If you learn how to build a solar panel, you can create a family legacy that will live on for generations after the Creator takes you home. Which one of your ancestors has been the most influential in your life?

They may have moved to your country which is why you live where you do today. Or they could have started a tradition that has been passed down to you.

Would you enjoy being the first one in your family tree to pass down the tradition of having a family unit that is self sufficient in terms of energy? Is that something you could wrap your head around?

In a hundred years your name could be mentioned in the following dinner time conversation: “Our great great grandfather was the first of our family to learn how to build a solar panel and establish independence from the power companies, so that his family always had power, even when the electricity was off for all the neighbors.”

How to Build a Solar Panel

Have you ever contemplated the kind of legacy you are passing down to your family, as things are right now? For instance, if your kids or grandchildren grow up seeing you smoking, there chances of them taking up the habit in their adolescent years are very high. The choices you make can create generational chain reactions.

What if the example you give your kids of learning how to build a solar panel that you can install on your home by on your own for dirt cheap, and right from the start, save money, help the environment, and begin to give your family freedom from the big energy corporations? That first panel will ensure you have some emergency power, no matter what.

Photovoltaic Solar Panel

Then all you would do after you have your first panel is hook up the next one to it, like Lego toys. Just keep rinsing and repeating, and each time you add to the amount of power you can give your home.

You could reach the point where you could call the power company to unhook your home from their grid, but it is actually easier to stay connected and be able to sell them extra energy you might have at times. You’d be surprised how many individuals are already doing that. The first step is finding out how to build a solar panel very inexpensively.

How to Build a Solar Panel is a post from: Recycling Guide. Environmental issues have become part of everyday life read more from Pollution to Sustainable Development.

Everything within an ecosystem is reliant and dependent upon other various elements within that ecosystem. In animals there is a direct correlation between the predator and the prey and all organisms in an ecosystem are classified as producers, consumers or decomposers.

An example of a producer would be a green plant that is able to produce its own food.
A consumer is an animal that can not make its own food and must use other plants or animals for food.
A decomposer is responsible for breaking down waste products and deceased animals for food.

There are different levels of consumers in the ecosystem. In animals that are classified as a first level consumer dinner may be a tasty shrub or root. First level consumers, such as mice, feed directly on the plants in the ecosystem. In animals that are classified as second level consumers lunch might consist of a juicy mouse. Snakes are one example of a second level consumer. An example of a third level consumer would be a hawk who would eat the snake for breakfast.

If a species is introduced to an ecosystem that is not native to that environment it can cause a lot of problems within the food chain. If, for instance, a new species of frogs are brought into an ecosystem it might not seem like that much of a problem. However the new species of frogs are going to start eating the bugs that other animals in the ecosystem are dependent upon. Also, with the addition of a prey additional predators may begin to enter the ecosystem and cause further problems.

There is a very delicate balance of producers, predators and prey within an ecosystem. In animals that balance is vital for their survival and it is imperative that the ecosystems in our communities are allowed to remain intact. By taking care of the ecosystems of the world and understanding how they work a healthier environment can be enjoyed by people and animals alike.

Understanding The Connection Of The Ecosystem In Animals is a post from: Recycling Guide. Environmental issues have become part of everyday life read more from Pollution to Sustainable Development.

An ecosystem is simply a group of plants and animals that reside in the same area and are dependent upon each other for survival. There are many different types of ecosystems in the world including deserts, forests, prairies, rivers, oceans, swamps, and marshes. All of the various ecosystems are interdependent upon each other. That means that if something affects one ecosystem negatively it will affect the other ecosystems as well. Inside an ecosystem all the plants are animals are interdependent upon each other for survival. Learning about the ecosystem can be fun and exciting. Here is a great experiment and project that will help to demonstrate what a balanced ecosystem looks like.

Make An Airtight Ecosystem Model

Airtight Ecosystem

In order to demonstrate how all of the living things within an ecosystem are dependent upon each other you will need the following materials:

• Three one-quart canning jars with lids
• Aged water to fill the jars
• Two water plants such as Elodea or Anacharis that are 4 or so inches long
• Aquarium animals, guppies or water snails
• Three aquarium thermometers

By using an airtight ecosystem, in the form of a glass canning jar, you will be able to demonstrate how plants and animals are dependent upon each other for survival.

First you will need to fill each of the three jars almost up to the top with water. Add some plants and a couple of the water animals to one airtight ecosystem container. Add only the plants to another airtight ecosystem container and only the fish to another airtight ecosystem container. Also add one aquarium thermometer to each Mason jar before closing the jar up tight. Keep all three jars in a warm and sunny location for observation. Make sure that all three jars are airtight to make the experiment a success.

