mattolsen

Natural selection is simply an idea in which nature selects the most advantageous traits. It suggests that whichever phenotypic variations are best suited to utilize resources and overcome catastrophe will usually proliferate. Obviously this is not a law, too many variables may influence whether the "best" genes actually get passed on, so this is more of a general concept, and it's quite relative at that. I don't believe there will ever be one unifying concept that accurately delegates how organisms evolve in every case because of natural disaster, habitat destruction, habitat fragmentation, disease, invasive species, etc. .

@swan...... you jump to conclusions quite quickly don't you? I'm sure that making insubstantial assessments so quickly based on such little evidence is a much more respectable model for scientists. I was stating that many variables are responsible for climate change, so I apologize if I had worded my statement incorrectly. I was simply trying to say that solar fluctuations could logically result in higher temperatures along with increased carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. There is one significant source of radiation, however, depending on the albedo of various surfaces, different rates of that radiation is absorbed and re-radiated throughout the atmosphere. And the statistical data pertaining to causes of climate change are potentially inaccurate based on the means in which they conduct their research. Statistics only suggest probability, they are not sources of definitive truth. And theories are not laws, they're principle's of explanation of a phenomenon. If we simply accepted all theories in science we might still believe the Earth is the center of the universe. So yes, I don't always accept what's supposed truth. Call me a bad scientist if you will, however, your opinion is of no consequence. Good luck on your quest for self-assurance.

The problem in addressing issues like this is that most information that we have as to the cause(s) of global warming are based on statistical and theoretical data. There are too many countless variables, and an ever growing desire to use this topic as a political tool. The focus, in the public eye, is on carbon emissions. Carbon dioxide can and does insulate the heat energy within our atmosphere but then so does water vapor, methane, and many other compounds. One possibility is that solar fluctuations result in higher amounts of solar radiation entering our atmosphere, by which more radiation is absorbed at the surface, more radiation is reflected, and more radiation is absorbed and reflected by greenhouse gases which in turn heat up and re radiate more solar radiation throughout our atmosphere. There are countless other possibilities which are all quite logical. I think the main problem with all of this is that politicians, news media, some hippy organizations, and worldwide governments take a stance on one side of the isle, or the other. This results in the division of global efforts, research, and collaboration to find out what the best way is to tackle this problem, if that's even possible.

So I'm writing my research proposal for my undergrad research class and I just was wondering if anyone had any input? There is data in this rough draft that hasn't been cited yet fyi, and this is a very rough draft. Just wondering if anyone had any ideas. Thanks in advance. Abstract: The spatial scale at which most organisms utilize resources in their environment differs significantly among species and is dependent upon their body mass, food habitats, proximity to resources, dispersal range, habitat type preference, mobility, among many other variables. However, all of these variables are seemingly products of a more basic fundamental concept of landscape composition. Landscapes with great vegetative diversity often are those with high edaphic variety or topographic relief. When elevational diversity is very great, a nearly complete spectrum of vegetation types known from a biological region may occur within a relatively small area. Such areas provide habitat for many species, including those that depend on multiple habitat types to meet life history needs.(Donovan) The Keweenaw Peninsula sustains such a large variety of mammalian carnivores in proportion to its relatively small land mass, a phenomenon which is seen rarely in other parts of the United States. Observed throughout the Keweenaw Peninsula is such great vegetative diversity, and topographic relief. As a result, community structures throughout the peninsula seem to be more harmonious than in areas without both key factors. Therefore, I hypothesize that, though many variables are responsible for the abundance of mammalian carnivores co-existing in the U.P., the most quintessential variable responsible for this degree of co-existence is the relatively large variety of habitat types proportional to land mass. I hypothesize that this is the result of the large degree of variation in vegetation observed on the small peninsula. In order to test my hypothesis I must first quantify the types of habitat found on the peninsula by vegetative analysis, obtain the known home ranges of each carnivore endemic to the Keweenaw, establish which species are in most direct competitition, and make further hypotheses about how resource's are partitioned and/or avoided throughout the carnivore community on the Keweenaw peninsula. Methods: Determine the average home range of each carnivore studied and find an average mean in order to establish spatial scale. Pick 24 total random points with 6 points within each habitat type. Vegetative analysis will be conducted focusing on the density of the large and medium sized trees in each habitat type, the proportion and composition of ground cover, and an elevation measurement. For tree density I will be using the Point-Centered Quarter Analysis Data method, where each tree will be assigned an importance value based on sample data. All tree DBH will be measured at breast height using a __________. Medium trees will include those with a DBH of 2.5-12.99cm, and Large trees will include those with a DBH of 13.0-43.0cm. The large trees will be partitioned into 4 different categories including: 13.0-22.99, 23.0-32.99, 33.0-42.99, and 43.0 and larger. Each random point will be sampled by sectioning the area into 4 quadrats(NW, NE, SW, and SE) and taking the nearest medium and large tree distance and DBH measurements from center. Also, at each center point an elevation reading will be taken using a handheld GPS, and an analysis of ground cover composition will be measured within a 1m2 Quadrat frame. After tree data is obtained, trees will be organized in stand tables for both the medium and large size trees. Importance values will be calculated using methods from the Forest Composition lab in "Laboratory and Field Manual of Ecology" by Brewer and McCann. Elevation data will be assigned to each habitat type sampled by taking an average of all of the elevation measurements taken in each corresponding habitat. Ground cover will also be transposed into a proportion by taking each sample sites average and assigning it to each habitat type.

A tropical rainforest has a precipitation range of 80-180inches annually. Whereas, a temperate rainforest has 80-150in. of rain annually. 58 inches would not fall into the category of a rainforest. Keep in mind that even if an area encounters an unnatural amount of rain during a season, it still does not fall under the category of a rainforest unless it were to become a continuous average.

I think of when I first started cooking on a more professional level I had noticed that the more I understood which flavors were associated with which spices, herbs, etc. , I more easily developed a talent to not only pick flavors out in complex dishes but also was more consciously aware of how something would fit into a particular dish. Therefore, I was able to visualize a flavor in my brain simply by projecting the components of something. I think that having the ability to visualize how your brain is reacting to feelings could drastically help science understand how to help people with mental disabilities. Or on a more personal level, you could better understand how your brain reacts to variables and feelings, which I think could help us visualize the flavors of life and how they affect our brain activity somewhat like visualizing a flavor. Consequently, linking your senses in a more pragmatic approach.