Moths as Ecological Indicators

Moths as Ecological Indicators Results Articles from peer-reviewed journals, revolving around the topic of moths as ecological indicators, were collected and reviewed. The articles dealt with various studies conducted in different parts of the world and reveal the relationship between various anthropogenic impacts on ecosystem and change in moth diversity. To begin with, the studies carried out in the Australian rain forest, the moth assemblages were considered to be an effective indicator of the ecosystem. Light trap method was used to study the differences in diversity and richness of moths between the disturbed and undisturbed sites. As a result, a clear decrease was accounted in the number of moths of few of the studied species from less disturbed to more disturbed locations whereas few other species showed the exact opposite response. The reason behind this variation in the response could be the presence of the flora on which that particular species depends for its food. The literature shows that the moths present on the undisturbed site were mainly dependent on those large trees and the moths on the disturbed sites depend on herbaceous plants. Another study was carried out in the Eastern deciduous forests of North America where several moth families were studied as indicators of habitat disturbance. The selection of moth species was done on the basis of ease of sampling and the ease of identification. A comparative study was done in terms of accessing the moth communities of the prevailing forest edge and that of the interior habitat. Forest edges, recovering clear-cut stands, and small forest remnants were considered disturbed habitat types (Brown and Hutchings,1997; Usher and Keiller, 1998; Hamer and Hill, 2000;Summerville and Crist, 2003). There was a considerable decrease in the species richness in the interiors as compared to that of the edge. This shows that the selected species of moths can be considered as indicators of habitat disturbance. The phenomenon of global warming has devastation implications. The next study deals with the effects of climate change on moths in the forest ecosystem. The change in climate leads to an increase in temperature which in turn leads to termination of diapauses. It is a condition during which the development is on a standstill. This is considered to be a good example of indicator of climate change. Another article deals with the study carried out in Carinthian Alps in the years 2002 and 2004 which dealt with the study of population trends of moths as a result of restoration and the conservation and control sites were defined and monitored. It revealed that there was a decrease in the number of moths from 2002 to 2004 but the decline was more in conservation sites that control ones. This decline was attributed to the transformation of dense forest like habitats into open landscapes with the final outcome of semi natural grasslands with are rich in species. Therefore, the transformation from forest to open habitat is considered to be negative for moths. Moths proved to be an effective indicator to define the health of a forest ecosystem. The final article is based on the similar concepts and addresses the impacts of climate change on moth populations. Discussion and conclusions The study involved a literature review of several articles from peer-reviewed journals and was focused on the consideration of moths as ecological indicators. The main factors identified were: the effects of restoration, habitat changes, climate change and other anthropogenic activities on the moth population and the way in which they respond to it. Overall, the review revealed that the influence of the above mentioned factors on moth population has been well studied. However, there were many constrains in the studies. The studies were mainly limited to the local scale and local geographical and environmental conditions which can be considered as a limiting factor. The selected species of moths might be considered as an accurate indicator of ecosystem quality the articles reflected the same. The selection of such an indicator species to monitor the health of an ecosystem can be considered as a powerful tool for the analysis. It can be noted from the articles that climate shifts are the drivers of extinctions and the habitat contractions of moth species. It can also be inferred that the role of the host plant plays a major role, in the response of moths, towards ecological changes. As we saw in one of the articles, few species of moths showed higher richness in the disturbed sites because of the presence of the preferred plant. We can even compare the inferences of this article with the results we obtained at Agumbe Rainforest Research Station, where we studied the moth diversity over three different sites. By taking into consideration the results of the Shannon-Wiener index, the highest diversity was obtained in the forest site which was the least damaged as compared to the other two sites where the damage was comparatively higher. However, we cannot completely rely on the results because the study was too short. An inference can still be made out of it because the disturbance had negative impacts on moth diversity. Therefore, the decline in the moth population has been a matter of concern and these declines point towards the catastrophic loss of biodiversity because of anthropogenic environmental and habitat changes. On a concluding note, I would like to say that a future research based on the impacts of anthropogenic activities and climate change and its relation with moth population is necessary. An understanding has to be developed regarding the decrease in moth population and related conservative steps has to be taken. References S. Netherer, A. Schopf. 2010. Potential effects of climate change on insect herbivores in European forests—General aspects and the pine processionary moth as specià ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ c exampleJournal ofForest Ecology and Management259:831–838. P. Dieker et al. 2011. Two high-mountain burnet moth species (Lepidoptera, Zygaenidae) react differently to the global change drivers climate and land-useJournal of Biological Conservation. 144:2810–2818. R.L. Kitching et al. 2000. Moth assemblages as indicators of environmental quality in remnants of upland Australian rain forest.Journal of Applied Ecology37:284-297 F. Richard. 2013. The decline of moths in Great Britain: a review of possible causesJournal ofInsect Conservation and Diversity6:5–19. L. Rà ¡kosy, T. Schmitt. 2011. Are butterflies and moths suitable ecological indicator systems for restoration measures of semi-natural calcareous grassland habitats?Journal of Ecological Indicators11:1040–1045. K.S. Summerville et al. 2004. Forest moth taxa as indicators of lepidopteran richness and habitat disturbance: a preliminary assessmentJournal of Biological Conservation116:9–18. .

