Tigers
Consequences of their extinction

Tigers are known to be one of the world’s best predators. Their skeleton, their body, their teeth, tail and stomach are all made for hunting. Tigers consume on average 50 animals per year, each (Busch Entertainment Corporation, 2002). Tigers mostly hunt wild boar, wildebeest, gazelles, and several species of deer, such as nigali, chital, and sambar. They inhabit dense forests, as this serves them as cover since they usually attack by stalking their prey and then suffocating them by pressing down their throat. Although they are great predators, they are currently an endangered species. Currently, there are 3 species of tigers that are extinct: Bali, Javan and Caspian. They all disappeared in the 20th century. Nowadays, the remaining species of tigers only occupy a mere 7% of the land they have historically been known to roam for prey (National Fish and Wildlife Foundation 2009). If we have a population of 100 or 150 tigers in a selected environment, and a larger population of prey, tigers will maintain a balance of the area’s resources and population, and this maintains a harmonious balance in the area. Also, this promotes survival of the fittest and makes for stronger prey and they make stronger offspring.
But, what happens to the population of the prey and the resources of the area if tigers extinct? Do tigers maintain a balance on the resources of the particular area they hunt in? My hypothesis is that by hunting, tigers help maintain a balance and a control on the population of their prey and the area’s resources.
If tigers go extinct, then several things would happen:
· Overgrowth of prey population
· Depletion of area’s resources: water, grass
· Barren lands: absence of carcasses to fertilize the land
In my example of a controlled experiment, two areas will be designated as protected areas for certain species: Wildebeest, Wild boars, deer and antelope. These are all either omnivores or herbivores and will feed off the natural resources of the area, such as grass, nuts, insects and small reptiles.
In area A, there will be all the above species and there will be tigers. This will be the control group for the experiment and will serve as a guide for the normal circumstances in which nature develops and tigers interact with the species around them.
In Area B, there will be the above species, but there will be no tigers. This means that the omnivores and herbivores will roam and reproduce freely; also they will have indiscriminate use of the resources available in the area.
There will be a total amount of 500 animals of these species in each protected area. There will be 7 tigers, 4 female and 3 male.The experiment will be conducted over an extensive period of time, 5 years. During this time, the population of the existing species in the area and their reproduction will be closely monitored. Most importantly, the abundance of natural resources, such as water, plants, fruits, and grass, will also be monitored. If, despite the absence of tigers, the environment still maintains a steady progression and the resources still abound, then the hypothesis is proven to be false.
During the experiment, we were able to observe the following: In the protected area A, where there were tigers, there were approximately 350 animals hunted by the tigers. However, due to the reproduction of the species, their population maintained an even balance since there were 400 births. There were also several cubs added to the tiger’s population, and ultimately we see that all the populations grow at a controlled rate. The natural resources of the area maintained an even level, as plants, water and food were never scarce, but never overgrown or overpopulated.In the protected area B, we were able to prove that if there is no hunt, the prey population overgrows and then depletes the natural resources available in the area. Water is scarce, plants’ fruits are few, and there are too many animals to be feed. Also, there are too many animals for the area, since 400 animals were birthed but only 100 died.
Based on the results of the experiment, we can say that the hypothesis was proven correct. By hunting, tiger maintain a balance on the resources and population of their prey and this in turn balances the natural resources available to all the inhabitants to the area.
The results of this experiment can be used as further evidence as to why we need to protect tigers from extinction and also as to why there must be a predator in a protected area. Further experimentation can be done to see which type of tiger manages to maintain a higher control of the population and resources based on their hunt, and also on how different prey can bring different results.
References
Busch Entertainment Corporation. (2002). Tigers. In Tigers. Retrieved May 4, 2009, from http://www.seaworld.org/infobooks/tiger/diettiger.html
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. (2009). Tiger Conservation Landscapes. In Save The Tiger Fund. Retrieved May 4, 2009, from http://www.savethetigerfund.org/Content/NavigationMenu2/Initiatives/TCL/ default.htm

Coral Reefs:
How they are affected

Coral reefs are some of the world’s most old and complex organisms, around since more than 200 million years ago, taking 50 million years to achieve the biological diversity they have now. The coral reefs we see today have built themselves throughout the last 8,000 t o 10,000 years.
Coral is a living organism, created through a cooperative alliance of coral polyps, a tiny animal that filters rock fragments from the surrounding water and single-celled plants that dwell within the polyps. The plants generate many of the nutrients the corals need to live and capture calcium from the seawater, which the polyps use to build their limestone shells.

