content
stringlengths 71
484k
| url
stringlengths 13
5.97k
|
|---|---|
If you could see through the lens of a very powerful telescope, to an area of sky the size of a grain of sand held at arm’s length, a new universe would be revealed to you. For in that tiny patch of seemingly empty sky, there are thousands of galaxies visible, albeit with many hours of light collection. Observing the most distant of these galaxies, at the edge of the universe, allows us to estimate the number of Galaxies present in the distant past, when the universe was very young. As our observations improve, and our ability to simulate the conditions of the early universe grows, we refine our estimates and close in on the true nature of space and time.
A recent study performed by Michigan State University is now claiming that our estimates of early galaxies in the universe is 10 to 100 times too large, meaning the universe may be a lot emptier than we thought.
The team used the National Science Foundation’s Blue Waters computer to run simulations of how galaxies formed in the early universe. Thousands of galaxies were simulated at a time, and their interactions through gravity and radiation were calculated. The simulations were consistent with the observations of bright early galaxies seen by Hubble and other deep sky surveys.
However, to their surprise, even though they matched the observations, there were far fewer faint galaxies in the simulations, reducing the total number of galaxies by at least a factor of ten. In the theory, the number of faint galaxies should increase exponentially as the brightness decreases. This is basic statistics; if we see ten of the biggest galaxies, there must be a hundred or more smaller ones we can’t see. This is also consistent with models of galaxy formation.
But with the new results, it seems that there are very few dim galaxies, suggesting they aren’t forming as quickly or they are quickly merging into larger and brighter galaxies. Future studies with Hubble and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will probe deeper into the early universe, tightening our constraints on the initial conditions of galaxy formation and in turn our simulation parameters.
As far as we’ve come in the scientific world, there is still a lot to learn, and we always move forward with reverence for the cosmos, and the understanding that the universe is full of surprises. | https://rhea.ryanmarciniak.com/2015/07/the-universe-may-be-lonelier-than-we-thought/ |
The European Southern Observatory (ESO) conducted deep observations of the the universe using the MUSE spectrograph on its Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile. The observations revealed large numbers of atomic hydrogen coating distant galaxies. Direct observations were possible because the MUSE instrument is extremely sensitive.
Based on their findings, scientists now believe dim clouds of hydrogen across the sky are glowing with Lyman-alpha emissions from the early universe. The research suggests the whole night sky is invisibly aglow. The international team using the MUSE spectrograph discovered this unexpected dominance of the Lyman-alpha emission in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field (HUDF) region.
Astronomers have for a long time debated various sky views on different wavelengths, but the glowing universe as observed by the Lyman-alpha emission was a great surprise to them.
“Realizing that the whole sky glows in optical when observing the Lyman-alpha emission from distant clouds of hydrogen was a literally eye-opening surprise,” team member Kasper Borello Schmidt said in a statement.
“This is a great discovery!” fellow team member Themiya Nanayaklara said in a statement. “Next time you look at the moonless night sky and see the stars, imagine the unseen glow of hydrogen: the first building block of the universe illuminating the whole sky.”
The HUDF region that was observed by the team is located in the constellation of Fornax (the “Furnance”), which was mapped by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope in 2004. At the time, Hubble had spent more than 270 hours observing deep space.
Those observations revealed thousands of new galaxies scattered around the dark patch across the sky. Astronomers believe those galaxies can be used to approximate the scale of the known universe. The MUSE spectrograph allowed them to look even deeper and see the faintly glowing universe caused by remnants of the earlier galaxies.
The MUSE instrument is installed on Unit Telescope 4 of the VLT at ESO’s Paranal Observatory. When it is used to examine the sky, astronomers see a large distribution of wavelengths hitting each pixel of the detector. When looking at the full spectrum of lights from astronomical objects, they can see a deep view of the physical processes that happen in the universe.
“With these MUSE observations, we get a completely new view on the diffuse gas ‘cocoons’ that surround galaxies in the early Universe,” team member Philipp Richter said. | https://www.valuewalk.com/2018/10/muse-spectrograph-glowing-universe/ |
Using gravitational lensing, the Hubble Space Telescope has revealed some of the earliest known galaxies – galaxies that formed just 600 million years after the Big Bang.
Observations by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have taken advantage of gravitational lensing to reveal the largest sample of the faintest and earliest known galaxies in the universe. Some of these galaxies formed just 600 million years after the Big Bang and are fainter than any other galaxy yet uncovered by Hubble. The team has determined for the first time with some confidence that these small galaxies were vital to creating the universe that we see today.
An international team of astronomers, led by Hakim Atek of the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland, has discovered over 250 tiny galaxies that existed only 600-900 million years after the Big Bang — one of the largest samples of dwarf galaxies yet to be discovered at these epochs. The light from these galaxies took over 12 billion years to reach the telescope, allowing the astronomers to look back in time when the universe was still very young.
Although impressive, the number of galaxies found at this early epoch is not the team’s only remarkable breakthrough, as Johan Richard from the Observatoire de Lyon, France, points out. “The faintest galaxies detected in these Hubble observations are fainter than any other yet uncovered in the deepest Hubble observations.”
By looking at the light coming from the galaxies the team discovered that the accumulated light emitted by these galaxies could have played a major role in one of the most mysterious periods of the universe’s early history — the epoch of reionization. Reionization started when the thick fog of hydrogen gas that cloaked the early universe began to clear. Ultraviolet light was now able to travel over larger distances without being blocked and thus the universe became transparent to ultraviolet light.
By observing the ultraviolet light from the galaxies found in this study the astronomers were able to calculate whether these were in fact some of the galaxies involved in the process. The team determined that the smallest and most abundant of the galaxies in the study could be the major actors in keeping the universe transparent. By doing so, they have established that the epoch of reionization — which ends at the point when the universe is fully transparent — came to a close about 700 million years after the big bang.
In a paper appearing in the Astrophysical Journal, lead author Atek explained, “If we took into account only the contributions from bright and massive galaxies, we found that these were insufficient to reionize the universe. We also needed to add in the contribution of a more abundant population of faint dwarf galaxies.”
To make these discoveries, the team utilized the deepest images of gravitational lensing made so far in three galaxy clusters, which were taken as part of the Hubble Frontier Fields program. These clusters generate immense gravitational fields capable of magnifying the light from the faint galaxies that lie far behind the clusters themselves. This makes it possible to search for, and study, the first generation of galaxies in the universe.
Jean-Paul Kneib, co-author of the study from the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland, explains, “Clusters in the frontier fields act as powerful natural telescopes and unveil these faint dwarf galaxies that would otherwise be invisible.”
Co-author of the study Mathilde Jauzac, from Durham University, U.K., and the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, remarks on the significance of the discovery and Hubble’s role in it, “Hubble remains unrivaled in its ability to observe the most distant galaxies. The sheer depth of the Hubble Frontier Field data guarantees a very precise understanding of the cluster magnification effect, allowing us to make discoveries like these.”
These results highlight the impressive possibilities of the Frontier Fields program with more galaxies, at even earlier times, likely to be revealed when Hubble peers at three more of these galaxy clusters in the near future. | https://scitechdaily.com/hubble-reveals-some-of-the-earliest-known-galaxies/ |
The Appearance Of One Messy Galaxy Revealed Its Distant Past
For most Americans, the gold standard of space telescopes is the Hubble, a massive scientific apparatus that was first launched into space in 1990, and later serviced in 1993, 1997, 1999, 2002 and 2009 to keep the telescope going (via Britannica). Orbiting around our planet, the Hubble is able to see many different stars and galaxies that aren't visible from within the Earth's atmosphere. Over its more than 30 years in service, the Hubble has taken photos of many stunning features of space, including two previously unknown moons of Pluto, and has helped scientists uncover equations like the rate at which the universe expands.
But the Hubble telescope is no longer the big kid on the block. Though the Hubble will continue to photograph the universe, there's a new name in the game: the James Webb Space Telescope. Created by NASA alongside the European Space Agency and Canada (also via Britannica), the James Webb telescope has infrared cameras which can see details of the universe that are hidden to the Hubble, according to Live Science. It was first launched at the end of 2021. Now, it's revealed a host of new discoveries, per the Hindustan Times, including new details about the Cartwheel Galaxy that reveal a dark moment from its history.
History of the Cartwheel Galaxy
The Cartwheel Galaxy was first studied from various observatories in Australia, according to The New York Times. The galaxy is 500 million light years away from Earth, according to Live Science. It's long fascinated astronomers because of its unique form. Unlike a standard elliptical galaxy, the Cartwheel Galaxy has a particular shape which has suggested to scientists that there might have been a significant collision in the galaxy's history. Called a ring galaxy, according to NASA, the galaxy has two distinct separate sections: an inner and outer ring. At the middle of the galaxy, which can be found in the Sculptor constellation, is a black hole.
However, despite high interest, scientists have not been able to get a good photo of the galaxy until recently. In the 1990s, the Hubble telescope snapped a picture, but because of the high levels of dust in the galaxy, there wasn't really a precise image, per NASA. That was, at least, until the James Webb Telescope was launched. This telescope, which reaches nearly 70 by 30 feet, can take far more advanced photos, per the Webb Space Telescope.
How galaxies are formed
Perhaps everyone's heard of galaxies, but might not know just what they are. "Galaxies are collections of stars, dust, and dark matter held together by gravity," NASA reports. There are a couple different ideas about how galaxies might have come about, according to StarDate. The first theory is that, in the early days of the universe, dust and gases clumped together due to gravity and formed the first stars. This was due to a density issue, according to NASA's Hubblesite. Areas which contained a lot of gas and dust were denser and so led to slower overall expansion, which, alongside gravity, led to the formation of the first stars. Although these stars burned out, the accumulation of material was already high enough to become rotating disks — galaxies — in which new stars began to pop up. An alternate theory of galaxy formation says that, instead of dust and gas, it was pre-existing "lumps" of matter which came together to form galaxies, according to StarDate.
Most galaxies are still growing, in part through collision and aggregation into bigger galaxies. The Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies, for example, which are each around 100,000 light years across, are set to collide in 4 billion years, creating one massive galaxy, per Hubblesite.
Types of galaxies
There are three main types of galaxies: elliptical galaxies, spiral galaxies, and irregular galaxies (per Hubblesite). Elliptical galaxies have relatively older stars, and are less active galaxies that aren't necessarily still growing. These galaxies — which include the Cygnus A galaxy and M87 galaxy, according to Space.com – are usually relatively small, only a few thousand light years across. Those elliptical galaxies which are larger were probably the result of smaller galaxies combining, per StarDate.
Spiral galaxies are more common, and include both the Milky Way galaxy and the Andromeda galaxy, our nearest neighbor. These come in the shape of relatively flat disks with the appearance of a light spiral throughout them. They are often still growing and changing and new stars are being produced within most spiral galaxies, reports Hubblesite.
Finally, irregular galaxies are relatively uncommon. As the name suggests, they don't have a regular shape: instead, they're somewhat lumpy and disperse collections of dust and stars, according to Hubblesite. These types of galaxies were more common in the early years of the universe, and have become less common over time as galaxies have more time to arrange themselves in neater forms.
How the James Webb Telescope revealed this galaxy's past
Because the James Webb Telescope is an infrared telescope, it can see certain details that weren't visible to the Hubble, according to Live Science. For instance, the James Webb Space Telescope can see way back into the past, finding galaxies born only 200 million years after the Big Bang, per Space.com. So when the James Webb Telescope took pictures of the Cartwheel Galaxy, it revealed a degree of detail that was previously unattainable, and this detail has confirmed what scientists have long suspected: that the Cartwheel Galaxy was formed via the collision of two smaller galaxies (via NASA).
According to The New York Times, millions of years ago, these two galaxies collided, with the smaller galaxy moving like "a bullet" through the center of the larger galaxy. The evidence is a trail of hydrogen gas following the smaller galaxy, which makes it particularly evident that this collision occurred.
Prior to the collision, the Cartwheel Galaxy probably looked a lot like the Milky Way, one expert told The New York Times. Now, though, the galaxy is rapidly growing. It's composed of two rings: an inner ring of relatively new stars, according to Live Science, and an outer ring in which new stars are being generated. The new picture from the James Webb Telescope also identified two nearby galaxies, called companion galaxies.
How collisions change galaxies
You might think that a collision would destroy a galaxy. But in fact, galaxies are close together and frequently combine, according to StarDate. The process can take billions of years, and can lead to a whole host of different side effects, including the creation of new stars, the movement of stars into new orbits, and the creation of black holes.
But what about the destruction of stars and planets? That's not as likely, StarDate reports. For instance, when the Milky Way combines with the Andromeda Galaxy in 4 billion years, the sun itself might move but the Earth is definitely expected to survive (via Hubblesite).
So what about the Cartwheel Galaxy? It's expected to continue expanding in the coming years, according to NASA. And as the Hubble and James Webb Space telescopes continue to explore the universe, we'll only learn more about it in the years to come (via The New York Times). | https://www.grunge.com/1048432/the-appearance-of-one-messy-galaxy-revealed-its-distant-past/ |
JWST's unprecedented infrared sensitivity will help astronomers to compare the faintest, earliest galaxies to today's grand spirals and ellipticals, helping us to understand how galaxies assemble over billions of years.
Galaxies Over Time
Galaxy Interaction
Visible light Hubble data combined with infrared data from Spitzer, went into creating this stunning image of M51, the Whirlpool galaxy. M51, as you can see, is actually two interacting galaxies (formally NGC 5194 and 5195). Credit: vdHoeven/NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Kennicutt (Univ. of Arizona)/DSS
Elliptical Galaxy
Giant elliptical galaxy, M87. Giant ellipticals and grand spirals are thought to be the result of galaxy collisions. Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA
Why Is It Important to Understand Galaxies?
Galaxies show us how the matter in the universe is organized on large scales. In order to understand the nature and history of the universe, scientists study how the matter is currently organized and how that organization has changed through out cosmic time. In fact, scientists examine how matter is distributed and behaves at multiple size scales in our quest for this understanding. From peering into the way matter is constructed at the subatomic particle level to the immense structures of galaxies and dark matter that span the cosmos, each scale gives us important clues as to how the universe is built and evolves.
Spirals and Ellipticals
Telescopes like the Hubble have captured many beautiful images of majestic spiral galaxies, like this one, which is called NGC 3344.
But galaxies have not always looked this way. The grand spirals we are so familiar with (indeed including our own) were formed over the course of billions of years by several different processes, including the collisions of smaller galaxies. Giant elliptical galaxies are thought to also be formed by the process of similar-sized galaxies colliding [see videos linked at the bottom of the page], disrupting each other, and merging. In fact, it is thought that nearly all massive galaxies have undergone at least one major merger since the Universe was 6 billion years old.
Clumpy Galaxies
Clumpy and distant galaxies spied by the Hubble. Credit: Galaxy Zoo.
How Do the Oldest Galaxies Differ?
When we look at very distant galaxies, we see a completely different picture. Many of these galaxies tend to be small and clumpy, often with a lot of star formation occurring in the massive knots. The question of how these clumpy galaxies evolve and develop structure over time is a big open question in astronomy, and JWST will help astronomers to learn more.
Spiral Galaxy
NGC 3344 is a glorious spiral galaxy around half the size of the Milky Way. Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA More Info >
Open Questions About Galaxies
Other unanswered questions about galaxies include the following. How did the first galaxies form? How did we end up with the large variety of galaxies we see today? (We see not only organized and structured spiral galaxies in the modern universe, we also see those giant ellipticals we mentioned earlier, and galaxies in a wide variety of irregular shapes and sizes.)
We now know that extremely large black holes live at the centers of most galaxies but what is the nature of the relationship between the black holes and the galaxy that hosts them? There is also more to understand about the mechanisms that cause star formation-- whether it happens internal to a galaxy or because of an interaction with another galaxy or merger.
One thing we do know is that galaxies are still forming and assembling today. There are many, many examples of galaxies colliding and merging to form new galaxies. And in our own local neighborhood of space, the Andromeda galaxy is headed toward the Milky Way for a likely future collision many billions of years from now! (Fun fact: space is so big that when galaxies collide, the stars within them rarely do.)
IN DEPTH
Key Questions
- How are galaxies are formed?
- What gives them their shapes?
- How are the chemical elements distributed through the galaxies?
- How do the central black holes in galaxies influence their host galaxies?
- What happens when small and large galaxies collide or join together?
JWST's Role in Answering These Questions
The James Webb Space Telescope will observe galaxies far back in time and hopefully answer these questions. By studying some of the earliest galaxies and comparing them to today's galaxies we may be able to understand their growth and evolution. Webb will also allow scientists to gather data on the types of stars that existed in these very early galaxies. Follow-up observations using spectroscopy of hundreds or thousands of galaxies will help researchers understand how elements heavier than hydrogen were formed and built up as galaxy formation proceeded through the ages. These studies will also reveal details about merging galaxies and shed light on the process of galaxy formation itself.
The Role of Dark Matter
Computer models that scientists have made to understand galaxy formation indicate that galaxies are created when dark matter merges and clumps together. Dark matter is an invisible form of matter whose total mass in the universe is roughly five times that of "normal" matter (i.e., atoms). It can be thought of as the scaffolding of the universe. The visible matter we see collects inside this scaffolding in the form of stars and galaxies. The way dark matter "clumps" together is that small objects form first, and are drawn together to form larger ones. Here is an animation that shows the dark matter distribution in the universe at the present time, based on the Millennium Simulation, the largest N-body simulation carried out thus far!
Hubble Sequence of Galaxies. Image courtesy of University of Washington
This build-up of large systems is accompanied by the formation of luminous stars from gas and dust. As stars evolve, and eventually die, they give way to new generations of stars. Scientists believe that the interaction of stars and galaxies with the invisible dark matter produced the present-day galaxies, organized into what is known as the "Hubble Sequence of galaxies", shown at right.
Galaxy Formation Continues
This process of galaxy assembly is still occurring today - we see many examples of galaxies colliding and merging to form new galaxies. In our own local neighborhood of space, the Andromeda galaxy is headed toward the Milky Way for a possible future collision - many billions of years from now! Scientists today know that galaxies existed about one billion years after the Big Bang. While most of these early galaxies were smaller and more irregular than present-day galaxies, some are very similar to those seen nearby today. | https://jwst.nasa.gov/content/science/galaxies.html |
The James Webb Space Telescope has discovered two of the first galaxies ever seen in the universe, and they’re much brighter than expected, meaning astronomers are reconsidering their beliefs about how the first stars formed.
“These observations just make your head explode,” said Paola Santini, one of the researchers, in a release. “This is a whole new chapter in astronomy. It’s like an archaeological dig, when suddenly you find a lost city or something you didn’t know. It’s just amazing.”
The two galaxies are thought to be billions of years old, from just 100 million years after the Big Bang. Webb is able to look back at some of the earliest galaxies, because he operates in the infrared range, which means he can see galaxies that are redshifted.
Redshift occurs when light from a distant galaxy is shifted to the red end of the spectrum due to the expansion of the universe. The stronger the change, the more distant the galaxy. Light from some galaxies travels so far that it moves outside the visible light spectrum and into the infrared, where Webb can see it. Previous research had estimated that some galaxies detected by Webb could have a redshift as high as 14, but recent results are more precise thanks to better instrument calibration and suggest a redshift for the two galaxies of 10.5 and 12.5. , respectively.
Webb also takes advantage of a phenomenon called gravitational lensing, in which a massive object like a galaxy or cluster of galaxies is so massive that it warps space and acts like a magnifying glass, allowing researchers to see even more distant galaxies behind it.
The big surprise is that the two observed galaxies are much brighter than the researchers had thought they would be. They were also seen very quickly, in the early days of Webb’s observations, suggesting that early galaxies could be more numerous than previously thought.
“We have nailed something that is incredibly fascinating. These galaxies should have started joining perhaps only 100 million years after the Big Bang. No one expected that the dark ages would have ended so early,” said another of the researchers, Garth Illingworth. “The early Universe would have been only a hundredth of its current age. It is a time span in the evolving cosmos of 13.8 billion years.”
The researchers suggest that either early galaxies could be much more massive than previously thought, with many more stars than expected, or that they could be less massive but with stars that shone very brightly and are quite different from the stars that see today. To learn more and confirm the age of these universes, the researchers plan to make more observations with Webb’s spectroscopy instruments. | https://moneytrainingclub.com/james-webb-detects-two-of-the-first-galaxies-ever-seen-digital-trends-spanish/ |
The history of observational cosmology is one of studying ever-receding horizons, with scientists striving to look ever deeper into the most distant parts of the observable Universe. With all the advances being made in powerful new instruments and novel observing techniques in recent years, we’re now used to astronomers announcing new discoveries on a constant basis regarding the finding of the biggest cosmic object, the more massive, or the most distant ever, which have yielded many important insights into the workings of the early Universe. The latest such example comes from a couple of new studies that have utilised the power of NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes as well as that of ground-based observatories, allowing astronomers to detect the telltale signs of the earliest galaxies in the Universe that were created just a few hundred million years after the Big Bang itself.
According to the leading model of cosmic evolution, the Universe has gone through several different phases in the aftermath of its creation. Following its creation, the Universe was filled with ionised hydrogen and helium which scattered light, blocking it from travelling freely and making the Cosmos opaque and unobservable. When the overall temperature of the Universe had fallen at a sufficiently low level, approximately 380,000 years after the Big Bang, it cooled enough to allow all the ionised gas to form neutral hydrogen atoms. This freed up all the photons that were previously scattered off by free electrons eventually making the Universe transparent and allowing matter to begin condensing into eventually forming the first generation of stars. The energetic ultraviolet radiation from these primordial light sources eventually re-ionised all the neutral hydrogen in the intergalactic medium during the so-called “Re-ionisation era,” which took place between 500 million to 1 billion years after the Big Bang, and signified the point during which the first galaxies in the Universe began to form.
The detailed study and characterisation of this early epoch in the history of the Universe presents one of the greatest challenges for cosmology today, due to the fact that these primordial galaxies lie at the edges of the observable Universe at distances that can exceed 13 billion light-years. Furthermore, and because of their great distance, these cosmic objects are extremely faint, making their observation with even the biggest ground-based telescopes an overwhelming task. Nevertheless, several observing campaigns in recent years utilising some of the latest state-of-the art instruments in ground- and space-based observatories have managed to push the envelope and detect cosmic structures at distances greater than 12 billion light-years away, allowing astronomers to reveal the very young Universe at a time when it was less than 10 percent its present age.
One method with which astronomers have managed to meet this goal is through the study of the diffuse extragalactic background light, or EBL. The latter is the total light emitted by all the stars and galaxies in the Universe since its creation 13.8 billion light-years ago and covers almost the entire range of wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum, from gamma rays to the far-infrared. But since the EBL is the total sum of light that has been emitted by every galaxy in the Universe, near and distant, how can astronomers differentiate between these objects that are relatively close to us from the ones that are located at cosmological distances at the very edges of the observable Universe? To that end, astronomers take advantage of the effects that cosmic expansion has on light. Similar to the way that the sound waves from a moving vehicle with a siren are compressed when the latter is moving closer and are stretched as it moves away, the wavelengths of light from distant cosmic objects to move toward the red end of the spectrum as they move away from the Earth at ever-greater speeds due to the Universe’s expansion. This red shifting of light means that the ultraviolet radiation that has been emitted by the first primordial galaxies in the Universe has been stretched to such longer wavelengths by the time it has reached Earth that it can now been observed in the infrared part of the spectrum. Thus, the study of the EBL in infrared wavelengths could provide important insights to the many unknowns that still remain regarding the formation of galaxies in the primordial Universe.
Such observations were the subject of a new study that was recently published at the Nature Communications journal and was undertaken by a team of U.S. astronomers led by Ketron Mitchell-Wynne, from the University of California, Irvine. The researchers analysed archival data gathered with the Hubble Space Telescope as part of the Cosmic Assembly Near-Infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey, or CANDELS, whose goal has been to document very high-redshift objects in the search for the Universe’s first cosmic structures. For the purposes of their study, the researchers measured the spatial fluctuations of the EBL from several deep-sky field imaging data that had been taken with the Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes, in five different wavelengths between 0.6 and 1.6 mm covering part of the optical and near-infrared part of the spectrum. Previous similar measurements of high-redshift objects at cosmological distances, with various other observational campaigns like the Cosmic Infrared Background Experiment, or CIBER, had been able to confirm the existence of intra-halo light, which is the light emitted by individual stars that have been kicked out of their host galaxies into the intergalactic medium, as a result of violent galaxy collisions. Yet Mitchell-Wynne’s team managed to observe the fluctuations of the extragalactic background light itself and in a broader range of wavelengths than what has been achieved by previous surveys like CANDELS. One important aspect of the observations by Mitchell-Wynne’s team was the fact that the fluctuations in the extragalactic background light were evident in near-infrared wavelengths but not in the visible part of the spectrum, which strongly indicated that their source were indeed very distant cosmic objects many billions of light-years away, and not just contamination from relatively nearby ones.
“CANDELS was not initiated for this cause, but it turns out that the way the data were taken was favorable for what we wanted to do,” explains Mitchell-Wynne. “From the CIBER analysis, we knew there would be a detection of intra-halo light in the infrared bands. We didn’t really know what to expect in the optical ones. With Hubble data, we saw a large drop in the amplitude of the signal between the two. With that spectra, we started to get a little more confident that we were seeing the earliest galaxies.”
In order to bring out these measurements from the Hubble data, the researchers undertook a rigorous statistical analysis so that they could further eliminate any contamination from other local light sources like faint nearby dwarf galaxies that would also appear in optical wavelengths. The results of their study showed that the extragalactic background light was coming from objects that were more than 13 billion light-years away, at a time when the Universe was less than 1 billion years old. “For this research, we had to look closely at what we call ‘empty pixels,’ the pixels between galaxies and stars,” says Dr. Asantha Cooray, a professor of astrophysics at the University of California, Irvine and lead member of Mitchell-Wynne’s team. “We can separate noise from the faint signal associated with first galaxies by looking at the variations in the intensity from one pixel to another. We pick out a statistical sig nal that says there is a population of faint objects. We do not see that signal in the optical [wavelengths], only in infrared. This is confirmation that the signal is from early times in the Universe.”
A similar key contribution to the understanding of galaxy formation and evolution in the early Universe was made by an independent team of astronomers, who used a different method of studying the light coming from primordial objects at such cosmological distances. The researchers, who were led by Dr. Adi Zitrin, a professor of astronomy and astrophysics at the University College, London, focused on EGS8p7, a distant candidate proto-galaxy that had been spotted earlier this year by the Hubble Space Telescope through the effects of gravitational lensing, as the light from EGS8p7 was bended and magnified by the mass of closer foreground object. Using the state-of-the-art Multi-Object Spectrometer for Infra-Red Exploration camera, or MOSFIRE, on the 10-m Keck I telescope in Hawaii, Zitrin’s team conducted a spectrographic analysis of EGS8p7 in order to determine its distance. The results of their study, which were published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, confirmed that the galaxy was located at a distance of more than 13.2 billion light-years away, making it the more distant to have been detected to date and indicating that it should be no more than 600 million years old, at a time prior to the Universe’s Re-ionisation Era.
Yet, more importantly, the study by Zitrin’s team revealed that the spectrum of EGS8p7 exhibited a surprisingly strong Lyman-alpha emission line. Lyman-alpha light is the light that is emitted by ionised hydrogen when excited by a luminous, outside source. Inside galaxies, Lyman-alpha emission is a strong indicator of intense star formation, since it is the ultraviolet radiation from newly formed stars that excite the hydrogen gas in their surrounding interstellar medium. In the case of EGS8p7, however, the Lyman-alpha emission line shouldn’t be there at all. Since it was established that the galaxy had already been formed prior to the beginning of the cosmic re-ionisation era in the early Universe, that meant that it had formed in a cosmic environment that was dominated by the presence of neutral hydrogen, which absorbs Lyman-alpha light. “The surprising aspect about the present discovery is that we have detected this Lyman-alpha line in an apparently faint galaxy at a redshift of 8.68 [more than 13.2 billion light-years], corresponding to a time when the Universe should be full of absorbing hydrogen clouds,” says Dr. Richard Ellis, a professor of astronomy at the California Institute of Technology, in Pasadena and member of Zitrin’s team.
The discovery of Lyman-alpha from EGS8p7 is coming at odds with established cosmological models, which posit that such emission only became possible after the first stars and galaxies had re-ionised the neutral hydrogen gas in the intergalactic medium more than 500 million years after the Big Bang. “If you look at the galaxies in the early Universe, there is a lot of neutral hydrogen that is not transparent to this emission,” says Zitrin. “We expect that most of the radiation from this galaxy would be absorbed by the hydrogen in the intervening space. Yet still we see Lyman-alpha from this galaxy.”
Even though the reasons for this discrepancy between theory and observation is currently not well understood, the researchers speculate that it may have to do with the way cosmic re-ionisation evolved with time. Instead of happening all at once throughout all of space, it may have been more of a gradual, “patchy” process where certain parts of the Universe were re-ionised prior to others. “Evidence from several observations indicate that the re-ionization process probably is patchy,” says Zitrin. “Some objects are so bright that they form a bubble of ionized hydrogen. But the process is not coherent in all directions.”
Whatever the case, more definitive conclusions could be drawn only with the help of more detailed observations than what are available today even from the powerful Hubble Space Telescope. The next generation of space-based observatories, like the James Webb Space Telescope, which is scheduled for launch in 2018, should be able to probe even deeper into the Universe’s past and hopefully provide some answers to many of cosmology’s enduring mysteries. “This is a very exciting finding,” says Henry Ferguson, an astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, commenting on the findings by Mitchell-Wynne, of the extragalactic background light from primordial galaxies in the early Universe. “It’s the first time that we’ve been able to convincingly measure this subtle signature of early galaxies with Hubble, giving us a firmer handle on what to look for when the James Webb Space Telescope launches a few years from now.”
Similar to the way the 1920s proved to be a revolutionary decade for cosmology and astrophysics, the 2020s also promise to be no less spectacular. | https://www.americaspace.com/2015/09/11/astronomers-probe-the-light-from-the-very-early-universe-discover-most-distant-galaxy-to-date/ |
On July 12, starting at 4.30pm Italian time, the James Webb Space Telescope team will publish the first color images and spectroscopic data captured by the new telescope. This will be your first look at the capabilities of the new tool, which will allow you to look further than ever before into space (and time) and at a level of detail never achieved before. The selection of the first targets to observe was the result of a selection process that required years of work, and would represent a selection of the key areas of research for which the James Webb Space Telescope was born: observing the early universe, the evolution of galaxies and star formation and the analysis of planets outside the solar system.
List of subjects for the first color images of the James Webb Space Telescope
The European Space Agency and NASA today announced the list of targets that will be the heroes of the first images and data collected by the space telescope in its first official science observation campaign. The subjects were selected by an international team of researchers from all institutions involved in the project namely NASA, the European Space Agency, the Canadian Space Agency and the Space Telescope Science Institute. In particular, on July 12 we will see the results of the first observations made by James Webb:
- gentle nebula: 7,600 light-years away, it is one of the largest and brightest nebulae visible from Earth and hosts stars far beyond our sun.
- WASP-96b (spectrum): It is a gas giant exoplanet discovered in 2014 located about 1,150 light-years from Earth, orbiting its star with a year of only 3.4 days. Half the mass of Jupiter.
- The Southern Rin Nebula: It is a planetary nebula, an expanding disk of gas surrounding a dying star. It is roughly half a light-year in diameter and 2,000 light-years from Earth.
- Stephen Quintet: It is a group of five galaxies located 290 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Pegasus. It is famous for being the first compact group of galaxies observed by man in 1787;
- SMACS 0723: It is a gravitational lens produced by a group of galaxies that allows you to observe distant galaxies in time and space, and was previously the subject of an investigation by the Hubble and Spitzer telescopes.
When and where to see the publication of the first images produced by James Webb
On July 12, the European Space Agency and NASA will host a dedicated live broadcast of the event on their televisions. on me ESA TVThe event will begin at 3.45 pm Italian time, with a conference of the key managers of the space agencies involved in the project, the European Space Agency, NASA and the Canadian Space Agency. As of 4.30pm, the first images taken from the space telescope will be revealed live on the same link one by one with a panel of experts commenting. At the same time, the photos will be posted on .’s social media channels and sites ESAAnd the NASA. Similar program, same times, to live broadcasts on NASA TV, on the website, and on the US Space Agency app. Finally, at 6 p.m., the official mission press conference will take place, which will see key advocates from NASA, the European Space Agency, the Canadian Space Agency, and the Space Telescope Science Institute share how the images and the first results were generated. | https://www.newsnetnebraska.org/here-are-the-first-targets-of-the-james-webb-space-telescope-how-to-see-the-first-pictures-live-on-july-12/ |
In mathematics, a radical is any number that includes the root sign (√). The number under the root sign is a square root if no superscript precedes the root sign, a cube root is a superscript 3 precedes it (3√), a fourth root if a 4 precedes it (4√) and so on. Many radicals cannot be simplified, so dividing by one requires special algebraic techniques. To make use of them, remember these algebraic equalities:
√(a/b) = √a/√b
√(a • b) = √a • √b
Numerical Square Root in the Denominator
In general, an expression with a numerical square root in the denominator looks like this: a/√b. To simplify this fraction, you rationalize the denominator by multiplying the entire fraction by √b/√b.
Because √b • √ b = √b2 = b, the expression becomes
a√b/b
Examples:
1. Rationalize the denominator of the fraction 5/√6.
Solution: Multiply the fraction by √6/√6
5√6/√6√6
5√6/6 or 5/6 • √6
2. Simplify the fraction 6√32/3√8
Solution: In this case, you can simplify by dividing the numbers outside the radical sign and those inside it in two separate operations:
6/3 = 2
√32/√8 = √4 = 2
The expression reduces to
2 • 2 = 4
Dividing by Cube Roots
The same general procedure applies when the radical in the denominator is a cube, fourth or higher root. To rationalize a denominator with a cube root, you have to look for a number, that when multiplied by the number under the radical sign, produces a third power number that can be taken out. In general, rationalize the number a/3√b by multiplying by 3√b2/3√b2.
Example:
1. Rationalize 5/3√5
Multiply numerator and denominator by 3√25.
(5 • 3√25)/(3√5 • 3√25)
53√25/3√125
53√25/5
The numbers outside the radical sign cancel, and the answer is
3√25
Variables with Two Terms in the Denominator
When a radical in the denominator includes two terms, you can usually simplify it by multiplying by its conjugate. The conjugate includes the same two terms, but you reverse the sign between them For example, the conjugate of x + y is x - y. When you multiply these together, you get x2 - y2.
Example:
1. Rationalize the denominator of 4/x + √3
Solution: Multiply top and bottom by x - √3
4(x - √3)/(x + √ 3)(x - √3)
Simplify: | https://sciencing.com/how-to-divide-radicals-13712229.html |
This is “General Guidelines for Factoring Polynomials”, section 6.5 from the book Beginning Algebra (v. 1.0). For details on it (including licensing), click here.
Develop a general strategy for factoring polynomials.
Check for common factors. If the terms have common factors, then factor out the greatest common factor (GCF) and look at the resulting polynomial factors to factor further.
Determine the number of terms in the polynomial.
a. Factor four-term polynomials by grouping.
b. Factor trinomials (three terms) using “trial and error” or the AC method.
Look for factors that can be factored further.
If a binomial is both a difference of squares and a difference of cubes, then first factor it as difference of squares and then as a sum and difference of cubes to obtain a more complete factorization.
Not all polynomials with integer coefficients factor. When this is the case, we say that the polynomial is prime.
If an expression has a GCF, then factor this out first. Doing so is often overlooked and typically results in factors that are easier to work with. Also, look for the resulting factors to factor further; many factoring problems require more than one step. A polynomial is completely factored when none of the factors can be factored further.
Solution: This four-term polynomial has a GCF of 3x. Factor this out first.
Now factor the resulting four-term polynomial by grouping.
The factor (x2−4) is a difference of squares and can be factored further.
Solution: This trinomial has a GCF of 2xy. Factor this out first.
The trinomial factor can be factored further using the trial and error method. Use the factors 9=3⋅3 and 25=(−5)⋅(−5). These combine to generate the correct coefficient for the middle term: 3(−5)+3(−5)=−15−15=−30.
Solution: This trinomial has a GCF of 5ab2. Factor this out first.
Solution: This binomial does not have a GCF. Therefore, begin factoring by identifying it as a difference of squares.
Here a=4y2 and b = 1. Substitute into the formula for difference of squares.
The factor (4y2+1) is a sum of squares and is prime. However, (4y2−1) is a difference of squares and can be factored further.
Solution: This binomial is a difference of squares and a difference of cubes. When this is the case, first factor it as a difference of squares.
Each factor can be further factored either as a sum or difference of cubes, respectively.
Solution: First, identify this expression as a difference of squares.
Here use a=x and b=2x−1 in the formula for a difference of squares.
Use the polynomial type to determine the method used to factor it.
It is a best practice to look for and factor out the greatest common factor (GCF) first. This will facilitate further factoring and simplify the process. Be sure to include the GCF as a factor in the final answer.
