Homework Question on Environment and Forestry
Instructions
Review the Case Study at the beginning of the chapter, entitled “Natural Selection and the Galápagos,”andSection 4.1, entitled “Evolution Produces Species Diversity.” Open Google Earth, and in the search box enterGalapagos Islands. Click Search. There are many large, medium, and small islands scattered throughout the area. Zoom in and out to get different perspectives.
Questions to Complete:
- The case study at the beginning of the chapter describes geologic features of the island chain. Looking at the larger pieces, how many islands can you see in the Galápagos, and why are they broken up like this? (3 points)
- Section 1 of Chapter 4 (see 4.1) discusses environmental factors influencing species diversity. Reflecting on the fact that the islands vary considerably in size, what are some environmental factors that could vary from island to island and that might affect the survival of living things differently on the different islands? (6 points)
- How far is it from the Galapagos Islands to the mainland of South America, found to the east, and what are the implications of species interacting between the two areas? (3 points)
Review the Case Study at the beginning of the chapter, entitled “Spreading Green Across Kenya”andsection 5.1 entitled Terrestrial Biomes. In this exercise, we will use Google Street View instead of Google Earth. Go to http://google.com/mapsand enter the latitudes and longitudes in the search box, exactly as shown below, with all decimals, subtraction signs, commas, and so on(You may copy and paste).
4.Select a location from the options below (a–f) to explore, and identify the terrestrial biome of the area.Use Section 1 in the text to assist you. Name the biome and what helped you identify it (characteristics). (3 points)
a.164229, -68.817161
b.947185, -136.23654
c.665718, -72.22888
d.285637, -111.166451
e.937662, -101.694073
http://goo.gl/9Ru21c(use the web address for this location)5.
5.For your selected location (a–f) above, indicate at least two key factors that contribute to the presence of this biome in this location.(SeeSection 5.1 for descriptions of these factors in detail.)(3 points)
6.Do some research to find two biotic (living) components native to your chosen biome (a–f) (They can include plant, insect, bird, mammal, reptile, amphibian, spider, reptile, fish, etc.). (3 points)
7.What are the key living things that are found in a coral reef? Describe at least one other marine biome
8.What are some human actions that can harm the coral reefs?
Homework Answer on Environment and Forestry
- How many islands can you see in the Galápagos, and why are they broken up like this?
Upon searching the island via Google Earth, only ten of the large islands are visible. Surprisingly, there are 13 large islands, 6 smaller islands with several rocks and islets (Grant, 2009). The reason as to why the island appears to be broken is that it is made of a mantle plume which is as a result of heated mantle from the earth’s core. Consequently, the plume is mobile which makes the island to appear as if it is broken.
- What are some environmental factors that could vary from island to island and that might affect the survival of living things differently on the different islands?
Basically, each island is placed on a different altitude with some being covered by snow, others, rocks and green terrain. The environmental factors are quite distinct from an island to the other; for instance, Baltra exhibits arid vegetation while Bartolome is covered by snow allowing penguins to survive on it (Grant, 2009).
- How far is it from the Galapagos Islands to the mainland of South America, found to the east, and what are the implications of species interacting between the two areas?
The island is approximately 600 miles west of the South American coast at Ecuador. The implications of the species between the mainland and the island are that there is similarity when it comes to the terrain found in both species.