Reefs are most commonly found between the Tropic of Capricorn and the tropic of Cancer. Here the waters are stable and warm (64-86 degrees Fahrenheit) year-round and the days are longer, providing more sunlight to the reef.
Reefs serve as home not only to live polyps but also, to many species of algae, seaweed, sponge, and mollusks. Coral reefs cover merely .2% of the ocean bottom, but account for over 25% of the world’s marine species.

There are many threats, both natural and anthropological to coral reefs. Due to erosion, the coral reefs are clouded with silt and mud and sediment from the earth drags into the ocean, clouding the reefs. This also means that fertilizers and untreated sewage drag into the reefs and impact negatively on the reefs as well. Because of sedimentation, garbage is also dragged and also ends up into the reefs, and also clouds the reefs as well. The untreated sewage also promotes the growth of excess algae, which in turn attracts predators and thus creates a cycle of destruction in which the coral reefs are the main victim.
This impacts the reef negatively because coral reefs flourish in clear waters because they need sunshine. Due to an excess of nutrients because of the erosion and sedimentation, there is algae overgrowth. The excess of algae attracts predators and this decreases the biodiversity of the coral reefs.
As ocean temperatures rise, the coral reefs start to turn white, causing what is known as “Coral bleaching”. The carbon dioxide that is expelled by cars, factories and the like is also being absorbed by the ocean. This in turn, acidifies the sea water and organisms with a calcified shell such as lobsters and coral reefs, are more prone to simply dissolving, much like a pearl dropped in acid.
Natural disasters, such as storms and tsunamis, also cause damage on the population of the coral reefs and destroy them as well.

Tourism impacts the reefs negatively because tourists take pieces of coral, damaging and breaking coral branches for souvenirs ignoring the fact that a single branch of coral reef can take hundreds of years to grow to it’s proportions. Also, careless boat operators drop anchors directly on the reefs and navigate directly over the reefs, damaging them with the propeller blades of their boats, and even scraping them in very shallow waters.
By fishing with cyanide, fishermen stun and confuse fish and then scoop them out of the ocean. By doing this, the fish are still alive and are then sold for aquariums, or for live fish restaurants. However, this kills the delicate organisms that live within the coral reefs, and also kills the coral polyps themselves.

Fishermen also create bombs with substances that will kill the fish in the surrounding area of the explosion; however, this also explodes the coral reefs into bits and pieces, and kills the inhabitant organisms as well.

Because of all the damages that coral reefs are suffering, scientists predict that there might be a severe threat to them by the year 2050. Reefs are very fragile and susceptible to damage. A single branch or a coral reef can take hundreds of years before it grown fully into a large portion of the reef. Because of this, we can say that reefs are not very resilient. Although some reefs adapt quicker to changes than others, they are still affected and impacted in a large manner, and they are quickly declining worldwide. In order to preserve the existing coral reefs from future damage, people must intervene in a large collected effort, because overall, mankind is the biggest causer of the damage to coral reefs. The reasons why men must intervene in order to propitiate the recovery of coral reefs are the following:

• Fishing practices must be changed in order to stop killing the coral polyps and in order to stop exploding the reefs
• Sewage systems must be improved in order to avoid excessive algae growth
• Carbon Dioxide emission must be reduced in order to delay and reduce the acidification of the oceans, which causes for a more sensible, fragile skeleton on the polyps and also causes the coral reefs to be more vulnerable to damages
• Tourism and fishing must be allowed in designated areas of coral reefs in order to allow for other areas to flourish and grow.
• There must be designated protected areas of coral reefs where they are able to grow with no threats and where reefs can recover from damages already caused.
  

References

http://www.reefrelief.org/coralreef/threats.shtml

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/climate/2006-10-25-coral-reefs_x.htm

http://www.essortment.com/all/coralreefinda_mzx.htm

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/features.cfm?feature=9

http://oceanacidification.wordpress.com/2008/07/20/acidifying-oceans-pose-danger-to-coral-reefs/

http://www.riverdeep.net/current/2001/11/111201_reefs.jhtml

http://www.usforacle.com/2.5741/coral-reefs-in-danger-1.625527

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9815322/

1. Analyze the nutritional components of the food you select and in your own words, answer the following questions using the USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory website. http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/
   1. What was the food and portion size you chose?
   2. Describe its composition in terms of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins.
   3. How many calories are in your food item? (Found in the Database as Energy – kcal)
   4. List some of the most common vitamins and minerals in this food item.
   5. Are there other important nutritional components of this food item? If so, list these. If not, say so.