Look for resulting factors to factor further. It is often the case that factoring requires more than one step.
If a binomial can be considered as both a difference of squares and a difference of cubes, then first factor it as a difference of squares. This results in a more complete factorization.
69. The volume of a certain rectangular solid is given by the function V(x)=x3−2x2−3x. Write the function in its factored form.
70. The volume of a certain right circular cylinder is given by the function V(x)=4πx3−4πx2+πx. Write the function in its factored form.
71. First, factor the trinomial 24x2−28x−40. Then factor out the GCF. Discuss the significance of factoring out the GCF first. Do you obtain the same result?
72. Discuss a plan for factoring polynomial expressions on an exam. What should you be looking for and what should you be expecting? | https://2012books.lardbucket.org/books/beginning-algebra/s09-05-general-guidelines-for-factori.html |
How do you type to the power of 2 on a keyboard?
What is the keyboard shortcut for exponents?
Keyboard shortcuts: Apply superscript or subscript
Select the character that you want to format. For superscript, press Ctrl, Shift, and the Plus sign (+) at the same time. For subscript, press Ctrl and the Equal sign (=) at the same time. (Do not press Shift.)
How do you do exponents on a HP computer?
How do you make exponents on Google Docs on the computer?
Open a Google doc where you want to add the exponent. Click on Format in the taskbar at the top of the document.
You can also use a keyboard shortcut.
- Type in a number in your Google doc.
- Press CTRL + . (period) on your keyboard.
- Enter the exponent.
How do you type exponents on a laptop?
To use this method to type an exponent on a computer, you need to: Move your mouse pointer to wherever on your screen you want to type the exponent. Press Shift + 6 to type in the caret symbol (^). Alternatively, you can also press Shift + 8 twice to type in two asterisks (*).
How do I do exponents?
To solve basic exponents, multiply the base number repeatedly for the number of factors represented by the exponent. If you need to add or subtract exponents, the numbers must have the same base and exponent.
How do you solve exponents without a calculator?
So, for example, this is how you would solve 6^3 without a calculator, from start to finish. Write: 6 6 6, because the base number is 6 and the exponent is 3. Then write: 6 x 6 x 6, to place multiplication signs between each of the base numbers. After that, multiply out the first multiplication sign, or 6 x 6 = 36.
How do you solve exponents quickly?
How do you simplify exponents?
How do you simplify?
How do you simplify equations?
To simplify any algebraic expression, the following are the basic rules and steps:
- Remove any grouping symbol such as brackets and parentheses by multiplying factors.
- Use the exponent rule to remove grouping if the terms are containing exponents.
- Combine the like terms by addition or subtraction.
- Combine the constants.
How do you simplify on a calculator?
How do you simplify square roots?
How do you simplify brackets?
To remove brackets, multiply the term on the outside of the bracket with each term inside the brackets. This process to remove brackets is also known as the distributive law.
How do you simplify and expand brackets?
Expanding brackets
- To expand a bracket means to multiply each term in the bracket by the expression outside the bracket. For example, in the expression 3 ( m + 7 ) , multiply both. and 7 by 3, so:
- Expanding brackets involves using the skills of simplifying algebra. Remember that 2 × a = 2 a and a × a = a 2 .
- Expand 4 ( 3 n + y ) .
Do You Solve brackets or parentheses first?
First, we solve any operations inside of parentheses or brackets. Second, we solve any exponents. Third, we solve all multiplication and division from left to right. Fourth, we solve all addition and subtraction from left to right.
How do you remove and simplify brackets?
What method do you use to multiply out brackets?
When multiplying out a pair of brackets, multiply each term in the first bracket by each term in the second bracket. So that this doesn’t become too confusing, we use FOIL to help us.
Do brackets mean to multiply?
The first way tells us to multiply. When we see two or more numbers together that are separated by parentheses, then the parentheses are telling us to multiply. When we are working with parentheses, we can leave the first or the last number without or outside the parentheses. It still means multiplication.
David Nilsen is the former editor of Fourth & Sycamore. He is a member of the National Book Critics Circle. You can find more of his writing on his website at davidnilsenwriter.com and follow him on Twitter as @NilsenDavid. | https://fourthandsycamore.com/how-to-do-exponents-on-computer/ |
The word radical has a lot of interesting definitions, but radical arithmetic doesn't actually refer to arithmetic that favors drastic political, economic, or social reforms. We're talking about doing arithmetic with expressions that contain radical symbols. Sorry, you can put those signs down.
We've seen two special types of expressions so far: polynomial expressions, and rational expressions. Now we'll add one more special type, because things are funnier in threes: a radical expression is any expression with one or more radical signs in it. Another way to put this is that a radical expression has at least one radical term, or a term with at least one radical in it. Yet one more way to put this, because things are funnier in threes, is that a radical expression radiates with radicalocity.
Hmm, not so much. So much for the "rule of threes."
To add or subtract radical expressions, simplify each radical term and then combine like terms. A simplified radical term consists of a coefficient and a radical, under which there is a radicand. Can you believe you understand now what all these crazy words mean? It's like you can speak a secret language.
In the term , the coefficient is 5 and the radicand is 7.
In the term , we need to rationalize the denominator to find .
To put this in the form we need, it could be rewritten as:
So the coefficient is and the radicand is 35. We still haven't gotten rid of the fraction line, but at least it isn't combined with the square root symbol any longer. That many weird symbols consorting together makes us nervous. It feels like they're up to something.
Two radical terms are considered like terms if they have the same radicand. This makes them "term twins." You'll be able to tell, because they're always finishing each other's sentences.
Be careful: It's important to simplify radical terms before combining like terms. Sometimes two terms can be rewritten as like terms, but we can't see it until we simplify. It's the same way you can't switch one kid out for another without their parents noticing until you've first made sure that they're twins. Otherwise, it's called kidnapping.
Radical expressions may contain variables either outside or inside the radicands. After simplifying, we can combine like terms in the same way we did when only numbers were involved. Except now it's more fun, because we can use variables!
...we'll keep telling ourselves that until it feels true.
Now that we know how to figure out which terms can be combined, we'll combine some. How about that.
This is similar to adding or subtracting variables. In the same way that 3x + 4x = 7x, so does .
To add or subtract like radical terms, we add or subtract the coefficients. We don't do anything to the radicands, which is why we made sure they were the same in the first place.
Add .
We keep the radicand the same, and add the coefficients 3 and 8:
=
What's ?
First, simplify each radical. Then we can rewrite the problem as:
=
=
What's ?
We can simplify the first radical term and rewrite the problem as:
We can't combine these terms since the radicands aren't the same, so that's our final answer.
We can also do this sort of thing with expressions that have variables. Variables and numbers have sort of an "anything you can do, I can do better" relationship, or at least an "anything you can do, I can do equally" one.
Multiplication of radical expressions is similar to multiplication of polynomials. Remember what a gas that was? Now we can experience that thrill ride all over again, and you don't even need to wait in an incredibly long line first.
When multiplying radical expressions, we give the answer in simplified form. Multiplying two monomial (one-term) radical expressions is the same thing as simplifying a radical term.
Multiply .
We multiply the radicands to find .
Then, we simplify our answer to .
Multiply .
We distribute the and simplify the resulting terms:
Since these simplified terms have different radicands, there are no like terms to combine, so we're done. If you absolutely need a combining fix, we suggest experimenting with your little sister's poster paints. Hint: yellow and blue make green.
To find the product of two binomial (two-term) radical expressions, we use the distributive property. Remember him?
Multiply .
The first thing we do is simplify each radical term, if possible. We can replace with 2, and now the problem is:
Now it's distribution time. We're gonna multiply the first term in the first set of parentheses by both terms in the second set, then multiply the -2x by both terms in the second set. It's all coming back to you now, right? Don't give us that look, everyone loves Celine.
Anyway, we start by multiplying the first terms:
That gives us:
Then we multiply that first term by the second term in the second set of parentheses:
...which gives us:
Now we distribute the -2x to both terms in the second set, starting with the square root of 3:
That gets us:
Finally, we multiply the last terms:
...which gives us our very last term:
Add together all of our cute little products to get our final answer:
Since the radicals have different radicands—one might even say "radically different radicands," which we will—this is as simplified as the answer gets. Rad.
We already know how to divide one radical term by another, and how to simplify our answer by rationalizing denominators. However, because you looked sleepy the last time we went over it, let's review.
Divide: .
Since 5 divides nicely into 25, we can divide the radicands:
There are two other kinds of division with radical expressions that you're likely to be asked about by a teacher, or on a test, or even by a curious stranger on the street: dividing a multinomial by a single term, and dividing a multinomial or binomial by a binomial. Adjust your goggles and take a deep breath, because we're diving in.
Dividing a multinomial by a single term is similar to dividing a polynomial by a single term. We break up the quotient into several simpler quotients, simplify those, and add them together. This isn't our own idea; we're just trying to maintain the status quotient. Ba dum tsch!
Divide: .
Break up the quotient into several nicer quotients. If you're using a hammer, watch your thumbs.
We can simplify each of these quotients:
Adding the simplified forms gives us:
Now we're almost done. Hey, the first and last terms have the same radicand, so we can group 'em together:
Now we're done. We promise. Pinky swear. No, seriously, put your pinky up to the monitor. Then, wait until we come out of the computer to meet you.
Dividing by a binomial is a little weirder. Not like Lady Gaga weird, though; maybe only Tom Cruise weird. We'll show how this works with an example.
Divide: .
Multiply by a clever form of 1. We just learned this, and this is crazy, but trust us. It will work, and we'll explain why we chose this crazy-looking clever form of 1 after the example. Hang in there! And call us maybe? On second though, don't. You have algebra to learn.
Now we multiply things out. Hold on, things will get scary for a second.
Notice what happened in the denominator: we multiplied two binomials of the form .
After multiplying, the radical went away because we had a difference of two squares.
Radical expressions of the form are called conjugates. Go ahead and file that away for future reference. Preferably under "C," so you'll be able to find it when you need it.
When we have a quotient of expressions where the denominator has two terms and contains at least one radical, we can rationalize the denominator, or eliminate the radical(s) in the denominator. (We think "rationalizing" something sounds better than "eliminating" it. What can we say, we're softies like that.) We rationalize the denominator by multiplying both the numerator and denominator by the conjugate of the denominator.
Or, in other words: put that sign down, flip it, and reverse it. | https://www.shmoop.com/study-guides/math/squares-square-roots/radical-arithmetic |
Because the sign changes in the second binomial, the outer and inner terms cancel each other out, and we are left only with the square of the first term minus the square of the last term.
Is there a special form for the sum of squares?
No. The difference of squares occurs because the opposite signs of the binomials cause the middle terms to disappear. There are no two binomials that multiply to equal a sum of squares.
When a binomial is multiplied by a binomial with the same terms separated by the opposite sign, the result is the square of the first term minus the square of the last term.
Given a binomial multiplied by a binomial with the same terms but the opposite sign, find the difference of squares.
Square the first term of the binomials.
Square the last term of the binomials.
Subtract the square of the last term from the square of the first term.
Multiply ( 9 x + 4 ) ( 9 x − 4 ) .
Square the first term to get ( 9 x ) 2 = 81 x 2 . Square the last term to get 4 2 = 16. Subtract the square of the last term from the square of the first term to find the product of 81 x 2 − 16.
Multiply ( 2 x + 7 ) ( 2 x − 7 ) .
( a + 2 b ) ( 4 a − b − c ) a ( 4 a − b − c ) + 2 b ( 4 a − b − c ) Use the distributive property . 4 a 2 − a b − a c + 8 a b − 2 b 2 − 2 b c Multiply . 4 a 2 + ( − a b + 8 a b ) − a c − 2 b 2 − 2 b c Combine like terms . 4 a 2 + 7 a b − a c − 2 b c − 2 b 2 Simplify .
Multiply ( x + 4 ) ( 3 x − 2 y + 5 ) .
Follow the same steps that we used to multiply polynomials containing only one variable.
x ( 3 x − 2 y + 5 ) + 4 ( 3 x − 2 y + 5 ) Use the distributive property . 3 x 2 − 2 x y + 5 x + 12 x − 8 y + 20 Multiply . 3 x 2 − 2 x y + ( 5 x + 12 x ) − 8 y + 20 Combine like terms . 3 x 2 − 2 x y + 17 x − 8 y + 20 Simplify .
Multiply ( 3 x − 1 ) ( 2 x + 7 y − 9 ) .
Access these online resources for additional instruction and practice with polynomials.
A polynomial is a sum of terms each consisting of a variable raised to a non-negative integer power. The degree is the highest power of the variable that occurs in the polynomial. The leading term is the term containing the highest degree, and the leading coefficient is the coefficient of that term. See [link] .
We can add and subtract polynomials by combining like terms. See [link] and [link] .
To multiply polynomials, use the distributive property to multiply each term in the first polynomial by each term in the second. Then add the products. See [link] .
FOIL (First, Outer, Inner, Last) is a shortcut that can be used to multiply binomials. See [link] .
Perfect square trinomials and difference of squares are special products. See [link] and [link] .
Follow the same rules to work with polynomials containing several variables. See [link] .
Evaluate the following statement: The degree of a polynomial in standard form is the exponent of the leading term. Explain why the statement is true or false.
The statement is true. In standard form, the polynomial with the highest value exponent is placed first and is the leading term. The degree of a polynomial is the value of the highest exponent, which in standard form is also the exponent of the leading term.
Many times, multiplying two binomials with two variables results in a trinomial. This is not the case when there is a difference of two squares. Explain why the product in this case is also a binomial.
You can multiply polynomials with any number of terms and any number of variables using four basic steps over and over until you reach the expanded polynomial. What are the four steps?
Use the distributive property, multiply, combine like terms, and simplify.
State whether the following statement is true and explain why or why not: A trinomial is always a higher degree than a monomial.
For the following exercises, identify the degree of the polynomial.
For the following exercises, find the sum or difference.
For the following exercises, find the product.
For the following exercises, expand the binomial.
For the following exercises, multiply the binomials.
For the following exercises, multiply the polynomials.
A developer wants to purchase a plot of land to build a house. The area of the plot can be described by the following expression: ( 4 x + 1 ) ( 8 x − 3 ) where x is measured in meters. Multiply the binomials to find the area of the plot in standard form.
A prospective buyer wants to know how much grain a specific silo can hold. The area of the floor of the silo is ( 2 x + 9 ) 2 . The height of the silo is 10 x + 10 , where x is measured in feet. Expand the square and multiply by the height to find the expression that shows how much grain the silo can hold.
For the following exercises, perform the given operations. | https://www.jobilize.com/trigonometry/section/performing-operations-with-polynomials-of-several-by-openstax?qcr=www.quizover.com |
In this lesson, students will learn how to multiply terms by using the product and power properties of exponents.
In review, there are three components of exponential expressions: the base, the coefficient, and the exponent. In the term below, the a is the base, the 9 is the coefficient, and the 3 is the exponent or power.
You may recall the product property of exponents, shown below, which states that when you multiply exponential terms with the same base, you can add their exponents to simplify.
The second property, the power property of exponents, states that when taking the power of an exponential expression, the exponents are multiplied, as shown below:
Consider the expression:
It is the same as:
You can use the product property of exponents to add the fours together—4 + 4 + 4—which is the same as 4 times 3—which equals 12. Therefore, the expression is equal to x^12.
Suppose you want to simplify the expression:
The power property of exponents can be used to multiply the two fractional exponents to get a single exponent.
Remember, when you multiply fractions, you multiply straight across—numerator by numerator and denominator by denominator. Therefore, you have the following, which can be simplified because 2 is a common factor of both 2 and 6. Dividing the numerator and denominator by 2 gives us 1/3.
Source: This work is adapted from Sophia author Colleen Atakpu. | https://www.sophia.org/tutorials/multiplying-terms-using-exponent-properties-2 |
Types Of Algebraic Expressions
The types of algebraic expressions are based on the variables found in that particular expression, the number of the terms of that expression, and the values of the exponents of the variables in each expression. Given below is a table that divides the algebraic expressions into five different categories. Let us have a look at the table.
|Types|
Adding And Subtracting Like Terms
We have seen that we can add to get
These three terms are called like terms because they all contain the same variable,.
We can also add. Because both terms have the variable, we can combine the terms using the operation that is given, which in this case is addition. The correct answer is:
We can also subtract like terms. We can simplify the expression \ using subtraction. The correct answer is:
When we collect or combine the like terms in this way, we are giving an expression in its simplest form, which is called simplifying an expression.
like terms Like terms contain the same variable or variables.
simplify an expression To simplify an expression is to give it in its simplest form. We do this by collecting like terms using addition or subtraction.
We can add or subtract any number of like terms.
For example:
Terms that do not have the same variables are called unlike terms. If we find an expression with unlike terms, we cannot add or subtract these terms. For example: contains two unlike terms. They have the same coefficient but not the same variable. This expression cannot be simplified further.
unlike terms Unlike terms contain different variables.
Using Generalisation To Find Misconceptions
When you see an expression like 2, you might spot immediately that this could be rewritten as , because it is an example of the law of distributivity where a = a × b a × c.
Spotting such patterns and generalisations is helpful in mathematics because it makes it easier to solve problems. The downside is that sometimes you might think something is a pattern and so you generalise it, when actually it is a special case and will only be true in some circumstances. The next activity gives some examples of writing generalised algebra from numerical expressions.
Read Also: Kendall Hunt Geometry
How To Use Log Table: Step
To find the log value of a number using the log table, you must understand the process of reading the log table. We have provided a step-by-step process to find the values using an example:
Step 1: Identify the table. For different bases, different log table is used. The table provided above is for base 10. So, you can find the log value of a number to the base 10 only. To find natural logarithms or binary logarithms, you will have to use a different table.
Step 2: Find out the integer and decimal part of the given number. Suppose we want to find the log value of n = 18.25. So, first of all, we separate the integer and decimal.Integer Part: 18Decimal Part: 25
Step 3: Come to the common log table and look for the cell value at the following intersections:Row labeled with first two digits of nColumn header with the third digit of n In this example, log10 row 18, column 2 cell value 2601. So, the value obtained is 2601.
Step 4: Always use the common logarithm table with a mean difference. Now again go to row number 18 and column number 5 in the mean difference table. In this example, log10 row 18, mean difference column 5 cell value 12. Write down the corresponding value which is 12.
Step 5: Add both the values obtained in step 3 and step 4. That is 2601 + 12 = 2613.
Step 7: Combine both the Characteristic and the Mantissa part and you will get the final value which is 1.2613.
So, log10 = 1.2613
Frequently Asked Questions On Log Table Math
Here we have provided some of the FAQs related to online log tables that we have provided in this article.
|Q1: How do you read a log table?A: Take the first 2 digits of the number irrespective of the decimal and look for the row with that number. Next look for the column number corresponding to the third digit of the number. You may also need to look into the mean difference table to get the final value. The step-by-step process to read a log table is provided on this page.|
|Q2: What is the value of log 1 to 10?A: Log 1 to the base 10 is equal to 0.|
|Q3: What is the value of e in natural logarithm?A: e is an irrational and transcendental number approximately equal to 2.7182.|
|Q4: How do you calculate logs? A: The power to which a base of 10 must be raised to obtain a number is called the common logarithm of the number. To calculate the log values, we use the mathematics logarithm table.|
|Q5: What is the value of log 0?A: log 0 is undefined. Its not a real number, because you can never get zero by raising anything to the power of anything else.|
|Q6: How do you find the log of a number without a calculator?A: You can find the log of a number without a calculator using the logarithmic and mathematical tables provided on this page.|
Students can make use of NCERT Solutions for Maths provided by Embibe for your exam preparation.
|
|
Free Practice Questions and Mock Tests for Maths
You May Like: Road Trip Math Project Answer Key
Permutation And Combination Questions
Here are some practice questions on permutation and combination concepts for you to practice:
|Question 1: There are 5 yellow, 4 green and 3 black balls in a bag. All the 12 balls are drawn one by one and arranged in a row. Find out the number of different arrangements possible. Question 2: In how many ways can a team of 5 persons be formed out of a total of 10 persons such that two particular persons should not be included in any team?Question 3: If there are 9 horizontal lines and 9 vertical lines in a chess board, how many rectangles can be formed in the chessboard? Question 4: Find the number of triangles that can be formed using 14 points in a plane such that 4 points are collinear?Question 5: What is the sum of all 4 digit numbers formed using the digits 2, 3,4 and 5 without repetition?Question 6: In a birthday party, every person shakes hand with every other person. If there was a total of 28 handshakes in the party, how many persons were present in the party?Question 7: If nC8 = nC27, what is the value of n?Question 8: Find the number of triangles which can be drawn out of n given points on a circle?Question 9: In how many ways can 10 books be arranged on a shelf such that a particular pair of books will never be together? Question 10: How many numbers, between 100 and 1000, can be formed with the digits 3, 4, 5, 0, 6, 7 ?|
Also, Check
Faqs Related To Probability Formula
Here we have provided some of the frequently asked questions related to statistical probability formulas:
Q1: What is the formula of probability?
A: The probability of an event is the number of favorable outcomes divided by the total number of outcomes possible. This basic definition of probability assumes that all the outcomes are equally likely to occur.
Q2: What are the 3 types of probability?
A: There are 3 types of probability: Theoretical Probability.
Recommended Reading: Which Founding Contributors To Psychology Helped Develop Behaviorism
Identifying Expressions And Equations
- Identify and write mathematical expressions using words and symbols
- Identify and write mathematical equations using words and symbols
- Identify the difference between an expression and an equation
- Use exponential notation to express repeated multiplication
- Write an exponential expression in expanded form
Algebraic Expression Explanation & Examples
Algebra is an interesting and enjoyable branch of mathematics in which numbers, shapes, and letters are used to express problems. Whether you are learning algebra in school or examining a certain test, you will notice that almost all mathematical problems are represented in words.
Therefore, the need to translate written word problems into algebraic expressions arises when we need to solve them.
Most of the algebraic word problems consist of real-life short stories or cases. Others are simple phrases such as the description of a math problem. This article will learn how to write algebraic expressions from simple word problems and then advance to lightly complex word problems.
Don’t Miss: Fsa Warm Ups Grade 5 Answer Key
Coefficients Of Algebraic Terms
The number in the algebraic term is called the coefficient.
For example:For the term 4x, 4 is the coefficient
For the term 7y, 7 is the coefficient
The coefficient of 1 in an algebraic term is usually not written.
For example:1y can be written as simply y. So, 1y and y are the same.
Example:Find the coefficient and variable of each of the following terms:
a) 0.2m
a) 0.2m
b) 3p
c) and the variable is q)
d) z
e) and the variable is x)
Activity : What Could It Mean
Tell your students the following.
Below are some algebraic expressions adapted from textbooks:
- 30u + 44v
- three times Square root of four
- 18 left parenthesis three x plus one right parenthesis divided by six
- one divided by a plus one divided by b
Use your imagination and make up a story for what each expression could be about. What situation could the expression be modelling? What else could it be about?
You may also want to have a look at the key resource Storytelling, songs, role play and drama.
Also Check: Draw The Lewis Structure For Ccl4
Algebraic Expressions And Terms
Open sentences are made up of algebraic expressions. An algebraic expression is a mathematical phrase or statement that contains numbers, symbols, variables . Note that algebraic expressions do not have equals signs.
Here are some examples of algebraic expressions:
algebraic expression An algebraic expression is a mathematical statement that contains a combination of numbers, symbols, variables and mathematical operators. It does not have an equals sign.
Algebraic expressions are made up of terms that are separated by an addition or a subtraction
has 3 terms.
has 4 terms.
term A term can be a single number , or a variable, or one or more numbers and variables that are being multiplied together. Terms are separated by or
Here are some examples of single terms:
Here are some examples of algebraic expressions with two terms:
Here are some examples of algebraic expressions with five terms:
Identify Expressions And Equations
What is the difference in English between a phrase and a sentence? A phrase expresses a single thought that is incomplete by itself, but a sentence makes a complete statement. Running very fast is a phrase, but The football player was running very fast is a sentence. A sentence has a subject and a verb.
In algebra, we have expressions and equations. An expression is like a phrase. Here are some examples of expressions and how they relate to word phrases:
|Expression|
|3\text5||the sum of three and five|
|n – 1||n minus one||the difference of n and one|
|6\cdot 7||6\text7||the product of six and seven|
|\frac||x divided by y||the quotient of x and y|
Notice that the phrases do not form a complete sentence because the phrase does not have a verb. An equation is two expressions linked with an equal sign. When you read the words the symbols represent in an equation, you have a complete sentence in English. The equal sign gives the verb. Here are some examples of equations:
|Equation|
|3+5=8||The sum of three and five is equal to eight.|
|n – 1=14||n minus one equals fourteen.|
|6\cdot 7=42||The product of six and seven is equal to forty-two.|
|x=53||x is equal to fifty-three.|
|y+9=2y – 3||y plus nine is equal to two y minus three.|
You May Like: Solving Age Word Problems
Basic Algebraic Expressions Examples
Example 1: Write an algebraic expression for the math phrase the sum of a number and four.
Solution: The word sum immediately gives us the hint that we are going to add here. Notice that we want to add two quantities: one unknown number and the number 4. Since we dont know what the value of the number, we can use a variable to represent it. You may use any letters of the alphabet. In this case, lets agree to use y for the variable.
When we add the variable y and 4, we have y + 4. It is also okay to write your answer as 4 + y because addition is commutative that is, switching the order of addition doesnt change its sum.
The final answer is y+4.
Example 2: Write an algebraic expression for the math phrase 10 increased by a number.
Solution: The keywords increased by imply addition. This means that an unknown number has been added to 10. Using the letter k as the variable, we can translate the statement above as 10 + k. Since addition is commutative, we can rewrite it as k + 10. Either of the two above is a correct answer.
The final answer is k+10.
Example 3: Write an algebraic expression for the math phrase the difference of 1 and a number.
The final answer is 1 – x.
Example 4: Write an algebraic expression for the math phrase a number less than 8.
In other words, we are going to subtract the unknown number from the number 8. If we choose our variable to be the letter a, we get 8 a.
The final answer is 8 – a.
The final answer is 5m.
\LARGE
\LARGE
Permutation And Combination: Definition Formula Examples
Permutation and Combination: Permutation and Combination are two separate ways to represent a group of elements. Both are different and many students get confused between the two. When the order of arrangement doesnt matter then we call it a combination. If the order does matter then we have a permutation. It can be rightly said that a permutation is an ordered combination. Let us understand the difference between permutation and combination with an example.
Take a number lock. When we try to open it with a password, say, 1-2-3, then the order is very important. You cant open it with 2-1-3 or 3-1-2. Thus, it is a permutation. All the permutations of 1, 2, and 3 are:
|123, 132, 213, 231, 312, 321|
If it was a true combination lock, it would open by entering any of the permutations above. In fact, a number lock should rightly be called a permutation lock and not a combination lock!
We have explained in detail all the permutation and combination formula on this page. Also, we have provided you with solved examples and practice questions on permutation combination.
Here we have given the mathematical definition of permutation and combination:
What is Permutation?
A permutation is an arrangement in a definite order of a number of objects taken some or all at a time. With permutations, every little detail matters. It means the order in which elements are arranged is very important.
There are two types of permutations:
What is Combination?
There are two types of combinations:
Recommended Reading: Geometry Segment And Angle Addition Worksheet
Solved Examples On Probability Formulas Class 12
Here we have provided some probability solved examples.
Question 1: A coin is thrown 3 times. What is the probability that at least one head is obtained?
Solution: Sample space = Total number of ways = 2 × 2 × 2 = 8. Favorable Cases = 7 P = No. of Favourable Outcomes/Total number of outcomes= 7/8
Question 2: Two cards are drawn from the pack of 52 cards. Find the probability that both are diamonds or both are kings.
Solution: Total no. of ways = 52C2Case I: Both are diamonds = 13C2Case II: Both are kings = 4C2 P = / 52C2 = 14/221
Question 3: Calculate the probability of getting an even number if a dice is rolled.
Solution: Sample space = n = 6Let E be the event of getting an odd number, E = n = 3So, the Probability of getting an odd number is:P = /= n/n= 3/6= 1/2
Question 4: What is the probability of getting a sum of 22 or more when four dice are thrown?
Solution: Total number of ways = 64 = 1296 Number of ways of getting a sum 22 are 6,6,6,4 = 4! / 3! = 4 and 6,6,5,5 = 4! / 2!2! = 6. Number of ways of getting a sum 23 is 6,6,6,5 = 4! / 3! = 4 Number of ways of getting a sum 24 is 6,6,6,6 = 1.Fav. Number of cases = 4 + 6 + 4 + 1 = 15 ways.P = 15/1296 = 5/432
Question 5: Find the probability that a leap year has 52 Sundays.
Also, Check:
|Differentiation Formulas|
Probability Formula: Definition Of Probability
The uncertainty/certainty of the occurrence of an event is measured by the probability. Though probability started with gambling, it is now used extensively in the fields of Physical Sciences, Commerce, Biological Sciences, Medical Sciences, Weather Forecasting, etc. Probability for Class 10 is an important chapter for students and it explains all the basic concepts.
To find the probability of a single event to occur, first, we should know the total number of possible outcomes. For example, when we toss a coin, either we get a Head or a Tail, i.e. only two possible outcomes are possible . If we want Head to come, our favorable outcome is H. So, we denote the probability of getting Head on the toss of a coin is: | https://www.tutordale.com/what-is-algebraic-expression-in-math/ |
We need at least two points to find the equation of a line if we don’t have any information about its gradient. Equation of any line takes the slope-intercept form, y = m x + c and we can always express any equation in this form if we have two sets of coordinates of any two points on the line.
What are the steps of finding the equation of a line which passes through two points?
The first step is to calculate the gradient or slope of the line using the two sets of coordinates.
Step two is to apply the point-slope formula to get the equation in y and x.
The third and last step is just simplification. You also need to express your equation of a line in the form of y = m x+c.
Example 1
Derive the equation of a line with these two points: (1, 2) and (4, 5).
Solution
We find the value of m (slope or gradient) using the formula:
You can also calculate m by
The value of m is still 1.
We move to step two, which is the application of the point-slope formula. In this step, we pick the third point with arbitrary coordinates (x, y).
We now simplify:
Example 2:
Derive the equation of a line with the following coordinates on it: A(2, -3) and B(-4, 1).
Solution
Follow the steps as in example 1.
Example 3
A line passes through a point A (2, 2) and has a gradient of -4. What is the equation of this line?
Solution
Since m = -4, we skip step 1.
Remarks
Getting an equation of a line through 4 points is as easy as calculating its slope and equating it to the expression for slope formula using an arbitrary point. It is even easier when you already have the gradient of a line and the coordinates of one point. Simplify the resulting equation and express it in the form of y=m x+c.
About the Author
This lesson was prepared by Robert O. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.) degree in Electrical and electronics engineering. He is a career teacher and headed the department of languages and assumed various leadership roles. He writes for Full Potential Learning Academy. | https://www.fullpotentialtutor.com/how-to-find-the-equation-of-a-line-given-two-points/ |
The College aims to build a supportive, inclusive and highly motivated community across all our business areas, and we continually seek to improve our workplace and surrounding environment.
Since 2014, staff survey results have identified many positive features of our working environment.
Unfortunately, we still have some staff in the Faculty of Engineering not feeling confident in expressing views when experiencing, witnessing or managing discrimination, harassment and/or bullying.
The Faculty of Engineering is committed to taking action to eliminate discrimination, harassment and bullying and we have introduced a number of initiatives in order to achieve this.
Taking action
In the Faculty of Engineering we have taken the following actions:
- In 2015 we set up a special Have Your Say external hotline run by Confidential Care (CIC), the College’s current employee assistance provider, where you can speak confidentially to a professional counsellor on the issues affecting you and your colleagues and remain anonymous (if you wish). If you prefer, you can use the anonymous online reporting tool.
- We have tasked CIC to produce a strictly anonymous report indicating the scenarios and key issues.
- We will use the report to challenge any behaviours that detract from the fantastic environment we work in.
- We have rolled out Active Bystander Training across the Faculty to empower staff and students to challenge poor behaviours and bring about cultural change.
- We continue to run leadership and management training sessions focused on developing skills that foster a positive management culture and practices.
Find out more by reading the Have Your Say campaign feedback and our Good leadership and management report.
You have a voice! | https://www.imperial.ac.uk/engineering/staff/human-resources/have-your-say-campaign/ |
More students are getting the vast majority of their information online. But is it negatively effecting their ability to engage with reading on an emotional and critical level? Studies in the US found that 85% of students are more likely to multitask when reading digitally, as opposed to just 26% when reading print.
With the negative effects of multitasking well-known, perhaps we need to consider how our students consume content? Or at least be aware of the effects it can have.
If we are going to encourage our students to form a lifelong, emotional connection with literature, we need to understand how the content they consume affects the way students learn. After all, for students to go on to study at university — ever-vital in an increasingly intelligence-driven economy — critical, thoughtful reading is an essential skill.
Because of this, we need to understand what we can do as teachers to make the path to reading as a passion as clear as possible.
What does the research say?
Throughout history, people have been worried that technological advances would lead to the end of all knowledge and creativity — from Plato to the luddites. The same questions are being asked today. But ultimately, technology has always led to greater knowledge.
With this in mind, let’s consider what the research says regarding how reading has been affected in the digital age, and what it suggests we should do as teachers to encourage our students to become interested in literature.
Research by Naomi S. Baron in 2017 found that 87% of teachers think that “today’s digital technologies are creating an easily distracted generation with short attention spans”. The same research also revealed that 86% of teachers assess that “today’s students are too ‘plugged in’ to digital technologies and need more time away from them”. It’s not just teachers either. Just this week, the culture secretary has called for more schools to ban mobile phones. But are we as teachers not understanding that the way in which young people acquire knowledge has changed?
Regardless of whether you think students are too plugged in, there are solutions — some of which involve the use of digital technology. The important thing is to encourage reading in all forms. Whether that be political blogs or Victorian literature, the important thing is that our students are engaging with written content consistently, and on a deep level.
Ways to encourage your students to read
There are many ways to encourage you students to engage with reading — from primary school, all the way through to A-levels, it is never too late to help your students foster a passion. It may be worth considering recommending works like comics, popular fiction and story books — or even blogs. Not only are they highly engaging, works such as these can often be the entry point into canonical literature.
Another way to develop a passion from a minor interest in books is by setting up reading groups in your school. Tools like BackChannel Chat allow you to create discussion online, which you can also engage with — creating entertaining, consistent feedback loops.
It is also worth encouraging engagement with platforms such as GoodReads, which has thousands of lists of recommended books filtered by genre. For students with an interest in a particular form of literature — such as science fiction or fantasy fiction — it allows for easy to digest further reading on that particular topic.
Social media gets a lot of bad press, especially when it comes to creating distractions. But it can help your students become more engaged with reading. With so many authors and publishers being active on Twitter, there is a reasonable chance that your student could start up a discussion with the creators of the books they are engaged with.
Having that personal connection to one author is what drives most literature lovers to become engaged early in life. But today, there is an even greater chance to get really close to the authors that they love. Obviously, not every writer will reply. But for those who do, it will have a huge impact on the lives of readers — particularly developing ones like your students.
Technology doesn’t have to be the scourge on reading print literature — it can be the driver.
How the digital age can drive student reading
With technology comes new approaches to teaching. One of the main drivers of change is the increasing number of startups and apps that provide new solutions to age-old problems.
One of the biggest problems today is getting kids access to the books they want. With libraries closing down and schools cutting back on equipment, acquiring books can be expensive for students — especially for kids at the bottom of the economic ladder.
A potential solution to access to books are education apps like Epic! Though it is primarily a consumer brand, it can also be used to encourage kids (particularly those under 12) to read —especially for those without large economic resources.
Essentially, the app is what Netflix is to television, but with books — and focused entirely on children. With interactive content, as well as thousands of books, it is a digital platform that actively encourages kids to read. Best of all, it’s free to use for teachers in the classroom. Digital technology can have a positive impact in getting students to read. But there are some indications that it is actually print that is making great strides forward.
Back to the future
One of the most surprising trends over the past few years has been the resurgence of print book sales. According to data from 2016, ebook sales dropped by 4%, whilst print books sales actually increased by 7%. With the world going online, it is perhaps surprising to see. You might expect that it is being driven by older generations, but this doesn’t appear to be the case.
In fact, it is young people who are engaging with print. A 2013 survey by Voxburner found that 62% of 16-24 year olds preferred print to ebooks. Other research suggests that 4 in 5 young people prefer reading print to online. So whilst the world is discussing the potential of AR and VR, young people appear to be pushing in the opposite direction. 86% of teachers may think that students are too plugged in, but it actually appears that young people do recognise the benefits of print.
Whatever platform or mode your students read from, it is important to encourage a genuine love of the written word. For their future, for the countries future, and for your personal job satisfaction, it is not only desirable, it is essential.
If you are interested in finding an exciting, fresh new teaching job, take a look at our current jobs in your region today. | https://www.celsianeducation.co.uk/celsian-blog/encouraging-reading-in-the-digital-age |
Immaculate Ajiambo considers books as her favorite companion. She also loves cool music, writing, poetry, and storytelling. She describes herself as an educationist. Her love and passion for books were fueled by her parents who encouraged her to read a lot, and often gave her books as gifts. At twenty-one years of age, Immaculate is already running a reading advocacy group – Thamani Books.