What An Airtight Ecosystem Will Show

What will be discovered in doing the previous experiment and observing the three jars over the course of a week or two will be very interesting. The jar that contains the plants and the water creatures will do fine and the fish or snail will not die for lack of oxygen because the plant gives of an adequate amount of oxygen for the animals survival. Likewise the plants feed off of the waste that is supplied by the water creature. In the other two jars you will discover that the fish or water animals will not be able to survive in an airtight ecosystem without some plant to give it oxygen. The plant that is alone in an airtight ecosystem will also not thrive because it will not be getting any food in the form of wastes from the fish or water creatures.

Using An Airtight Ecosystem Experiment is a post from: Recycling Guide. Environmental issues have become part of everyday life read more from Pollution to Sustainable Development.

In a coral reef ecosystem, for example, this might look as follows: (1) Coral reef absorbs nutrients directly from the water and from plankton swimming past the reef, (2) small parrotfish feed on the coral reef, and (3) larger fish, such as snappers and barracuda, feed on the smaller fish like the parrotfish. Here is where the theory breaks down, however, because if the coral reef is not growing and expanding its territory, it is considered unhealthy or dying. Similarly, as the reef itself expands, it is able to support more and more animals in categories (2) and (3) respectivelymeaning that none of the populations is actually stable, but rather growing. In reality, then, balance in an ecosystem is a dynamic, changing thing which generally implies a gradual growth of the populations within the ecosystem.

But when we talk about balance in ecosystems, it not only refers to balance within the ecosystem, but also to balance between ecosystems. To wit: no ecosystem exists in a vacuum. Each ecosystem has other systems butting up against it, intersecting it, and often intermeshing with it. To continue the example from above, a coral reef is located in water, putting it in close proximity to a marine ecosystem (or more than one), where there may be even larger fish, sharks, and other animals. In this situation, balance between ecosystems means that the sharks don’t eat all the parrotfish, nor do the fish living on the coral reef suddenly migrate out to the marine ecosystem.

On the other hand, Andrewatha and Birch proposed the idea in their 1954 “The Distribution and bundance of animals” that balance in ecosystems is actually impossible. Because they observed that territorial behavior, rather than a check in food supply, limited population numbers, they viewed the flux in population size as part of normal behavior patterns rather than part of an ecosystem response. Although this view is probably extreme, it illustrates the truth that a static population is not possible in the real world.

Seen from a global perspective, balance in the world ecosystem depends upon balance between ecosystems in the world. Such is the subject of many current headlines about climate change, overfishing, and the like. Yet it is important to keep perspective that neither has the world’s ecosystem remained stagnant over time, populations have increased, decreased, and even gone extinct, entirely independent of human involvement. The question becomes, then: To what extent human involvement has changed the balance in ecosystems beyond what it would have been without any human interference? The answer, right now, is anybody’s guess.

Achieving Balance In Ecosystems: A Trapeze Act? is a post from: Recycling Guide. Environmental issues have become part of everyday life read more from Pollution to Sustainable Development.

The ecology of the planet is all interrelated and pollution and other disturbances that affect one area of the planet trickle down to affect other areas as well. The estuarine ecosystems have delicate balance that comprises the water of the planet. All living things, including mollusks that live in estuarine ecosystems are affected by changes in the water and environment.

Estuaries total over 4,541,666 acres of the coastlines in the United States and sustain life for a large variety of animals. An estuary is a semi-enclosed body of water where fresh water and the ocean tides connect. Some examples of estuaries are rivers, lakes and shorelines. Mollusks live in estuarine ecosystems along with many other living things and changes and disturbances in the ecological system can negatively effect there life cycles.

Scattering Of Mollusks on a Beach

Mollusks are thin shelled invertebrates that include species such as squid, cuttlefish, and octopus as well as snails and clams. Mollusks live in estuarine ecosystems that include shallow sub tidal regions and along the continental shelf. There are over 100,000 extent species of mollusks and many are found in the inter-tidal region. The mollusks live in estuarine ecosystems that provide food for them as well as breeding grounds and a distinct habitat. Many endangered plants and animal species inhabit the estuarine ecosystem where mollusks live.

Mollusks that Live in Estuarine Ecosystems

Mollusks live in estuarine ecosystems that provide the commercial fishing industries with the most productive and lucrative environments around in relation to their nutrients, temperatures and water levels. These estuarine ecosytems support a large part of the economy in coastal areas.

