ecosystems are structured by trophism, or feeding, and the primary trophic level is the producers. Terrestrial producers are mostly trees and green plants. 
The honeybee, or more specifically, the European honeybee (Apis mellifera) is responsible for most of the insect-pollinated plants or crops used for about one-third of the human food supply in the world. 
Since the 1980s, scientists have discovered that the population of European honeybees has dropped significantly and have termed this observation the colony collapse disorder (CCD). 
For this discussion, do some research on CCD and the potential threat that it poses to agriculture and human food supplies. In your main post, consider the possible solutions to the loss of the European honeybee pollination services and address the following questions or provide the requested information: 
Draft a statement that fully defines the problem. 
What national and/or international organizations would you want to be involved in researching and promoting solutions? (Note: you can provide real organizations here.) 
Describe and explain what might be your own organization that you would develop and define its role in solving the problem by generating a mission statement. 
Explain how you would fund the research, including some details of the sources. 
Develop a brief plan of study with at least three goals and a schedule for completion. 
Propose alternatives for pollination services to agriculture in the possible scenario that the European honeybee becomes extinct or at least scarce. 

How can you apply a transdisciplinary approach when designing a project to increase sustainability in your work or community? (1500 words)
In your project write up include the following (with input from the stakeholder interview and literature sources):
Clearly define what problem is being addressed by the project
Holistically describe the problem at hand
Define clearly how the project will lead to better outcomes (theory of change)
Define the risks of the project and the assumptions made that need to be fulfilled for its succe

This will have to be written about the area in which I live in Franklin VA. I will send a photo of the area and the instructions for the assignment. Thanking you in advance!

I will upload all instructions
Overview – As we reviewed in the previous module, food scenes in film can provide the audience with significant contextual clues into the characters’ emotional status, socioeconomic background, and cultural history.  In this module, we will use that knowledge to explore a side-by-side comparison of 2 distinct cultures showing the same food media.
View – The  Cultural Comparisons of Food in Film 
lecture.
Complete –
Cultural Character Development Discussion/Assignment:
Complete a brief presentation on  Cultural Character Development. 
Use the additional  video presentation development guidelines  to help guide you.
Post a link to the presentation in the Discussion Board titled “Cultural Character Development Discussion”
https://ualearn.blackboard.com/bbcswebdav/pid-10416589-dt-content-rid-133719419_1/xid-133719419_1

Inaturalist is a public website where individuals can upload their scientific observations and receive feedback:
Describe at least two projects you find interesting and their conservation goals. In the search box in iNaturalist, type in the word “biodiversity” and choose two projects
you find most interesting (click on the names of the projects to learn more about them). 
What are other organizations saying about iNaturalist, and how are they using this tool?
(think Audubon societies, cities, National Geographic, etc.)
Utilize the link to locate the two projects as instructed above and describe them, and then locate some external organizations and describe how they use inaturalist 
cite the pages to the project and external associations
Link to website: https://www.inaturalist.org/search?q=biodiversity
Include in-text (parenthetical citations) in addition to the references page

The assignment should be mostly focused on climate refugees and paper should describe such problems as:  
Lack of Legal Recognition;
Loss of Livelihoods;
Lack Access to Resources;
Health Risks;
And provide some examples of these problems in other countries (list 2-3 countries)
(Please indicate the sources at the end of the sentences and insert them in a footnote, as well as separately at the very bottom of the list of all sources)

Here is a general bases on what Id like my paper to be written about/expanded on:
Please read the document attached- espicailly the “steps category”
– Assignment Description: MLA format, 12 pages*double spaced*, 15 trusted sources (perferably scholared sources)
Abstract:
Fast fashion and inhumane labor practices have become inextricably linked, with major retailers like Zara, H&M, and Forever 21 exploiting workers, predominantly in developing countries, to keep production costs low and maintain their business model of rapidly producing trendy and affordable clothing. The concept of fast fashion gained popularity in the 1990s and 2000s, driven by consumer demand for low-cost, trendy clothing and facilitated by globalization and advancements in technology. Fast fashion companies outsourced production to low-cost countries, primarily in Asia and Latin America, where labor laws and regulations were lax or poorly enforced, leading to poor working conditions, low wages, excessive overtime, and a lack of basic rights and benefits for garment workers. Reports of forced labor, harassment, and discrimination have also surfaced, highlighting the severe exploitation of workers in the pursuit of cheap and rapid production. The inhumane labor practices in the fast fashion industry have far-reaching social, economic, and environmental impacts, perpetuating cycles of poverty, income inequality, and environmental degradation. Various stakeholders, including governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), brands, and consumers, have proposed strategies to mitigate these impacts, such as strengthening labor laws, promoting transparency in supply chains, and embracing ethical consumption practices. However, a multi-stakeholder approach involving governments, brands, workers, and consumers is necessary to address the root causes of inhumane labor practices and foster a more sustainable and ethical fashion industry.