Here we chat with her about growing the reading culture in Kenya and Thamani Books.
Hi Immaculate, do tell us about yourself and how you fell in love with books?
My name is Immaculate Ajiambo. I’m a student of Moi University. Incoming fourth year, pursuing English and Literature.I’m a passionate writer, poet, storyteller and book activist.
I concur with Elizabeth Hardwick in saying that the greatest gift is a passion for reading. I grew up in a family that embraced reading. At a young age of about 6 years, I took reading as a hobby. We would receive colorful storybooks as gifts back then. After completing a book, one was to narrate the story to the rest and at the end, it became a lifestyle. In high school, my love for books grew stronger and I knew that one day I would transmit the reading bug to many others.
In your experience, what are the reasons people have a problem reading and imbibing a reading culture?
Children do not know how to read because they do not have books. Parents who do not read find it hard to buy books for their kids. Many times they blame the economy for being on their necks.
If parents and teachers create a reading environment and lead by example the young ones will find it enjoyable to pick a book, sit down and read from cover to cover.
To note, our education curriculum is exam oriented in that whenever a student reads something out of the syllabus it is seen as a waste of time. It really discourages leisure reading. Furthermore, information infrastructure has not been well invested in. There are few well-maintained libraries in the country.
Unfortunately, reading has been socially excluded from the list of pastime activities. The looks on people’s faces after I confess my undying passion for books tell a lot on how people perceive reading in this age of technology and Internet of things. It goes on that most people claim not have time to read. Yet they are the same people who are always online on the social media pages scrolling for likes and updates.William Styron says that a great book should leave you with many experiences, and slightly exhausted at the end. You live several lives while reading.
When did you start getting restless about the reading culture and how did you think of Thamani?
While in primary school I opened up our house to friends in the neighborhood to come and borrow books that they did not have. It was very interesting reading and discussing from the same book with a friend. Out of ten friends, only three were bookworms. In 2016, I realized that there were pupils in standard seven who found it difficult to read a standard three textbook and a whole sentence in English. That is when I shared the idea with my friends and Thamani Books started as a solution. There must be something my mother knew about books that she sacrificed a lot to buy any titles for me and even allowed me to share with friends. From her kind act, I was fully convinced that books are treasures and that is why we use the name Thamani a Swahili word for Treasure.
What do you hope/plan on achieving with Thamani?
I hope that Thamani Books will be at the front line in creating a healthy reading lifestyle in Kenya and in this way improve the quality of education and reduce the rate of illiteracy. A society with readers is safe because it has thinkers who can analyze, interpret, construct and deconstruct.
What plans do you have for acquiring books and how can other people/organizations be part of it?
We rely on donations from friends and well-wishers. Other people can help us by going to our Facebook page, Thamani Books and making their donations.
Currently, we are running a book drive for Lgoss Primary School in Samburu County on 15th September that will enable us to set up a library for the pupils. According to one of the teachers, the children cannot read and the solution to such sickness is by getting them books which they do not have. This mission is in partnership with Writers Guild Kenya. We call for well-wishers to contribute money and book donations.
In your opinion what role do you think the Government can play in fostering a better reading culture?
In my honest opinion, the Kenyan government has a major role to play in ensuring that we are a reading nation. This is possible if they can formulate a feasible policy that will require every county and school to have a library. In this way, information will be easily accessible to the learners and community at large. Also, by restructuring the education curriculum so that it can accommodate leisure reading. | https://forcreativegirls.com/meet-the-21-year-old-changing-the-reading-culture-in-kenya/ |
Adult Literacy Program Mission
Program Mission:
By creating a supportive and vibrant adult learning community, we provide a safe environment for reading and writing practice where individuals take risks and grow towards leadership to make positive changes in their lives and communities.
Volunteer Tutor Application
Volunteer Tutor
WHO: Volunteer tutors qualifications
- At least 18 years old
- No degrees or diplomas needed
- Proficient in reading and writing English
- Patient, empathetic, and willing to learn
- Able to commit to at least six months of service
- Can complete timely monthly reports and evaluations
- Participate regularly in tutor training, seminars and roundtables
WHAT: Volunteer Tutor Service Areas
Basic Literacy learners are adults with no more than a high school education, who speak English fluently, and who want to improve their reading and writing. Basic learners come from both the U.S. and other countries, and usually enter the program reading at about a 4th grade level. Most learners are enrolled in small groups led by professional literacy instructors, but some learners come to us with short term goals which they would like to achieve with the help of an individual tutor. We are looking for volunteers to:
- Offer individual tutoring to help learners with short term goals. Tutors may be matched with a learner according to the tutor’s skills, interests and availability. (minimum 11 hours training needed)
English Forward learners are beginning English speakers and may or may not have had formal education in their home country. Beginning English learners are invited to sign up for small group tutoring to build their confidence in using everyday English, such as introducing themselves, purchasing items, and using directions. These learners need support to build their confidence to potentially pursue adult school and/or prepare for a career. We are looking for volunteers to:
- Facilitate and instruct small groups of beginning English language learners with basic English communication and life skills. (minimum of 16 hours training needed)
Reading Club members are individuals improving their conversation skills through reading books in informal small groups. Second language learners enter this program reading at least at a 6th grade level. They may have been college educated in their home country and are no longer beginning English learners, but want to work on their reading and discussion skills in order to more fully participate in American life. We are looking for volunteers to:
- Facilitate Reading Clubs (second language) held at the library to help learners improve reading comprehension in an informal environment and enhance the joy of reading, and discussing books and sharing ideas with others. (minimum 8 hours training needed)
Experienced volunteers can also:
- Work individually with students who have special needs in reading and writing
- Become volunteer assessment specialists
- Assist in tutor training seminars
- Provide instruction and mentoring to other volunteers
- Coordinate literacy events and publicity
- Be an invaluable community liaison for our program
- Assist staff with office duties
Thank you for your interest in becoming a volunteer tutor.
Active Tutors
- Adult Literacy BlogCurrent program news and schedules
- Write to Read Tutors
Get Involved
- Get InvolvedGet Involved: Powered By Your Library is a statewide initiative designed to expand the visibility and contributions of skilled volunteers through public libraries. With thousands of Californians seeking new ways to use their skills and experience to make a difference in their community, public libraries are positioned to engage this talent to extend their capacity in the community and to develop advocates and supporters of their services. | http://guides.aclibrary.org/content.php?pid=324020&sid=4896538 |
On Thursday November 20th 2014 Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne recognized the students, teachers, parents and other community members of eleven schools working to foster and maintain healthy and respectful relationships and environments necessary for student success. Brampton was well represented as four of the eleven schools were from our Region.
Stanley Mills Public School team’s mandate was to improve Reading, Writing and creating a more welcoming environment. Their initiatives have resulted in a 5% improvement in reading proficiency of their grade 3’s as well as a 79% reduction in student suspensions from 2009-2013.
Agnes Taylor Public School was recognized for creating a happy school family. The team partnered with community agencies and focused on parent engagement, mental health and anti-bullying initiatives.
École élémentaire Carrefour des jeunes moto was “Kindness is Key”. Their efforts have improved EQAO results and school registration numbers are up. Students are focused entirely on achievement in a welcoming, safe and inclusive environment.
St. Edmund Campion Secondary School focused primarily on putting mental health first. A number of support programs were put in place to improve student well-being before, during and after school.
Supporting safe and accepting school environments is essential for student achievement and well-being and is part of the government's economic plan for Ontario. The four-part plan is building Ontario up by investing in people's talents and skills, building new public infrastructure like roads and transit, creating a dynamic, supportive environment where business and schools can thrive. These four schools are prime examples of being leaders in our community; they have taken the onus upon themselves to create better learning environments for not only their students but staff and community as well.
QUOTES
“As a former School Board Trustee I am thrilled to recognize the Students, Staff and all other team members at École élémentaire Carrefour des jeunes and Stanley Mills Public School on this year’s Premier’s Award for Accepting Schools. Your efforts and accomplishments have created a safer environment which is imperative for student success. On behalf of all constituents in Brampton-Springdale I congratulate both schools on their tremendous achievement and I look forward to working with you in the future.” – Harinder Malhi MPP Brampton-Springdale
“I want to congratulate the teachers, staff and students of Agnes Taylor Public School and St. Edmund Campion Secondary School on the Premier’s Award for Accepting Schools. Working as a team you have created a safe and accepting school that provides a positive learning environment. You have shown all Ontarians that working together we can achieve anything. Keep up the good work. I feel very fortunate to be part of such a dedicated community.” Vic Dhillon MPP Brampton West
“Congratulations to all of the recipients of the 2013-14 Premier’s Awards for Accepting Schools for creating positive and inclusive school environments. We know that when students feel safe, included and accepted, they are able to succeed in the classroom and beyond.” — Liz Sandals, Minister of Education
QUICK FACTS
This website is provided for your convenience. If you'd prefer to call or email, my staff and I would be happy to hear from you.
Helping Families Save Money and Fight Climate Change At HomeDecember 13, 2017
Making Auto Insurance More AffordableDecember 06, 2017
Ontario Implementing Plan to Create Fairness and OpportunityNovember 14, 2017
MPP Harinder Malhi hosts Brampton Seniors Club at Queens ParkOctober 11, 2017
Ontario Implementing New Protections for Condo Residents this FallJuly 25, 2017
Students Will Now See OSAP Amount and Net Tuition Fees Online
Ontario is investing in hospitals to improve energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gases and redirect savings into patient care across the province. | http://harindermalhi.onmpp.ca/News/10270?rc=l&l=EN |
At Uplands we aim to provide the children with a curriculum which is broad, well balanced, stimulating and exciting. We wish to develop a passion and instil a lifetime love of reading. Reading is a fundamental skill that crosses over many subjects.
Making sure children become engaged with reading from the beginning is one of the most important ways to make a difference to their life chances. For this to happen, however, children need to learn to read as fluently as possible and be motivated to continue reading. Children who are good at reading do more of it: they learn more and expand their vocabulary. We must ensure that for those who find reading difficult are targeted.
Reading Intent
Reading is prioritised to allow pupils to access the full curriculum. The programme of study meets the requirements of the National Curriculum 2014. While at Uplands we aim to provide opportunities for pupils to read widely across both fiction, non-fiction and poetry books to develop their knowledge of themselves and the world they live in. We want them to establish an appreciation and love of reading to gain knowledge across the curriculum and develop their comprehension skills. By the end of the Key Stage it is our intention that children enjoy reading, read fluently and are able to confidently discuss the texts they read. Books are chosen to develop vocabulary, language comprehension and the enjoyment of reading. Children are also taught the natural link between reading widely and purposeful writing.
Reading Implementation
English lessons are taught on a daily basis with a joint focus on reading and writing. Book Talk occurs 4 times per week where the children practise their reading and their skills. Teachers vary their Book Talk groupings depending on the texts, the Gems (Domains) and the needs of the children. The children through a positive, inclusive and caring environment talk competently about the books using a range of Gems. (Domains) The teaching of reading provides opportunities for group work, mixed ability work, whole class teaching, independent work, peer assessment and self assessment. Comprehension lessons occur once a week where again reading skills are taught. These reading skills are also further developed and encouraged across all the curriculum.
We have a banded reading scheme so that children choose books appropriate for their ability. There are a range of books available. We don’t follow one particular scheme but have books from various publishers such as Oxford and Collins. When they reach a reading age of 9 ½ children can read books from our book corners, our library and from home as their reading book. The range of books available includes many by well-known and popular authors. With the consultation of the children, these are updated regularly. The children have opportunities to read their books individually to their teachers and teaching assistants. Once completed the children do a reading journal activity based on our Gems. (Domains)
At Uplands when the children arrive from their infant school the children who did not pass their Year 1 phonic test will be retested. Year 3 children who find reading the section 1,2,3 sounds hard are then targeted for extra learning support, where they revise and practise the sounds. Year 3 staff also revisit the sounds during their lessons. We use the RWI programme. Children are also targeted for 1:1 RWI support across the school. Children can take RWI books home to practise their sounds and a banded book for the love of reading. RWI resources are updated and added to when necessary. Across school other reading interventions occur to meet the needs of the children.
A range of curriculum enhancements in reading also occurs. This includes, Starbooks Reading Award, World Book Day, Authors in school, Roving Book Fairs, sponsored events, link with the Rotary ‘Books for home’ scheme, development of reading corners, use of our school library (children can borrow books), development of our reading shed (on the playground) and much more.
Reading Impact
By implementing the intent, children should be confident in the following areas:
-
Reading a range of texts
-
Discussing and comprehending texts using our Reading Gems
-
Reading fluently
-
Applying knowledge and skills from an English lesson to other areas
-
Enjoying reading and foster a “love of reading”
As well as our day to day reading assessments, through-out the year children take part in a variety of reading tests. They complete NGRT11 reading tests and baseline, midline and endline Local Authority assessments. This process helps teachers target specific areas of reading. Reading fluency across the school also makes the teachers aware of children’s reading speed. We also deliver various reading interventions across school to strengthen children’s learning. As a junior school, we target children who still need to develop their phonic knowledge when they join ensuring gaps are addressed.
It is the role of the reading champion to ensure continuity and progression across the whole school. It is carried out through the following opportunities: book trawls, learning walks, pupil voice, year group moderation, data analysis and subsequent targeted support. | https://www.uplandsjuniorschool.org.uk/reading |
Pham Van Be Ba - Principal of Luc Thanh A Primary School said that they has three satellite schools with 562 students and only one library is located at the main school, the two others have to rotate books every month.
The facilities, teaching equipment and books for students are lacking, not meeting the minimum requirements for the school activities. “The school had received bookshelves and bookcases. This meaningful gift will help students cultivate their knowledge and form a reading culture,” shared Ba.
According to Nguyen Thi Kim Anh - Chairman of the provincial Red Cross Society, from 2020 up to now, the the Vietnam-France Friendship Association has mobilized fund for four reading rooms for students in remote areas. The equipment and books for schools will create a useful playground to attract students to come after school, improve their knowledge, and learn about the world around them.
“And especially, through the reading room, we also want to form a reading habit for children, to foster positive thinking in the students. It is important that the role of the teacher, in addition to creating conditions for children to come to the reading room, must also be the instructor, the person who leads them to reading habits,” Anh stressed.
Before that, there were many proposals for creating a culture of reading across the province such as: the book festival of Huynh Van The, a teacher in Mang Thit, the book club at school of teacher Tran Huynh Nhi from Vinh Long, reading culture sessions throughout remote schools, etc.
The projects have brought more opportunities for elementary school students in the rural areas to have access to books, thereby helping them to understand the values of reading and motivate them explore good book titles. In 2020, the Provincial Library had served 1.6 million readers (an increase of 68% compared to 2019).
The library organized the rotation of 66,000 books to 169 points, enhancing information resources for district, commune libraries, agencies, departments and branches. Making additional lists of 3,712 books, the total number of documents is 84,229 with 224,120 copies; on average, each district added 431 types of newspapers and magazines./.
|Gifts, scholarships given to Lao and Cambodian students at Kien Giang university |
On the occasion of Cambodia’s traditional New Year festival Chol Chnam Thmay, the the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union’s provincial chapter and the provincial ...
|Tra On floating market, enduring cultural trait of Vietnam’s Mekong Delta |
Tra On floating market is one of the most unique tourist destinations in the Mekong River Delta that should not be missed.
|Picturesque countryside painting on the rush fields in Vinh Long |
In the harvesting season, on the lush green fields, farmers in Vung Liem, Vinh Long collect and dry rush like real artists. | https://vietnamtimes.org.vn/vietnam-france-friendship-association-supports-reading-room-project-in-vinh-long-30986.html |
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Book Club Recommendations
From as early as the 1600s, book clubs have been a way for people to connect, reflect, and grow together. Book clubs have spanned mail-order businesses, bookstores, libraries, TV shows (thank you, Oprah!), and online forums. It is estimated that there are more than 5 million book club members in the United States alone.
As you look forward to a fall fraught with many unknowns and plenty of uncertainty, consider creating a book club with your colleagues, whether in person or online, to bolster your own understanding and development of social and emotional learning principles (you can learn more about SEL from CASEL.org). This list of recently published books focused on the research behind and implementation of SEL, which will benefit your entire classroom community — including you as a professional, as well as your students and their families.
- Onward: Cultivating Emotional Resilience in Educators by Elena Aguilar (2018)
- Elena Aguilar tries to tackle the high attrition rate of educators (70% in the first five years) by providing a four-part framework to combat the stress and burnout of teaching. Her step-by-step framework encourages teachers to find balance emotionally, physically, and mentally so that both students and teachers can strive for resiliency together.
- Start with the Heart: Igniting Hope in Schools Through Social and Emotional Learning by Michelle Trujillo (2019)
- In order to build a positive school culture, former high school principal and Nevada′s 2016 Innovative Educator of the Year, Michelle Trujillo, encourages educators to assess their own SEL aptitude to better instill a foundation of trust and connection within a school community. Trujillo provides concrete strategies for both students and teachers to make SEL a “way of being.”
- Better than Carrots or Sticks: Restorative Practices for Positive Classroom Management by Dominique Smith, Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey (2015)
- This classroom management book outlines a collaborative blueprint for teachers and students to work together on in order to build a classroom climate of respect. With an introduction to (or refresher of) restorative practices in schools, readers then have context for establishing and implementing their own conflict resolution strategies that promote cooperation and relationship-building to build a more supportive classroom environment. Better Than Carrots or Sticks supports creating culturally responsive, equity-focused and inclusive learning spaces.
- The Trauma-Sensitive Classroom: Building Resilience with Compassionate Teaching by Patricia Jennings (2018)
- Most educators are unprepared, nevermind ill-equipped, to support the half of their students who have faced chronic stress, violence, or trauma. In three parts, Jennings, an Associate Professor of Education at the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia, reviews the signs and effects of trauma, provides trauma-sensitive practices, and underscores the connections of mindfulness and resilience all with the goal of nurturing more compassionate classrooms. Jennings’s cross-discipline approach will empower educators to guide their most vulnerable students towards success.
In addition to the aforementioned books, you can learn about more tactics and informational reading by visiting our reading the resources we’ve collected about social-emotional learning and creating trauma-sensitive classrooms: | https://resilienteducator.com/classroom-resources/social-emotional-learning-books/ |
Belleek Primary School is a Controlled Primary School catering for the educational needs of its primary children. It is a caring school in a rural area in West Fermanagh where the whole school community shares a common goal to do the very best for all children in its care.
Our overriding aim is to establish and foster Christian values for life. To do this it is essential that we work in partnership with all our parents and the community. Indeed the success of our school depends on good co-operation between staff, pupils and parents.
In Belleek Primary School we aim to foster a loving, caring, supportive environment where staff and pupils work together in an atmosphere of mutual respect so that each and every individual can achieve the highest level of their intellectual, personal, social and emotional development of which they are capable within the context of the Northern Ireland Curriculum.
- Provide a relevant and balanced curriculum and develop life skills among pupils.
- Help each child develop an awareness of, and pride in, his or her own talents, skills and abilities. to nurture each child’s potential, working to build their self-confidence and self esteem.
- Develop an interest in learning and the motivation to learn coupled with a lively and enquiring mind, the ability to question and to make informed decisions.
- Help children develop a respect for the environment and an attitude that leads to self discipline, independence, courtesy, good manners and a respect for themselves and others, so that they can become useful, contributing and responsible members of society.
- Encourage children to develop the ability to communicate clearly and confidently and perform to the best of their ability in the skills of reading, writing, listening, talking, numeracy and ICT.
- Create and secure educational partnerships between home, school, the parish and the wider community.
- Promote the development of a positive attitude towards a healthy lifestyle.
- Create an inclusive environment where diversity among individuals is celebrated, embraced and responded to and equal opportunities are available to all. | http://www.belleekprimaryschool.co.uk/latest-news-2016-2017/about/ |
The Center for Inclusion and Cross Cultural Engagement works enthusiastically to develop programs and services that support the University of Mississippi’s core value of inclusiveness. The center works to foster an environment that is characterized by open and ongoing communication that deepens students’ understanding of their own and others’ identity, culture and heritage. It is dedicated to creating a supportive and inclusive campus environment that complements the academic experience, connects and engages students with the university community, and provides opportunities for success in a multicultural society.
Created to provide programs and services that encourage cross-cultural interactions and provide a physical space that is both nurturing and welcoming for students with diverse backgrounds, the center emphasizes inclusion and broad cultural educational opportunities for all students.
Browse the Center for Inclusion and Cross Cultural Engagement Collections: | https://egrove.olemiss.edu/inclusion/ |
Trust and respect are at the heart of OCE’s values. We foster an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued, respected and supported.
We collaborate with colleagues, partners and stakeholders to work through challenges, co-create solutions, recognizing that we all have a role to play in achieving success.
We support and empower one another to act as leaders. We celebrate successes and learn from failures, we continuously grow, and we lead by example.
We embody transparency in our communications, encouraging the free exchange of ideas and the sharing of knowledge.
We are committed to continuous improvement and operational excellence, responding with speed and accuracy to meet new opportunities.
We foster a culture of ownership, share responsibility and deliver on our commitments.
OCE works to foster a positive environment that allows staff to excel. A supportive environment where mutual respect is paramount and where individuals have the tools and resources to enhance and develop their careers. Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is key to our shared success. In developing our staff and working environment, OCE is able to sustainably build on its success and consistently meet and exceed established targets and objectives. After all, a healthy workplace is fundamental to well-being and the high energy and creativity that drive innovation. | https://oce-ontario.org/careers/values |
By Marrow Woods
For decades high school English syllabi have included the “classics”, novels that students have traditionally learned, read, and studied that reflect a singular point of view: the perspective of a white male author. Catcher in the Rye. 1984. The Odyssey. Huckleberry Finn. Lord of the Flies. The Great Gatsby. All of these novels are commonplace in the English classroom but, as conversations around race and diversity become reoccurring, educators have begun to expand their reading lists and students are at the forefront of advocating for more inclusive, accurate, and diverse literary texts and curriculum.
The problem? The politicization of topics like race, class, gender, and sexuality are being driven by legislation, most notably the banning of books. According to an April report from PEN America, there were 1,586 instances of individual books being banned during the nine-month period from July 1, 2021, to March 31, affecting 1,145 book titles. The states most affected are Texas (with a total of 713 bans), Pennsylvania, Florida, and Oklahoma. All of the books being challenged or banned from curricula tend to have a few themes in common:
- Books that discuss LGBTQIA+ topics or characters.
- Books dealing with race, racism, or any that center around characters of color.
- Books discussing the history of Black people and other people of color.
- Books dealing with sex, abortion, or puberty.
With literature being targeted and widespread challenges against inclusive education and anti-racist curriculum, how can we challenge the erasure of history and advocate for the inclusion of marginalized and underrepresented stories and voices in literature?
1. Read banned books.
One of the easiest ways to support banned books and authors is to read the book. We all know the power of storytelling and sharing that story and encouraging others to read it is one way to make it harder to silence that story.
Barnes & Noble has a curated list of banned and censored books that you can read here.
The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom records attempts to remove books from libraries, schools, and universities. These titles are books on the Radcliffe Publishing Course Top 100 Novels of the 20th Century that have been banned or challenged.
2. Report banned books.
According to the American Library Association, as many as 82-97% of book challenges remain unreported. If you find out that a library, school, or institution is attempting to ban a book in your community, report it with the help of The American Library Association on their website.
3. Join a banned book club.
Reading and discussing books with others give those stories power, just like we mentioned above. In response to recent bans, book clubs that are focused solely on reading banned books are appearing across the nation. Join one in your local community, or join a national club like Banned Books Book Club.
4. Join initiatives to help and advocate for Banned Books Week! | https://www.novelly.org/post/4-ways-to-support-banned-books-week |
There is little more difficult than trying to engage a whole class of students in reading a novel that is a poor match for the group. There are things teachers can do to influence the experience in one direction or another, but a great deal rests purely on the book itself.
I'm a vocal advocate of student centered whole novel studies, even though there are many educators I respect who avoid whole class novels altogether in favor of student selected independent reading and smaller book clubs. I agree the element of choice is powerful, and I incorporate a lot of choice reading time into my class. I also know that a well-chosen book and a student-centered approach can bring students together around a shared literary experience. But how do we make that choice with so many different readers to think about?
For starters, we have to think about our specific group of students and search for the titles that will be most compelling and stimulating, especially for our readers who will be outside of their preferred genre and/or most comfortable reading level. We want to pick something they will actually put the effort in to read, and that we are confident the effort will pay off with the actual pleasure that comes with a good story. Otherwise we might drag them grudgingly through some sort of process that resembles reading, but we will not be doing them much of a service academically or emotionally.
Teachers need the freedom to pick the very best book out there for their group of students, and that means going well beyond what might be in the book room, and beyond titles prescribed through mandated curricula. We need positive influences in the form of teacher colleagues, librarians, bloggers, and online communities to help steer us to great titles. Check out the website and twitter chat #DisruptTexts to think critically about the traditional literary canon and "create a more inclusive, representative, and equitable language arts curriculum that our students deserve." #WeNeedDiverseBooks is a great organization and resource for finding new and lesser known excellent books featuring diverse characters.
Once we have some possible titles in mind, we need to think through our decisions very carefully, going in with as clear an understanding of what might work really well about the book and what might be challenging about it.
Below is an excerpt adapted from Whole Novels For the Whole Class: A Student Centered Approach (2014) about five key factors I weigh when I select a book for my whole class to read. Note that sometimes my novel studies will involve splitting the class in half and having two connected books read concurrently. But I generally start the year with one book for the whole group.
Choosing For the Whole Class: Thinking In Five Dimensions
Making good book selections for whole novel studies, like the rest of teaching, requires a combination of intuition and calculation. Each whole novel study has a profound impact on the academic development of the class, as well as the group culture. The world of the novel becomes an almost tangible layer of our classroom environment for the weeks that we're reading, discussing, and writing about it. When we complete the study, as individuals and as a group we are not in the same territory we started in. Each novel study creates a group journey of sorts, and the journey of each book fits into the larger trajectory of our entire year of reading.
In order for a novel to be appropriate for an entire class to live in for a length of time, it must have strengths that on some level transcend the realm of personal taste. Each book selection must be meaningful for students, connected to their interests, and accessible for my heterogeneously grouped classes. It also must be connected in some way to what came before it and what will come after it, so that the reading trajectory builds momentum and complexity across the year and students do not want to miss out on any piece of it.
When I search for books for whole novel studies, I consider the merits of each title in five key dimensions by asking myself these questions:
1. Development. How does the content of the novel connect to my students' developmental stage? Why do I think this book is appropriate for my age group?
2. Identification / Diversity. How do the book's content and setting relate to the life experiences of my students? Are they mirrors (familiar) or windows (unfamiliar)? Directly or indirectly connected? How does this title contribute to an overall balance of diverse characters and authors throughout the year?
3. Reading level. What is the reading level of this book in relation to the reading levels of my students? Is this book accessible for all, half, or just some of my students? Is it good for the beginning, middle, or end of the year?
4. Thematic connections. How does this book connect thematically or structurally to what came before it and what will come later in our curriculum? How does it connect to the books students have been choosing and loving most for their independent reading? To issues students care about in the world?
5. Literary strengths. Which literary elements are strongest in this work? What opportunities does it provide to focus on the author's craft?
This may seem like an overwhelming list of considerations, but once I got used to thinking about each dimension of a single book, it became much easier to see the multiple dimensions at once and determine whether they combine to make a good whole novel choice. There is always an element of experimentation in teaching-- and a bit of a gamble in the choices we make--but the clearer I am on the theory behind my decisions, including anticipating weak points, the better prepared I am for what may come and the better the outcomes become.
Finally, my own assessment of any book is only part of the equation, since I'm not its primary audience in the whole novel study. A young adult book has to earn its respect from me personally, as well as from my students, in order to be accepted into the classroom canon. The classroom canon has nothing to do with the traditional literary canon out there, though. It's made up of books that my students widely love and, perhaps more important, are respected for their craft by those who don't love them. | http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/whole_story/2018/07/tips_for_selecting_a_book_for_.html |
Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI)
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) is embedded in the DNA of the Department and is at the heart of everything we strive to do. This reflects our desire to be proactive and courageous in our efforts to be truly inclusive, by supporting students and staff and removing frameworks and practices that maintain inequality and discrimination. Supporting these three pillars is critical to ensuring all members of our community can realise their potential, that we embrace and value differences and that each one of us feels like we belong in the Department.
Our supportive and inclusive culture has been rewarded by renewal of our Athena SWAN Gold Award in 2019. This represents an opportunity to continue to drive further positive change that will foster a positive environment for our diverse international community. As a Department we will never stand still.
From our inception we have strived to generate social value and impact through our research, teaching, outreach and entrepreneurship. We firmly believe that these efforts must be matched by supporting EDI everyday and placing it front and centre in our long-term strategies. | https://www.imperial.ac.uk/chemistry/about/equality-diversity-inclusion/ |
Last week, I offered up a few tips on how to get a family reading group going. Today, I’m recommending a few titles in three age brackets that are good books to read out loud in your family. November is National Family Literacy month, which is a good time to think about adding more reading time into your family time. To help get you started, I’m giving away a signed copy of Book by Book: The Complete Guide to Creating Mother-Daughter Book Clubs each Friday of the month. See this previous post to enter by leaving a comment.
Here are the titles I recommend. Many of them are classics that children will be exposed to for the first time, and some of them are new. In addition to telling a good story, most of these books are also laugh-out-loud funny.
Ages 2 to 4
At this age, children love to have the same books read to them over and over. They often memorize the words in picture books , which lets them “read” pages themselves. Here are a few new books mixed in with a few classics that you won’t mind reading and enjoying often.
- More Bears! By Kenn Nesbitt and Troy Cummings
- If I Could Keep You Little by Marianne Richmond
- My Name Is Not Isabella and My Name is Not Alexander by Jennifer Fosberry and Mike Litwin
- Go, Dog. Go! By P. D. Eastman
- Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss
- Before You Were Born by Jennifer Davis and Laura Cornell
- Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton
- If you Give a Moose a Muffin by Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond
Ages 5 to 8
At this age kids can understand a lot more than they can read on their own. They like stories about friendship and family.
- The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White
- The BFG by Roald Dahl
- Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle by Betty MacDonald
- The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary
- The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner
- The Iron Man by Ted Hughes
- Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
- Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater
Ages 9 to 12
Reading with your kids when they are this age is particularly rewarding. They may be spending less time with you and more time with their friends, so reading together is a good way to connect on a regular basis. | https://motherdaughterbookclub.com/2011/11/books-for-family-reading-groups-to-read-out-loud/ |
To foster an environment of independent reading in a school, you have to love reading. I do. But it was not always that way.
As a child, I was an expert at avoiding reading. Every trick—from pretending to read a book to finding summaries of books—I was versed in them all. I was fortunate to have parents who supported and encouraged me to grow as a reader, and the encouragement worked. But the question to ask is, what about students who do not have families or teachers supporting their growth as readers? Many never develop a personal reading life. I have learned that in my school I can foster and create an environment to support independent reading. Knowing the avoidance tricks has guided my collaborations with staff, and helped me communicate what needs to be in place in a school to get everyone on board with independent reading.
As an adult, my personal and professional reading lives have sustained my desire to continually learn and to read for pleasure. I value the fact that I can choose what to read, reread passages that speak to me, and talk about books and articles to friends and colleagues. To foster an independent reading culture, the principal must help teachers feel comfortable setting aside time for independent reading at school. Also, the principal must model how much he or she values reading by enlarging classroom libraries and making the school library an inviting place with comfortable spaces for students to read.
Research supports the benefit of independent reading, and it remains important for educators to make decisions consistent with research and best practice. Through reading, students enlarge background knowledge and vocabulary. But more important, students derive pleasure from their reading—pleasure in entering and living life in different worlds and cultures, as well as in stepping into a character’s life. The pleasure students experience is obvious when I visit a class and observe independent reading. However, I often wonder if schools are embracing independent reading and making it an integral part of their school’s culture.
Along with my belief in research, I also believe in good old-fashioned common sense. To develop skill and expertise at anything in life, you need to practice. Any sport from golf to basketball requires purposeful practice, and purposeful practice improves performance. If students want to become better readers, it makes sense for purposeful practice to be part of the improvement equation. A combination of independent reading and well-planned, differentiated instructional reading can improve reading skills. Being an excellent reader and writer are necessary for college and career readiness. Also, it’s important to remember students reading below grade level need to read more than their peers who are proficient and advanced readers.
I am a champion of independent reading. Are you? I believe the principal sets the tone through clearly communicated expectations and words of inspiration. Below are six ways a principal can encourage, promote, and foster independent reading for all, staff included!
-
Do a spot check, if you are new to a school. Are all staff encouraging independent reading? Is it being communicated to students? Are students reading independently in school?
-
Communicate the value of reading independently. I have known staff feel they might get in trouble with administration if students are reading independently.
-
Invest in classroom libraries and your school library. Where we put our money communicates what we value. If we value books and reading, money from the school budget needs to be spent on enlarging classroom libraries and adding books to schools’ central libraries.
-
Have students self-select books for independent reading. Do students have opportunities to “practice” the strategies and skills they’ve rehearsed during instructional reading and apply them to materials on their own? Self-selecting books gives students control of what they read which in turn develops self-confidence, literary taste, and a desire to repeat the enjoyable experience.
-
Make sure independent reading is enjoyable! I have known staff new to my school shy away from promoting independent reading because they don’t know how to hold kids accountable. Some think I might view independent reading as a poor use of class time. Neither is correct.
-
Model independent reading! Teachers who read in front of students send this powerful message to their students: as an adult, I place such a high value on reading that I read aloud to you every day.
Is your school making a concerted effort to promote independent reading? I challenge you to work with your team to create a culture where all the students in your school are always carrying an independent reading book! By encouraging kids to read accessible books on topics they love and want to know more about, you develop their motivation to read.
Independent reading should take place in school and out of school. I suggest thirty minutes of independent reading a night, and that should be their main language arts homework assignment. During the school week, try to set aside two days a week for students to complete independent reading at school. Reading in a classroom is valuable because it builds students’ stamina, ability to concentrate and get lost in a book. The principal needs to communicate this!
Please remember: if staff focuses on how to hold students accountable for reading or how to punish students who do not read, your efforts will fail. Find different, creative, and motivating ways to increase reading. You can have students present a brief, monthly book talk and enter completed books on a reading log. If your staff is stuck in fixed mindsets of accountability for independent reading, work with them to find more positive solutions such vlogs, blogs, book trailers, or book talks.
I am asking for a commitment to reading. As a school leader, department chair, or classroom teacher, what you value, communicate, and prioritize is like a cold: catching. My challenge and the challenge facing all principals is to make sure students experience independent reading of self-selected books at school and home!
This post is part of an ongoing series on independent reading. Read more: | https://edublog.scholastic.com/post/how-principals-can-foster-independent-reading |
The University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM) attributes its unique, internationally admired academic environment, in part, to the diversity of its student body, faculty, and staff. The SVM adheres to the university’s philosophy that diversity of students, faculty, and staff has a positive influence on the educational process and contributes substantially to the quality of programs and graduates.
One of the school’s fundamental principles is to foster a climate of diversity and inclusivity that is infused with high ethical standards, professionalism, and compassion.
Diversity of students is addressed by one of the seven strategic priorities of the school, which is to recruit a diverse and high-caliber population of students and support their success.
Prospective Students
The SVM has a commitment to increasing the representation of minority and disadvantaged groups in the veterinary medical profession. Diversity among members of the veterinary medical class will result in a profession better able to respond to the varied and changing needs of society. The SVM is also resolved to create teaching and learning environments that support diversity.
Veterinary Medical Students
Current veterinary medical students also are committed to increasing the number of underrepresented minority students and creating an environment that is inclusive of various cultures. Two of the student clubs at the UW-School of Veterinary Medicine that promote the ideals of a supportive and welcoming network for all students are:
Veterinarians as One Inclusive Community for Empowerment (VOICE) Chapter at UW-Madison is the local chapter representation for national organization, VOICE National. The primary goals of VOICE, both nationally and locally, are to increase the social awareness and education of veterinary students in subjects related to—but not limited to—social justice, diversity, multiculturalism, and inclusion. With regards to the VOICE Chapter at UW-Madison, its members strive to create an environment within the SVM that embraces diversity and promotes the success of ALL students.
Pride sVMC provides education and a supportive environment for LGBTQIA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Asexuality, and the “+” symbol simply stands for all of the other sexualities, sexes, and genders that aren’t included in these few letters) students, faculty, staff, and friends within the UW-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine. Overall, Pride sVMC strives to make veterinary schools more inclusive for all students, especially LGBT+ students via the initiation of important and courageous conversations about LGBTQIA+ inclusion, whilst maintaining much needed support for students who identify with the LGBTQIA+ community within the veterinary medical profession.
Veterinary Medical Profession
The American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) is also committed to diversity: “The AAVMC affirms the value of diversity within the veterinary medical profession. The membership is committed to incorporating that belief in its actions by advocating the recruitment and retention of underrepresented persons as students and faculty and ultimately fostering their success in veterinary medicine.”