Mollusks live in estuarine ecosystems that inhabit different levels of depth. Mollusks must live in a certain depth that is right for them in order to survive. There are several different habitat classifications that determine where mollusks live in estuarine ecosystems.

• Fresh Water includes lakes and rivers and non salty bodies of water.
• Pelagic is near the surface of the ocean
• Littorial is a vast area that includes millions of miles extending along the coastlines and inter tidal areas from shallow water to as far down as algae can survive.

There are four defined planes of the Littorial area.

1. The Superalittorial Plane is comprosed of the strip of beach above the high tide level.
2. The Meslittoral Plane extends from the high tide mark to the low tide mark.
3. The Infralittoral Plane goes from the low tide mark to shallow water depths.
4. The Circumlittoral Plane encompasses down to the lowest level that green algae can survive.

Mollusks live in estuarine ecosystems that also include the abyssal which is where small colorless shells dwell in darkness with near freezing temperatures.

Estuarine Ecosystems and Mollusks is a post from: Recycling Guide. Environmental issues have become part of everyday life read more from Pollution to Sustainable Development.

Benefits Gained As A Result Of Ecosystem Loss To Biodiversity

These areas that place a lot of pressure on bio diversity, have also been the backbone of the national development of the country and provided jobs, skills, industrialization and economic growth to the country.

Agriculture
Fisheries
Forestrys

The use and exploration on natural resources is also an important industry for rural areas and some harmful diseases have been wiped out as a result of biodiversity. There is a trade off when dealing with enhancing one area of the ecosystem causing loss to bio diversity in another area of the ecosystem.

Some of the areas that are benefitted in the ecosystem causing loss to bio diversity in other areas are crops, livestock, aquaculture and carbon sequestration. Areas that are not improved include capture fisheries, timber production, the water supply, air quality, waste treatment, erosion, and other areas as well. The level of which the trade off affects different people in various aspects is something that needs to be considered to try to maintain a proper balance. It is important to make sure that all the benefits are not affecting one group of people and all of the disadvantages affecting another group.
In regards to the ecosystem, causing loss to bio diversity is also important due to the fact that bio diversity has an intrinsic value. Bio diversity is valued for its spiritual, recreational, and aesthetic purposes and also for various cultural reasons. Losses that result in the extinction of certain species or the loss of habitats are important topics that affect people on a deep and profound level.

Bio diversity can be viewed as a two edged sword. On the one hand many individuals receive benefits as a result of the actions that lead to changes in the ecosystem causing loss to bio diversity. One the one hand the effects garnered from a loss to the ecosystem can be significant in terms of monetary gain or a higher level of living conditions and general well being. On the other hand, permanent damage can be done that can never be undone again. The decision needs to be made as to what risks are willing to be taken and what sort of balance is right to justify certain actions.

What The Ecosystem Causing Loss To Bio Diversity Means is a post from: Recycling Guide. Environmental issues have become part of everyday life read more from Pollution to Sustainable Development.

The ecosystem of an aquarium is balanced. It keeps the plants and animals that live there healthy. You may have seen the fish tank in someone’s house, your dentist’s office, or even the pet store. You admire the fish and move on, but have you ever stopped and thought about ecosystems? Aquariums are a perfect example of aquatic ecosystems. Aquariums can be a useful tool to teach this basis of who we are.

Some ecosystem populations may live within the same habitat. For example: A small pond may have several aquatic populations that coexist in the same water, at the same time. Human activity can have a major detrimental impact on these ecosystems. Aquarium studies can help those learn about these relationships of organisms, so we can better learn what it takes to maintain the gentle balance of these ecosystems. Aquariums are areas (tank, bowl, etc.) that have at least one transparent side (most have three), in which water dwelling plants or animals are kept. There is specialized equipment needed to maintain the characteristics that are suitable for its residents. These living areas can be a small bowl that is fine for one fish or a large tank that can simulate full ecosystems.

Ecosystem Of An Aquarium

Aquarium Chat

There are differences in ecosystems, aquariums have to be adjusted to fit these differences. Temperature can be a major factor in the ecosystem of an aquarium. Warm water is used in tropical aquariums. These usually hold organisms that are typically found in the tropics of the oceans and rivers. The fish and coral are usually brightly colored. However, a cold water tank is also popular. These usually are homes to the ever-popular goldfish that have found their way into the hearts of domestic fish tank owners.