Research question: 
What mechanisms can enable businesses to be recognized for their sustainability efforts in marine ecosystems, specifically cold coral reefs in the North Sea, without being overburdened by regulatory frameworks?
The research question
You may choose to explore 
a marine ecosystem, with the same sub aspects as your presentation.
a sector of blue growth, in the geographical area of your choice (a region, a country, a set of countries, the world)
the blue sustainable development in general, with its opportunities and limits, and the keys for the future.
The guidelines
Introduction: Provide an introduction to the concept of blue growth and its importance in the context of sustainable development. Clearly state your research objectives and the research question (see above) you are addressing. Introduce the specific ecosystem, the blue growth sector or the blue sustainable development concept according to the focus of your research paper.
Search strategy: Describe the methodology you use to conduct your literature search, including the databases, keywords and inclusion/exclusion criteria you use. Justify your search strategy and explain how it aligns with the research question you are addressing.
Synthesis of the literature: Summarise and synthesise the findings of previous research related to your chosen topic. Organise the literature thematically or chronologically, depending on what best suits your research question. Identify common trends, patterns and gaps in the literature. Critically evaluate the quality and reliability of the sources you cite if relevant.
Analysis and Discussion: Analyse the main findings of the literature and discuss their implications for your research question. Highlight any inconsistencies or contradictions in the literature and offer possible explanations, when relevant. Identify areas that require further research and suggest possible directions for future investigation. Support your analysis with evidence from the literature and illustrations such as graphs, charts or maps to enhance the clarity and visual impact of your review.
Conclusion: Summarise the main findings of your literature review and highlight their significance in the context of blue growth. Highlight the key findings and contributions of your review to the existing literature. Discuss the implications of your findings for policy, for society in general and/or for further research. Avoid introducing new information in the conclusion.
References: Provide a comprehensive list of all sources cited in your paper, including at least 10 different relevant peer-reviewed citations. Follow the APA citation style and ensure that all your sources are formatted correctly and consistently.
Illustrations: Use at least 5 illustrations, such as charts, graphs, maps or infographics, to support your literature review. Ensure that the illustrations are properly sourced, with appropriate citations or references, and are clearly labelled and explained in the text. Choose illustrations that enhance the clarity and visual impact of your review and are directly relevant to the content being discussed.
Remember to always give proper credit to the original authors by accurately citing all the sources you use in your paper (text and illustrations). Avoid plagiarism. Make sure to not create similarity with other students by not working (too closely) together, this is a personal work. Follow APA guidelines for citation style and referencing. Review and revise your paper to ensure that it is well organised, coherent and free of grammatical and spelling errors. Edit for clarity, conciseness and consistency of style and tone.
I am uploading a draft (however it is partly chatgpted so please free to edit it and its only notes)

Part 1. (answer seperate)
The concepts of natural selection and evolution are central to how most biologists understand and interpret the world. Why is Darwin’s explanation so useful in biology? Does this explanation necessarily challenge traditional religious views? In what ways?
What is the difference between saying that a duck has webbed feet because it needs them to swim and saying that a duck is able to swim because it has webbed feet?
Book used: Cunningham, W., and M.A. Cunningham. 2017 (8th Ed.). Principles of Environmental Science: Inquiry and Application. McGraw-Hill Education, New York, NY.
Principles of Environmental Science, Ch. 3 (p. 50-75)
Principles of Environmental Science, Ch. 4 (p. 76-95)
cite sources using APA format, and use good grammar and writing mechanics. 
Part 2:
Biodiversity: Ecologists use the terms species richness and species evenness to describe the diversity in an area. Biodiversity is important for a number of reasons. First, the more species in an ecosystem, the greater the chance one of those species can provide something of value to humans, such as food, medicine, or materials. Second, the more species means the ecosystem can recover from disturbances. Third, biodiversity delivers certain ecological services, such as clean air, clean water, flood control, and disease control. Finally, there is intrinsic value in biodiversity – a diverse ecosystem is simply more interesting and humans derive more personal enjoyment.
Richness refers simply to the number of species per sample. The more species present in a sample, the richer that particular species is. Evenness is a measure of the relative abundance of the different species of an area, community or habitat (i.e., the abundance of one species compared to another species or all species).
Instructions:
You will locate one natural area and one “disturbed” area where you can conduct field sampling.
You will randomly select a sampling area within the natural area to measure.
You will mark off a roughly 1 meter by 1 meter quadrat, or sampling area. (If you are interested in larger plants, you may expand the size of your quadrat, but please take note of the size)
Within your quadrat, you will count all the different species and categorize them – you do not have to identify the species but you do have to create different categories of plant types based on your observations. Fill in the table on the following pages.
Repeat steps 2-4 for the disturbed area.
Using the template provided in the companion document, you will analyze your data and calculate the diversity of the areas you worked in.
Answer the questions on the companion document ( I have attatched a document) please fill