The AAVMC also hosts the bi-annual Iverson Bell Symposium to discuss and promote issues of diversity in veterinary medicine. The UW School of Veterinary Medicine was selected to host the 2022 Iverson Bell Midwest Regional Diversity Summit.
Questions?
Please contact Richard Barajas, Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, at [email protected] or (608) 263-2488 with questions.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism Resources
The UW School of Veterinary Medicine is committed to creating a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion and supporting all of our students, faculty and staff. We encourage all in the SVM community to explore personal ways to understand and address racism and champion diversity, equity and inclusion. This page includes a variety of resources to learn, listen and take action. | https://www.vetmed.wisc.edu/about/diversity/ |
Share a Story/ Shape a Future is an annual blog event to promote literacy, celebrate books, and provide resources to teachers, parents, librarians, and readers. Join us March 5th- 9th.
This year’s theme is The Culture of Reading.
This week’s hosts are:
Mon, 5 Mar: Creating a reading culture
host: Donalyn Miller @ The Book Whisperer
Tue, 6 Mar: Reading as a passport to other worlds / cultures
host: Carol Rasco @ Rasco from RIF
Wed, 7 Mar: Understanding Readers
host: Terry Doherty @ Family Bookshelf
Thu, 8 Mar: A Reading Universe
host: Terry Doherty @ Share a Story
Fri, 9 Mar: Dear Reader ...
host: Share a Story
Creating a Reading Culture at Home
Parents often ask teachers and librarians for tips on how to encourage their children to read more at home. The conditions that foster lifelong reading habits in children are remarkably robust and apply to both home and school reading. Here are some suggestions for parents who want to create a reading culture at home.
Dedicate time for reading. If we make time for what we value, we must set aside reading time each day. Set aside at least twenty minutes each day for family reading time. Each family member may read something of their choice or the family can gather for a shared read aloud.
Carry books. Add a book for every family member to your leaving the house checklist. Running errands, doctor and dental appointments, haircuts, shopping--all provide stolen opportunities to read when children (and adults) are waiting and bored.
Read aloud. For most children, sharing books with family members is their first experience with books. Reading aloud to your children, even into the teenage years, reinforces a pleasurable bond between books and family. Sharing books as a family creates memorable experiences and provides topics for discussions, too.
Provide access to books. Children should experience a “book flood,” with abundant access to a wide-range of reading material. Take children to the library, buy books as presents, and subscribe to children’s magazines.
Role model a reading life. Children mimic the behaviors we model for them. If they see adults reading daily and enjoying it, children are more likely to perceive reading as meaningful. Adults, who read and share their love of reading with children, send a powerful message that reading matters.
Allow children to choose books. Children should choose most of the books they read. Forcing children to read books that don’t interest them turns many kids off reading altogether. While you may bemoan the less than highbrow selections your child chooses to read, support his/her independence and self-direction as a reader by celebrating free choice.
Check out more suggestions for creating a reading culture from today’s guest bloggers:
Building a Reading Culture in the Secondary Classroom by Sarah Mulhern at The Reading Zone
Reading Culture and Preservice Teachers by Kristin McIlhagga at Children’s Literature Crossroads
Building a Classroom Reading Culture by Cynthia Alaniz at Teaching in Cute Shoes
Choice--Share a Story/ Shape a Future by Doris Herrman at Reading, Writing, and Chocolate
Creating a Reading Culture in Mrs. Selke’s Lair by Maria Selke at Maria’s Melange
Share a Story/ Shape a Future logo courtesy of Elizabeth Dulemba.
The opinions expressed in The Book Whisperer are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications. | https://www.edweek.org/education/opinion-share-a-story-shape-a-future-creating-a-reading-culture-at-home/2012/03 |
Brightest, farthest pulsar ever detected
The discovery of a pulsar that is ten times brighter than the previous record holder is causing astronomers to rethink what we know about stars.
Astronomers have discovered a kind of spinning star called a pulsar that is the brightest ever observed, and ten times brighter than the previous record holder.
Pulsars are the compacted, dense remnants of massive stars that have exploded, and spin quickly while sending out pulses of radiation into space.
ESA’s XMM-Newton X-ray space observatory has spotted one such pulsar, named NGC 5907 X-1, that is a thousand times brighter than previously thought possible, and releases the same amount of energy in one second as our Sun does in 3.5 years.
It is also the farthest pulsar from Earth ever detected, some 50 million lightyears away.
"Before, it was believed that only black holes at least ten times more massive than our Sun feeding off their stellar companions could achieve such extraordinary luminosities, but the rapid and regular pulsations of this source are the fingerprints of neutron stars and clearly distinguish them from black holes," says lead author Gian Luca Israel, from INAF-Osservatorio Astronomica di Roma, Italy.
The discovery is also significant because the pulsar’s spin rate has changed from 1.43 seconds per rotation in 2003 to 1.13 seconds in 2014.
It is thought that such a rapid change in speed must be the result of a star consuming mass from a companion star.
"It is 1,000 times more luminous than the maximum thought possible for an accreting neutron star,” says Israel, “so something else is needed in our models in order to account for the enormous amount of energy released by the object."
Authors
Iain Todd is BBC Sky at Night Magazine's Content Editor. He fell in love with the night sky when he caught his first glimpse of Orion, aged 10. | https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/news/brightest-farthest-pulsar-ever-detected/ |
In the early 1990s, planetary history was made. In 1992, two astronomers, Alexander Wolszczan and Dale Frail, published a paper in Nature announcing the discovery of the very first planets outside the Solar System.
These two extrasolar planets, or exoplanets, were immediately intriguing. They were rocky worlds 4.3 and 3.9 times the mass of Earth, whirling in orbit around a type of dead star known as a millisecond pulsar, named PSR B1257+12, or Lich for short (Lich is a powerful living-dead creature in folklore). A third exoplanet 0.2 times the mass of Earth was confirmed to be orbiting the pulsar in 1994.
Now an analysis of hundreds of pulsars has revealed that such exoplanets are incredibly rare – almost vanishingly so.
Pulsars are pretty rare; only around 3,320 are known in the Milky Way at time of writing. Of those, astronomers now say, fewer than 0.5 percent are likely to have rocky, Earth-like worlds in orbit. That's just 16 pulsars.
Millisecond pulsars are even rarer, with around 550 known in the Milky Way. That makes humanity's very first exoplanet discoveries pretty freaking amazing.
All dead stars are fascinating, but pulsars add a bit of a kick to the interesting factor.
They're a kind of neutron star; that's the core of a dead star that has reached the end of its atomic fusion lifespan, ejected most of its outer material, and collapsed down into an object whose density is only outstripped by black holes. Neutron stars can be up to around 2.3 times the mass of the Sun, packed into a sphere just 20 kilometers (12 miles) across.
A pulsar is a rotating neutron star that has beams of radiation shooting from its poles. Such is its orientation that, as the pulsar rotates, its beams sweep past Earth, making the star appear to pulse. Think of a really dense cosmic lighthouse.
And because some pulsars have extremely fast rotation – on millisecond scales – those light pulses also occur on millisecond scales. For a better idea of what that means, you can listen to pulsar pulses translated into sound here.
This is a pretty extreme environment. It's possible for them to have exoplanets; since the discovery of Lich and its worlds, a handful of other pulsars have been discovered with exoplanets. However, most of these planets are giants, and those that aren't can get a bit weird, such as an ultradense world thought to be the remains of a white dwarf star cannibalized by the pulsar.
A team of astronomers led by Iuliana Nițu of the University of Manchester in the UK wanted to find out how common pulsar planets are. They conducted a survey of 800 pulsars monitored by the Jodrell Bank Observatory in the UK, looking for blips in the timing of the pulses that might indicate the presence of orbiting exoplanets.
"Pulsars are incredibly interesting and exotic objects," Nițu said.
"Exactly 30 years ago, the first extrasolar planets were discovered around a pulsar, but we are yet to understand how these planets can form and survive in such extreme conditions. Finding out how common these are, and what they look like is a crucial step towards this."
Their search parameters were set to find worlds from 1 percent of the Moon's mass up to 100 times the mass of Earth, with orbital periods between 20 days and 17 years. These search parameters would have detected the larger of Lich's two worlds, Poltergeist and Phobetor, which have orbital periods of 66 and 98 days respectively.
The team found that two-thirds of the pulsars in their sample are extremely unlikely to host exoplanets much heavier than Earth, and fewer than 0.5 percent are likely to host exoplanets in the mass range of Poltergeist and Phobetor.
The presence of exoplanets similar to the smaller exoplanet in the Lich system, Draugr, is a little harder to gauge.
Draugr, with its small mass and 25-day orbit, would not be detectable in 95 percent of the team's sample, since it would get lost in noise. It's unclear how many pulsars would be likely to host such tiny worlds; or even whether it's possible for those worlds to exist outside a multi-planet system.
Of the 800 pulsars, 15 showed periodic signals that could be attributed to exoplanets. However, the team believes that most of them can be attributed to the pulsar's magnetosphere. One pulsar in particular, PSR J2007+3120, looked like a promising candidate for follow-up exoplanet surveys.
That means just 0.5 percent of pulsars are likely to have Earth-like worlds, the team concluded, which means the likelihood of us stumbling across a far distant planet with a rare millisecond pulsar for a star is pretty tiny.
The team also found that pulsar systems are not biased towards any range of exoplanet size or mass. However, any such exoplanets around a pulsar would have extremely elliptical orbits. This is in stark contrast to the nearly circular orbits seen in the Solar System, and suggests that, however they formed, the process was different from the one that produces planets around baby stars just starting their life.
The team's research was presented last week at the National Astronomy Meeting in the UK, and published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. | https://www.sciencealert.com/humanity-s-first-ever-exoplanet-discovery-was-a-massive-fluke |
AR Scorpio is the home of the first white dwarf pulsar (energy star) discovered in history, and it cruelly mocks its red dwarf partner.
Astronomers understood the truth of the tangent white dwarf, who was accused of cruelty to his red comrade. The binary nature of Scorpion's AR was revealed when the Hubble Space Telescope carefully looked at the estimated variable star, located 380 light-years from Earth. It turned out that there are two whole stars, and this speaks of a binary system consisting of tiny white and red dwarfs whose orbit is 8,000,000 miles distant (three times the distance Earth-Moon).
Excessively bright radiation pulses in all bands of the electromagnetic spectrum were puzzling. And it remained a mystery until Hubble realized that the white dwarf was in tow and was driving the first object with his impulses. It turned out that he somehow activated the binary system, causing a rapid acceleration of electrons, which created a powerful radiation beam when the dwarf turns around once every two minutes. And this beam inexorably hits the red object.
With a magnetic field 100 million times larger than a terrestrial, white dwarf is almost a forced accelerator of elementary particles, and its every rotation creates something like a beacon with a beam directed towards us. And we notice this signal in the form of regular pulses. “It's just a giant magnet, the size of the Earth, whose field is 10,000 times stronger than any reproducible in the laboratory,” said Boris Gansik of the University of Warwick. “It charges his neighbor with a huge amount of electrical current, which we see as a change in light.”
The classic pulsars consist of more compact neutron stars, which are produced after a massive star transforms into a supernova. The entire stellar magnetic field is kept on the fast rotation of the neutron star, which then generates powerful radiation from the poles. As the pulsar spins, we observe these precise flashes.
Although white dwarfs are created after the death of a star, they are not produced by supernovae. Stars smaller than ours Sun do not explode at the end of their lives like red ones. When the cycle is completed, the star remnant remains - a white dwarf that resembles the Earth in size. And before that, no such object with the properties of pulsars was found.
“The new data shows that the Scorpion AR light has a high degree of polarization, demonstrating the fact that the magnetic field controls the radiation of the entire system,” said Tom Marsh of the University of Warwick. | https://great-spacing.com/publication/229/ |
A massive star can die when its core collapses in on itself, causing an explosion called a supernova. Some of the most important remnants of supernovae are pulsars—extremely dense stars composed mainly of neutrons.
Now, a new pulsar has been discovered by an international collaboration of researchers using the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope1, which was launched in June 2008. The researchers, including Nobuyuki Kawai at RIKEN’s Advanced Science Institute in Wako, hope that this new pulsar could help to explain several unidentified gamma ray sources throughout the galaxy.
Pulsars get their name because they are highly magnetized and rotate at great speeds to emit beams of electromagnetic radiation in pulses. These pulses are so regular they have been compared to the accuracy of an atomic clock.
Many pulsars are associated with supernovae remnants; for example the famous Crab nebula is fed by a wind of relativistic particles from an energetic pulsar at its center.
Kawai and co-workers discovered their new pulsar in a supernova remnant called CTA 1 (Fig. 1), which is relatively young having exploded between 5,000 and 15,000 years ago. CTA 1 was previously studied using the EGRET telescope on NASA’s Compton Gamma Ray Observatory satellite, but this device was not capable of proving the existence of a pulsar.
The Large Area Telescope on the new Fermi satellite is more sensitive and can probe much higher energies than EGRET. The researchers were able to record just over 900 gamma-ray photons from CTA 1 before the Fermi telescope was even fully calibrated. They observed significant pulsations in the gamma radiation, occurring at intervals of 317 milliseconds.
The researchers calculated that the pulsar is roughly 14,000 years old, by assuming that it has been losing speed over its lifetime by emitting radiation. They also found that it has the second-highest magnetic field of known gamma-ray pulsars.
In the past, most pulsars were identified by observing pulsations in their radio-frequency emissions. However the researchers recorded no radio signal from the pulsar in CTA 1, probably because it emits a narrow beam of radio waves that is not in the line of sight of the telescope. This implies that there are many other ‘gamma-ray-loud but radio-quiet’ pulsars that could now be verified by recording gamma rays with the Fermi telescope.
In their paper, published in Science, the researchers say: “This pulsar detection implies that many of the yet-unidentified low latitude Galactic gamma-ray sources also could be pulsars.”
Reference
1. Abdo, A.A., Ackermann, M., Atwood, W.B., Baldini, L., Ballet, J., Barbiellini, G., Baring, M.G., Bastieri, D., Baughman, B.M., Bechtol, K., et al. The Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope discovers the pulsar in the young galactic supernova remnant CTA 1. Science 322, 1218–1221 (2008). | https://www.asiaresearchnews.com/html/article.php/aid/4184/cid/2/research/science/riken/pinpointing_pulsars.html |
As telescopes and radio astronomy instrumentation get better and more sensitive, our ability to probe time-sensitive phenomena in our universe increases greatly. I use that sensitivity to learn more about short timescale events in the radio sky. Specifically working with radio surveys like the SUrvey for Pulsars and Extragalactic Radio Bursts (SUPERB) and the Apertif LOFAR Exploration of the Radio Transient sky (ALERT) I look for sources like pulsars, rotating radio transients (RRATs), and fast radio bursts - single transient events. Understanding the nature of these different sources gives a better picture of the makeup of our Galaxy and allows us to probe deeper and further in ways that have not previously been possible such as looking in greater detail at features and changes in the interstellar medium (ISM) between stars in the Milky Way. I am currently working as a postdoctoral researcher at ASTRON - the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy - with Dr. Joeri van Leeuwen to find more FRBs and understand their nature.
Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs)
In recent radio surveys at Parkes astronomers looking for new pulsars also found a new type of pulsed object since called Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs). Fast radio bursts appear as single, bright, very short radio pulses that have never been seen to repeat. The pulses only last for a few milliseconds, similar to the duration of a pulsar pulse, but have properties that lead us to believe that they originate far outside the Milky Way, where normal pulsars cannot be detected.
So what could be the source of FRBs? Many different theories exist as to what causes FRB pulses but none has yet been confirmed. Some believe they are explosions in distant galaxies, or flares caused by distant magnetars, highly magnetic pulsars that emit bursts of powerful radiation. I work on several observing campaigns currently trying to answer these questions!
Based on the number of FRBs that have been found in radio surveys so far, we believe that up to 5,000 FRB bursts happen over the whole sky every day! Meaning that if we had very sensitive eyes that could see at radio wavelengths, we could look up into the sky and see an FRB twinkle every 30-60 seconds!
FRBs are a new and exciting mystery object that I work to understand. Collecting data and testing theories is the best way to understand their origins and some of my most recent work focuses on these incredible new sources.
Pulsars and Radio Transients
Pulsars are a subclass of neutron stars. Neutron stars are what's left over after a large star goes supernova. The remaining core is extremely dense and spins very quickly. Neutron stars have two large radio jets that come out of each of the star's magnetic poles. As these beams sweep across the sky they act like a lighthouse in space, and if these beams cross our line of sight at Earth, we can observe this with a radio telescope, and we see a 'blip' every time the star rotates. In this case we call the star a pulsar. Pulsars have been observed to rotate anywhere between about 1 and 1000 times a second. That means a star a few kilometers wide spinning as fast as a kitchen blender!!
The pulses from pulsars are very regular, much like a clock, and interesting experiments can be done to monitor their pulses over time. Pulsar pulses can also be used to probe the interstellar medium (ISM) as things like density of charged electrons and turbulence of the medium can be determined from the interstellar medium's effect on pulsar pulses. For all the pulsars in our Galaxy (more than 2500 to date) we can measure the effects on their pulses from the ISM and build a map of the diffuse material between the stars. I use pulsars to study this medium and apply this work to making our measurements of pulsar pulses more precise.
A sub-class of pulsars called rotating radio transients (RRATs) only behave like pulsars a fraction of the time. We observe pulsed radio emission, like pulsars, but not for every rotation of the star. For a normal pulsar that rotates once per second, we would see 60 pulses in one minute. For an RRAT with the same period, we might expect anywhere between 0 and 59 pulses. Based on the number of RRATs we have seen so far and the amount of "on" time they spend on average, the total number of RRATs is likely much larger than the total number of 'normal' pulsars! The best way to find the RRATs is through high time resolution radio surveys. I work on these surveys to find new RRATs, and try to understand what makes them 'tick' so differently from normal pulsars.
Fun fact: The Crab pulsar (above image from NASA) is one of the youngest pulsars known and lives in the very distinctive Crab Nebula. The supernova explosion that produced the Crab pulsar occurred in the year 1054 and was documented by Chinese astronomers.
Watch a great Swinburne video about FRBs here.
Observing Projects and Proposals
I am involved with a number of ongoing research proposals at the CSIRO Parkes Radio Telescope in Australia. The Parkes telescope continues to operate at the forefront of pulsar astronomy and many of the most groundbreaking pulsar discoveries have happened at Parkes. Below are listed a few of the projects in which I am currently active.
SUPERB - the SUrvey for Pulsars and Extragalactic Radio Bursts
More information about SUPERB can be found on our public webpage. SUPERB began in April 2014 and will be the most sensitive and most ambitious radio survey ever conducted at Parkes. The project will collect terabytes of data and search for isolated pulsars, pulsar binaries, and fast radio bursts, all in real time - something never before attempted. I am very excited about the results coming out of this survey in the next few years.
Transient Radio Neutron Stars
This project has been active at the Parkes telescope for more than three years and has been responsible for the majority of the known RRATs in the Galaxy. I currently lead this project where we focus on re-observing RRATs discovered during the High Time Resolution Universe survey (HTRU). An initial RRAT detection may be nothing more than a single radio pulse. Further observations are required to confirm the candidate and start understanding its underlying behavior. This project is slated to continue through 2014 with the goal of confirming some 50 new RRATs from the HTRU survey.
A Follow-up Campaign for Fast Radio Bursts
I began this observing project in April 2014 with the goal of understanding FRB emission. Currently, some theories about FRB origins propose that they are not from cataclysmic events, but rather regular, flare-type bursts that would be expected to repeat on some timescale. In this project we re-observe the positions of known FRBs in an attempt to detect repeated emission or set limits on possible repeating timescales. Based on the time on sky allocated to this project (80 hours this semester) we might even expect a new FRB to occur during our observations!
PULSE@Parkes PULar Student Exploration online at Parkes
PULSE@Parkes is a fantastic outreach program conducted by the astronomers at CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science center to give high school students around the world a taste of what it is like to be a pulsar astronomer. The team involved with this project brings students into the Parkes observing facilities in Sydney, or brings a remote set-up to the classroom and gives students the ability to control the operation of the Parkes Telescope and collect their own pulsar data. The sessions are conducted by pulsar astronomers who teach the students about pulsars and answer questions related to careers in science.
I only participate in this project when I travel to Sydney or when the team comes to Melbourne, but the program is incredibly rewarding for the students, teachers, and astronomers who participate. More information can be found on the PULSE@Parkes webpage.
Deeper, Wider, Faster: Optical counterparts to the fastest bursts in the sky
Although not an optical astronomer, I have recently joined a team currently looking for optical counterparts to fast radio bursts. As the progenitors of the bursts are still unknown, all efforts to search for similar types of bursts, in radio or other wavelengths, has been an area of increasing interest. This observing project uses the 4m optical telescope on Cerro Tololo in La Serena, Chile. We search optical fields with very deep imaging to detect any possible sources that might be affiliated with FRBs. The data taken during these observations will probe an entirely new regime of fast, dim optical transients. | https://www.ebpetroff.com/my-research |
Presentation is loading. Please wait.
Published byJeffery Southgate Modified about 1 year ago
1
2
Chapter 13 The Bizarre Stellar Graveyard
3
White Dwarfs... n...are stellar remnants for low-mass stars. n...are found in the centers of planetary nebula. n...have diameters about the same as the Earth’s. n...have masses less than the Chandrasekhar mass.
4
Sirius B is a white dwarf star
5
Sirius A And Sirius B In X-ray Sirius B Sirius A
6
Novas and Supernovas n Nova - a stellar explosion n Supernova - a stellar explosion that marks the end of a star’s evolution n White Dwarf Supernova (Type I supernova)- occur in binary systems in which one is a white dwarf n Massive Star Supernova (Type II Supernova) - occur when a massive star’s iron core collapses
7
Close Binary Systems and Mass Transfer
8
March 1935May 1935 Nova Herculis
9
Diagram of nova process
10
A nova occurs when hydrogen fusion ignites on the surface of a white dwarf star system Nova T Pyxidis (HST)
11
Light Curve of typical Nova
12
Semidetached Binary System With White Dwarf Star (may result in a white dwarf (type I ) supernova)
13
Type II Supernova n The star releases more energy in a just a few minutes than it did during its entire lifetime. »Example: SN 1987A n After the explosion of a massive star, a huge glowing cloud of stellar debris - a supernova remnant - steadily expands. »Example: Crab Nebula n After a supernova the exposed core is seen as a neutron star - or if the star is more than 3 solar masses the core becomes a black hole.
14
The remnant of this explosion is The Crab Nebula On July 4, 1054 astronomers in China witnessed a supernova within our own galaxy.
15
Supernova 1987a
16
Type I and Type II Supernova
17
Supernova Light Curves
18
Hydrogen and Helium Burning
19
20
Carbon Burning and Helium Capture
21
Still heavier elements are created in the final stages of life of massive stars
22
Alpha Process – Helium Capture produces heavier elements up to Fe and Ni.
23
Elements beyond Fe and Ni involve neutron capture. Formation of Elements beyond Iron occurs very rapidly as the star approaches supernova. This forms unstable nuclei which then decay into stable nuclei of other elements
24
n The supernova explosion then distributes the newly formed matter throughout the interstellar space (space between the stars). n This new matter goes into the formation of interstellar debris. n The remnant core is a dense solid core of neutrons – a neutron star!
25
Neutron Stars n...are stellar remnants for high-mass stars. n...are found in the centers of some type II supernova remnants. n...have diameters of about 6 miles. n...have masses greater than the Chandrasekhar mass. (1.4M n...have masses greater than the Chandrasekhar mass. (1.4M )
26
Relative Sizes EarthWhite Dwarf Neutron Star
27
Pulsars n The first pulsar observed was originally thought to be signals from extraterrestrials. n (LGM-Little Green Men was their first designation) ~ 20 seconds of Jocelyn Bell’s data- the first pulsar discovered Period = seconds exact!
28
n It was later shown to be unlikely that the pulsar signal originated from extraterrestrial intelligence after many other pulsars were found all over the sky.
29
Pulsars n The pulsing star inside the Crab Nebula was a pulsar. n Pulsars are rotating, magnetized neutron stars.
30
The Crab Nebula
31
The Crab Pulsar Period = seconds = 33 milliseconds
32
Light House Model –Beams of radiation emanate from the magnetic poles. –As the neutron star rotates, the beams sweep around the sky. –If the Earth happens to lie in the path of the beams, we see a pulsar.
33
Rotating Neutron Star
34
Light House model of neutron star emission accounts for many properties of observed Pulsars
35
Artistic rendering of the light house model
36
Rotation Rates of Pulsars n The neutron stars that appear to us as pulsars rotate about once every second or less. n Before a star collapses to a neutron star it probably rotates about once every 25 days. n Why is there such a big change in rotation rate? n Answer: Conservation of Angular Momentum
37
38
Neutron –Star Binaries
39
Mass Limits n Low mass stars –Less than 8 M on Main Sequence –Become White Dwarf (< 1.4 M ) »Electron Degeneracy Pressure n High Mass Stars –Less than 100 M on Main Sequence –Become Neutron Stars (1.4M < M < 3M ) »Neutron Degeneracy Pressure
40
Black Holes n...are stellar remnants for high-mass stars. –i.e. remnant cores with masses greater than 3 solar masses n …have a gravitational attraction that is so strong that light cannot escape from it. n …are found in some binary star systems and there may be super-massive black holes in the centers of some galaxies.
41
Supermassive Stars n If the stellar core has more than three solar masses after supernova, then no known force can halt the collapse Black Hole Black holes were first predicted by the General Theory of Relativity, which is theory of gravity that corrects for some of the short-falls of Newton’s Theory of Gravity.
42
In general Relativity, space, time and mass are all interconnected
43
Space-Time No mass Distortion caused by mass
44
Predictions of General Relativity n Advance of Mercury’s perihelion n Bending of starlight
45
Advance of Mercury’s Perihelion 43” per century not due to perturbations from other planets
46
Bending of Starlight Sun Light from star bent by the gravity of the Sun Apparent position of the star 1.75”
47
Schwarzschild Black Hole RsRs Singularity + Event Horizon R s = 3(Mass) Mass R s 3 M 9 km
48
Near a Black Hole
49
What Can We Know? n Mass –gravity n Charge –Electric Fields n Rotation Rate –Co-rotation
50
How Can We Find Them? n Look for X-ray sources –Must come from compact source »White Dwarf »Neutron Star »Black Hole –Differentiate by Mass »WD - < 1.4 M »NS - between 1.4 and 3 M »BH - > 3 M
51
Cygnus X-1
52
End of Chapters
53
End of Section.
54
Nucleosynthesis Evolutionary Time Scales for a 15 M Star
55
Energy Budget Energy Fusion Stages H He C Fe
56
Anazasi Pictographs
57
Supernova 1998S in NGC 3877
58
Supernova Remnants Tycho’s SNR
59
PSR
60
LGM? n Several more found at widely different places in the galaxy n Power of a power equals total power potential output of the Earth n No Doppler shifts PULSARS
61
Light Time Argument n An object which varies its light can be no larger than the distance light can travel in the shortest period of variation.
62
To Darken the Sun Time Delay = Radius/c 500,000 km/300,000 km/s = 1.67 sec
63
Only candidates: White Dwarfs, Neutron Stars
64
Pulse Mechanisms F Binary Stars - How quickly can two stars orbit? 3Two WD about 1 m 3Two NS about 1 s. 3Neutron Stars in orbit should emit gravity waves which should be detectable. F Oscillations - Depends only on density 3WD about ten seconds 3NS about.001 s Little variation permitted. F Rotation - Until the object begins to break up. 3WD about 1 s 3NS about.001 s with large variation.
65
SS 433
66
Synchrotron Radiation Magnetic lines of force Electron Radiation
67
Glitches
Similar presentations
© 2016 SlidePlayer.com Inc.
All rights reserved. | http://slideplayer.com/slide/4208078/ |
Origin: From pulsating star, patterned after quasar.
Freebase
Pulsar
A pulsar is a highly magnetized, rotating neutron star that emits a beam of electromagnetic radiation. This radiation can only be observed when the beam of emission is pointing toward the Earth, much the way a lighthouse can only be seen when the light is pointed in the direction of an observer, and is responsible for the pulsed appearance of emission. Neutron stars are very dense, and have short, regular rotational periods. This produces a very precise interval between pulses that range from roughly milliseconds to seconds for an individual pulsar. The precise periods of pulsars makes them useful tools. Observations of a pulsar in a binary neutron star system were used to indirectly confirm the existence of gravitational radiation. The first extrasolar planets were discovered around a pulsar, PSR B1257+12. Certain types of pulsars rival atomic clocks in their accuracy in keeping time.
Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of PULSAR in Chaldean Numerology is: 5
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of PULSAR in Pythagorean Numerology is: 6
Sample Sentences & Example Usage
But there is another class of compact objects called white dwarfs, bigger, the size of the earth. So rather than 10 kilometers in size we are looking at 6,000 kilometers and we’ve just discovered the very first white dwarf pulsar.
Images & Illustrations of PULSAR
Translations for PULSAR
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- نباضArabic
- пульса́рBelarusian
- пулса́рBulgarian
- púlsarCatalan, Valencian
- pulsar, pulzarCzech
- pulsarDanish
- PulsarGerman
- πάλσαρGreek
- pulsaroEsperanto
- púlsarSpanish
- تپاختPersian
- pulsariFinnish
- pulsarFrench
- pulsárIrish
- פולסרHebrew
- pulzárHungarian
- պուլսարArmenian
- pulsaroIdo
- パルサーJapanese
- 펄서Korean
- pulsarasLithuanian
- pulsārsLatvian
- pulsarMalay
- pulsarDutch
- pulsarNorwegian
- pulsarPolish
- pulsarPortuguese
- pulsarRomanian
- пульса́рRussian
- пу̀лса̄р, pùlsārSerbo-Croatian
- púlzarSlovene
- pulsarSwedish
- พัลซาร์Thai
- pulsar, atarcaTurkish
- пульса́рUkrainian
- sao xungVietnamese
- pebastelVolapük
Get even more translations for PULSAR »
Translation
Find a translation for the PULSAR definition in other languages:
Select another language:
Discuss these PULSAR definitions with the community:
Word of the Day
Would you like us to send you a FREE new word definition delivered to your inbox daily?
Citation
Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:
"PULSAR." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2017. Web. 23 Feb. 2017. <http://www.definitions.net/definition/PULSAR>. | http://www.definitions.net/definition/PULSAR |
Sep 12, 2018
Neutron stars cannot exist.
“The sky was clear—remarkably clear—and the twinkling of all the stars seemed to be but throbs of one body, timed by a common pulse.”
—Thomas Hardy
On June 13, 2012 NASA launched the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) on a mission to study X-rays in what are thought to be the remnants of supernova explosions, called pulsars. NuStar joins other X-ray space telescopes like Chandra and XMM-Newton, except that it is capable of focusing X-rays to a sharp point, enabling it to “see” energies up to 79,000 electron-volts. That capability makes it more than 100 times more powerful than the other observatories.
Pulsars are often reported to be “lighthouses” in space, with rotating beams concentrated at specific points on their surfaces. Gravitational theory relies on a rotational mechanism for their pulsations, so when the spin of a pulsar brings its beam in line with telescopes on Earth, a flash of light is visible.
Pulsars are said to be neutron stars with magnetic fields measuring over 10^15 Gauss. For comparison, Earth’s magnetic field is about one-half Gauss. It must be stressed, though, that no neutron star has ever been observed. Since the magnetic fields pulse in fractions of a second, and it is well-established that magnetic fields are induced by electric currents, there must be electricity generating the intense fields in a pulsar.
However, as mentioned, the rotation rates of some pulsars are faster than once every second. Nothing can withstand the forces involved with those spin rates, so “neutron stars” were mathematically created. Only something so dense was thought able to withstand the rotational velocity.
For example, the Crab Nebula pulses at 30 times per second, or 30 hertz. That means the star is theoretically rotating 30 times per second. There are pulsars with frequencies as high as 716 hertz, as well. In an Electric Universe, the regular frequency is not mechanically generated. Instead, it is the capacitive, resistive, and inductive electrical environment around a star that generates oscillations.
Recently, astrophysicists from the University of Cagliari, Italy, used the NuSTAR telescope to observe IGR J17591−2342, an X-ray source spinning at 527.4 Hertz (1.9 milliseconds).
Picture of the Day articles address the problem of neutron stars; considering them to be imaginary objects. Gravity-only cosmology makes neutron star theory necessary, because gravity has endless powers in the consensus view. However, compacted matter and extreme rotation are not necessary. Electricity traveling through circuits provides a coherent explanation that is consistent with commonly accepted electromagnetic theories, as well as with laboratory experiments.
Pulsar oscillations are caused by resonant effects in those electric circuits. A release of stored electrical energy in a “double layer” is responsible for their energetic outbursts. Pulsars often shine in X-ray and gamma-ray light. The outbursts begin with a sudden peak of energy, and then gradually decline, like a stroke of lightning. It seems more likely that an immense concentration of electricity being focused by some kind of “plasma gun” effect is driving pulsar behavior. | https://www.thunderbolts.info/wp/2018/09/12/nuclear-fantasies/ |
How and why is the timing and occurrence of seasonal migrants in the Gulf of Maine changing due to climate?
Links
- More information: Publisher Index Page
- Download citation as: RIS | Dublin Core
Abstract
Plants and animals undergo certain recurring life-cycle events, such as migrations between summer and winter habitats or the annual blooming of plants. Known as phenology, the timing of these events is very sensitive to changes in climate (and changes in one species’ phenology can impact entire food webs and ecosystems). Shifts in phenology have been described as a “fingerprint” of the temporal and spatial responses of wildlife to climate change impacts. Thus, phenology provides one of the strongest indicators of the adaptive capacity of organisms (or the ability of organisms to cope with future environmental conditions).
In this study, researchers are exploring how the timing and occurrence of a number of highly migratory marine animals is changing due to a series of climatic and ecological shifts. First, using existing long-term historical data series, they will determine the direction and magnitude of how migration, abundance, or other phenological factors have changed for marine mammals, sea turtles, and fishes that migrate into the Gulf of Maine on a seasonal basis. Because marine animals are inherently difficult to detect, the team will apply dynamic occupancy models to evaluate seasonal migration patterns and habitat use across multiple habitats in the Gulf of Maine region. The project team will also synthesize regional information on a key, ecologically-important prey fish, sandlance, whose timing and abundance is a strong predictor of the occurrence and behavior of predator species targeted in this study as well as a range of other regional fish and wildlife of conservation and management concern. Results from this component of the project will identify coastal fish and wildlife species that are relatively more or less able to adapt and thus potentially vulnerable to climate change; determine the likely primary drivers of those changes; and identify data gaps and future monitoring needs. Ultimately, this information will be available and useful for regional coastal management and adaptation decisions that will allow managers to effectively plan for the future.
In a second component of the project, researchers will focus specifically on changes in migration patterns of the endangered North Atlantic right whale. While shifts in the distribution and time of recurring life events are adaptive responses that may help species cope with climate impacts, they can also lead to changes in how species interact with humans. The North Atlantic right whale is one of the most endangered whale species on the planet. In the North Atlantic Ocean, ship strikes and entanglements with commercial fishing gear represent fatal threats to right whales. Recent reports suggest that North Atlantic right whale migration patterns have changed. Many researchers posit that shifts in migration are responsible for recent increases in the overlap between right whales and human activities, especially fishing. To help understand how changes in right whale movements and behaviors may overlap with ship traffic, and thus put the animals at risk of encountering vessels, we will combine right whale habitat models with ship traffic maps. The end result will be a set of maps identifying risk levels. | https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/70213232 |
Waters along Australia’s most densely populated south-east coast are warming at 3.8 times the global average rate, the most rapid change in the Southern Hemisphere. Ecosystems in this region are therefore likely to be severely impacted by climate change and significant biodiversity change is expected. The rapid nature of these ecosystem changes requires science-based decisions about where, how and when to apply adaptive management interventions. Well informed predictive models are needed to estimate likely ecological changes and inform management actions such as spatial closures to protect vulnerable habitats, translocation of key predators, or direct manipulation of abundances of threatening and or threatened species. Our study addressed these challenges using a mix of long-term (up to 20-yr) monitoring records of fishes, invertebrates and macro-algae in, and adjacent to marine reserves in the region undertaken as part of University and/or State agency research programs. This was coupled with spatially extensive species abundance data derived from the Reef life Survey citizen science program (http://reeflifesurvey.com/) to examine past, and predict future ecological responses to warming, including assemblage changes, kelp decline and predator-prey relationships.