There are different types of ecosystem aquariums, these include:

• Fresh water: These are the most popular variety because of their relatively low cost and maintenance.
• Marine: These are salt water ecosystem aquariums. These require more complex equipment, set up, and maintenance. However, the payoff is that you can have a virtual ocean right in your home or office. Along with a large variety of fish species, there are many invertebrates that you can invite into your tank. There are sea sponges, mollusks, and flatworms that can successful live in a domestic marine aquarium.
• Brackish: These combine the elements of both fresh and salt water tanks. The organisms come from habitats that vary in salinity. In nature, these organisms would be found in mangroves and estuaries.
• Reef: This ecosystem aquarium is a unique marine aquarium because it houses a community of coral and those organisms that live upon the reefs.

An aquarium ecosystem can be a great way to teach others about aquatic organisms and their habitat. With a little hard work, you can enjoy your very own ecosystem. Aquarium information is plentiful and after doing a little research, then you will be ready to create your own aquatic ecosystem.

In the unnatural ecosystem of an aquarium it can easily get out of balance and kill all the fish.  Creating a favorable habitat for the fish is the most important task .A balance in the ecosystem of an aquarium allows a healthy environment for the fish and this provide them with a better life span.  Bear in mind, though, that the dynamics of an ecosystem, even the small and relatively uncomplicated ecosystem of an aquarium, cannot be reduced to a table of numerical parameters.

The Ecosystem of an Aquarium is a post from: Recycling Guide. Environmental issues have become part of everyday life read more from Pollution to Sustainable Development.

One way to get a better understanding of the ecosystems of the world is to engage in ecosystem activities. Ecosystem activities are a great learning tool and help students to get a better understanding and working knowledge of how ecosystems works. The ecosystem is comprised of plants and animals and the environment in which they live. There are many types of ecosystems ranging from a pond, to a forest, to the ocean, or grasslands.

A List Of Ecosystem Activities To Do

There are many things that can be done for an ecosystem activity that will enrich your knowledge of the environment and how everything works together.

Ecosystem activities show how everyone and everything is interconnected.

Build A Mini Ecosystem

Building a mini ecosystem is a great way to learn more about the ecosystems. This would make a great science project or can be used for a speech or presentation to give a better understanding of the ecosystem and supply a model for greater understanding. A mini ecosystem can be made to represent a wide variety of ecosystems. You may wish to incorporate the following list when choosing you ecosystem activity.

• Tundra ecosystem can be made using lichen, moss, and small alpine plants
• Northern coniferous forest ecosystem can be shown with small plants
• Deciduous forest ecosystem can incorporate violets, wintergreens, strawberries and small ferns
• Grasslands ecosystems can be demonstrated with wildflowers and grasses
• Desert ecosystems can be displayed with cacti or aloe vera plants
• Tropical rain forest ecosystems can include African violet, creeping charlies or aluminum plants.

To make a mini ecosystem you will need:

• An aquarium
• Potting soil
• Sand
• Charcoal
• House plants

After you have cleaned your aquarium you can begin to build your ecosystem based on which type of ecosystem you are creating.

Build A Food Web

To do this ecosystem activity research must first be done to determine which animal is the predator, or carnivore and which animal is the prey. A chart can be made to chow the food cycle and how all the plants and animals in the ecosystem are dependent upon each other for survival.

Study The Arctic Tundra

Ecosystem activities can also be done to study the arctic tundra. Some activities that can be done include:

• Working with camouflages to better understand how camouflage helps animals to hide from enemies and stay hidden and protected.
• Play games based on the predators and prey that live in the arctic tundra. Participants can learn more about a certain predator or prey and then act out the habits and mannerisms of that animal.

Arctic Tundra Ecosystems

To show how animals fur and covering contribute to their safety and protection in the ecosystem have participants enter a cold environment, such as a walk in refrigerator or freezer, with varying levels of protection to see how having the right coat of fur or hide can keep animals warm in subarctic temperature.

Allow participants to grow plants in shallow soil to demonstrate how plants can not grow well in the arctic tundra due to the shallow soil present there.

As you can see there are many ecosystem activities that can be done to help gain a better understanding of how the ecosystems work.

Fun Ecosystem Activities To Do is a post from: Recycling Guide. Environmental issues have become part of everyday life read more from Pollution to Sustainable Development.

In the past environmental management practices have been based on disparate analysis of the impacts of pollutants on selected components of ecosystems. The world we live in is composed of many, many different ecosystems, all interacting and playing off one another. Each of these ecosystems has parts, or components, which also interact within the ecosystem to produce the effects we observe and draw conclusions from. Although the components of ecosystems vary greatly from one place to another, in general we can categorize them to help better understand how they interrelate and what commonalities exist from one ecosystem to another.