2. How much of your food item is water? Provide one reason why water is important for life.

3. State the highest category of biological molecule in your food - Carbohydrates, Lipids, or Proteins. Describe the structure of this type of molecule, and its primary function(s).
4. After identifying the nutritional components discuss WHY you would or would not recommend this food item as part of a healthy diet. Use references and guidelines such as the Food Pyramid and Recommended Daily Allowances to support your recommendations. Here is a link to the USDA interactive Food Pyramid resource, http://www.mypyramid.gov/ to help you analyze nutritional needs.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Nutritional Data
Raw Peaches

I chose a peach, raw. The portion size was 1 medium peach, 2-2/3” of diameter and approximately 150g in weight. The peach is mostly composed of protein and carbohydrates. There is 1.36g of protein in raw peaches, 14.31g of carbohydrates and 0.38g of lipids. There are 58 calories in a peach.

Some of the vitamins and minerals that are found in peaches are Vitamins C, K, and E, Niacin, Chorine, Beta Carotene, Potassium, Phosphorus, and Magnesium. In peaches we can also find 2.29g of fructose and 2.2g of fiber.

There is 133.31g of water in a medium sized peach. One of the main reasons why water is so important is because it is such a good solvent. Water can dissolve many substances, such as proteins, salts and sugars. (Audesirk, T., Audesirk, G., and Byers, B.E., 2008)

Carbohydrates consist of the elements carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) with a ratio of hydrogen twice that of carbon and oxygen. Carbohydrates include sugars, starches, cellulose and many other compounds found in living organisms (Zamora, 2005).

The main functions of carbohydrates are short-term and mid-term energy storage. (Bio 113- Carbohydrates, n.d.)

Based on the Food Pyramid by the USDA, some of the benefits of eating fruit are reduction of the risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes 2, and also helps repair of all body tissues, helps heal cuts and wounds, and keeps teeth and gums healthy.

Peaches are a good source of vitamin C and are also a rich in potassium and phosphorus. They are low in calories and contain mostly water. Peaches are a good item to include in any diet because it has a good source of vitamins and minerals and also a good item to consume in order to reach the USDA guideline for fruit intake.

References

Audesirk, T., Audesirk, G., and Byers, B.E. (2008). Biology Life on Earth with Physiology. (8^th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. Retrieved May 2, 2009, from AIU Online, Virtual Campus. SCI206 Biology. SCI2060902A:16 website.

Zamora, A. (2005). Carbohydrates - Chemical Structure. In Scientific Psychic.
Retrieved May 3, 2009, from http://www.scientificpsychic.com/fitness/
carbohydrates.html

Bio 113- Carbohydrates. (n.d.). WKU BIO 113- Carbohydrates. Retrieved May 3,
2009, from http://bioweb.wku.edu/courses/BIOL115/Wyatt/Biochem/Carbos.htm

Why the death penalty in the USA should be eliminated

I. Introduction

A. He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first." -John 8:7

B. The origin of the term Capital Punishment: Latin word Capitalis, “regarding the head”.

C. Origin of term Capital Crime

D. The four most populated countries: USA, India, China and Indonesia have not banished death penalty.

E. Among others, countries that allow the death penalty are: Afghanistan, Cuba, Guatemala, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Philippines, Sudan, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe.

F. Among others, countries that have abolished death penalty: Australia, Cambodia, Canada, Austria, Colombia, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Haiti, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Spain, United Kingdom, Venezuela, and Yugoslavia

G. US states that still allow death penalty, 36 in total, but most convictions come from southern states: Texas, Florida, California, and Georgia.