In the initial phase of the study we focussed on examining temporal patterns in species abundance and the relationship with physical drivers such as temperature. For many species there was no clear relationshipevident, as the time-series of observations were, as yet, generally insufficient through time to detect relationships with changing environmental variables such as mean monthly temperature. The 20 year dataset from Maria Island proved to be the most meaningful in this context, and could readily be matched with oceanographical variables derived from a nearby CSIRO monitoring station. While few individual species in this dataset could be clearly determined to be responding to climate signals through time, a range of community level metrics did show significant trends when examined for the fish assemblage. Signatures of a warming trend could be seen in metrics such as functional trait richness, and functional diversity, reflecting increasing abundances of warm affinity species and species traits such as herbivory. It is this latter trait that may have one of the largest initial impacts in the SE region of Australia, as, prior to recent warming, herbivorous fishes were relatively rare in the cool temperate zone, thus their increasing biomass may reflect a significant change in system function through time.
One notable feature was that in some metrics, such as thermal affinity, there was a differing response to warming between the unfished sites in the Maria Island marine reserve and adjacent fished reference sites. These differences reflect “resilience” of the reserve to some aspects of climate change. The primary mechanism underlying this appears to be related to increased top down control of sea urchins within the reserve (via lobster predation) reducing the extent of urchin barren formation that in turn provides habitat for many warmer affinity species. The message from this is that MPAs can provide increased “resilience” to climate chance effects, particularly when these are driven by an ecosystem engineer such as the Long spined urchin Centrostephanus rodgersii. However, this resilience is context dependent, as in many areas such lobster/urchin interactions may not be the primary drivers of ecosystem function on reefs, or where they are, resilience can, and should, be enhanced in off reserve areas as well, by appropriate changes in fishery management. Ultimately this management needs to be informed by long-term studies examining differences between fished and protected areas at representative locations along our coastline, building on existing studies to extend that time series over future years of warming.
In the second phase of the study we modelled the latitudinal species abundance curves of a wide range of fish and mobile invertebrate species in order to identify the current shape of the curves and their abundance centres, and use these distributions to predict both likely future distributions and the relative contributions of individual species under possible climate change scenarios. The use of Reef Life Survey (RLS) data was essential for this modelling, as existing data from MPA and reef health monitoring programs was too sparse to identify both core abundance areas and the spatial extent of rarer abundances in the tails of species distributions. In addition, in many cases, knowing the upper thermal limit of distributions is important for refining models and examining likely losses at northern extent of ranges, and the RLS dataset was unique in providing abundance data across that range. Overall, the modelled distributions are invaluable for estimating the extent that some species will extend their central maximum abundance distributions into parts of SE Australia, or to the south of Tasmania and hence be lost, or simply increase/decrease marginally in influence if the distribution has a long tail around a central peak. The predicted likely emergent community at any location is clearly dependent on site (exposure regime etc), likely temperature increase through time, and the time for communities to come to equilibrium. Recent research suggests there will be a 2 deg C increase in temperature in the SE region by 2060, under the A1B scenario of the IPCC (Oliver et al. 2014). Under that basis we can determine likely assemblages based on our distribution data, and use that to inform discussions by the biological and resource management community as to future adaptation options, both with respect to conservation and fishery management outcomes. We have some confidence that our species distribution models are likely to predict the general species distribution following warming, as an additional study undertaken as part of this project determined that during the previous period of warming in this region, the range expansion of many species closely tracked the climate warming velocity. That change was surprisingly irrespective of individual species traits, such as dispersal capability via adult or larval movement.
Centrostephanus will be declining at a time when increasing numbers are needed to arrest likely barren formation.
4. To develop models that quantify and predict the impacts of climate change on inshore reef communities of fishes, invertebrates and macroalgae across the southeast Australian region so that potential responses to change can be identified, considered and developed appropriately. | http://www.frdc.com.au/project/2010-506 |
We live amid a global wave of anthropogenically driven biodiversity loss: species and population extirpations and, critically, declines in local species abundance. Particularly, human impacts on animal biodiversity are an under-recognized form of global environmental change. Among terrestrial vertebrates, 322 species have become extinct since 1500, and populations of the remaining species show 25% average decline in abundance. Invertebrate patterns are equally dire: 67% of monitored populations show 45% mean abundance decline. Such animal declines will cascade onto ecosystem functioning and human well-being. Much remains unknown about this “Anthropocene defaunation”; these knowledge gaps hinder our capacity to predict and limit defaunation impacts. Clearly, however, defaunation is both a pervasive component of the planet’s sixth mass extinction and also a major driver of global ecological change.
In the past 500 years, humans have triggered a wave of extinction, threat, and local population declines that may be comparable in both rate and magnitude with the five previous mass extinctions of Earth’s history (1). Similar to other mass extinction events, the effects of this “sixth extinction wave” extend across taxonomic groups, but they are also selective, with some taxonomic groups and regions being particularly affected (2). Here, we review the patterns and consequences of contemporary anthropogenic impact on terrestrial animals. We aim to portray the scope and nature of declines of both species and abundance of individuals and examine the consequences of these declines. So profound is this problem that we have applied the term “defaunation” to describe it. This recent pulse of animal loss, hereafter referred to as the Anthropocene defaunation, is not only a conspicuous consequence of human impacts on the planet but also a primary driver of global environmental change in its own right. In comparison, we highlight the profound ecological impacts of the much more limited extinctions, predominantly of larger vertebrates, that occurred during the end of the last Ice Age. These extinctions altered ecosystem processes and disturbance regimes at continental scales, triggering cascades of extinction thought to still reverberate today (3, 4).
The term defaunation, used to denote the loss of both species and populations of wildlife (5), as well as local declines in abundance of individuals, needs to be considered in the same sense as deforestation, a term that is now readily recognized and influential in focusing scientific and general public attention on biodiversity issues (5). However, although remote sensing technology provides rigorous quantitative information and compelling images of the magnitude, rapidity, and extent of patterns of deforestation, defaunation remains a largely cryptic phenomenon. It can occur even in large protected habitats (6), and yet, some animal species are able to persist in highly modified habitats, making it difficult to quantify without intensive surveys.
Analyses of the impacts of global biodiversity loss typically base their conclusions on data derived from species extinctions (1, 7, 8), and typically, evaluations of the effects of biodiversity loss draw heavily from small-scale manipulations of plants and small sedentary consumers (9). Both of these approaches likely underestimate the full impacts of biodiversity loss. Although species extinctions are of great evolutionary importance, declines in the number of individuals in local populations and changes in the composition of species in a community will generally cause greater immediate impacts on ecosystem function (8, 10). Moreover, whereas the extinction of a species often proceeds slowly (11), abundance declines within populations to functionally extinct levels can occur rapidly (2, 12). Actual extinction events are also hard to discern, and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) threat categories amalgamate symptoms of high risk, conflating declining population and small populations so that counts of threatened species do not necessarily translate into extinction risk, much less ecological impact (13). Although the magnitude and frequency of extinction events remain a potent way of communicating conservation issues, they are only a small part of the actual loss of biodiversity (14).
The Anthropocene defaunation process
Defaunation: A pervasive phenomenon
Of a conservatively estimated 5 million to 9 million animal species on the planet, we are likely losing ~11,000 to 58,000 species annually (15, 16). However, this does not consider population extirpations and declines in animal abundance within populations.
Across vertebrates, 16 to 33% of all species are estimated to be globally threatened or endangered (17, 18), and at least 322 vertebrate species have become extinct since 1500 (a date representative of onset of the recent wave of extinction; formal definition of the start of the Anthropocene is still being debated) (table S1) (17, 19, 20). From an abundance perspective, vertebrate data indicate a mean decline of 28% in number of individuals across species in the past four decades (fig. S1, A and B) (14, 21, 22), with populations of many iconic species such as elephant rapidly declining toward extinction (19).
Loss of invertebrate biodiversity has received much less attention, and data are extremely limited. However, data suggest that the rates of decline in numbers, species extinction, and range contraction among terrestrial invertebrates are at least as severe as among vertebrates (23, 24). Although less than 1% of the 1.4 million described invertebrate species have been assessed for threat by the IUCN, of those assessed, ~40% are considered threatened (17, 23, 24). Similarly, IUCN data on the status of 203 insect species in five orders reveal vastly more species in decline than increasing (Fig. 1A). Likewise, for the invertebrates for which trends have been evaluated in Europe, there is a much higher proportion of species with numbers decreasing rather than increasing (23). Long-term distribution data on moths and four other insect orders in the UK show that a substantial proportion of species have experienced severe range declines in the past several decades (Fig. 1B) (19, 25). Globally, long-term monitoring data on a sample of 452 invertebrate species indicate that there has been an overall decline in abundance of individuals since 1970 (Fig. 1C) (19). Focusing on just the Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths), for which the best data are available, there is strong evidence of declines in abundance globally (35% over 40 years) (Fig. 1C). Non-Lepidopteran invertebrates declined considerably more, indicating that estimates of decline of invertebrates based on Lepidoptera data alone are conservative (Fig. 1C) (19). Likewise, among pairs of disturbed and undisturbed sites globally, Lepidopteran species richness is on average 7.6 times higher in undisturbed than disturbed sites, and total abundance is 1.6 times greater (Fig. 1D) (19).
Patterns of defaunation
Although we are beginning to understand the patterns of species loss, we still have a limited understanding of how compositional changes in communities after defaunation and associated disturbance will affect phylogenetic community structure and phylogenetic diversity (26). Certain lineages appear to be particularly susceptible to human impact. For instance, among vertebrates, more amphibians (41%) are currently considered threatened than birds (17%), with mammals and reptiles experiencing intermediate threat levels (27).
Although defaunation is a global pattern, geographic distribution patterns are also decidedly nonrandom (28). In our evaluation of mammals (1437 species) and birds (4263 species), the number of species per 10,000 km2 in decline (IUCN population status “decreasing”) varied across regions from a few to 75 in mammals and 125 in birds (Fig. 2), with highest numbers in tropical regions. These trends persist even after factoring in the greater species diversity of the tropics (29, 30). Similarly, most of 177 mammal species have lost more than 50% of their range (9).
The use of statistical models based on life history characteristics (traits) has gained traction as a way to understand patterns of biodiversity loss (31). For many vertebrates, and a few invertebrates, there has been excellent research examining the extent to which such characteristics correlate with threat status and extinction risk (32–34). For example, small geographic range size, low reproductive rates, large home range size, and large body size recur across many studies and diverse taxa as key predictors of extinction risk, at least among vertebrates. However, these “extinction models” have made little impact on conservation management, in part because trait correlations are often idiosyncratic and context-dependent (31).
We are increasingly aware that trait correlations are generally weaker at the population level than at the global scale (31, 35). Similarly, we now recognize that extinction risk is often a synergistic function of both intrinsic species traits and the nature of threat (32, 34–37). For example, large body size is more important for predicting risk in island birds than mainland birds (34) and for tropical mammals than for temperate ones (36). However, increasingly sophisticated approaches help to predict which species are likely to be at risk and to map latent extinction risk (38), holding great promise both for managing defaunation and identifying likely patterns of ecological impact (39). For instance, large-bodied animals with large home ranges often play specific roles in connecting ecosystems and transferring energy between them (40). Similarly, species with life history characteristics that make them robust to disturbance may be particularly competent at carrying zoonotic disease and therefore especially important at driving disease emergence (41, 42).
The relatively well-established pattern of correlation between body size and risk in mammals creates a predictable size-selective defaunation gradient (Fig. 3) (19, 36, 43). For instance, there are strong differences in body mass distributions among mammals that (i) became extinct in the Pleistocene [<50,000 years before the present (B.P.)], (ii) went recently extinct (<5000 years B.P., Late Holocene and Anthropocene), (iii) are currently threatened with extinction (IUCN category “threatened” and above), and (iv) extant species not currently threatened (Fig. 3), all showing greater vulnerability of larger-bodied species. The myriad consequences of such differential defaunation have been quantified via the experimental manipulation of the large wildlife in an African savanna (Fig. 4 and table S3), revealing substantial effects on biodiversity, ecological processes, and ecosystem functioning.
Multiple unaddressed drivers of defaunation
The long-established major proximate drivers of wildlife population decline and extinction in terrestrial ecosystems—namely, overexploitation, habitat destruction, and impacts from invasive species—remain pervasive (18). None of these major drivers have been effectively mitigated at the global scale (14, 18). Rather, all show increasing trajectories in recent decades (14). Moreover, several newer threats have recently emerged, most notably anthropogenic climate disruption, which will likely soon compete with habitat loss as the most important driver of defaunation (44). For example, ~20% of the landbirds in the western hemisphere are predicted to go extinct because of climate change by 2100 (45). Disease, primarily involving human introduced pathogens, is also a major and growing threat (46).
Although most declining species are affected by multiple stressors, we still have a poor understanding of the complex ways in which these drivers interact and of feedback loops that may exist (7, 11). Several examples of interactions are already well documented. For example, fragmentation increases accessibility to humans, compounding threats of reduced habitat and exploitation (47). Similarly, land-use change is making it difficult for animals to expand their distributions into areas made suitable by climate change (25, 48). Feedbacks among these and other drivers seem more likely to amplify the effects of defaunation than to dampen them (11).
Consequences of defaunation
Because animal loss represents a major change in biodiversity, it is likely to have important effects on ecosystem functioning. A recent meta-analyses of biodiversity-ecosystem function studies suggests that the impact of biodiversity losses on ecosystem functions is comparable in scale with that of other global changes (such as pollution and nutrient deposition) (9). However, most efforts to quantify this relationship have focused largely on effects of reduced producer diversity, which may typically have much lower functional impacts than does consumer loss (49, 50). Efforts to quantify effects of changes in animal diversity on ecosystem function, particularly terrestrial vertebrate diversity, remain more limited (19, 51).
Impacts on ecosystem functions and services
We examined several ecosystem functions and services for which the impacts of defaunation have been documented that are either a direct result of anthropogenic extirpation of service-providing animals or occur indirectly through cascading effects (Fig. 5).
Pollination
Insect pollination, needed for 75% of all the world’s food crops, is estimated to be worth ~10% of the economic value of the world’s entire food supply (52). Pollinators appear to be strongly declining globally in both abundance and diversity (53). Declines in insect pollinator diversity in Northern Europe in the past 30 years have, for example, been linked to strong declines in relative abundance of plant species reliant on those pollinators (54). Similarly, declines in bird pollinators in New Zealand led to strong pollen limitation, ultimately reducing seed production and population regeneration (Fig. 5H) (55).
Pest control
Observational and experimental studies show that declines in small vertebrates frequently lead to multitrophic cascades, affecting herbivore abundance, plant damage, and plant biomass (56). Cumulatively, these ubiquitous small-predator trophic cascades can have enormous impacts on a wide variety of ecological functions, including food production. For example, arthropod pests are responsible for 8 to 15% of the losses in most major food crops. Without natural biological control, this value could increase up to 37% (57). In the United States alone, the value of pest control by native predators is estimated at $4.5 billion annually (58).
Nutrient cycling and decomposition
The diversity of invertebrate communities, particularly their functional diversity, can have dramatic impacts on decomposition rates and nutrient cycling (59–61). Declines in mobile species that move nutrients long distances have been shown to greatly affect patterns of nutrient distribution and cycling (62). Among large animals, Pleistocene extinctions are thought to have changed influx of the major limiting nutrient, phosphorus, in the Amazon by ~98%, with implications persisting today (3).
Water quality
Defaunation can also affect water quality and dynamics of freshwater systems. For instance, global declines in amphibian populations increase algae and fine detritus biomass, reduce nitrogen uptake, and greatly reduce whole-stream respiration (Fig. 5E) (63). Large animals, including ungulates, hippos, and crocodiles, prevent formation of anoxic zones through agitation and affect water movement through trampling (64).
Human health
Defaunation will affect human health in many other ways via reductions in ecosystem goods and services (65), including pharmaceutical compounds, livestock species, biocontrol agents, food resources, and disease regulation. Between 23 and 36% of all birds, mammals, and amphibians used for food or medicine are now threatened with extinction (14). In many parts of the world, wild-animal food sources are a critical part of the diet, particularly for the poor. One recent study in Madagascar suggested that loss of wildlife as a food source will increase anemia by 30%, leading to increased mortality, morbidity, and learning difficulties (66). However, although some level of bushmeat extraction may be a sustainable service, current levels are clearly untenable (67); vertebrate populations used for food are estimated to have declined by at least 15% since 1970 (14). As previously detailed, food production may decline because of reduced pollination, seed dispersal, and insect predation. For example, loss of pest control from ongoing bat declines in North America are predicted to cause more than $22 billion in lost agricultural productivity (68). Defaunation can also affect disease transmission in myriad ways, including by changing the abundance, behavior, and competence of hosts (69). Several studies demonstrate increases in disease prevalence after defaunation (41, 42, 70). However, the impacts of defaunation on disease are far from straightforward (71), and few major human pathogens seem to fit the criteria that would make such a relationship pervasive (71). More work is urgently needed to understand the mechanisms and context-dependence of defaunation-disease relationships in order to identify how defaunation will affect human disease.
Impacts on evolutionary patterns
The effects of defaunation appear not to be merely proximally important to the ecology of affected species and systems but also to have evolutionary consequences. Several studies have detected rapid evolutionary changes in morphology or life history of short-lived organisms (72) or human-exploited species (73). Because defaunation of vertebrates often selects on body size, and smaller individuals are often unable to replace fully the ecological services their larger counterparts provide, there is strong potential for cascading effects that result from changing body-size distributions (74). Still poorly studied are the indirect evolutionary effects of defaunation on other species, not directly affected by human defaunation. For example, changes in abundance or composition of pollinators or seed dispersers can cause rapid evolution in plant mating systems and seed morphology (75, 76). There is a pressing need to understand the ubiquity and importance of such “evolutionary cascades” (77).
Synthesis and ways forward
This Review indicates that a widespread and pervasive defaunation crisis, with far-reaching consequences, is upon us. These consequences have been better recognized in the case of large mammals (78, 79). Yet, defaunation is affecting smaller and less charismatic fauna in similar ways. Ongoing declines in populations of animals such as nematodes, beetles, or bats are considerably less evident to humans yet arguably are more functionally important. Improved monitoring and study of such taxa, particularly invertebrates, will be critical to advance our understanding of defaunation. Ironically, the cryptic nature of defaunation has strong potential to soon become very noncryptic, rivaling the impact of many other forms of global change in terms of loss of ecosystem services essential for human well-being.
Although extinction remains an important evolutionary impact on our planet and is a powerful social conservation motivator, we emphasize that defaunation is about much more than species loss. Indeed, the effects of defaunation will be much less about the loss of absolute diversity than about local shifts in species compositions and functional groups within a community (80). Focusing on changes in diversity metrics is thus unlikely to be effective for maintaining adequate ecological function, and we need to focus on predicting the systematic patterns of winners and losers in the Anthropocene and identify the traits that characterize them because this will provide information on the patterns and the links to function that we can then act on.
Cumulatively, systematic defaunation clearly threatens to fundamentally alter basic ecological functions and is contributing to push us toward global-scale “tipping points” from which we may not be able to return (7). Yet despite the dramatic rates of defaunation currently being observed, there is still much opportunity for action. We must more meaningfully address immediate drivers of defaunation: Mitigation of animal overexploitation and land-use change are two feasible, immediate actions that can be taken (44). These actions can also buy necessary time to address the other critical driver, anthropogenic climate disruption. However, we must also address the often nonlinear impacts of continued human population growth and increasingly uneven per capita consumption, which ultimately drive all these threats (while still fostering poverty alleviation efforts). Ultimately, both reduced and more evenly distributed global resource consumption will be necessary to sustainably change ongoing trends in defaunation and, hopefully, eventually open the door to refaunation. If unchecked, Anthropocene defaunation will become not only a characteristic of the planet’s sixth mass extinction, but also a driver of fundamental global transformations in ecosystem functioning.
Supplementary Materials
www.sciencemag.org/content/345/6195/401/suppl/DC1
Materials and Methods
Figs. S1 to S6
Tables S1 to S3
References and Notes
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵Materials and methods are available as supplementary materials on Science Online.
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- Acknowledgments: D. Orr, L. Gillespie, B. Rossman, R. Pringle, C. Bello, T. August, G. Powney, F. Pedrosa, and M. Pires helped in providing or analyzing data and producing figures. P. Ehrlich, T. Young, S. Vignieri, and two anonymous reviewers read a previous draft and offered constructive comments. Butterfly Conservation, the British Dragonfly Society, Bees Wasps and Ants Recording Society, the Ground Beetle Recording Scheme, and Bird Life International provided access to unpublished data. We thank Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, Fundação para o Desenvolvimento do Unesp, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo, NERC, Joint Nature Conservation Committee, NSF, and Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico for financial support. Vector images are courtesy of University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. | https://science.sciencemag.org/content/345/6195/401?ijkey=ff871f3f17b44ff466e44b0d912ddab3e4568152&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha |
To send content items to your account,
please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies.
If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account.
Find out more about sending content to .
To send content items to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected]
is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings
on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part
of your Kindle email address below.
Find out more about sending to your Kindle.
Note you can select to send to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations.
‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be sent to your device when it is connected to wi-fi.
‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.
Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.
You can save your searches here and later view and run them again in "My saved searches".
Page 1 of 2
The breeding areas of the Critically Endangered Slender-billed Curlew Numenius tenuirostris are all but unknown, with the only well-substantiated breeding records being from the Omsk province, western Siberia. The identification of any remaining breeding population is of the highest priority for the conservation of any remnant population. If it is extinct, the reliable identification of former breeding sites may help determine the causes of the species’ decline, in order to learn wider conservation lessons. We used stable isotope values in feather samples from juvenile Slender-billed Curlews to identify potential breeding areas. Modelled precipitation δ2H data were compared to feather samples of surrogate species from within the potential breeding range, to produce a calibration equation. Application of this calibration to samples from 35 Slender-billed Curlew museum skins suggested they could have originated from the steppes of northern Kazakhstan and part of southern Russia between 48°N and 56°N. The core of this area was around 50°N, some way to the south of the confirmed nesting sites in the forest steppes. Surveys for the species might be better targeted at the Kazakh steppes, rather than around the historically recognised nest sites of southern Russia which might have been atypical for the species. We consider whether agricultural expansion in this area may have contributed to declines of the Slender-billed Curlew population.
The Numeniini is a tribe of 13 wader species (Scolopacidae, Charadriiformes) of which seven are Near Threatened or globally threatened, including two Critically Endangered. To help inform conservation management and policy responses, we present the results of an expert assessment of the threats that members of this taxonomic group face across migratory flyways. Most threats are increasing in intensity, particularly in non-breeding areas, where habitat loss resulting from residential and commercial development, aquaculture, mining, transport, disturbance, problematic invasive species, pollution and climate change were regarded as having the greatest detrimental impact. Fewer threats (mining, disturbance, problematic native species and climate change) were identified as widely affecting breeding areas. Numeniini populations face the greatest number of non-breeding threats in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, especially those associated with coastal reclamation; related threats were also identified across the Central and Atlantic Americas, and East Atlantic flyways. Threats on the breeding grounds were greatest in Central and Atlantic Americas, East Atlantic and West Asian flyways. Three priority actions were associated with monitoring and research: to monitor breeding population trends (which for species breeding in remote areas may best be achieved through surveys at key non-breeding sites), to deploy tracking technologies to identify migratory connectivity, and to monitor land-cover change across breeding and non-breeding areas. Two priority actions were focused on conservation and policy responses: to identify and effectively protect key non-breeding sites across all flyways (particularly in the East Asian- Australasian Flyway), and to implement successful conservation interventions at a sufficient scale across human-dominated landscapes for species’ recovery to be achieved. If implemented urgently, these measures in combination have the potential to alter the current population declines of many Numeniini species and provide a template for the conservation of other groups of threatened species.
Impacts of recent climate change
In the first part of the book, we examined the impacts of climate change on bird populations. We found good evidence that significant changes have occurred in the timing of seasonal events within the annual cycle of birds (Chapter 2). In recent decades, both spring arrival of migratory species and egg-laying dates, as measured for the average individual in a population, have advanced consistently by some 2 days per decade across temperate and boreal latitudes. Phenological changes affecting the timing of the end of the breeding season, and autumn departure dates of migrants have varied much more between species, depending on migration, moult and breeding strategies. A wide range of correlative analyses, supported by a small number of studies of underlying mechanisms, have demonstrated that many of these changes are a consequence of warming. Recent climate change has therefore altered the seasonal pattern of avian life cycles. Although there is currently insufficient monitoring of birds in tropical areas to track their long-term phenological responses to climate change, the studies which have been conducted suggest that here, changes in precipitation, and not temperature, are likely to be the main determinant of the timing of commencement of the breeding season and the movement of individuals. Trends in tropical bird phenology are therefore likely to be related primarily to changes in rainfall patterns.
Introduction
Having described the impacts that climate change has already had upon birds, their populations, distributions and communities, in this second part of the book, we look now at what can be done to reduce the negative impacts of current and future climate changes on birds. The first stage in attempting to do this is to predict what the consequences of future climate change will be for the conservation status of wild species and populations. Although there are many impacts of climate change which have been documented, few clearly demonstrate a current and urgent threat to particular populations or species. For most species, it is not the climate change which has occurred so far that is the problem, but the magnitude of climate change to come. In this chapter, we attempt to quantify the likely size of that future problem – how severe is the impact of climate change on birds likely to be?
This is not a simple question to answer. The foregoing chapters documented the complexity of the effects of climate and climatic change on reproductive and mortality rates of birds, which are the mechanisms by which climate affects their distribution and abundance. Given this complexity, it might be thought that any attempt to predict the effect of climate change on a bird species would require a detailed knowledge of how its demographic rates will be affected, in both the short and the long term. Such knowledge can certainly be very helpful as we shall see later in this chapter, but realistically, is only available for a handful of the 10 000 bird species on Earth. To make an assessment that will be widely applicable, we need to consider alternative approaches, which require less detailed information, to predicting the effects of climate change on bird species. Building on the role of climate in delimiting species’ distributions (Sections 1.8 and 5.2), the most widely used approach is to build a statistical model of geographical variation in the distribution or abundance of a species in relation to climatic and sometimes also to other environmental variables. The spatial association between a species and climate described by that model is then used to make future projections of the impact that climate change may have on that species’ distribution or abundance.
This book is about the impact of global climate change on birds, especially on their populations and conservation status, and what can be done about it. Birds are widespread in their distribution and occur in almost all environments. People enjoy watching them and many are easy to observe. As a result, they have long been studied by both amateur naturalists and professional scientists and they are amongst the best understood group of organisms. Data exist on the migration of birds from ringing (banding) studies and the direct observation of arriving and departing individuals, on their historical distribution from museum specimens, archaeology, literary and other sources, and on the timing and success of their breeding from nest recording that span many decades, or in the case of museum specimens, over a century. More recently, quantitative counting and mapping techniques have provided up to 50 years of standardised population and distribution data collection (Møller & Fiedler 2010). The internet is now being used to collect millions of sightings from bird watchers every year, whilst recent technological advances allow almost real-time tracking of migrating birds. These data provide an unparalleled opportunity first to understand the relationship between climate and species distributions and populations, and second to document changes in those distributions and populations occurring as a result of climatic change. Critically reviewing and documenting these kinds of evidence and what they tell us about the impacts of climate change on birds is one of the main purposes of this book, covered in Part 1.
Unfortunately, popular as they are, many bird species and populations are under threat. Of the 10 064 bird species identified around the world, some 13% are regarded as threatened by extinction within the next 100 years. Another 880 species are near-threatened (BirdLife International 2012a). Populations of habitat-specialists and shorebirds are in particular decline (Butchart et al. 2010). The threat of extinction which these species face is a real one; 103 species have been lost forever during the last 200 years. There is an urgent need for effective bird conservation to halt these trends. Whilst there have been significant conservation successes, these have only slowed, rather than halted, global rates of biodiversity loss (Butchart et al. 2010; Hoffman et al. 2010). Conservationists are winning occasional battles, but seem to be losing the war.
Climate change is anticipated to result in species shifting their distribution to higher latitudes and altitudes (Chapter 6), as has already been observed (Chapter 5). Changes to habitats, and the abundance of food organisms, predators, competitors, parasites and diseases, and the direct effects of climate will alter species’ demographic rates and abundance (Chapters 3 and 4). In parts of the range where population density increases, this is likely to result in an increasing number of dispersing individuals being available to colonise areas of habitat beyond the current range margin. At the retreating range margin, conditions are likely to become increasingly unfavourable, resulting in reduced fecundity and/or survival. Initially, as population density declines, negative effects of climatic change on a particular demographic rate may be at least partially compensated for by density-dependent improvements in other rates. The population in this part of the range may then stabilise at a lower level for some time. However, progressive change will eventually cause population declines, fragmentation of the distribution, local extinctions and finally loss of range. Between the expanding and retreating margins, the same mechanisms may lead to shifts in the distribution of areas with high population density, and changes to the composition of communities (Chapter 5).
Observations of impacts of climate change, and concerns over the impacts projected to come, have stimulated increasingly detailed thinking about what conservationists can do to counter negative impacts through what is termed climate change adaptation: interventions to reduce the vulnerability of species and their habitats to actual or expected climate change effects. Recent advances in conservation science have provided an increased understanding of the precise requirements of species and the impacts upon them of threats such as habitat loss and degradation, overexploitation, persecution and pollution, all driven by expanding human populations and their increased demands for food, recreation and commodities. This understanding has underpinned some successful conservation programmes that have reversed population declines and range losses of some species. We therefore start this chapter with a summary of the tools that conservationists have found to be effective in countering these threats to birds, before considering how they may be adapted for use in the face of climate change.
As we explained in Chapter 1, environmental variables, including the weather and climate, can only influence bird populations if they alter demography: the reproductive or mortality rates and, for the subdivided parts of a closed population, immigration and emigration as well. In the previous chapter we discussed the effects of phenological mismatch on bird populations, but that is just one of the ways in which climate change can have an impact on demography (Table 4.1). These other mechanisms are the focus of this chapter. We will not restrict ourselves only to studies of climate change impacts, but also review the wider range of studies which have looked at the relationships between bird population processes and temperature, precipitation and other weather variables. Whilst many of these will really be examining the effects of annual variation in the weather (as opposed to long-term trends in climatic averages), they may still be useful in helping us understand the impact of climate change upon bird populations in the future.
Long-term studies are necessary in order to adequately describe how populations respond to annual fluctuations in the weather, and especially to see how population size is affected by longer-term changes, including recent climate change (which we regard as a long-term change in those weather variables, ideally over a minimum 30-year period, although many studies putatively demonstrating impacts of climate change span shorter periods). One of the longest such studies is that of the annual heronry census, coordinated by the BTO since 1928, which has been used to demonstrate the sensitivity of grey heron Ardea cinerea populations to cold winter weather (North 1979; Reynolds 1979). The impact of severe winters can be clearly seen leading to periodic population declines, but in response to a run of mild winters from the late 1980s to late 2000s, the population remained high and stable (Figure 4.1). Such large-scale population monitoring programmes are now widely established across Europe and North America, and often use the observations of amateur ornithologists, collected using standardised methods (e.g. Anders & Post 2006; Gregory et al. 2009; Moller & Fiedler 2010) to deliver large-scale monitoring for the production of robust population trend estimates (van Strien et al. 2001; North American Bird Conservation Initiative, US Committee 2011). However, for many species and countries elsewhere, these annual monitoring data do not exist, which is an obstacle to scientific understanding and effective conservation action (Amano & Sutherland 2013).
Preceding chapters have illustrated how temperature, precipitation and other climatic factors affect the breeding productivity, survival and abundance of individual bird species through a variety of mechanisms. As a result, the geographical ranges of species can frequently be well described by the climate, as illustrated with reference to the red grouse in Chapter 1, although that descriptive ability does not show for certain whether the climate has a direct influence, an indirect influence or no real influence at all on species’ distributions (Gaston 2003). There are plenty of examples of biotic factors such as prey availability (Koenig & Haydock 1999; Banko et al. 2002), competition (Terborgh 1985; Emlen et al. 1986; Gross & Price 2000) and predation (Pienkowski 1984; Dekker 1989) being the main proximate factor limiting species’ ranges, but of course, the distribution of many of those other species may also be affected by climate. For example, the northern limit of the distribution of the red fox, which is thought to restrict the range of some wader species (e.g. Pienkowski 1984), is determined by resource (food) availability and therefore ultimately determined by climate (Hersteinsson & Macdonald 1994). The northern limit of Hume’s leaf warbler Phylloscopus humei which feeds on arthropods in tree canopies, is limited by cold temperature, as this causes leaf loss and therefore reduces food availability (Gross & Price 2000). Climate is therefore often regarded as the ultimate determinant of species’ distributions and abundance, even though the precise mechanisms causing the limitation may be unclear (Huntley et al. 2007).
What is phenology and why does it matter?
We are all familiar with the changing seasons of the natural world around us.
At medium and high latitudes, spring is characterised by budburst, leaf growth and the flowering of many plants, the arrival of long-distance migrants and breeding of most bird species, and the emergence of adult stages of many insects. Autumn is signalled by the departure of long-distance migrants and leaf fall of deciduous plants. In both freshwater and marine environments, spring warming stimulates first phytoplankton and then zooplankton blooms which provide food for higher predators, influencing the timing of fish and bird breeding seasons. In the humid tropics, where temperature regimes vary less throughout the year, seasonality is often determined by predictable variation in rainfall, which then stimulates a flush in plant growth, flowering and fruiting, animal emergence and breeding. In the dry tropics, many organisms adjust their life cycles to the unpredictable arrival of rains or fires, which then lead to a pulse of growth and biological activity. Phenology is the study of the timing of these events.
So far in this book we have described the mechanisms by which climate change affects birds, reviewed potential future changes in their distribution and abundance caused by climate change and discussed the implications of these for conservation. It is clear that as the magnitude of warming increases, so will the likely severity of impacts on bird populations. The number of projected bird extinctions is modelled to increase by about 1.6 times from a 2 °C to 4 °C global warming scenario, and differ by approximately 2.5 times between a 2 °C and 6 °C scenario (Box 6.5), when it is estimated one-quarter of global bird species would be at risk of being committed to extinction as a result of climate change (Section 6.8.2). Clearly, addressing the causes of climate change will be an important way of reducing the likely detrimental impacts of climate warming on birds (Warren et al. 2013). However, attempts to do this through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions or the removal of gases from the atmosphere (termed climate change mitigation) may also have a detrimental effect on bird populations.
The principal sources of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions are carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas), deforestation and other land use changes leading to the burning or decay of plant material, release of methane from refuse in landfill sites, gut fermentation by ruminant livestock and the farming of rice, and release of nitrous oxide caused by the use of fertilizers in agriculture (Section 1.5). Changes in the ways in which energy is obtained and used, the protection of forests and peatlands and changes in farming practice are therefore the main methods being considered for climate change mitigation. In addition, there might be ways in which the environment could be artificially adapted to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere at higher rates. All of these mitigation measures will change the natural environment and could therefore affect bird populations. In this chapter we examine some of these potential effects and assess ways in which potential adverse impacts of mitigation may be reduced, focussing particularly on renewable energy generation.
Why timing matters
In the previous chapter we saw that many bird species have altered the timing of their migration and breeding as a result of recent climate change. At first sight, the amounts of change seem trivial, averaging 2–3 days advance per decade, but cumulatively they mean that over the last 30 years, birds may now be arriving or breeding a week earlier than they used to. This is important because in many bird species, the timing of these events has evolved to match the timing of peak resource requirements, and therefore any disruption in that timing may affect birds’ breeding success or survival. Most obviously, the time at which birds are rearing their young and need a lot of readily available food often coincides with the greatest abundance of that food. Tits (Paridae) breeding in oak woodland try to maximise the availability of caterpillars, particularly of the larvae of moths such as the winter moth Operophtera brumata, and Tortrix species at the time when nestlings are being reared (Visser et al. 2006; Both et al. 2009). Linked with this, sparrowhawks Accipiter nisus, which find recently fledged tits easy prey, time their reproduction so that the peak abundance of tit fledglings coincides with their own nestling period (Newton 1986; Nielsen & Møller 2006; Both et al. 2009). On the coast, many seabirds breed when large numbers of small fish are maximally available (Durant et al. 2004a, 2004b, 2005). Arctic and upland nesting waterfowl and waders time their breeding to fit in the narrow window of snow-free conditions on the ground, and when there is a superabundance of invertebrate prey (Pearce-Higgins et al. 2005; Meltofte et al. 2007a). The breeding of many tropical species is triggered by rainfall and timed to match peaks in invertebrate or seed resources (Section 2.7).
Email your librarian or administrator to recommend adding this to your organisation's collection. | http://core-cms.prod.aop.cambridge.org/core/search?filters%5BauthorTerms%5D=JAMES%20W.%20PEARCE-HIGGINS&eventCode=SE-AU |
Invasive species Tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle) caused serious damage on ecosystem, economy, and public health in the United States and Europe. Two weevils (Eucryptorrhynchus scrobiculatus (Motschulsky) and E. brandti (Harold)) are considered to be potential enemies for biological control. In this study, we integrated potential distribution, bioclimatic suitability shifts and niche overlap to assess the global invasion risk of A. altissima under climate change and the possibility of E. scrobiculatus and E. brandti as potential natural enemies. Suitable area of A. altissima will be expanded under SSP 585. The future climate conditions do not seem to be suitable for the growth of E. scrobiculatus, but are conducive to E. brandti. We found that the suitable area of A. altissima would spread to the south and north, while two weevils spread mainly to the central and northern parts in the United States. The mean temperature of the coldest quarter (BIO11, 43.3%) was the most important bioclimatic variable in the forecasts for A. altissima and E. brandti. The wettest quarter’s mean temperature (BIO8, 35.7%) had the strongest influence on predictions for E. scrobiculatus. Our findings can provide a theoretical basis for preventing A. altissima from continuing to invade other areas. At the same time, it explained one reason why E. scrobiculatus and E. brandti could not effectively control A. altissima, and evaluated its feasibility as a potential natural enemy under future climatic conditions.