A basic division that is made when considering the components of any ecosystem is between the living, or “biotic,” parts and the non-living, or “abiotic”. The amount of sunlight a particular area receives, the temperature and climate over an extended period of time, and the amount of rainfall received are all examples of abiotic components of an ecosystem. For ecosystems that exist in water, the type of water (freshwater or salt) and the strength of water current are ecosystem-specific components.

The Biotic Components of Ecosystems

Biotic Components of Ecosystems

The biotic components of ecosystems can be further broken down into subcategories based on the feeding characteristics of a given animal. The most basic level of biotic components are the primary producers, or “autotrophs,” which produce their own food usually using the chemical process known as photosynthesis. In a land ecosystem, these organisms would be the green plants, trees, bushes and the like, in a sea ecosystem, the primary producers are phytoplankton.

Above the level of autotrophs are the “heterotrophs,” animals which feed on other animals in order to get their necessary nutrients. Within this category there can be countless divisions again, depending on which level in the food chain a particular animal preys upon for its food. However, there are four subcategories which must be present in any ecosystem, which are:

• Herbivores, which feed only on plants
• Carnivores, which feed only on other animals
• Omnivores, which feed on plants and animals, and
• Detritivores, which feed on dead things.

Now we must look briefly at how the components of ecosystems interact with and affect one another. Take, for example, a pond. The sunlight shines down into the water, and if the pond is relatively stagnant and nutrient-rich, tiny green algae will utilize the abiotic components to manufacture their own food. At the edge of the pond, the same sunlight is taken in by other plants, such as reeds and marshland plant life, to produce their food. Inside the pond, microscopic animals feed on the algae. Insects, such as water beetles and their young, will in turn feed on the microscopic animals, and become food for larger animals such as fish and birds. At the top of the chain lie the animals that only eat other animals, such as herons, which feed only on fish. The final step in the chain occurs when the animal dies, and is fed on by bacteria as part of the decomposition process.

Basic Components of Ecosystems is a post from: Recycling Guide. Environmental issues have become part of everyday life read more from Pollution to Sustainable Development.

Grizzly Bears are an American icon. They have been called a symbol of the Great American West. Many people travel to places where the Grizzly is known to inhabit just for a chance to see them in their natural habitat. In recent years Grizzlies have faced a struggle for survival that has left many people fighting for better protection for the Grizzlies. But aside from ethical and sentimental aspects, why are Grizzlies important to the ecosystem?

The Grizzly Bears current habitat range extends from Alaska through Western Canada and into some parts of the Northwestern United States such as Idaho, Montana, Washington, and Wyoming. The Grizzly is protected in the United States and Canada but there are problems with Grizzlies living in areas where there is a lot of human population and there have been numerous conflicts and problems with Grizzlies killing livestock and ruining agriculture.

Grizzlies In The Ecosystem

Grizzly Bears are omnivores that eat both plants and animals. They will hunt and kill large animals such as moose, deer, sheep and bison and also enjoy salmon, trout and bass. Grizzly Bears will pack on a lot of weight in preparation for the winter months and hibernate through the winter living off of the stored fat it has accumulated. One of the reasons why grizzlies are important to the ecosystem is they keep other predators, such as cougars, coyotes and foxes at bay.

Grizzlies have been hunted and driven out of many areas, including California, where they were once very plentiful. Due to the scarcity of the Grizzlies they have been reintroduced back into North America to regain the biodiversity of the area. In order to answer the question, why are Grizzlies important to the ecosystem, scientists and conservationists have done much research and spent many hours studying the ecosystems where the Grizzlies live.

Grizzly bears are terrestrial predators. This means that they affect the ecosystem from the top down. When Grizzly Bears are no longer present in the ecosystem ungulate populations can grow out of control and alter the vegetation structure in an area. Another reason why Grizzly Bears are so important to the ecosystem is that Grizzly Bears assist the vegetation by doing a lot of digging and foraging. This helps to mix up the nutrient level in the soil which helps to increase the ammonium and nitrate levels of the soil which helps other plants species. This helps the ecosystem where Grizzly Bears live to be more bio diverse and have a more even equilibrium.

So why are Grizzlies important to the ecosystem? Really there are many reason. One important reason is that the scientific community uses the Grizzly Bear as an indicator to determine the health of an ecosystem. A strong and flourishing Grizzly Bear population usually means a string and flourishing ecosystem with a thriving flora and fauna landscape.

Why Are Grizzlies Important To The Ecosystem is a post from: Recycling Guide. Environmental issues have become part of everyday life read more from Pollution to Sustainable Development.