II. Supporting arguments

A. death penalty does not deter the crime rates more that Life without Parole

B. Police does not believe death penalty reduces the incidence of violent crimes

C. The death penalty is an arbitrary punishment.

D. There is no way to undo the damages done.

E. Prohibited by the 8^th amendment to the US Constitution.

F. There is no exclusion in the death penalty once sentenced. Mentally ill are also executed.

G. It is more expensive than Life without parole.

H. Disparity:

1. If the victim is white, the criminal is more likely to get sentenced to death penalty.

2. Poor people are more likely to get death sentence

I. Morality: two wrongs do not make a right. Are we re-enforcing that retributive justice is allowed?

III. Conclusion

A. Overall, the justice system is more just and equal to all if the death penalty is removed.

B. We cannot play God and decide to kill others in retribution.

C. "We oppose the death penalty not just for what it does to those guilty of heinous crimes, but for what it does to all of us: it offers the tragic illusion that we can defend life by taking life." -- Most Rev. Joseph A.

Creating a successful team

Working outline

I. Introduction

A. “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.” –Aristotle

B. Great teams require effort and commitment, trust and accountability as they aim for results.

C. Anticipate, prepare for and avoid dysfunctions model loopholes By using the 5 dysfunction model, we can see the potential downfalls of a team.

II. Dysfunction Model

A. Absence of Trust

1. Trust will help everyone is comfortable speaking openly, and this will lead to being open about discussing challenges and issues in a group.

B. Fear of Conflict

1. By feeling validated and empowered to speak the team will be able to discuss openly any issues

2. Discussing issues will allow for creative solutions and practical, realistic decisions.

C. Lack of Commitment

1. Lack of commitment is the first step to failure. By lacking this, a group has no passion or desire to do what needs to be done, and will not put any effort into the necessary tasks.

2. A good way help maintain all group members committed is by having everyone show up for all team meetings and participate in completing all group assignments

3. In order to maintain fairness and balance, there must be equal responsibility among all tasks for team members.

D. Avoidance of Accountability

1. Assigning two people to each task can help accountability as one member can help the other and vice versa

2. We are accountable for our decisions in our personal life so why shouldn't we be just as accountable in our work life." - Catherine Pulsifer

E. Inattention to Results

1. Have a high level of standards and expectations… and keep everyone consistent about them

2. “Success is a journey, not a destination” so success is the reward.

Creating a successful team

Speaking outline

I. Introduction

A. “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.” –Aristotle

B. Great teams require effort and commitment, trust and accountability as they aim for results

C. “The journey is the reward.” Reap what you sow

D. Challenges will arise, plan ahead and look at the potential downfalls.

E. Anticipate, prepare for and avoid dysfunctions model loopholes.

II. Dysfunction Model

A. Absence of Trust

1. Trust will help everyone is comfortable speaking openly.

B. Fear of Conflict

1. By feeling validated and empowered to speak the team will be able to discuss openly any issues

C. Lack of Commitment

1. Showing up for all team meetings and participate in completing all group assignments

2. Keep equal responsibility.

D. Avoidance of Accountability

1. Assigning two people to each task can help accountability as one member can help the other and vice versa

2. We are accountable for our decisions in our personal life so why shouldn't we be just as accountable in our work life." - Catherine Pulsifer

E. Inattention to Results

1. Have a high level of standards and expectations… and keeping everyone consistent about them

2. “Success is a journey, not a destination” so success is the reward.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.”

-Aristotle (Quote DB, 2008)

When looking at the importance of creating an effective, successful team, there are many things that will contribute to its downfall. However, there are also many different qualities that project the assets of an exemplary team.

Trust is the foundation that a team is built on, and without it, the team can achieve a domino effect of negativity and crash. Trust will enable the team to engage actively in discussing any issues that come up and the potential solutions to it, but this also requires commitment and action in order to achieve a prosperous team.

An old Chinese proverb said “The journey is the reward” (Think Exist, 2006); therefore you reap what you sow. The effort and commitment that is out into the team and its goals are the principal motivation and drive to achieve results and allow plans to gain full throttle and reach far beyond expectations.

The importance of creating a good team is obvious, however, in order to be able to face any challenges that may arise, we need to be able to plan ahead and look at the potential downfalls of a team in order to anticipate, prepare for and most importantly, avoid these loopholes and continue on the path to success.

Based on the model for the five dysfunctions of a team we studied in class, we have created some guidelines that can be followed in order to create a good team, prevent a good team from going bad, or enhancing a working team into an effective and successful one.

In order to have a good team, all members must be able to trust each other, discuss challenges in order to make informed decisions, commit and hold themselves accountable for the these commitments in order to gain positive results.

The first dysfunction we were identified was the lack of trust in a team. In order to have a functional team, communication is a key factor to keep in mind. Every team member should step into each other’s shoes, view their perspective and understand his or her opinion.