Lu, L.-L., B.-H. Jiao, F. Qin, G. Xie, K.-Q. Lu, J.-F. Li, B. Sun, et al. 2022. Artemisia pollen dataset for exploring the potential ecological indicators in deep time. Earth System Science Data 14: 3961–3995. https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-3961-2022
Abstract. Artemisia, along with Chenopodiaceae, is the dominant component growing in the desert and dry grassland of the Northern Hemisphere. Artemisia pollen with its high productivity, wide distribution, and easy identification is usually regarded as an eco-indicator for assessing aridity and distinguishing grassland from desert vegetation in terms of the pollen relative abundance ratio of Chenopodiaceae/Artemisia (C/A). Nevertheless, divergent opinions on the degree of aridity evaluated by Artemisia pollen have been circulating in the palynological community for a long time. To solve the confusion, we first selected 36 species from nine clades and three outgroups of Artemisia based on the phylogenetic framework, which attempts to cover the maximum range of pollen morphological variation. Then, sampling, experiments, photography, and measurements were taken using standard methods. Here, we present pollen datasets containing 4018 original pollen photographs, 9360 pollen morphological trait measurements, information on 30 858 source plant occurrences, and corresponding environmental factors. Hierarchical cluster analysis on pollen morphological traits was carried out to subdivide Artemisia pollen into three types. When plotting the three pollen types of Artemisia onto the global terrestrial biomes, different pollen types of Artemisia were found to have different habitat ranges. These findings change the traditional concept of Artemisia being restricted to arid and semi-arid environments. The data framework that we designed is open and expandable for new pollen data of Artemisia worldwide. In the future, linking pollen morphology with habitat via these pollen datasets will create additional knowledge that will increase the resolution of the ecological environment in the geological past. The Artemisia pollen datasets are freely available at Zenodo (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6900308; Lu et al., 2022).
Amaral, D. T., I. A. S. Bonatelli, M. Romeiro-Brito, E. M. Moraes, and F. F. Franco. 2022. Spatial patterns of evolutionary diversity in Cactaceae show low ecological representation within protected areas. Biological Conservation 273: 109677. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2022.109677
Mapping biodiversity patterns across taxa and environments is crucial to address the evolutionary and ecological dimensions of species distribution, suggesting areas of particular importance for conservation purposes. Within Cactaceae, spatial diversity patterns are poorly explored, as are the abiotic factors that may predict these patterns. We gathered geographic and genetic data from 921 cactus species by exploring both the occurrence and genetic databases, which are tightly associated with drylands, to evaluate diversity patterns, such as phylogenetic diversity and endemism, paleo-, neo-, and superendemism, and the environmental predictor variables of such patterns in a global analysis. Hotspot areas of cacti diversity are scattered along the Neotropical and Nearctic regions, mainly in the desertic portion of Mesoamerica, Caribbean Island, and the dry diagonal of South America. The geomorphological features of these regions may create a complexity of areas that work as locally buffered zones over time, which triggers local events of diversification and speciation. Desert and dryland/dry forest areas comprise paleo- and superendemism and may act as both museums and cradles of species, displaying great importance for conservation. Past climates, topography, soil features, and solar irradiance seem to be the main predictors of distinct endemism types. The hotspot areas that encompass a major part of the endemism cells are outside or poorly covered by formal protection units. The current legally protected areas are not able to conserve the evolutionary diversity of cacti. Given the rapid anthropogenic disturbance, efforts must be reinforced to monitor biodiversity and the environment and to define/plan current and new protected areas.
Führding‐Potschkat, P., H. Kreft, and S. M. Ickert‐Bond. 2022. Influence of different data cleaning solutions of point‐occurrence records on downstream macroecological diversity models. Ecology and Evolution 12. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.9168
Digital point‐occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and other data providers enable a wide range of research in macroecology and biogeography. However, data errors may hamper immediate use. Manual data cleaning is time‐consuming and often unfeasible, given that the databases may contain thousands or millions of records. Automated data cleaning pipelines are therefore of high importance. Taking North American Ephedra as a model, we examined how different data cleaning pipelines (using, e.g., the GBIF web application, and four different R packages) affect downstream species distribution models (SDMs). We also assessed how data differed from expert data. From 13,889 North American Ephedra observations in GBIF, the pipelines removed 31.7% to 62.7% false positives, invalid coordinates, and duplicates, leading to datasets between 9484 (GBIF application) and 5196 records (manual‐guided filtering). The expert data consisted of 704 records, comparable to data from field studies. Although differences in the absolute numbers of records were relatively large, species richness models based on stacked SDMs (S‐SDM) from pipeline and expert data were strongly correlated (mean Pearson's r across the pipelines: .9986, vs. the expert data: .9173). Our results suggest that all R package‐based pipelines reliably identified invalid coordinates. In contrast, the GBIF‐filtered data still contained both spatial and taxonomic errors. Major drawbacks emerge from the fact that no pipeline fully discovered misidentified specimens without the assistance of taxonomic expert knowledge. We conclude that application‐filtered GBIF data will still need additional review to achieve higher spatial data quality. Achieving high‐quality taxonomic data will require extra effort, probably by thoroughly analyzing the data for misidentified taxa, supported by experts.
Sáenz-Ceja, J. E., J. T. Sáenz-Reyes, and D. Castillo-Quiroz. 2022. Pollinator Species at Risk from the Expansion of Avocado Monoculture in Central Mexico. Conservation 2: 457–472. https://doi.org/10.3390/conservation2030031
The monoculture of avocado (Persea americana) has triggered the loss of large forested areas in central Mexico, including the habitat of threatened species. This study assessed the potential habitat loss of ten threatened pollinator species due to the expansion of avocado monoculture in Mexico. First, we modeled the distribution of avocado and pollinators. Then, we overlapped their suitable areas at a national level and within the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt (TMVB). We also identified the areas with more affected pollinators and coinciding with protected areas. As a result, 78% of the suitable areas for avocado coincided with the distribution of at least one pollinator. Although only two pollinators lost more than one-fifth of their distribution at a national level, the habitat loss increased to 41.6% on average, considering their distribution within the TMVB. The most affected pollinators were Bombus brachycephalus, B diligens, Danaus plexippus, and Tilmatura dupontii, losing more than 48% of their distribution within this ecoregion. The areas with a greater number of affected species pollinators were found in the states of Michoacán, Mexico, and Morelos, where most of the area is currently unprotected. Our results suggest that the expansion of the avocado monoculture will negatively affect the habitat of threatened pollinators in Mexico.
Pérez, G., M. Vilà, and B. Gallardo. 2022. Potential impact of four invasive alien plants on the provision of ecosystem services in Europe under present and future climatic scenarios. Ecosystem Services 56: 101459. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2022.101459
Invasive alien species (IAS) are one of the main threats to biodiversity conservation, with significant socio-economic and ecological impacts as they disrupt ecosystem services and compromise human well-being. Global change may exacerbate the impacts of IAS, since rising temperatures and human activities favour their introduction and range expansion. Therefore, anticipating the impacts of biological invasions is crucial to support decision-making for their management. In this work, the potential impacts of four invasive alien plant species: Ailanthus altissima, Baccharis halimifolia, Impatiens glandulifera and Pueraria montana, on the provision of three ecosystem services in Europe were evaluated under current and future climate change scenarios. Using a risk analysis protocol, we determined that the most affected services are food provisioning, soil erosion regulation and the maintenance of biological diversity. To evaluate future impacts, species distribution models were calibrated using bioclimatic, environmental and human impact variables. We found that most of continental Europe is suitable for the establishment of A. altissima, B. halimifolia and I. glandulifera, while the potential distribution of P. montana is more limited. Models anticipate a shift in the distribution range for the species towards the north and east of Europe under future scenarios. Bivariate analysis allowed the identification of trends for future impacts in ecosystem services by simultaneously visualising the potential distribution of invasive species and the provision of ecosystem services. Our models project an increase in critical and high impact areas on the analysed ecosystem services, with Western Europe and the British Isles as the most affected regions. In comparison, lower impacts are projected for the Mediterranean region, likely as a consequence of the northwards expansion of invaders. Measures need to be taken to mitigate the expansion and impact of invasive species as our work shows that it can jeopardise the provision of three key services in Europe.
Boyd, R. J., M. A. Aizen, R. M. Barahona‐Segovia, L. Flores‐Prado, F. E. Fontúrbel, T. M. Francoy, M. Lopez‐Aliste, et al. 2022. Inferring trends in pollinator distributions across the Neotropics from publicly available data remains challenging despite mobilization efforts Y. Fourcade [ed.],. Diversity and Distributions 28: 1404–1415. https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.13551
Aim Aggregated species occurrence data are increasingly accessible through public databases for the analysis of temporal trends in the geographic distributions of species. However, biases in these data present challenges for statistical inference. We assessed potential biases in data available through GBIF on the occurrences of four flower-visiting taxa: bees (Anthophila), hoverflies (Syrphidae), leaf-nosed bats (Phyllostomidae) and hummingbirds (Trochilidae). We also assessed whether and to what extent data mobilization efforts improved our ability to estimate trends in species' distributions. Location The Neotropics. Methods We used five data-driven heuristics to screen the data for potential geographic, temporal and taxonomic biases. We began with a continental-scale assessment of the data for all four taxa. We then identified two recent data mobilization efforts (2021) that drastically increased the quantity of records of bees collected in Chile available through GBIF. We compared the dataset before and after the addition of these new records in terms of their biases and estimated trends in species' distributions. Results We found evidence of potential sampling biases for all taxa. The addition of newly-mobilized records of bees in Chile decreased some biases but introduced others. Despite increasing the quantity of data for bees in Chile sixfold, estimates of trends in species' distributions derived using the postmobilization dataset were broadly similar to what would have been estimated before their introduction, albeit more precise. Main conclusions Our results highlight the challenges associated with drawing robust inferences about trends in species' distributions using publicly available data. Mobilizing historic records will not always enable trend estimation because more data do not necessarily equal less bias. Analysts should carefully assess their data before conducting analyses: this might enable the estimation of more robust trends and help to identify strategies for effective data mobilization. Our study also reinforces the need for targeted monitoring of pollinators worldwide.
Bywater‐Reyes, S., R. M. Diehl, A. C. Wilcox, J. C. Stella, and L. Kui. 2022. A Green New Balance: Interactions among riparian vegetation plant traits and morphodynamics in alluvial rivers. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 47: 2410–2436. https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.5385
The strength of interactions between plants and river processes is mediated by plant traits and fluvial conditions, including above‐ground biomass, stem density and flexibility, channel and bed material properties, and flow and sediment regimes. In many rivers, concurrent changes in 1) the composition of riparian vegetation communities as a result of exotic species invasion and 2) shifts in hydrology have altered physical and ecological conditions in a manner that has been mediated by feedbacks between vegetation and morphodynamic processes. We review how Tamarix, which has invaded many U.S. Southwest waterways, and Populus species, woody pioneer trees that are native to the region, differentially affect hydraulics, sediment transport, and river morphology. We draw on flume, field, and modeling approaches spanning the individual seedling to river‐corridor scales. In a flume study, we found differences in the crown morphology, stem density, and flexibility of Tamarix compared to Populus influenced near‐bed flow velocities in a manner that favored aggradation associated with Tamarix. Similarly, at the patch and corridor scales, observations confirmed increased aggradation with increased vegetation density. Furthermore, long‐term channel adjustments were different for Tamarix‐ versus Populus‐dominated reaches, with faster and greater geomorphic adjustments for Tamarix. Collectively, our studies show how plant‐trait differences between Tamarix and Populus, from individual seedlings to larger spatial and temporal scales, influence the co‐adjustment of rivers and riparian plant communities. These findings provide a basis for predicting changes in alluvial riverine systems which we conceptualize as a Green New Balance model that considers how channels may adjust to changes in plant traits and community structure in additional to alterations in flow and sediment supply. We offer suggestions regarding how the Green New Balance can be used in management and invasive species management.
Martinez, A., J. M. Acosta, M. A. Ferrero, F. B. Pastore, and L. Aagesen. 2022. Evolutionary patterns within the New World Clade Polygala sections Clinclinia and Monninopsis (Polygalaceae). Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 55: 125673. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ppees.2022.125673
Members of Sections Clinclinia and Monninopsis, from the New World Clade (NWC) of Polygala, inhabit arid to humid habitats along the American continent. Although knowledge of these sections is currently incomplete, it is crucial for understanding evolutionary and diversification patterns in Polygalaceae. Here, we sample new species from the Polygala NWC with emphasis on these two sections, providing a comprehensive molecular phylogeny based on DNA sequence data from one nuclear (ITS) and three chloroplast (trnL-F intergenic spacer, rbcL, and partial matK-trnK) loci. Furthermore, we conducted comparisons for the main clades in the environmental and geographic spaces using climatic and elevation data processed by ordination and species distribution modelling (SDM) techniques and an ancestral state reconstruction for two morphological flower traits. The study is useful as a first approach to understand the phylogenetic, environmental, and morphological patterns shaping the geographical distribution of the main clades of the sections. The phylogenetic analyses supported at least six distinct lineages within the study group, three in Sect. Clinclinia, and three in Sect. Monninopsis. An updated synonymic list of the Sects. Clinclinia and Monninopsis as treated in this study is also provided.
Chevalier, M. 2022. <i>crestr</i>: an R package to perform probabilistic climate reconstructions from palaeoecological datasets. Climate of the Past 18: 821–844. https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-821-2022
Abstract. Statistical climate reconstruction techniques are fundamental tools to study past climate variability from fossil proxy data. In particular, the methods based on probability density functions (or PDFs) can be used in various environments and with different climate proxies because they rely on elementary calibration data (i.e. modern geolocalised presence data). However, the difficulty of accessing and curating these calibration data and the complexity of interpreting probabilistic results have often limited their use in palaeoclimatological studies. Here, I introduce a new R package (crestr) to apply the PDF-based method CREST (Climate REconstruction SofTware) on diverse palaeoecological datasets and address these problems. crestr includes a globally curated calibration dataset for six common climate proxies (i.e. plants, beetles, chironomids, rodents, foraminifera, and dinoflagellate cysts) associated with an extensive range of climate variables (20 terrestrial and 19 marine variables) that enables its use in most terrestrial and marine environments. Private data collections can also be used instead of, or in combination with, the provided calibration dataset. The package includes a suite of graphical diagnostic tools to represent the data at each step of the reconstruction process and provide insights into the effect of the different modelling assumptions and external factors that underlie a reconstruction. With this R package, the CREST method can now be used in a scriptable environment and thus be more easily integrated with existing workflows. It is hoped that crestr will be used to produce the much-needed quantified climate reconstructions from the many regions where they are currently lacking, despite the availability of suitable fossil records. To support this development, the use of the package is illustrated with a step-by-step replication of a 790 000-year-long mean annual temperature reconstruction based on a pollen record from southeastern Africa. | https://bionomia.net/0000-0002-1217-7693/citations |
Catherine Jarnevich, Ph.D.
Biography
Catherine began working for the USGS while obtaining her doctorate in ecology in 2000. She gained skills in integrating disparate datasets of species’ location data and using these to generate spatially explicit models of species occurrence and abundance. Since that time she has developed a research program through the USGS Resource for Advanced Modeling to assist multiple agencies and groups with species distributions, focusing on invasive species. Catherine’s current research involves the application of habitat suitability models to answer different applied research and management questions for various species across a range of taxa and spatial scales. She has also been working with spatially explicit state and transition modeling to inform efficient landscape scale invasive plant management.
Science and Products
Species Distribution Modeling
A requirement for managing a species, be it a common native species, a species of conservation concern, or an invasive species, is having some information on its distribution and potential drivers of distribution. Branch scientists have been tackling the question of where these types of species are and where they might be in the future.
Documenting, Mapping, and Predicting Invasive Species Using the Fort Collins Science Center's RAM (Resource for Advanced Modeling)
The Resource for Advanced Modeling room provides a collaborative working environment for up to 20 scientists, supported with networked, wireless computing capability for running and testing various scientific models (e.g., Maxent, Boosted Regression Trees, Logistic Regression, MARS, Random Forest) at a variety of spatial scales, from county to global levels. Models use various predictor layers...
Resource for Advanced Modeling (RAM)
Branch scientists have developed the Resource for Advanced Modeling (RAM), a modeling facility for collaborative research both within the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and with the wider research community. The facility provides a collaborative working environment for up to 20 scientists from within the USGS and the wider research community. There are networked, wireless computing facilities...
Developing Ecological Forecasting Models for Invasive Species
Forecasts of where species might be and what impacts they may have are necessary for management of invasive species. Researchers at FORT are using various approaches to provided needed information to resource managers to combat invasive plants, animals, and disease organisms.
Facilitating the USGS Scientific Data Management Foundation by integrating the process into current scientific workflow systems
Increasing attention is being paid to the importance of proper scientific data management and implementing processes that ensure that products being released are properly documented. USGS policies have been established to properly document not only publications, but also the related data and software. This relatively recent expansion of documentation requirements for data and software may...
NEON Workshop: Operationalizing Ecological Forecasts
Ecosystems are changing worldwide and critical decisions that affect ecosystem health and sustainability are being made every day. As ecologists, we have a responsibility to ensure that these decisions are made with access to the best available science. However, to bring this idea into practice, ecology needs to make a substantial leap forward towards becoming a more predictive science....
Integrating ecological forecasting methods to improve applications for natural resource management: An invasive species example
Projecting the effects of climate change on plant and animal species distributions and abundance is critical to successful long‐term conservation and restoration efforts. There have been significant recent advances made in the areas of: (1) climate forecasts; (2) habitat niche modeling; (3) mechanistic modeling; and (4) observation techniques and networks. However, projections of biological...
Cheatgrass mapping in Squirrel Creek Wildfire, WY in 2014
This data bundle contains some of the inputs, all of the processing instructions and all outputs from two VisTrails/SAHM workflow. These models specifically include field data of locations with >40% cover of cheatgrass (presence) and <40% cover of cheatgrass (absence). Predictors included rasters derived from LandSat 8 imagery or from a digital elevation model.
Data associated with Sofaer and Jarnevich 'Accounting for sampling patterns reverses the relative importance of trade and climate for the global sharing of exotic plants'
These data were analyzed for the publication 'Accounting for sampling patterns reverses the relative importance of trade and climate for the global sharing of exotic plants'
Developing an expert elicited simulation model to evaluate invasive species and fire management alternatives
Invasive species can alter ecosystem properties and cause state shifts in landscapes. Resource managers charged with maintaining landscapes require tools to understand implications of alternative actions (or inactions) on landscape structure and function. Simulation models can serve as a virtual laboratory to explore these alternatives and their...Jarnevich, Catherine S.; Cullinane Thomas, Catherine; Young, Nicholas E.; Backer, Dana M.; Cline, Sarah A.; Frid, Leonardo; Grissom, Perry
Not so normal normals: Species distribution model results are sensitive to choice of climate normals and model type
Species distribution models have many applications in conservation and ecology, and climate data are frequently a key driver of these models. Often, correlative modeling approaches are developed with readily available climate data; however, the impacts of the choice of climate normals is rarely considered. Here, we produced species distribution...Jarnevich, Catherine S.; Young, Nicholas E.
The area under the precision‐recall curve as a performance metric for rare binary events
Species distribution models are used to study biogeographic patterns and guide decision‐making. The variable quality of these models makes it critical to assess whether a model's outputs are suitable for the intended use, but commonly used evaluation approaches are inappropriate for many ecological contexts. In particular, unrealistically high...Sofaer, Helen R.; Hoeting, Jennifer A.; Jarnevich, Catherine S.
Integrating landscape simulation models with economic and decision tools for invasive species control
In managing invasive species, land managers and policy makers need information to help allocate scarce resources as efficiently and effectively as possible. Decisions regarding treatment methods, locations, effort, and timing can be informed by the integration of landscape simulation models with economic tools. State and transition simulation...Cullinane Thomas, Catherine; Sofaer, Helen R.; Cline, Sarah A.; Jarnevich, Catherine S.
The relationship between invader abundance and impact
The impacts of invasive species generally increase with their abundance, but the form of invader abundance–impact relationships remain poorly described. We highlight the utility of abundance–impact curves for three questions. First, abundance–impact relationships can clarify whether prevention and management should focus on the species likely to...Sofaer, Helen R.; Jarnevich, Catherine S.; Pearse, Ian S.
Modeling the distributions of tegu lizards in native and potential invasive ranges
Invasive reptilian predators can have substantial impacts on native species and ecosystems. Tegu lizards are widely distributed in South America east of the Andes, and are popular in the international live animal trade. Two species are established in Florida (U.S.A.) - Salvator merianae (Argentine black and white tegu) and Tupinambis teguixin...Jarnevich, Catherine S.; Hayes, Mark; Fitzgerald, Lee A.; Yackel, Amy; Falk, Bryan; Collier, Michelle; Bonewell, Lea; Klug, Page; Naretto, Sergio; Reed, Robert
A tale of two wildfires; testing detection and prediction of invasive species distributions using models fit with topographic and spectral indices
ContextDeveloping species distribution models (SDMs) to detect invasive species cover and evaluate habitat suitability are high priorities for land managers.ObjectivesWe tested SDMs fit with different variable combinations to provide guidelines for future invasive species model development based on transferability between landscapes....West, Amanda M.; Evangelista, Paul H.; Jarnevich, Catherine S.; Shulte, Darin
Forecasting an invasive species’ distribution with global distribution data, local data, and physiological information
Understanding invasive species distributions and potential invasions often requires broad‐scale information on the environmental tolerances of the species. Further, resource managers are often faced with knowing these broad‐scale relationships as well as nuanced environmental factors related to their landscape that influence where an invasive...Jarnevich, Catherine S.; Young, Nicholas E.; Talbert, Marian; Talbert, Colin
Misleading prioritizations from modelling range shifts under climate change
AimConservation planning requires the prioritization of a subset of taxa and geographical locations to focus monitoring and management efforts. Integration of the threats and opportunities posed by climate change often relies on predictions from species distribution models, particularly for assessments of vulnerability or invasion risk for...Sofaer, Helen R.; Jarnevich, Catherine S.; Flather, Curtis H.
Iterative near-term ecological forecasting: Needs, opportunities, and challenges
Two foundational questions about sustainability are “How are ecosystems and the services they provide going to change in the future?” and “How do human decisions affect these trajectories?” Answering these questions requires an ability to forecast ecological processes. Unfortunately, most ecological forecasts focus on centennial-scale climate...Dietze, Michael C.; Fox, Andrew; Beck-Johnson, Lindsay; Betancourt, Julio L.; Hooten, Mevin B.; Jarnevich, Catherine S.; Keitt, Timothy H.; Kenney, Melissa A.; Laney, Christine M.; Larsen, Laurel G.; Loescher, Henry W.; Lunch, Claire K.; Pijanowski, Bryan; Randerson, James T.; Read, Emily; Tredennick, Andrew T.; Vargas, Rodrigo; Weathers, Kathleen C.; White, Ethan P.
Comparison of four modeling tools for the prediction of potential distribution for non-indigenous weeds in the United States
This study compares four models for predicting the potential distribution of non-indigenous weed species in the conterminous U.S. The comparison focused on evaluating modeling tools and protocols as currently used for weed risk assessment or for predicting the potential distribution of invasive weeds. We used six weed species (three highly...Magarey, Roger; Newton, Leslie; Hong, Seung C.; Takeuchi, Yu; Christie, Dave; Jarnevich, Catherine S.; Kohl, Lisa; Damus, Martin; Higgins, Steven I.; Miller, Leah; Castro, Karen; West, Amanda M.; Hastings, John; Cook, Gericke; Kartesz, John; Koop, Anthony
Minimizing effects of methodological decisions on interpretation and prediction in species distribution studies: An example with background selection
Evaluating the conditions where a species can persist is an important question in ecology both to understand tolerances of organisms and to predict distributions across landscapes. Presence data combined with background or pseudo-absence locations are commonly used with species distribution modeling to develop these relationships. However, there...Jarnevich, Catherine S.; Talbert, Marian; Morisette, Jeffrey T.; Aldridge, Cameron L.; Brown, Cynthia; Kumar, Sunil; Manier, Daniel J.; Talbert, Colin; Holcombe, Tracy R. | https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/catherine-jarnevich?qt-staff_profile_science_products=3 |
Landscape Conservation Cooperatives use a collaborative approach to identify landscape scale conservation solutions. LCCs work across jurisdictional and political boundaries to work with partners to: meet unfilled conservation needs, develop decision support tools, share data and knowledge, and facilitate and foster partnerships.
As part of a shared science strategy, LCCs coordinate closely with the National Climate Change and Wildlife Center and the eight regional Climate Science Centers.
Water budgets and stream flows from El Yunque National Forest over the last decade
Modeling runoff using PRMS
To enhance the chances of restoring and protecting Puerto Rico’s beaches by synthesizing guidelines and procedures on beach characterization and profiling, planting, fertilization, irrigation, maintenance, monitoring, etc.
Sky Island Alliance will develop science and conservation-based guidance to assist natural resource managers in responding to expected climate change and other stressors on springs ecosystems in sky island regions of the Desert LCC.
A "gateway" using Data Basin technology has been developed to serve the data integration, collaboration and outreach needs of the NPLCC.
Oil and gas development in North Dakota is occurring at a rapid rate, and managers and biologists are ill-equipped to address and minimize damage from oil development and related activities on fish and wildlife habitat.
A Bibliography of Important Natural and Cultural Resource Information for the Northwest Boreal Region
The University of Alaska Anchorage supported the development of a bibliography of natural and cultural resource information important the Northwest Boreal Region. This tool provides the ability to search a vast, curated database for the Northwest Boreal region in one place.
Application of the Conservation Matrix Model (CMM, BEACONs) within the Northwest Boreal LCC planning region
The recipient will collaborate with the BEACONs Project team to support the NWB LCC in the application of the Conservation Matrix Model (CMM), as developed by BEACONs, within the NWB LCC planning region.
To inform management for a resilient and functioning landscape, we need to understand how the landscape is changing.
When climate change disrupts a village, city, state, or province, how do leaders respond? What unexpected obstacles do they run into? Researchers from the University of Saskatchewan want to know what factors are conducive to communities adapting to climate change.
Boreal ecosystems are inherently dynamic and continually change over decades to millennia. The braided rivers that shape the valleys and wetlands continually change course, creating and removing vast wetlands and peatlands.
Collaborate with the USFWS and its Northwest Boreal Landscape Conservation Cooperative (NWB LCC) Landscape Conservation Design (LCD) team to support the NWB LCC in the application of the Conservation Matrix Model (CMM), as developed by BEACONs, within the NWB LCC planning region.
Snowshoe hare populations fluctuate over a period of several years and are thought to send the cats on migration routes in what’s known as the “travelling wave” theory.
Support for the implementation of landscape conservation design through Alaska’s LCCs
One of the leading models for helping to understanding temperature and precipitation –PRISM—Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model—is used in Alaska and parts of Canada as input data in projections that seek to describe future scenarios of change.Currently no PRISM data are a
This project was funded to understand how, where, and why outputs from landscape connectivity models vary, and to suggest approaches to increase comparability and interoperability of models across Landscape Conservation Cooperative boundaries.
A National Stream Internet to Facilitate Accurate, High-Resolution Status and Trend Assessments for Water Quality Parameters and Aquatic Biotas
The National Stream Internet (NSI) project was funded by the Landscape Conservation Cooperative program and led by researchers from USFS, CSIRO, NOAA, and USGS.
This project modeled the effects of future climate change on bird distributions and their status in the lower 48 states. Its goal was to examine more than 600 species of birds and produce more than 100 predictive scenarios for each species, resulting in more than 600,000 data layers for birds.
The Best of Both Worlds: Developing LCC Performance Measures based on Success in Natural Resource and Socioeconomic Sectors
As climate change progresses and stressors to biodiversity continue to expand across the landscape, conservation actions need to be increasingly targeted and effective.
Successful conservation strategies in the face of climate change will require careful consideration of how changing climate will affect wildlife and habitats. Development of innovative, data-driven, accessible tools will assist in understanding and planning for those effects.
A New Model of Watershed-scale Aquatic Monitoring from the Crown of the Continent: Quantifying the Benefits of Watershed Restoration in the Face of Climate Change
This project will support the design and development of a large-scale aquatics monitoring program across 1.5 million acres of the Crown of the Continent, as part of a 10-year, landscape-level restoration project established and funded by the U.S. Forest Service in 2010.
The identification of heavy metals such as mercury, and highly persistent lipophilic anthropogenic contaminants in the circumpolar food chain of all Arctic countries has raised awareness in wildlife scientists, and human health authorities on the need to better understand the possible climate-med
The Arctic LCC created the Threatened Eider Geodatabase to serve as a repository for threatened eider distribution information. This database is intended to be a qualitative "first look" at where these two species of eider have been recorded and where surveys have been conducted.
Natural resource managers and native communities have expressed a need for effectively synthesizing traditional knowledge and western science data. Often wildlife management plans are based on remotely sensed data and data collected by wildlife biologists.
This project facilitates research within the North Slope science community through improved data sharing and collaboration. This is achieved through the development and implementation of secure data services (SDS) protocols within the North Slope Science Catalog.
Information on geomorphological and
biological features for 1,095 km of shoreline mapped from the 2013 coastal
imaging survey of St. Lawrence Island. The habitat inventory is comprised of 1,994
along-shore segments (units), averaging 550 m in length (note that the AK Coast
The Arctic LCC and National Park Service has partnered together to complete a ShoreZone imagining and mapping project for the entire coastline, lagoons inclusive, from Point Hope to Wales in Northwestern Alaska.
Understanding Arctic Ecosystems: Ecological Mapping and Mapping Field Plot Database for the North Slope
Federal land managers, non-governmental organizations, and industry have been developing ecological land classifications at regional and landscape-level for Alaska to aid in ecosystem management. An ecoregion map that covers the entire state was produced by Nowacki et al. (2002).
The USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (USGS St. Pete) processed lidar topographic data in Alaska. Raw lidar data are not in a format that is generally usable by resource managers and scientists for scientific analysis.
Reconciling precipitation trends in Alaska: Comparison of trends in gridded precipitation products and station records
There are many challenges in detecting precipitation trends in Alaska. The most substantial are the small number of observations, inhomogeneities, differences among gridded data sets, and differentiating between long-term trends and decadal variability.
Shorebirds are among the most abundant and visible high-latitude vertebrates. Their ecology makes them particularly sensitive to climate change in the arctic. The current distribution of shorebirds on the Arctic Coastal Plain is poorly known because accurate data exist from just a few locations.
Climate effects on Arctic Food Resources: Modeling the Timing and Duration of Aquatic Insect Emergence from Tundra Ponds
The primary goal of this project was to predict climate-related changes in the timing and duration of insect prey availability for arctic-breeding shorebirds.
Historical Orthomosaic, Digital Surface Model, and Shoreline Position for the Northern Alaska Coastline
The most comprehensive historical aerial imagery of Alaska available to the public was collected as part
of the Alaska High-Altitude Aerial Photography Program (AHAP) during 1978-1986. Recent studies
Correlation and climate sensitivity of human health and environmental indicators in the Salish Sea - Swinomish Indian Tribal Community - Final Report
The overarching goal of the project was to develop overlapping conceptual models of environmental and community health indicators in reference to climate forecasts.
Implementing Ecosystem-based Management in the Central Coast of British Columbia: Support for Heiltsuk Participation in the Strategic Landscape Reserve Design Process - NPLCC Final Report
The project incorporates Heiltsuk Traditional Knowledge and Values into ecosystem-based management planning within Strategic Landscape Reserve Design (SLRD) Landscape Units. The SLRD process seeks to identify areas to set aside from logging (harvesting) over short and long term timeframes.
The Cascadia Parner Forum fosters a network of natural resource practitioners working with the NPLCC and GNLCC to guild the adaptive capacity of the landscape and species living within it.
Lack of complete snow cover for the past 3 winters in southwestern Alaska has forced agencies to postpone moose surveys due to the likelihood of underestimating the population/lack of comparability to previous surveys.
Traditional ecological knowledge of Mulchatna Caribou Herd phenology, habitat change, subsistence use, and related species interactions
Caribou are an important source of food for residents of western Alaska, but as environmental conditions and migration patterns change, some local hunters have encountered difficulty accessing the Mulchatna caribou herd (MCH).
Accidental introductions of rodents present one of the greatest threats to indigenous island biota. On uninhabited remote islands, such introductions are most likely to come from shipwrecks.
The Green River Basin Landscape Conservation Design project (GRB LCD) is an opportunity to think, plan, and act across boundaries and jurisdictions to meet mutual goals for agreed upon conservation targets in the ecosystems of the Green River Basin.
Project Objectives
Connect scientists/researchers to resource managers, review relevant science projects recently completed by the SRLCC and others, and discuss how resulting data and tools can be applied or incorporated into decision-making processes;
Using a bioclimatic envelope approach, University of Alberta investigators project how the distribution and abundance of boreal forest birds across North America will respond to different scenarios of future climate-change.
More information is needed about species composition, abundance, or distribution of the microfauna and meiofauna living within the interstitial spaces of the littoral zones along the Beaufort Sea coast.
Hydrologic data for the Alaska Arctic are sparse, and fewer still are long-term (> 10 year) datasets. This lack of baseline information hinders our ability to assess long-term alterations in streamflow due to changing climate.
Decision support for linking regional-scale management actions to continental scale conservation of wide-ranging species
Conserving migratory or wide-ranging species presents considerable challenges, as these individuals move across disparate jurisdictions often crossing international borders among crucial stages of their annual cycle.
Mapping and Predicting Groundwater-Mediated Hydrologic Connectivity for Great Plains Prairie Rivers and Streams
Groundwater pumping for irrigated agriculture has depleted regional aquifers that sustain habitat for native fishes in the western Great Plains of North America.
The Great Plains LCC funded/facilitated meeting in relation to the Lesser Prairie Chicken Managment Plan developed by the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. Project funding also went toward a literature review of Lesser Prairie Chickens.
Patterns and Processes of Dispersal of Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs in a Heavily Managed Landscape of the Great Plains Landscape Conservation Cooperative
The black‐tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) is considered an indicator species for the short grass prairie of North America; however, this species currently occupies an estimated 2% of its original distribution.
Evaluating the Long-term Impacts of Land Cover, Climate, and Buffer Condition Change on Sediment Delivery and Playa Storage Volume
Playa wetlands are critical resources of the Great Plains, providing a range of ecological functions such as groundwater recharge, surface water storage, wetland habitat, and sediment filtering. | https://lccnetwork.org/projectsbystatus?page=1 |
Though this year’s Olympic Games were filled with record-breaking athletes, it seems as if another name took the spotlight in Rio: Zika. The Zika virus caused health and safety concerns around the world as spectators and athletes prepared to head to Brazil in the midst of an epidemic. But was the Zika virus’ attendance in Brazil uninvited or one let in by the recent climate trends of our world?
The Zika virus was unintentionally discovered in monkeys of Uganda’s Zika Forest in 1947 while scientists were researching yellow fever, but the virus was not observed in humans until 1952 (1). As a flavivirus related to diseases such as West Nile, dengue, and yellow fever, Zika is transmitted to humans through infected mosquitoes of the Aedes genus, such as Aedes africanus, Aedes aegypti, and Aedes luteocephalus. The viral genome was not sequenced until 2006, at which point there were no documented outbreaks of the virus, with only 14 human cases of Zika isolated within Africa and Asia. The first outbreak occurred in the follwing year on Yap Island, a small Pacific Island within the Federated States of Micronesia (2).
Given the area’s abundance of flavivirus-carrying mosquitoes, Yap was most likely exposed to the virus through migrating mosquito vectors. However, it is also possible that a human with an undetected infection brought the virus to the island, as there was evidence of Zika in the nearby Philippines. In the spring of 2007, doctors observed the disease through symptoms such as rashes, conjunctivitis, fever, and arthritis and joint pain. At first, the disease falsely tested positive as dengue, but further testing by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that the samples contained Zika virus RNA. Because Yap residents had not developed sufficient immunity, three out of four were infected in this first Zika outbreak (2).
Recently, another outbreak of Zika has sprung up in the Americas, beginning with Brazil. Patient records from early 2015 show “dengue-like symptoms” like rashes and pain reported in the city of Natal (3). The introduction of the disease can be attributed to international visitors that came for the FIFA World Cup in 2014. Rapid travel easily carried both infected vector mosquitoes and diseased humans around the country. During the epidemic, incidences of microcephaly, the condition of having an abnormally small head, seemed to rise. People speculated that the Zika virus could be associated with the condition in fetuses and directed warnings about the disease towards pregnant mothers. Attempts to control the virus through its vector mosquito were complicated by the Aedes mosquito’s efficient adaptation to urban environments, although certain areas of Brazil had a high-elevation climate rendering them unfit for the mosquito and safe from the virus (4).