Does Sex Sell

Whether they are on TV, radio, or in a magazine, there is no way that you can escape advertisements. They all have their target audience who they have specifically designed the ad for. This is a multi billion dollar industry and advertisers study many ways that they can attract people's attention. One way that is used the most and is in some ways very controversial is use of sex to sell products. Evan Williams, a company who sells whiskey, released a print ad of a young woman dressed in her Sunday best on one side of the advertisement saying â€Å"the longer you wait†. On the other side they have a picture of the same woman as an adult dressed in a sexual manner saying â€Å"the better it gets†. In the middle of the ad is a bottle of their whiskey and next to that it says â€Å"aged seven years†. An analysis of the Evan Williams advertisement will include the appeals of ethos, logos, and pathos. The target audience is both males and females in their late teens to mid twenties. This company gets the male side of the equation by getting their attention and interest drawn to the attractive woman on the right with bright colors, drawing your attention there, as well as the bottle of whiskey which is right in the middle of the page. One way to try and get the females to look at the advertisement and read it is by showing a very plain girl who seems to be very typical of girls during their younger years. On the side of that picture they show the same girl who now has become a woman, and is very attractive and just seems so much more powerful and sure of herself. One way that you can achieve that is to drink Evan Williams Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. I feel that this advertisement is not very ethical at all. They send the message that if you do not wear sexy clothes and try and act sexy then you are not good enough. The logic behind the advertisement is almost in all essence, sexual. They are using a woman who is very attractive with bright colors standing next to a bottle of whiskey. As well, they try and use their slogan that goes with their product and apply it to a completely different situation with a woman. They show how much â€Å"better it gets† when it is aged seven years. This is very degrading to the woman because they portray her as being ugly in the first photo, but after seven years, less clothing, and makeup she is much better. There is nothing wrong with the girl on the left who is just plain and simple. When you have to wear something sexual to get noticed it just continues to drain away from the collective respectability of our society. They try to play sexual emotions in this advertisement. They show an attractive woman and a bottle of whiskey. They try and make it seem that if you drink their product that you can get this woman. Also they try and use the emotions of the females talking about how a decent looking woman can become very attractive. The newer picture also is more vibrant plus she is wearing a lot more sexually provocative clothing than her old self, who is covered up and not showing any skin. It also seems to draw onto girls that have a lower self esteem. Showing that you will become a much happier person if you are good looking and dressed very sexually, than if you are not better looking. Personally I think that this is an unethical dilemma that we face in society today. Using sex to sell products is something that companies should stay away from. Depicting images of people for personal gain is not right in my opinion. Unfortunately in our society this form of advertisement is accepted. This ad is although one that does appeal to its targets by using clever wording.

Area and Volume

Previous exam questions on area between functions and volumes of solids. 1. Let f(x) = cos(x2) and g(x) = ex, for –1. 5 ? x ? 0. 5. Find the area of the region enclosed by the graphs of f and g. (Total 6 marks) 2. Let f(x) = Aekx + 3. Part of the graph of f is shown below. The y-intercept is at (0, 13). (a)Show that A =10. (2) (b)Given that f(15) = 3. 49 (correct to 3 significant figures), find the value of k. (3) (c)(i)Using your value of k, find f? (x). (ii)Hence, explain why f is a decreasing function. iii)Write down the equation of the horizontal asymptote of the graph f. (5) Let g(x) = –x2 + 12x – 24. (d)Find the area enclosed by the graphs of f and g. (6) (Total 16 marks) 3. The following diagram shows the graphs of f (x) = ln (3x – 2) + 1 and g (x) = – 4 cos (0. 5x) + 2, for 1 ? x ? 10. (a)Let A be the area of the region enclosed by the curves of f and g. (i)Find an expression for A. (ii)Calculate the value of A. (6) (b)(i)Find f ? (x). (ii)F ind g? (x). (4) c)There are two values of x for which the gradient of f is equal to the gradient of g. Find both these values of x. (4) (Total 14 marks) 4. The graph of f(x) = , for –2 ? x ? 2, is shown below. The region enclosed by the curve of f and the x-axis is rotated 360Â ° about the x-axis. Find the volume of the solid formed. (Total 6 marks) 5. The graph of y = between x = 0 and x = a is rotated 360Â ° about the x-axis. The volume of the solid formed is 32?. Find the value of a. (Total 7 marks)

Domestic Violence And Its Effects On Children - 2479 Words

This is the year of 2014 and only recently has domestic violence been defined as a crime in the United States. Domestic violence is still prevalent in countries all over the world and it is an important issue that needs to be addresses before the measure of violence takes place. Although there isn’t any education programs that are teaching women how to site signs of a potentially dangerous relationship, there is aftercare for those who have been in an abusive relationship. Aftercare for domestic violence helps give women strength to get back on their feet. It is a beneficial resource that is there for victim, to have a feeling of empowerment, but is the current form of providing aftercare for domestic violence victims adequate? The goal of†¦show more content†¦The response becomes instinct and sometimes suicide is their only escape. Statistics, recoded and conducted in the United Kingdom, provide that one in four women experience violence in their home at least once i n their lives, which may lead to long-term violence and abuse. (British Medical Association [BMA] 1999; Department of Health [DoH] 2000a; Frost 1999a). Violence against women takes place in every society of the world and affects the country’s economy, values and culture. A large majority of conducted studies are of the effects of domestic violence against women. It is not just a problem that occurs in the United States, but also in countries all over the world. In Australia â€Å"between the years 1989 and 1998, there was reported death of over 57 percent in women resulting from homicide or violence committed by an intimate partner.† It was also stated that women were more likely to be to be killed by their intimate partner then men. The study further addressed that there were results that funded provisions of medical treatments for victims of domestic violence in Western Australia (‘Health s a Difficult Beast’: The Interrelationships between Domestic Violence, Women s Health and the Health Sector.). This current problem of domestic violence is being addressed the same way it is in the United States and all