“Set your expectations high; find men and women whose integrity and values you respect; get their agreement on a course of action; and give them your ultimate trust.” These are the words of John Akers, dysfunction (Said What, 2007) and they apply completely to the 1^st dysfunction. Trust will foster an environment in which everyone is comfortable speaking their minds. By feeling empowered to speak and having our thoughts validated, the team will be able to discuss openly any issues and conflicts that may come up with, and find compelling, creative and practical solutions. This will eliminate the second dysfunction, fear of conflict, from attacking the foundation of the team. It is important to note that although the team wants to foster freedom of speech; all members must speak in a courteous, respectful manner, avoiding demeaning, belittling and hateful speech toward topic in general. As Jesse Jackson once said, “Never look down on anyone unless you are helping them up” (Quote Garden, 2008).

The third dysfunction we discussed was the lack of commitment within a team. Lack of commitment will cause a team to procrastinate, not be on time, doing things in a rush, and therefore not applying the necessary effort needed in each task. We can avoid this by having a high level of commitment within a team.

The next dysfunction, avoidance of accountability, causes teams to miss deadlines and can potentially ruin their reputation. It also creates tension as some members might feel as though the responsibility is not shared evenly. Regular meetings, constant communication, and will help create accountability to all team members, and also keep them engaged, motivated and focused on team goals. Planning ahead of time and making an action plan with the steps needed in order to achieve goals and assigning everyone an even part to it, will make sure everyone is accountable for something in order to keep equal responsibility. Assigning two people to each task can also help foster accountability as one member can help the other and vise versa. Also, this will allow having a backup. Although as a team you want to create accountability as a standard, life and accidents happen. Have a backup plan just in case anything should occur. Catherine Pulsifer once said “We are accountable for our decisions in our personal life so why shouldn't we be just as accountable in our work life." (WOW 4 U, 2006) Keeping this principle in mind, we should all be accountable in all our commitments, personal or work related.

The last dysfunction we will cover is the inattention to results. Even if we do keep in mind all previous dysfunctions, disregarding this last one will prevent a team from being completely successful. What we can do to avoid this is having a high level of standards and expectations… and keeping everyone consistent about them. This also implies having commitment and also means we need to look at the bigger picture. The final results, although they are not the only focus, they do not measure the overall quality of the team, and will make or break their effectiveness. Keep in mind what the aim is on and work together in order to get there.

In conclusion, there are some guidelines that can be followed in order to create a good team, enhancing a working team into an effective and successful one. There are five dysfunctions to a team model. The five dysfunctions are absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability and in attention. In addition, these five team dysfunctions all can be avoided. Team Ethos has created specific guidelines to prevent dysfunctions like this from coming into the group. All members must be able to trust each other. A good team should be able to discuss openly any issues and conflicts that may come up with, and find compelling, creative and practical solutions. Every member should have a high level of commitment. For example, each team member can show their commitment by showing up for all team meetings and participate in completing all group assignments. A back up plan is always good for a team to have such as an action plan. An action plan prevents a team from missing deadlines and tension between some members. Last but not least, teams that have commitment, trust, and an action plan are more than likely to achieve success. These guidelines can be followed in order to create a successful team preventing the team from certain dysfunctions.

As Ben Sweetland once said, “"Success is a journey, not a destination” (Motivating Quotes, 2006). If we apply this knowledge and continue to grow with our team, and share our experiences, we will enjoy the ride together.

Works Cited

Motivating Quotes. (2006). Retrieved February 5th, 2009, from Motivating Quotes: http://www.motivatingquotes.com/success.htm

Quote DB. (2008, October). Retrieved February 5th, 2009, from Quote DB: http://www.quotedb.com/quotes/921

Quote Garden. (2008, November 30). Retrieved February 4th, 2009, from Quote Garden: http://www.quotegarden.com/kindness.html

Said What. (2007). Retrieved February 5th, 2009, from Said What: http://www.saidwhat.co.uk/quotes/favourite/john_akers/set_your_expectations_high_find_men_25730

Think Exist. (2006). Retrieved February 5th, 2009, from Think Exist: http://thinkexist.com/quotation/the_journey_is_the_reward/253991.html

WOW 4 U. (2006). Retrieved February 5th, 2009, from WOW 4 U: http://www.wow4u.com/accountable-quotes/index.html