Both epidemics show that the spread of the Zika virus is determined by the nature and locations of its vector mosquito. Therefore, climate patterns affecting the distribution of Aedes mosquitoes can also affect the distribution of Zika. It has been found that the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the most common virus vector, survives best in tropical and subtropical regions around the equator and between the 10 °C January isotherms (5). This temperature region roughly covers the area between 45 degrees south and 35 degrees north. Areas of higher humidity and higher rainfall are also more favorable to the mosquitoes, as these characteristics assist in mosquito breeding and survival by preventing adult mosquito desiccation (6).
Since climate has such a large impact on Zika distribution, it follows that the changing climate around the world will also change the scope of the virus. It is projected that the global average for land temperature will rise roughly 3.1—4.8 °C by 2061—2080, with the largest increases at middle to high elevations.5 Land precipitation is expected to increase significantly in most regions.
First, we look at regions currently at risk for Zika. These areas of the world currently have climates suitable for sustaining Aedes mosquitoes. Analyzing future trends in climate, researchers have found that several of these regions will see an increase in the abundance of Aedes mosquitos over the next 40—60 years. Type 1 occurrence patterns, in which the vector is highly abundant year-round, are expected to increase by 44—54% around the world. Type 2 patterns, in which the vector is present year-round but only seasonally abundant, are expected to increase by 15—33% (5).
In regions currently unsuited for the Aedes vector mosquito, seasonal suitability is expected to increase in the next 40—60 years. Type 4 patterns, in which the vector is only seasonally present, will expand into regions that are now mosquito-free. Type 4 patterns are expected to expand by 8—18%, with growth concentrated in mid-latitude regions such as Europe. This expansion, combined with population growth, will increase human exposure to the Aedes mosquito in previously unexposed regions (5). The problem is compounded because people living in these regions would likely not have the immunity and resistance that those more regularly exposed to the mosquito have built. The intertwining of climate change and global health threats extends far beyond the effects on the Zika virus. Models of other diseases, such as malaria and dengue fever, also predict climate-induced changes in transmission. With malaria, it was shown that global temperature rises of 2—3 °C would increase both the length of malaria season and the risk of malaria by 3—5%.6 On top of the diseases, phenomena such as unsustainable heat waves, cyclones, and flooding may cause direct mortality. But there are subtler dangers as well. Asthma incidences in the United States has increased more than fourfold in the past three decades, which can be partially attributed to climate-related factors. For instance, plants such as ragweed can produce roughly 60% more pollen when grown under an abundance of carbon dioxide. Accelerated trade winds over the Atlantic caused by pressure gradients over warming waters even bring air pollutants from expanding African deserts to the Americas. While it may have been originally thought that climate change and human health were unrelated, these trends appear to show otherwise (7).
Looking towards the future, changes in our behavior seem to be necessary to combat the change in the Earth’s environment. For instance, resources can be allocated to improve city conditions so that diseases like Zika do not have a chance to spread as rapidly as they did in Brazil. In the past, the impacts of climate change have been largely underestimated as purely environmental concerns. Considering the bigger picture effects of climate change, clean energy and green thinking may be among the ways toward not only saving the Earth for posterity but also controlling and solving many of today’s global health issues.
Michael Xie ‘20 is a freshman in Thayer Hall.
Fauci, A. S.; Morens, D. M. N. Engl. J. Med. 2016, 374, 601-604.
Duffy, M. R. et al. N. Engl. J. Med. 2009, 360, 2536-2643.
Zanluca, C. et al. Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz. 2015, 110, 569-572.
Marcondes, C. B.; Ximene, M. Rev. Soc. Bras. Med. Trop. 2015, 49, 4-10.
Monaghan, A. J. et al. Climatic Change. 2016, 1-14.
Patz, J. A. et al. In Climate change and human health: risks and responses, McMichael, A. J. et al., Eds.; World Health Organization: Geneva, CH, 2003; pp. 103-132.
Epstein, P. R. N. Engl. J. Med. 2005, 353, 1433-1436. | https://harvardsciencereview.com/2016/12/20/the-climate-of-zika/ |
Impact of climate change on seabird species off the east coast of Scotland and potential implications for environmental assessments: study
This study investigated the potential impacts of climate change on seabird distribution, abundance and demography off the east coast of Scotland, and examined integration of these climate models into standard population forecast models used in assessments for offshore wind developments.
Executive Summary
- Offshore Renewable Developments (ORDs) can make a significant contribution to the Scottish Government's target to generate 50% of overall energy consumption from renewable sources by 2030, but there is a requirement on Scottish Government to deliver them in a sustainable manner in accordance with the requirements of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (EC/2008/56), the Habitats Directive (EC/92/43) and the Birds Directive (EC/79/409). Offshore renewable developments have the potential to affect seabirds that are protected by the EU Birds Directive, and transposed domestic legislation, notably from collisions with turbine blades and through displacement from important habitat.
- A key current concern is that Population Viability Analyses that are the standard method of forecasting future population change of seabirds as part of ORD assessments, do not account for any effects of environmental change on populations. However, many seabird species in the UK have shown marked declines in recent decades and there is widespread evidence that these are in part caused by changes in marine ecosystems as a result of climate change. Climate change can affect seabird populations indirectly via changes in food supply, or directly such as through mortality from extreme weather.
- In this project, we examined the potential impacts of climate change by quantifying the effects of climate on seabird distribution, abundance and demography. We developed future estimates for the spatial distribution and abundance at seabird foraging areas and for demographic rates, abundance, and the influence of varying foraging ranges at seabird breeding colonies on access to suitable climate conditions.
- To identify climate variables of relevance to seabird demographics we conducted a literature review in Web of Science (WoS) using the terms 'seabirds', 'climate', 'productivity', 'breeding success', 'survival' and 'demography'. This identified 20 published studies, which we summarised into two sets of climate variables (terrestrial and marine) relating to breeding success or adult survival. We focused on variables for the analysis that were sufficiently spatially or spatio-temporally resolved to be relevant to seabirds breeding on the east coast of the UK, and which were also available in projected future climate scenarios, with the exception of terrestrial wind which we included in the retrospective analyses because the literature review highlighted its important effects on demography. The list of variables included three terrestrial (minimum air temperature; max precipitation; mean wind speed) and four marine (sea surface temperature, sea surface salinity, North Atlantic Oscillation and Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation). All predictions for future climate were made using forecasted variables from UKCP09 projections for the SRES Scenario A1B (medium). Spatiotemporal forecast variables represented an average over 30 years (2070-2099), and predictions represented a 'typical' year across this period. This was the only set of climate projections for all marine and terrestrial variables available at the onset of the project, and as such, the resulting predictions show potential changes to seabird distribution and demography under future climate conditions fifty years hence. Therefore, predictions probably represent a more extreme set of changes than is likely over the next 20-30 years of relevance to the lifetime of currently consented and planned offshore wind farms.
- We constructed statistical models to link at-sea survey data on the spatial distribution of birds and colony-based estimates of productivity and abundance to key climate-related variables in the form of a retrospective analysis of historical data. We then used modelled estimates for relationships between distribution, demographic rates and climate to forecast future projected change in at-sea distributions, productivity, adult survival (indirectly estimated from counts and breeding success) and population growth rates. At-sea distribution and abundance were modelled using a Generalised Estimated Equation – Generalised Linear Model (GEE-GLM) modelling approach, building upon previous models developed for the NERC/DEFRA MERP and ORJIP Sensitivity Mapping Tool projects. We analysed the effect of climate variables on productivity and adult survival via both frequentist generalised linear mixed models (GLMMs), which are very widely used in statistical ecology, and Bayesian approaches which offer a more flexible approach for formulating ecological processes within models. We used colony-specific and year-specific data on counts and productivity from the Seabird Monitoring Programme (SMP) for breeding colonies throughout the region of interest.
- Modelling of seabird at-sea distribution and climate showed that two species, Atlantic puffin and black-legged kittiwake, favoured the coldest waters and were therefore most likely to respond negatively to climate warming. In contrast, three species (common guillemot, razorbill and in particular northern gannet) showed an association with warmer waters, and were therefore least likely to be negatively affected by warming.
- At-sea distribution modelling resulted in widespread predicted declines under future climate projections among the majority of the species analysed. This was particularly the case for Atlantic puffin and black-legged kittiwake, in which declines were predicted to occur in both summer and winter. Common guillemot, herring gull and razorbill were predicted to decline during the summer months only, and great black-backed gull were predicted to decline during only winter months. In contrast, northern gannet were predicted to increase in both summer and winter, and notably razorbill were also expected to increase in winter months.
- Relative spatial distributional changes were only apparent in two species, common guillemot and razorbill, both of which were predicted to increase in the northern North Sea and decrease in the southern North Sea. Temporal shifts in distribution were predicted for Atlantic puffin and northern gannet, both of which were predicted to use the North Sea region more extensively in summer than winter, a pattern predicted to remain under the future climate scenario. Four species: common guillemot, razorbill, great black-backed gull and herring gull consistently showed higher numbers across the North Sea during winter. For common guillemot and razorbill these differences between winter and summer densities were predicted to become more marked under future climate conditions. These projections imply that common guillemot and razorbill may shift to have greater interactions with ORDs in the North Sea during the non-breeding period than currently, if future climate projections are manifest. Black-legged kittiwake were predicted to continue to use the North Sea throughout the year.
- These overall declines in abundance and spatial and temporal shifts in distribution are in line with previous work, suggesting that seabird habitat suitability, driven by changes in climate, will shift northwards in the North Sea over the next century, with associated widespread declines for many species.
- Productivity models demonstrated strong links between productivity and key climate variables in five species (Atlantic puffin, black-legged kittiwake, common guillemot, great black-backed gull, northern gannet), particularly highlighting associations with marine climate, with terrestrial climate playing a much more minor role. In four of the five species where strong climatic effects on productivity were detected, future climate projections indicated large declines in productivity relative to current productivity rates – this was the case for: Atlantic puffin, black-legged kittiwake, common guillemot and great black-backed gull. Only one species, northern gannet, was predicted to have increased productivity under future climate projections. In all five species, modelling indicated there would be very limited or no opportunity for species to increase productivity under future conditions by expanding foraging ranges around breeding colonies to access more suitable climatic conditions.
- An important finding from the analysis of productivity and climate was that pre-breeding conditions were generally more important than conditions during the breeding season. This may result from the effect of such conditions on the quality or abundance of prey during the period of peak energy demand during breeding. Alternatively, it may represent a carry-over effect whereby conditions experienced by seabirds in one season (in this case late winter) have downstream consequences on subsequent seasons.
- These predicted declines in productivity, together with predicted declines in at-sea density and shifts in range in certain species, support past work on effects of climate warming on distribution and demography that threaten the future well-being of many breeding seabirds in the UK. Only one species, the northern gannet, showed future predictions of increased abundance and productivity, likely reflecting its more catholic diet, with less dependence on prey species that are negatively affected by warming. Our results suggest there will be profound changes to the North Sea seabird community in the coming century. This work has used a multi-colony, multi-species approach to broaden the knowledge base for understanding how seabirds breeding in the UK eastern seaboard may be affected by future climate change, demonstrating expected potential declines in a wider suite of species than previously identified.
- Our analyses on indirectly estimating adult survival from counts and breeding success data has highlighted the difficulties in robustly estimating adult survival from these data. A key area for future work is, therefore, to expand empirical observations more directly linked to survival, such as mark-recapture and mark-resighting data across a wide range of colonies and environmental conditions. Similarly, there is a nationwide lack of empirical data on juvenile survival in seabirds, which greatly inhibits current attempts to predict future population responses of seabirds to pressures.
- The results of these analyses suggest that climate change will have substantial impacts on demography and abundance of seabirds in the North Sea over the 21st century, and the impacts are likely to vary, in magnitude and form, between species. A failure to account for these changes in ORD assessments may lead to misidentification of the key affected populations, as well as misjudgement of the extent to which seabirds are likely to interact with ORDs over time, and inclusion in assessments could be considered at the scoping stage of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process. Any directional shift in habitat use, from South to North, will mean that the number and source populations of individual birds interacting with specific OW footprints will alter over time. This could mean that a static assessment identifying the protected populations of concern using apportioning methods applied to current day distributions could fail to identify populations that would come to interact with those footprints as their population sizes evolve over time, and their spatial habitat use changes in coming decades.
- Similarly, the evidence supporting potential seasonal shifts in habitat use of the North Sea for two species (common guillemot and razorbill) suggests that the seasonal period of greatest importance for ORD impacts on protected populations may change as climate alters. If species begin to use the North Sea proportionately more in the overwinter period than the breeding season, ORD impact assessments in the non-breeding season will become more critical to performing robust and accurate assessments. This is particularly challenging because at present, available methods for assessing impacts of ORD in the non-breeding season, and apportioning impacts back to protected colonies, are much cruder than those available for the breeding season. Moreover, it will become increasingly important that cross-border efforts to assess impacts for seabirds originating from different countries are better developed, because the ratio of seabirds from UK and non-UK populations in the North Sea during winter is likely to alter under future climate change. | https://www.gov.scot/publications/study-examine-impact-climate-change-seabird-species-east-coast-scotland-potential-implications-environmental-assessments/ |
Rubenstein School faculty, staff, and students develop and use innovative spatial analysis, modeling, and mapping tools as part of their research methods. In the Spatial Analysis Laboratory (SAL), in particular, researchers use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and related technology to quantify and evaluate ecological patterns, including wildlife habitat, landscape fragmentation, biological diversity, forest health, and invasive species. The SAL incorporates this information into conservation-planning efforts that help develop priorities for protecting landscapes and their natural resources. They use sophisticated computer models and historical data to develop alternative scenarios of policy strategies, infrastructure investments, and demographic and economic changes. They run cutting-edge urban simulation and transportation modeling software to visualize effects of these scenarios on development patterns, traffic, and other socioeconomic factors. Learn more about Geospatial Technologies at UVM.
Faculty Research Programs
Therese (Terri) Donovan
Landscape ecology, wildlife population modeling
Population dynamics and modeling, structured decision making, landscape ecology and conservation biology broadly define Terri’s research. As the assistant leader of the Vermont Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Terri’s research has an applied angle that meets cooperator’s research needs. The Unit’s main cooperators are the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department and the U.S. Department of Interior. Terri’s current projects focus on developing methods for monitoring animals (birds, bats, frogs, and insects) via acoustic recordings, adaptive management of harvested species in Vermont, and evaluating how forest management affects long-term carbon storage, energy production, and wildlife distributions for black bear, bobcat, and fisher. Terri also maintains the Spreadsheet Project, a website that provides teaching materials related to modeling, conservation biology, ecology, and parameter estimation methods.
Gillian Galford
Environmental sustainability, ecosystems ecology, nitrogen and carbon cycling, greenhouse gases, remote sensing, ecosystems modeling, land-cover and land-use change, tropical agriculture
As an ecosystems ecologist and earth system scientist, Gillian studies land-cover and land-use change in the tropics and its impacts, particularly on greenhouse gas emissions and the water cycle. Gillian works across scales, from plot level studies on farms to regional analyses through remote sensing and ecosystems modeling. Land cover changes of interest include deforestation in the Amazon and hurricane damage to Cuban mangroves—and associated impacts on the environment. In Brazilian agroecosystems, Gillian studies the bottom-up impacts of land use management on large commercial farms to inform sustainable practices. In smallholder farming settings like Malawi and Vermont, USA, her work focuses on resilience in the face of increased precipitation variability.
Jarlath O'Neil-Dunne
Geospatial technology, wildlife habitat mapping, land cover change detection, urban tree canopy assessment, community health, water quality modeling
Jarlath's work broadly focuses on using geospatial technology to solve problems, answer questions, and further research. He is involved in variety of projects as the Director of the UVM Spatial Analysis Laboratory. His current work includes an urban tree canopy assessment with the U.S. Forest Service to help communities throughout the U.S. understand current and potential tree canopy, work with NASA on estimating biomass using remote sensing data, an ecological homogenization project that considers social and biophysical data to find similarities in landscapes throughout the U.S., work with the National Science Foundation on capturing images with smartphones for a more recent and unique perspective than images from satellites, and a project with the Department of Transportation using satellite images to respond to damage to transportation infrastructure, such as that from Hurricane Irene.
Jennifer Pontius
Forest health, remote sensing, GIS modeling
Jen uses remote sensing, mapping, and modeling to scale information about forest health and function from the plot to the landscape scale. These techniques allow researchers and land managers to identify and track impacts of new and existing forest stress agents. Specifically, her work includes detection and mapping of forest decline as a result of invasive species, climate change, and acid deposition. Current projects include an integrated forest ecosystem assessment to support sustainable management decisions in a changing climate; early detection and mapping of emerald ash borer; remote sensing to assess hemlock decline; a long term assessment of changing forest demographics, productivity, and biomass accumulation; and quantification of historical trends in Vermont's seasonal vegetation in response to climate change. Jen is the Principal Investigator of the Vermont Monitoring Cooperative, which integrates ecosystem monitoring efforts across organizational and disciplinary boundaries.
Brian Voigt
Modeling, analyzing, quantifying land use change; ecosystem service assessment and valuation; quantitative spatial analysis
Brian's research focuses on ecosystem services, quantitative geography, land use planning, economics, natural hazards, sociology and GIS. He strives to make his work as applied as possible, frequently linking his research into the land use planning process. In Tanzania, he is modeling access to freshwater, economic livelihoods and health outcomes for pastoral households. Another project in Moab, Utah considers recreational and water impacts from oil, gas and potash development on one million acres of public land. Brian also has two current projects focused on the Lake Champlain basin. The first considers the impacts of land use and land cover change on the delivery of ecosystem services, while the second project is attempting to quantify the economic value of clean water in Lake Champlain. In addition to his specific projects, Brian works on developing and implementing the ARIES (Artificial Intelligence for Ecosystem Services) modeling platform, developing case studies and identifying software needs for quantifying and analyzing the flow of ecosystem services. | https://www.uvm.edu/rsenr/rubenstein-school-research-emphasis-geospatial-technologies |
Is it better to live in the north or the south? It’s a question that even birds are struggling to answer as the climate in different parts of Britain changes in a variety of ways. Scientists have known for some time that global warming is causing the distributions of species to shift. Whether its warmth-loving species like the Dartford Warbler spreading north as our country‘s temperatures rise, or the cold-adapted inhabitants of our mountains retreating further up hill, the signature of climate change is commonplace. However, researchers are increasingly realising that not all species are tracking the climate in the same way. One reason may be that individual species respond to subtly different aspects of climate, such as temperature or rainfall at critical times of the year. Understanding this will help policymakers to adopt conservation and land management strategies that effectively assist species survival.
BTO scientists compared detailed distribution maps for 122 British birds in 1988–91 and 2008–11 to measure the complex ways in which their breeding distributions have changed. These data, collected in a standardised manner by thousands of volunteer bird surveyors, provide a unique barometer of the impacts of climate change on this one component of British biodiversity. Over these two decades temperatures in spring and summer have increased, which should have pushed species to the north-west if this aspect of climate change is key to their success, whilst higher temperatures in winter should have pushed them to the north and north-east. In contrast, if spring rainfall is critical to species, they should have been pushed to the west. When the BTO scientists looked at how bird distributions had actually changed over this period, they found that birds had indeed shifted to the north, on average by 13.5km, which continued a trend seen in previous decades. However, they also found that more than a quarter of species had extended their ranges to the north-west and north-east, and that almost half had retreated from southerly directions. Overall the range shifts could not be explained by any single climatic factor, leading the researchers to conclude that the distribution changes for British birds are complex, multi-directional and species specific.
Simon Gillings, Head of Population Ecology & Modelling & Principal Ecologist said, "We already knew that bird communities might change because some species aren’t moving northwards as fast as others. But if they are also diverging in space, the communities of tomorrow could be very different than those found today."
Dawn Balmer, Head of Surveys commented, "over 10,000 volunteer surveyors undertook special timed surveys to help map bird abundance patterns, but their data have now proved invaluable for these detailed analyses of climate change impacts. It’s a brilliant example of citizen science in action."
Some species are apparently adapting to the changing climate, or even benefiting from it. However, others are not and it is not yet clear what impact the arrival of species new to particular areas will have on existing biodiversity. There is therefore still much to learn in order to effectively manage the impacts of anthropogenic climate change on our wildlife.
Notes for Editors
- The BTO is the UK's leading bird research charity. A growing membership and up to 60,000 volunteer birdwatchers contribute to the BTO's surveys, collecting information that underpins conservation action in the UK. The BTO maintains a staff of 100 at its offices in Thetford, Stirling, Bangor (Wales) and Bangor (Northern Ireland), who analyse and publicise the results of surveys and projects. The BTO's work is funded by BTO supporters, government, trusts, industry and conservation organisations.www.bto.org
- This research was published in the journal Global Change Biology and can be accessed here (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/gcb.12823/abstract)
- This work was based on data from Bird Atlas 2007-11 and funded by the BTO’s Beyond the Maps appeal. Bird Atlas 2007–11 was a partnership project run by BTO, BirdWatch Ireland and the Scottish Ornithologists’ Club, aiming to map the distribution and abundance of all bird species in Britain and Ireland.
Contact Details
Dr Viola Ross-Smith
(BTO Research Ecologist)
Office: 01842 750050
(9am to 5.30pm)
Email: viola.ross-smith [at] bto.org
Dr Simon Gillings
(BTO Principal Ecologist)
Office: 01842 750050
(9am to 5.30pm)
Email: simon.gillings [at] bto.org
Images are available for use alongside this News Release.
Please contact images [at] bto.org quoting reference 2015-07
The BTO has an ISDN line available for radio interviews.
Please contact us to book an interview
Office: 01842 750050
Related content
Short-eared Owl Tracking
New tracking work aims to better understand why this hard to monitor species may be in decline.
Citizen Science in Shetland
BTO volunteer Hugh Tooby shares his journey through Shetland as part of the Upland Rovers scheme. | https://www.bto.org/about-bto/press-releases/chasing-changing-climate |
Arthropods (insects and spiders) represent about 70% of all forest species, and play an important role in forest ecosystems.
Arthropods are increasingly being used as ecological indicators because of their responsiveness to environmental conditions, as well as their diversity and abundance. For example, some species, such as carabids (ground beetles) are useful in assessing recovery after disturbance, and the impact of forestry practices.
Canadian Forest Service (CFS) researchers and collaborators have determined that while carabid assemblages respond to disturbance, the response of individual species and changes in species composition are influenced by regional geography and fine-scale differences among forest ecosystems. As a result, researchers have concluded that monitoring carabids is better suited to finer scale evaluations of the effects of forest management. In addition, monitoring individual species of arthropods over large landscapes is economically prohibitive.
CFS researchers are looking at whether ecological or habitat surrogates, such as the Canadian Forest Ecosystem Classification System (CFEC), can be monitored instead of arthropods directly—at a more reasonable cost.
CFEC is useful for classifying and monitoring plant communities within Canadian forests. The CFEC was constructed using vegetation data and soil characteristics (moisture and nutrient richness), properties that are also known to have strong influence on the distribution and abundance of ground-dwelling (epigaeic) arthropods, including carabids. Research suggests that this classification for forest plant communities is also a surrogate for forest epigaeic arthropod communities. In other words, the widely-used and easily-understood CFEC not only allows the assessment of plant communities in Canadian forests, but also makes it possible to indirectly monitor epigaeic arthropod biodiversity.
CFEC, which has the potential to be applied over large landscapes to evaluate forest change and trends in forest organisms, may also be used to assess impacts of climate change, bioenergy development and oil sands resource extraction. | https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/forests/fire-insects-disturbances/pest-management/13189 |
It’s not just biodiversity loss; entire ecosystems are being restructured.
Beaches in the tropics — think Costa Rica or the Bahamas — are changing in a big way, just beneath the surface of the water.
Tropical marine areas are experiencing major shake-ups in biodiversity, according a study published Thursday in the journal Science.
Researchers identified hotspots of biodiversity shifts across the globe, finding that species networks are changing twice as fast in the ocean as they’re changing on land.
They reviewed 386 studies and more than 12 million records of abundance for over 45,000 species across plants, invertebrates, fish, birds and mammals.
The researchers looked at species replacement, rather than just loss of biodiversity. In previous studies, “species richness trends are often uncoupled from species replacement,” the authors write, “and thus are insufficient alone for fully capturing how biodiversity might change.”
But biodiversity “restructuring,” rather than species richness, is a more accurate way to describe changes over time, the researchers say. When a species dies out and is replaced by another, that change isn’t reflected by looking at the number of species in an area — yet it can shake up an entire ecosystem.
The finding that species turnover is higher in the ocean is “consistent with predictions for species responses on the basis of greater sensitivities to increased temperatures,” the researchers write.
Tropical oceans have a higher proportion of extreme changes
Some findings came as a greater surprise, like the specific trends in tropical ocean regions. In those notoriously species-rich areas, the researchers expected to see an overall drop in biodiversity. Instead, they found that studies in those areas have a higher proportion of extreme changes — richness gains, losses, and turnover.
“Hence, although we find higher magnitude changes in the tropics, this result contrasts with our prediction that we would find mostly richness losses,” the authors write.
“The tropics, which harbor most of the biological diversity on the planet, are also generally considered to be the place where biodiversity is the most threatened.”
The patterns the researchers describe add evidence to the danger of losing biodiversity across the globe.
“If these trends are maintained, then this could lead to a market restructuring of biodiversity,” the researchers write, “with potentially severe consequences for ecosystem functioning across biomes.”
Reports of a global biodiversity crisis have alarmed researchers and the public, signaling some of the major impacts of climate change.
A million species are in danger of extinction, a recent United Nations report warns. The new study could help to identify vulnerable areas for more targeted land management.
“Although the entire planet is undergoing biodiversity change, the direction and magnitude of change differs across geographic regions,” the authors write.
“Our study provides an important criterion for targeting conservation action: a global map of current rates of biodiversity change.”
Abstract
Human activities are fundamentally altering biodiversity. Projections of declines at the global scale are contrasted by highly variable trends at local scales, suggesting that biodiversity change may be spatially structured. Here, we examined spatial variation in species richness and composition change using more than 50,000 biodiversity time series from 239 studies and found clear geographic variation in biodiversity change. Rapid compositional change is prevalent, with marine biomes exceeding and terrestrial biomes trailing the overall trend. Assemblage richness is not changing on average, although locations exhibiting increasing and decreasing trends of up to about 20% per year were found in some marine studies. At local scales, widespread compositional reorganization is most often decoupled from richness change, and biodiversity change is strongest and most variable in the oceans. | https://www.inverse.com/article/60223-tropical-ocean-species-loss |
The effects of the climate crisis on the oceans will be more intense than previously believed
The increase in global temperatures man-made is a growing threat to marine ecosystems. This is revealed by the results of an international study of ecological modeling, recently published in the magazine Nature Climate Change.
According to research, the negative effects of global warming intensify in the Marine animals. These suffer a increased natural mortality, a reduction of calcification in the tissues of organisms and a distribution modification in the ocean. The interactions between species, the abundance and one generalized decrease in the biomass of these.
The research has been carried out by an international scientific team of 36 researchers, two of whom are Spanish: Jose A. Fernandes and Marta Coll, experts in big data and ecosystem modeling of AZTI, a center specialized in the marine environment and food, and of the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), respectively.
The effects of global warming on marine ecosystems include an increase in mortality and a decrease in the abundance and biomass of species
“Projections of the impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems reveal a long-term decline in global marine animal biomass and show that the consequences for fisheries they are unevenly distributed, ”the authors state.
The new simulations, much more advanced and accurate than previous ones, show that high warming and changes in nutrient and food availability will create a more marked decline in animal biomass in the world’s oceans than previously projected. Reducing uncertainty about how marine ecosystems will respond to the climate crisis will contribute to a more effective adaptation and mitigation planning, indicates the scientific team.
We must move towards adaptation and mitigation
“Although our results show worrying trends, we also highlight the importance of better understanding regional changes, where considerable uncertainty remains and yet there is an urgent need to help adaptation,” he explains. Derek Tittensor, lead author and researcher at Dalhousie University (Canada).
It is a critical time to mitigate and adapt to climate change. We have to bet on new forms of work that allow us to cause fewer impacts on ecosystems
Jose A. Fernandes, expert in big data and ecosystem modeling
The results are part of the Project for the Intercomparison of Fishing Models and Marine Ecosystems (Fish-MIP), an initiative that aims to answer questions about the future of fishing, the supply of seafood, the marine biodiversity and the operation of marine ecosystems.
“The project brings together disparate models of marine ecosystems so that we can better understand and predict the long-term impacts of the climate crisis on fisheries and marine ecosystems, and provide a database to help inform the fishing policies, climate change and biodiversity”, Emphasize the researchers.
Fernandes underlines that it is a “critical moment to mitigate and adapt to climate change. We have to bet on digitization and new ways of working that allow us to be more efficient and cause less impact ”.
This research represents a step forward in planning future pathways to sustainability and an important contribution to the sixth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC AR6), whose publication is scheduled for next year.
In addition, it is of special relevance to the Glasgow Climate Summit (COP26) held in November and in which world leaders will discuss their commitments to combat the climate crisis.
Reference:
Tittensor et al. “Next-generation ensemble projections reveal higher climate risks for marine ecosystems”. Nature Climate Change. 2021
Source: AZTI
Rights: Creative Commons. | https://icetrend.com/2021/10/28/the-effects-of-the-climate-crisis-on-the-oceans-will-be-more-intense-than-previously-believed/ |
A number of environmental conditions can be affected by global climate change including air and water temperatures, precipitation patterns, methane and carbon dioxide production, and salinity distribution. Examining these factors for patterns can help predict future conditions.
Impacts to Species Distribution
Species typically have a range of natural conditions necessary for their successful growth and reproduction. Changes in natural conditions can affect their health and distribution, altering local food web structures, and creating or releasing competition between two species
Impacts to Species Event Timing
Many species use environmental cues to trigger life events (such as migration or reproduction). Problems occur when two different environmental cues are necessary, because climatic shifts can change the timing or location of one environmental cue differently from the other environmental cue. This leads to a mismatch in the timing event resulting in poor reproduction or lack of food at a critical life stage.
Human Impacts
As the top of the food chain, humans can be uniquely vulnerable to shifts in climate that impact food web production. These impacts can be reflected in economic data, such as crop production or fisheries landings. Humans also are vulnerable to a range of diseases whose distribution shifts as the distribution of their host species shifts. | https://www.vims.edu/ccrm/research/climate_change/data_sources/examples/index.php |
Potential impacts of future land use and climate change on the Red List status of the Proteaceae in the Cape Floristic Region, South Africa (BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, 2005)Using spatial predictions of future threats to biodiversity, we assessed for the first time the relative potential impacts of future land use and climate change on the threat status of plant species. We thus estimated how ...
-
Species richness of alien plants in South Africa: environmental correlates and the relationship with indigenous plant species richness (2005)This study explores the correlates of alien plant species richness in South Africa at the scale of quarter-degree squares (QDS; ≈ 25 x 27 km; 675km2). We considered all alien plant species for which we had records and a ...
-
Niche-based modelling as a tool for predicting the risk of alien plant invasions at a global scale (BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, 2005-12)Predicting the probability of successful establishment of plant species by matching climatic variables has considerable potential for incorporation in early warning systems for the management of biological invasions. We ...
-
A spatially explicit approach to estimating species occupancy and spatial correlation (BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, 2006-01)1. Understanding and predicting the form of species distributions, or occupancy patterns, is fundamental to macroecology and is dependent on the identification of scaling relationships that underlie the patterns observed. ...
-
Interactions between environment, species traits, and human uses describe patterns of plant invasions (ECOLOGICAL SOC AMER, 2006-07)Although invasive alien species (IAS) are a major threat to biodiversity, human health, and economy, our understanding of the factors controlling their distribution and abundance is limited. Here, we determine how environmental ...
-
Modeling species distributions by breaking the assumption of self-similarity (2007)Species distributions are commonly measured as the number of sites, or geographic grid cells occupied. These data may then be used to model species distributions and to examine patterns in both intraspecific and interspecific ...
-
Capturing the ‘droopy tail’ in the occupancy-abundance relationship (2007)The intraspecific occupancy–abundance relationship is a widely used descriptor of species distributions, with potential value to conservation and pest management for predicting species abundance from occurrence data. Six ...
-
A self-similarity model for occupancy frequency distribution (2007)The shapes of interspecific range-size distributions at scales finer than the geographic range are highly variable. However, no numerical model has been developed as a basis for understanding this variation. Using ...
-
-
Spatial patterns of prisoner’s dilemma game in metapopulations (Society for Mathematical Biology, 2007)Because to defect is the evolutionary stable strategy in the prisoner’s dilemma game (PDG), understanding the mechanism generating and maintaining cooperation in PDG, i.e. the paradox of cooperation, has intrinsic significance ...
-
Modelling the winter distribution of a rare and endangered migrant, the Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicola (British Ornithologists’ Union, 2007)The Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicola is one of the most threatened Western Palearctic passerine species, classified as globally Vulnerable. With its breeding grounds relatively secure, a clear need remains for the ...
-
Home away from home - objective mapping of high-risk source areas for plant introductions (BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, 2007-05)Prevention is the best way to slow the escalation of problems associated with biological invasions. Screening of potential introductions is widely applied for assessing the risk of species becoming invasive. Despite advances ...
-
Spatiotemporal dynamics of the epidemic transmission in a predator-prey system (2008)Epidemic transmission is one of the critical density-dependent mechanisms that affect species viability and dynamics. In a predator-prey system, epidemic transmission can strongly affect the success probability of hunting, ...
-
The effect of migration on the spatial structure of intraguild predation in metapopulations (2008)We consider the effects of migration on intraguild predation (IGP) via lattice models and pair approximation. The following results can be found: there exists asymmetry between two consumers’ migration effects on the ...
-
Does the self-similar species distribution model lead to unrealistic predictions? (2008)J. Harte et al. demonstrated that the power law form of the species–area relationship may be derived from a bisected, self-similar landscape and a community-level probability rule. Harte’s self-similarity model has been ...
-
Crossing the borders of spatial analysis and modelling: A rethink (Nova Science Publishers, 2008)Understanding the mechanisms behind the spatial patterns of species distributions is one of the major focuses in theoretical ecology. Spatial modelling techniques such as lattice models and cellular automata bring numerous ...
-
On species-area and species accumulation curves: A comment on Chong and Stohlgren’s index (2008)Chong and Stohlgren [Chong, G.W., Stohlgren, T.J., 2007. Species–area curves indicate the importance of habitats’ contributions to regional biodiversity. Ecol. Indic. 7, 387–395] presented a combined ranking index to ...
-
Consensual predictions of potential distributional areas for invasive species: a case study of Argentine ants in the Iberian Peninsula (Springer Science+Business Media B.V., 2009)Invasive species are known to influence the structure and function of invaded ecological communities, and preventive measures appear to be the most efficient means of controlling these effects. However, management of ...
-
A Bayesian Solution to the Modifiable Areal Unit Problem (Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 2009)The Modifiable Areal Unit Problem (MAUP) prevails in the analysis of spatially aggregated data and influences pattern recognition. It describes the sensitivity of the measurement of spatial phenomena to the size (the ...
-
From introduction to equilibrium: reconstructing the invasive pathways of the Argentine ant in a Mediterranean region (2009)Determining the geographical range of invasive species is an important component of formulating effective management strategies. In the absence of detailed distributional data, species distribution models can provide ... | https://ir.sun.ac.za/cib/handle/123456789/362/browse?type=dateissued |
Using coral reefs as a model system, my team aims to:(1) figure out if, when, how and why animal behaviour can scale up to influence the diversity and distribution of life on Earth,(2) identify and explain global geographical patterns in animal behaviour,(3) capture the impact of environmental change on (1)&(2), predict ecological vulnerability into the future, and offer solutions to increase ecosystem resilience.To achieve these aims, we combine purpose-built fieldwork with a macroecological approach, conducting behavioural research in multiple locations across the world. This broad geographic coverage allows us to identify generalisable "rules" for how animals behave and understand how behaviour is affected by an animal's biotic and abiotic environment in the real-world.We are part of the wider LEC-REEFS research group.
For further information see my research website HERE
Current Research
1. Testing fundamental behavioural theoryTests of theory underlying animal behaviour are often confined to the laboratory or conducted in the field at a single geographical location. Lab-based approaches allow for the resolution of clear mechanistic links but are constrained in their extrapolation to real-world systems where behaviour operates under complex abiotic and biotic environmental conditions. Field studies in single locations allow deep understanding, yet it is difficult to know if their conclusions are generalisable across broad spatial extents or specific to that location. We aim to complement these methods using a macroecological lens to reveal if, when and how behavioural theory holds regardless of differences in location, environmental conditions and biogeographic history.Keith, S.A., Baird, A.H., Hobbs, J-P.A., Woolsey, E.S., Hoey, A.S., Fadli, N. & Sanders, N. (2018) Synchronous behavioural shifts in reef fishes linked to mass coral bleaching. Nature Climate Change 8:986-991
2. Explore the effects of rapid environmental change on animal behaviourBehavioural flexibility can help animals buffer harmful effects of environmental change in the short-term but the longer-term implications of these changes are poorly understood. Our research suggests that rapid environmental change can erode established "rules of engagement" amongst species, potentially leading to a new world order in species dominance within the community.Gunn, R.L., Hartley, I.R., Algar, A.C., Niemela, P.T. & Keith, S.A. (2021) Understanding behavioural responses to human-induced rapid environmental change: a meta-analysis. Oikos 4:e08366
3. Understand implications of behavioural adjustments to environmental change across ecological scalesRevealing the emergent properties of individual behaviour at higher ecological scales is hard! We are trying to develop methods to achieve this by combining empirical data around large-scale natural experiments with individual-based models. For example, PhD student Cat Sheppard is figuring out how overfishing affects damselfish abundance, and in turn alters damselfish aggression with knock-on effects for space use of herbivores, which are important for coral reef resilience, on the reef.Early, R. & Keith, S.A. (2019) Geographically variable biotic interactions and implications for species ranges. Global Ecology & Biogeography 28(1):42-53
4. Explain geographical patterns in animal behaviourMany processes that influence the distribution and abundance of a species occur at early life history stages, such as natal dispersal and density-dependent recruitment. These processes might be particularly important in the marine realm because many habitat-forming species (e.g., corals, macroalgae) do not move as adults. My research consistently identifies dispersal and establishment of propagules as key processes underlying geographic distributions in both temperate and tropical ecosystems.Keith, S.A., Maynard, J.A., Edwards, A.J., Guest, J.R., Bauman, A.G., van Hooidonk, R., Heron, S.F., Berumen, M., Bouwmeester, J., Piromvaragorn, S., Rahbek, C., & Baird, A.H. (2016) Coral mass spawning predicted by rapid seasonal rise in ocean temperature. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 283(1830):20160011
Current Teaching
LEC.101 Global Environmental Challenges; LEC.144 Global Change Biology; LEC.248 Vertebrate Biology; LEC.351 Coral Reef Ecology
Professional Role
Assistant Undergraduate Admissions Tutor for Ecology & Conservation Degree Programmes
CASE : ENVISION : Wallacea Trust - Catherine Sheppard
01/10/2020 → 31/03/2024
Research
Impacts of habitat degradation on competitive networks of coral reef predators. | https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/sci-tech/about-us/people/sally-anne-keith |
Identifying trends for snow cover days in the Cairngorms National Park based historic temperature and precipitation data, observed snow cover days and climate projections.
Indicators
NF1 Proportion of major timber species on Scotland’s National Forest Estate planted in areas likely to be climatically suitable in 2050 (Sitka spruce and Scots pine)
With a changing climate, there will be an associated change to the suitability of sites for growing particular species of...
NF5 Planted forest tree species diversity index
Diversity of tree species within a forest ecosystem can enhance resilience to environmental change There is currently a lack of...
NB15 Climate change pressure on Scotland’s notified species
There is growing evidence of the impact of climate change over the last few decades on Scottish and wider UK...
NF4 Diversity of tree species ordered for planting in Scotland
Increasing the diversity of forest tree species is an important adaptation strategy to build resilience to climate change related threats...
NB39 Freshwater habitats with reported presence of key invasive non-native species (INNS)
Scottish Natural Heritage consider non-native species to be ‘the second most serious threat to global biodiversity after habitat loss’, and...
NM21 Occurrence of warm water species in fish stocks exploited by Scottish fisherman
There has been an increase in the occurrence of warm water fish species in UK waters and their exploitation has...
NB37 Proportion of native woodland affected by invasive non-native plant species
Scotland’s native woodlands are highly valued both for biodiversity and the ecosystem services they provide, such as improved flood control...
NM46 Change in the latitudinal distribution of industry sectors in response to shifting optimal conditions for species specific growth: aquaculture
Currently, there is little observed evidence for any direct effects of climate change on UK aquaculture. Research suggests that the...
NB31b Condition and distribution of climate sensitive species: Abundance of Arctic charr in freshwater lochs
Lake fish are physically restricted from shifting their range in response to changes in habitat suitability, making them particularly vulnerable...
NB19 Proportion of notified habitats and species in ‘positive’ condition
Climate change poses a very significant threat to Scotland’s natural environment. In addition to direct impacts on habitats (e.g. sea-level...
NB16a Abundance/frequency of specialist and generalist species: snow-bed species
Generalist species are likely to be less at risk from climate change than specialist species that require specific ‘niche’ habitat...
NB16b Abundance/frequency of specialist and generalist species: butterflies
Specialist species that are adapted to specific types of habitat are likely to be more vulnerable to climate change than... | https://www.climatexchange.org.uk/search?search=snow+bed+species |
Vegetation And Wildlife
The Carolina Parakeet, the Golden Toad, the West African Black Rhino, and so many others… whether or not they’re long-gone, recently gone, or quickly-to-be gone, they’re a loss to the world. No one will ever get to enjoy seeing these magnificent animals. They received’t play the position in nature that they had been destined to have. In Pieces isn’t linked to a specific charity or organisation, but I wish to highlight some of the nice efforts being made out there for species beneath threat of extinction. Their distribution is wide; nonetheless, numbers of leatherback turtles have significantly declined during the last century because of intense egg assortment and fisheries bycatch. Theft of eggs by humans and unlawful hunting are maybe the 2 commonest reasons this turtle is going to be extinct.
Population Assessments
Climate changeis one of the reasons which impacts their food availability and habitat. The Northern proper whale is probably the most endangered of the whale species.
Of all the species NOAA Fisheries protects underneath the Endangered Species Act, we contemplate nine among the many most susceptible to extinction within the near future. Understanding climate change impacts on dwelling marine useful resource distribution and incidence patterns is a excessive precedence for NOAA Fisheries. We know relatively little concerning the results of world and regional climate dynamics on species distribution, abundance, and prey availability. TheArctic in particular is a window to altering local weather patterns and a suitable organic laboratory to watch and record the impacts of receding sea ice, warming sea surface temperatures, and variable vitality move. These impacts all affect key marine ecosystem functions and native tribal communities that depend on Arctic resources for his or her livelihood and sustenance.
The North Atlantic right whale can simply be identified by the white calluses on its head, that are very noticeable in opposition to the whale’s darkish gray body. It has a broad again without a dorsal fin and a protracted arching mouth that begins above the attention. A baleen whale usually feeds by swimming by way of a swarm of plankton with its mouth open and the top slightly above the surface. Nimble-footed and robust, it carries and hides unfinished kills in order that they are not taken by other predators. Some males stick with females after mating, and should even assist with rearing the young. Reducing human-triggered threats corresponding to entanglement in fishing gear, habitat destruction, vessel strikes, and noise air pollution. A main a part of the Species in the Spotlight is to increase partnerships and inspire individuals to work with us to get these species on the road to recovery.
If we lose one species, how does that impact the whole system? Help your students understand the gravity of extinction with these classroom resources. level of conservation between “close to threatened” and “endangered.” Vulnerable is the bottom of the “threatened” categories. | https://petpartners.xyz/masswildlifes-natural-heritage-endangered-species-program.html |
- What is Ocean Acidification?
- Hypoxia
- Sea Ice Variability
- Ocean Climate
- Aquatic Invasive Species
- Cold Water Corals and Sponges
Ocean Climate
Ocean climate is the average over a long time of marine features such as temperature, salinity, nutrients, waves, stratification and winds. Data on ocean climate conditions — such as the average July and January ocean temperature over a recent 30-year period — are often reported in climate information.
Interactions between the oceans, sea ice, snow pack and the atmosphere are a fundamental part of the Earth's global climate system. Understanding the role of oceans in global climate and the impacts of climate change on aquatic ecosystems is of critical importance to the international community and countries such as Canada, which borders three interconnected oceans.
What is the North Atlantic Oscillation?
The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is a large-scale variation in atmospheric pressure over the North Atlantic Ocean and a key indicator of climate conditions in the region. Large-scale spatial variations in ocean temperature and salinity in the North Atlantic are related to the NAO index, which represents the relative strengths of atmospheric pressures over Iceland and the Azores.
Ocean Climate in Canada's Oceans
Gulf of St. Lawrence:
In addition to fishing, changes in ocean climate also directly and indirectly contribute to changes in marine populations and communities. Over the past four decades, changes in the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and other changes in large scale weather patterns that persist for several years or more have led to profound changes in water temperatures in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
During the summer, the Gulf typically has three temperature layers: a warm, relatively fresh (less salty) surface layer; a cold intermediate layer from about 50 to 150 metres; and, a deeper, warm salty layer covering channels and other areas that are deeper than 200 metres. Observed temperature variations in the Gulf include:
- Surface water temperatures during the ice-free months have warmed by 1.5°C between 1982 and 2010.
- Temperatures in the cold intermediate layer shifted from exceptionally warm during the later 1960s and early 1980s, to very cold from 1986 to 1998. Recent conditions have been closer to average.
- Exceptionally cold conditions occurred at depths of around 200 to 300 metres from 1991 to 1996. Although waters have since warmed and have recently been close to their long-term (1981 to 2010) average of 4.5°C at 200 metres and 5.5°C at 300 metres, conditions were colder than average again in 2009-2010 but returned to average in 2011.
Scotian Shelf:
Temperature and salinity on the Scotian Shelf have a vertical structure that varies seasonally, similar to that in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, with lighter "shelf" water overlying saltier "slope" water that intrudes from offshore at depth. This results in a vertical gradient in water density that is referred to as "stratification". In the near-surface waters, this stratification is greatest in summer due to surface heating and the inflow of fresh water from the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and weakest in winter when cool winds increase vertical mixing that breaks down the stratification and brings important nutrients towards the surface.
Records of temperature and salinity dating back to about 1920 indicate that the largest changes that lasted several years on the Scotian Shelf occurred in the 1960s, when the intruding slope water was cooler and fresher. This arose from the enhanced flow of subpolar slope water around the Grand Bank during a period of negative NAO index (reduced wind forcing over the northern North Atlantic). The long-term trends in temperature and salinity on the Scotian Shelf vary with location and depth, and are generally weak, in part because of the strong natural (e.g., NAO) climate variability in the region. However, there is an indication of surface warming at most locations, and of increasing upper-ocean stratification across the Scotian Shelf and Gulf of Maine that is associated with a varying combination of surface warming and freshening. These changes are in the directions expected from anthropogenic climate change, and thus point to the possible emergence of a biologically important longer-term trend.
Beaufort Sea:
In the Beaufort Sea LOMA, some key changes in the ecosystem structure are episodic while others are more persistent. An example of a persistent change is the freshening of surface waters in the Canada Basin, observed since 2003. More fresh water in the LOMA has affected ocean structure (i.e., stratification of water layers) and the delivery of nutrients required for phytoplankton growth.
An episodic upwelling event of unprecedented intensity and duration occurred between November 2007 and February 2008 on the Mackenzie shelf. The salinity of water near the ocean bottom is generally around 33 units. During the upwelling event, bottom water salinity exceeded 34.5 units at the middle and outer shelf and was even higher (35-36.5 units) on the inner shelf. This high salinity water persisted for about two months. The changes in water salinity — caused by both the upwelling of deep salty water from the Canada Basin and the release of brine that occurs during sea ice growth — led to changes in ecosystem structure including increases in the growth of algae on the sea ice and phytoplankton in the water column. These changes in ecosystem structure highlight the importance of interactions and the cumulative effects of different factors.
Placentia Bay-Grand Banks:
Variations in the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index can affect ice flow, ocean temperature and the strength of the Labrador Current. A high NAO index generally indicates colder water temperatures, stronger northwest winds, cooler air temperatures, and heavy ice sea conditions in the Northwest Atlantic, which was the pattern for most of the 1980s and 1990s. In winter 2010, the NAO index hit a record low, weakening the outflow of Arctic air to the Northwest Atlantic. This led to broad-scale warming (relative to 2009) throughout the Northwest Atlantic from West Greenland to Baffin Island to Newfoundland.
Water temperatures have a very important influence on the distribution and biology of marine animals. Changing water temperatures in this LOMA over the past four decades are thought to be responsible for some of the major changes in distribution and abundance of important commercial species.
Ocean temperature observations in the Placentia Bay-Grand Banks large ocean management area include:
- At Station 27, a monitoring site off Cape Spear, NL, the 2010 depth-averaged annual water temperature increased by 0.7°C, making it the second highest on record.
- Annual surface and bottom temperatures at Station 27 were also about 0.6°C above normal.
- The area of the cold-intermediate-layer that was less than 0°C declined on the eastern Newfoundland Shelf, which is indicative of warmer than normal water temperatures.
- Spring bottom temperatures in NAFO Divisions 3Ps and 3LNO during 2010 were above normal, resulting in a reduced area of the bottom habitat that was covered by water colder than 0°C.
Pacific North Coast:
In recent decades there have been increasingly frequent shifts between warm El Niño conditions (2010) and cool La Niña winters (2011). The El Niño/La Niña-Southern Oscillation, or ENSO, is a climatic pattern that occurs across the tropical Pacific Ocean about three to five years, although it can occur more frequently. It involves variations in the surface temperature of the equatorial Pacific Ocean that are set up by variations in tropical Pacific air pressure, known as the Southern Oscillation.
In the winter of 2010, El Niño — a warming of the ocean surface along the Pacific Equator — brought warm winds from the southwest along the west coast of the U.S. and Canada, pushing warm waters toward the British Columbia coast. In 2008, 2009 and 2011, La Niña (the cold phase of mid-Pacific equatorial waters) brought cool westerly winds and cool ocean surface waters to British Columbia.
What are Copepods?
Copepods are a diverse group of aquatic crustaceans and an important part of the zooplankton community. These tiny organisms form a critical part in the marine food web, linking microscopic phytoplankton to juvenile fish such as cod. Adult copepods are usually 1 to 2 millimetres (mm) in length, although the adults of some species may be as short as 0.2 mm or as long as 10 mm.
Ocean waters in the region are generally becoming warmer and less saline:
- Daily sampling of ocean temperature at lighthouses on Kains Island and Langara Island in PNCIMA reveals warming by 0.5 to 0.6°C over the past 80 years.
- In 2010, an El Niño year, all stations reported an increase in temperature (compared to 2009, a La Niña year) ranging from 0.5 to 1°C.
- The largest decline in salinity was observed at Langara Island, along the coast of British Columbia, beginning in the late 1970s and accelerating through the 1990s and 2000s. This change may be due to the expansion of the Aleutian Low during winter in the late 1970s. Since then, this low pressure system has generally remained larger, which could affect salinity at Langara Island by altering winter winds and wind-driven ocean currents in the Gulf of Alaska.
Impacts of Changing Ocean Climate
Ocean temperatures can affect the growth and survival of marine life and the availability of the preferred and tolerated thermal habitats for various species. Changes in climate may also affect stock productivity and the sustainable harvest rates. Fishing could also exacerbate the impacts of temperature changes by decreasing stock resilience or increasing the variability in abundance and, therefore, the risks of a stock collapse.
Gulf of St. Lawrence:
Changes in ocean temperature in the St. Lawrence Estuary and Gulf are expected to affect the habitat, distribution and recruitment of marine species as well as community composition.
Observed and projected warming trends for surface waters in the Gulf will likely reduce the available habitat for certain temperature-sensitive species that now inhabit areas of the coastal zone. For example, temperatures over 23.5°C are lethal to Giant Scallop (Placopecten magellanicus) as are sudden increases to temperatures of 20oC. In contrast, the habitat of warmer water species such as lobster, which is currently limited to coastal waters in the Gulf, is likely to increase in area with projected warming.
Long-term changes in surface water temperature have also affected the timing, duration and intensity of plankton production, which impacts the recruitment (the annual rate at which new individuals increase the population) of key fisheries resources. For example, the recruitment success of Northern Shrimp in the northern Gulf is closely positively linked to spring oceanographic conditions such as the warming rate of the sea surface and the duration and productivity of the phytoplankton spring bloom. Similarly, the recruitment of Atlantic Mackerel is positively linked to the production of specific copepod species in the southern Gulf and, ultimately, to regional oceanographic conditions.
From 1986 to 1998, when the cold intermediate layer was exceptionally cold, there was an increase in species of Arctic and more northern origin in the southern Gulf including Polar Sculpin (Cottunculus microps), Arctic Sculpin (Myoxocephalus scorpioides) and Arctic Cod (Boreogadus saida). Their sudden appearance as waters cooled in the 1990s — and disappearance as they warmed — is consistent with a distributional shift.
Bottom temperatures also affect the distribution, and potentially the abundance, of several other species. Long-term changes in the thickness and core temperature of the cold intermediate layer affect the bottom temperature on the Magdalen Shallows of the southern Gulf. In some years, bottom waters colder than 0°C were non-existent by September, while in other years they covered as many as 25,000 square kilometres of the bottom. Snow Crab prefer cool waters in winter (-1 to 3°C). The cooling and expansion of the cold intermediate layer during the late 1980s to early 1990s may have led to the extended distribution of Snow Crab stock and contributed to high abundances during and following that period. However, a conclusive link has yet to be made due to the complex relationship between Snow Crab distribution, productivity and temperature.
The complexity of the many variables at play makes it very difficult to project with certainty how global warming will alter marine species and communities in Gulf. We can anticipate that warming will likely reduce habitat for some species that now inhabit the southern Gulf (e.g., Snow Crab, Capelin) and that it will likely create new habitat for more southerly species. Some species may shift to deeper waters or move northward. Global warming is also expected to bring increased variability in climate, leading to variations in the recruitment, growth and mortality of species and, as a result, their abundance. Some of the most profound changes to the marine communities may result from indirect effects of warming, such as hard-to-predict changes to the food web structure.
Scotian Shelf:
There have been no significant ecological impacts on the Scotian Shelf due to climate change but impacts may increase slowly over time (e.g., decades) or as an ecosystem shift (e.g. increased subtropical influences) at some future time. In the short term, changes in the timing of the strong seasonal cycle may have more impact than a slow increase in temperature. While a comprehensive and precise assessment is not yet possible, there is enough knowledge to broadly assess potential climate change impacts. Climate change affects species’ physiology, timing of seasonal events and distribution. Those changes will in turn affect interactions between species, which impacts the species composition of an ecosystem.
Lower levels of the marine food web such as phytoplankton are greatly influenced by climate variability. Changing oceanographic conditions affect both the abundance and composition of phytoplankton communities. In general, if surface layers continue to warm, we should expect smaller-sized phytoplankton. If much higher temperatures lead to smaller organisms, energy flow through the ecosystem would be re-directed or less efficient, and might not support the productivity of historical fisheries. If increased stratification persists, there could also be significant changes in the seasonal cycle of phytoplankton growth, in part due to a reduced supply of nutrients into the surface layer where phytoplankton grow.
There is no question that climate plays a critical role in fish dynamics on the Scotian Shelf, but so does fishing. Internationally, over the past few decades, researchers have tried to separate the effects of climate and fishing on ecosystems. Increasingly, there is acknowledgement that the effects of climate and exploitation cannot be separated. Heavy fishing causes a reduction in diversity from the individual to the ecosystem level and diversity is the main buffer against climate variability. Intense fishing can lead to a loss of older, larger organisms, loss of sub-populations and a change in life-history traits, all of which render them much more susceptible to climate variability and chance events.
Beaufort Sea:
An increase in fresh water into the Canada Basin since 2003 has increased stratification and reduced water column mixing and the movement of nutrients from deeper layers into the sun-lit surface layer.
This has led to an increase in the smallest algae (picoplankton) in the Canada Basin, both in total amount and as a percentage of the total phytoplankton, and a decrease in larger nanoplankton. These early responses provide an indication of the potential to alter other parts of the marine food web. Some small plankton responded differently in 2009, highlighting the need for a long time series of data to assess ecosystem responses.
As a result of the 2007-2008 upwelling event on the Mackenzie shelf in this LOMA, the production of ice algae, phytoplankton, zooplankton and bottom-dwelling organisms increased by two- to six-fold. There was an overall increase in biological productivity, providing an opportunity to thrive for consumers such as zooplankton, which can adapt to the rapid change in ecosystem structure.
Pacific North Coast:
Increasingly frequent shifts between warm El Niño conditions and cool La Niña winters influence ocean life. For example, the abundance of certain copepod groups is strongly linked to annual changes in water temperature and circulation. Boreal and sub-arctic copepods, which tend to be more nutritious than southern copepods, were most abundant in cool years such as the early 1980s, 1999-2002, and 2007-2009. This benefited the survival and growth of young salmon, Sablefish and planktivorous seabirds.
Addressing Ocean Climate
Ongoing monitoring is essential to determine the ecological responses and interaction to persistent and year-to-year changes in ocean climate, including the impacts on commercial species. This knowledge will aid in the development of sustainable and flexible fisheries management plans in the face of changing ocean climate conditions. Phytoplankton, which forms the foundation of the marine food web, should be intensively monitored as “sentinels of climate change.” Changes in species composition are currently under investigation.
From a global perspective, the sensitivity of Canadian fisheries to climate change is considered moderate and our nations’ capacity to adapt is high relative to less developed countries that are more dependent on fisheries for sustenance. With a changing climate, some harvesting opportunities may be lost while others might be gained by northward movements of species into the LOMAs. This is likely to raise questions concerning the allocation of fishing opportunities among communities.
Establishing and implementing sustainable exploitation rates may be difficult depending on the rates of productivity change in the future. Strategies with more conservative objectives may therefore be required to keep pace with changes in productivity and to build resilience within the exploited population. A key to this resilience is the re-establishment of a diverse age structure among species that were formally much longer lived than they are today and a rebuilding of abundance. Both have known stabilizing effects on population abundance, which on one hand contributes to enhanced interannual predictability of yield and, on the other hand, reduces the risk of collapse or extinction resulting from sporadic mortality events or recruitment failures.
Report a problem or mistake on this page
- Date modified: | https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/oceans/publications/soto-rceo/2012/page05-eng.html |
But when I really feel like life is out of control, I'll spend an entire evening or a Sunday afternoon up to my elbows in an immersive, labor-intensive and time-consuming "project recipe" that requires my attention, my patience, and maybe a little bit of my creativity, too.
Unsurprisingly, making chili or baking a pie doesn't solve my problems or make current affairs any easier to stomach. But it does seem to flip a switch in my mind. Cooking temporarily pauses sneaky panic spirals, and interrupts the loop of negativity that often feels like a broken record. It allows me to feel productive in a way that other "self-care" regimens, like taking a bubble bath or grafting myself to the couch for a Netflix marathon, might not.
It makes me feel capable and in control when I'm successful in pulling off a challenging or complicated recipe. It feels good to channel excess nervous energy into the wholesome, nourishing act of feeding myself and others. Perhaps best of all, I'm rewarded with a meal at the end. (Usually, in my case, a big pot of chili or stew.)
Cooking temporarily pauses sneaky panic spirals, and interrupts the loop of negativity that often feels like a broken record.
Of course, I'm not the first person to discover the therapeutic qualities of cooking. A lot of my fellow home cooks find working in their kitchens not only makes them happier but also feels restorative, which may have something to do with the inherent altruism and intimacy of sharing food with others. While I tend to reach for rich, hearty stews that require a slow, steady building of flavor (read: patience), others tackle everything from baguettes to slow-simmered sauces to dumplings, perfectly folded over and over again.
7 Dishes to Make When You're Feeling Anxious
Here are a handful of recipes that help calm and empower me when I'm anxious. These might not work for everyone, but they help me and I hope they will give you some ideas to try out at home.
1. Bread
In my non-scientific research, homemade bread seemed to be the crowd favorite for therapeutic kitchen projects. Making bread takes time and patience, and the physical act of kneading the dough is always a plus.
"Making challah is, for me, a challenge, but [the] result is incredibly satisfying," Margaret, an editor at Extra Crispy, says. Robbie, an educator, tells me that he finds the step-by-step nature of baking "straightforward and distracting from the world." Another writer, Lauren, writes that she finds comfort in making homemade baguettes; they freeze well, which means she always has homemade bread on-hand. Oh, and as Robbie points out, you're rewarded for your efforts with carbs at the end.
2. Pasta
Like baking bread, the precise and methodical nature of making fresh pasta from scratch is a welcome respite when life feels out of control. And as Tess, an avid home cook who works at a university, points out to me, you get to punch the dough — a satisfyingly physical outlet for frustration and anxiety. Who needs kickboxing classes anyway?
3. Sauce
A good sauce is a time investment and a labor of love. It requires patience above all else; you simply cannot rush it even if you tried. Dacey, an editor at Garden & Gun, tells me she appreciates bolognese for this purpose: "The longer it simmers, the better, so I can relax and clean between cooking and feasting." Lucy, a designer and writer, makes a great point about the nurturing nature of slow-roasting tomatoes: "It helps me feel like I'm tending something."
4. Dumplings
Know why adult coloring books are so popular? The act of focusing your attention on something so detailed and intricate is scientifically shown to reduce anxiety. That could be coloring in a mandala, or maybe it could manifest in the tedious process of folding individual pork dumplings — a process that Tess refers to as weirdly meditative.
5. Risotto
You can't leave it alone and you can't get distracted — yet, when your mind is utterly exhausted, you also don't have to think about it. Or think about anything at all, really. My sister Elizabeth, a yoga teacher, lists risotto as a favorite meditative kitchen project because it takes lots of focus but very little true physical or mental effort. It's just rhythm, patience, and commitment; you simply stand next to it and stir.
6. Tamales
Nicola, a food writer, describes the process of making tamales as a calm, methodical ritual from start to finish. It's labor-intensive and sometimes tough to get right — from nailing the consistency of masa dough to delicately tying each corn husk just so — but that makes it all the more gratifying at the end.
And since it's best to make them in bulk, you're looking at a fairly significant amount of repetitive, mindless folding, filling and tying — a perfect opportunity to keep your hands busy and let your mind wander. "After the first few, a calmness takes over," Nicole says.
7. Ratatouille
Ratatouille is what you make of it. In its most precise presentations, it's an intricate, layered composition of razor-thin veggie slices — the dish equivalent of mandala art. In its more traditional form, it's a rustic, homey stew that summons images of cozy Provençal hearths. Either way, the end result is pure comfort food that requires a lot of careful slicing and dicing to get there.
"The slicing, and the careful arranging require all of your attention, and can be quite centering and meditative if you let it happen," notes Marti, a food blogger. "Of course, it is also incredibly delicious and comforting to eat. It's amazing that it is meatless and cheeseless, yet hits all those spots."
What are the recipes you make when you're anxious? Let us know in the comments! | https://www.thekitchn.com/7-recipes-to-make-when-you-re-feeling-anxious-249907 |
Yoga is a form of exercise that has been practiced in India for thousands of years. It is an ancient practice that is based on the belief that the body and mind are intimately connected. Yoga can be performed in many ways, but all forms have a few basic principles in common. The most important being the breath, which is used to bring about a state of calmness and relaxation.
There are many benefits to doing yoga daily, including increased flexibility, reduced stress levels and increased self-awareness. Yoga also has therapeutic benefits as it can be used as an alternative treatment for various physical or mental conditions such as chronic pain, anxiety, or depression.
There are many different types of yoga including Hatha yoga, Iyengar yoga, Bikram yoga, Vinyasa yoga and Ashtanga yoga. Different types of yoga have different benefits for the body such as improving flexibility or building strength.
Yoga helps to improve your sense of balance and concentration which can lead to better sleep quality and improved memory function. Also helps you to find calmness in your life which can help you deal with stress more effectively.
9 Major benefits of Yoga:
- Yoga increases flexibility, balance, and strength.
- Yoga is beneficial for easing back pain.
- Yoga can lessen the effects of arthritis.
- Yoga is good for the heart.
- Yoga helps you unwind, which promotes better sleep.
- Yoga may result in increased vigour and promotes happier moods.
- Yoga can help you cope with stress.
- You can find a supportive community through yoga.
- Yoga encourages improved self-care.
When working with patients, a yoga therapist can create individualized plans that complement their medical and surgical therapies. In this way, yoga can aid in the healing process and assist the patient in dealing with their symptoms more calmly and comfortably. | https://arogyaminstitute.com/importance-of-incorporating-yoga-practice-in-day-to-day-life/ |
In this article, we will discuss compassion focused therapy. Compassion Focused Therapy combines different approaches from evolutionary, Buddhist, social and neuropsychiatry.
The key role of this therapy is to help people with shame and self-criticism to develop a mechanism of replacing these thoughts with a sense of security, warmth and inner stability by compassion.
Self-criticism and shame are thought to be transdiagnostic issues.
Those individuals who are suffering from these issues face problems to feel content and even they feel insecure.
Many researches have shown that a special affect regulation system maintains the sense of security, well-being and reassurance.
This specialised regulation system is the product of an evolutionary process which includes attachment system and a capacity to respond to sense of calmness.
It is believed that in CFT it becomes hard to access in the individuals who have intense shame and high self-criticism.
What is Compassion?
Compassion is an emotion or feeling which simply means to feel for others. In other words we can say that to show your concern for hardships or adversities of other people is known as compassion.
Compassion is different from empathy. Empathy is to emotionally experience the feelings of another person.
While, compassion is an emotional response to the suffering of others and shows a genuine wish to help out the person.
Dacher Keltner at the University of California, Berkeley has coined a term “compassionate instinct”.
It means that showing compassion is a normal and self regulated act that guarantees the survival of humans.
Compassion Focused Therapy:
Introduction:
Compassion Focused Therapy aims to help out the individuals who are suffering from shame and criticism.
This shame or criticism may have been ensued by rejection or an insult in the past.
The intent behind developing CFT was to produce positive emotional responses which other therapies are lacking.
Compassion Focused Therapy is a blend of different other approaches and it also encompasses the tools and research from other sources as well.
For example evolutionary theory, Buddhism and Neuroscience.
History of Compassion Focused Therapy:
CFT was developed by Paul Gilbert in the early 21st century.
CFT assimilates theories, principles, techniques from various schools of thoughts of Psychology.Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Developmental psychology are thought to be the main components of this therapy.
The foundation of CFT underlies the principle of getting to know the fundamental emotion regulation system, contentment and social safety system, drive and excitement system and threat and self protection system.
While applying this therapy in a treatment session a close affiliation among all these systems, human behaviour and thoughts is highlighted. Application of CFT aims to equalise all these systems.
Clinical Focus:
CFT along with the mind training have been evolved from observations. Firstly, it is extremely difficult for the people who have high shame and self-criticism to develop thoughts of compassion in themselves for their own.
Secondly, it is often argued that the foundations of self-criticism and shame lie under a history of abuse, high expectations from family, bullying and lack of attention from peer groups.
People having such harsh past experiences are more vulnerable to become sensitive and are likely to become self attacking.
People with such complexities perceive their inner and outer world as a threat for themselves.
Thirdly, it is believed that to work with people who experience self-criticism and shame are needed to work on with their past experiences of abuse, bullying etc.
Fourthly, it has been observed that while undergoing the therapeutic process there are few people who develop this mechanism in themselves that they easily learn and understand how to replace their negative thoughts with positive thoughts and some clients still struggle to do so.
They claim that it is easy for them to grasp the logic behind the therapy but it becomes hard for them to realise the essence of therapy so they struggle.
Another key finding of compassion focused therapy is that people who have developed a sense of self-criticism and shame find it hard to cope with their negative thoughts and almost impossible to develop a sense of security, warmth and compassion for their inner and outer world.
Uses of Compassion Focused Therapy :
It has been found that compassion focused therapy is an effective method to help and treat the problems of long-term emotional traumas for example, anxiety disorders, personality disorders, mood disorders, eating disorders, hoarding disorders and psychosis by focusing on the core issues and tracking the trail of shame and criticism which are considered to be effective in disturbing the mental health of a person.
Eating Disorder
Compassion Focused Therapy can be helpful to apply with individuals who are suffering with eating disorders.
This is a closed group therapy which aims to provide the individuals with comprehensive psychological therapy.
Trans-diagnostic models are followed in operating the group and help people who are suffering from eating disorders. The people who seek help through the therapy mostly share common problems.
For example they seem concerned about their weight, size and shape of the body.
The group aims to provide psycho-education to both parties i, e the patient himself and his family members as sell.
This includes therapeutic elements and skills. Both psychological hidden psychological processes and biological factors are being targeted in this group. Eating disorders are basically maintained by these factors.
The participants of the group are encouraged to develop a sense of compassion for themselves and help then build and grow social attachments.
The group is appropriate especially for those who wrestle with criticism, shame and some sort of guilt.
Compassion Focused Therapy for Social Anxiety:
It’s a common thing among people to feel nervous while being in various social settings. Preparing for a presentation, speech or meeting new people can make a person anxious.
However, social anxiety disorder and small amount of anxiety are greatly different from each other.
Development of social anxiety takes place when small amounts of fear or anxiety combine together and a person finds ways to get out of the situation which may arouse his anxiety.
Those individuals who suffer social anxiety are more prone to negative thoughts of shame and are more self critical most of the time.
CFT helps those individuals to repel their negative thoughts through compassionate thinking.
This therapy stands on a theory which states that we can perform well when we observe that we are being given value and being cared for, when we are helping, taking care and giving value to others and feel sympathetic and mindful about our own thoughts.
A therapist through using the tools and properties of compassion instils above mentioned values into the patients.
Resultantly, patients start to develop a positive and compassionate attitude about themselves in them.
Compassion Focused Therapy for Bipolar Disorder:
Bipolar disorder can pose potential threat to mental health. It arises from dysregulations in various affect and derive systems.
As Compassion Focused Therapy is a product of evolutionary approaches and neuroscience it particularly focuses on affect regulation.
Therefore, it offers various interventions for the treatment of bipolar disorder.
Patients who are suffering from bipolar disorder have to face a lot of problems for example they are always in danger of getting mood swings, relapse.
Compassion Focused Exercises:
Positive psychology gives great regards to compassion and many ancient religions of the world also stress on the importance of being compassionate to others.
Following are few compassion focused exercises;
Soothing Rhythm Breathing:
Soothing rhythm breathing exercises brings calmness in a person. To perform this exercise make sure that a person is sitting in a peaceful and comfortable environment.
Bringing a smile on the face can be referred to as gentle facial expressions. Focus on breathing.
Inhale and exhale air through the diaphragm of the breathing system and feel the breath’s movement until a sense of calmness begins to appear.
Simple Body Scan and Relaxation:
While beginning this exercise make yourself feel calmed and focus on breath. In the next step, focus on your legs and let yourself feel that all your problems and tension is going down to your legs and releasing through your legs.
While breathing in focus on your tension and while breathing out imagine that your tension is going out of your body.
Change the point of your focus from your lower body to your upper body while breathing in focus on your tension and breathing out feel that tension is releasing.
Slowly bring your head, toes and fingertips in this process and your body will start feeling grateful as it would notice tension releasing.
Creating a Safe Place:
Bring a sense of calmness and peace and then focus on yourself. Start meditation and imagine yourself in a lush green forest or sitting on the edge of a flowing stream.
This might be any other place where you feel comfortable. Imagine that your favourite safe place is offering you a sense of joy.
Start to feel how it feels when you arrive at your safe place and how it rejoices your presence.
Try to build an emotional connection with your imaginary place and return to it whenever you feel a need to be peaceful and content.
BenefitsCompassion Focused Therapy :
Compassion Focused Therapy has gained much popularity in the field of therapeutic interventions as it is helpful in treating the patients with psychological disorders which includes schizophrenia, depression and anxiety.
Limitations of CFT:
As compassion focused therapy can be efficient for individuals who feel contentment thinking about the concepts of being cared for, everyone is not capable of completing this therapeutic process.
Few people might get afraid of compassion while undergoing the treatment and some people may think that they are not worthy enough that they must be treated with compassion.
Some people fail to grasp the idea of compassion. Exercises which involve mindfulness training and compassionate imagery can also be challenging for some people.
Conclusion:
CFT is based on the various components of social, developmental, buddhist psychology and neuroscience.
It also has various other therapeutic techniques that are thought to be more effective and efficient in treating various mental health issues.
Compassion Focused Therapy is deeply rooted im buddhist psychology and it is obvious that this therapy has been deeply influenced by the traditional methods.
The future of compassion Focused Therapy lies on psychotherapy, research and processes.
Side Note: I have tried and tested various products and services to help with my anxiety and depression. See my top recommendations here, as well as a full list of all products and services our team has tested for various mental health conditions and general wellness.
What we recommend for Counselling
Professional counselling
If you are suffering from depression or any other mental disorders then ongoing professional counselling could be your ideal first point of call. Counselling will utilize theories such as Cognitive behavioural therapy which will help you live a more fulfilling life.
FAQs about Compassion Focused Therapy
Q1. What is the difference between compassion and empathy?
Compassion means to emotionally respond to the problem of others while empathy is to put into the shoe of another person.
In other words, empathy is to feel the pain of other persons and go through it with them.
Q2. What is compassion focused therapy?
Compassion Focused Therapy focuses on replacing the thoughts of shame and self-criticism with positive emotions.
Q3. How does CFT work?
CFT is emotion focused therapy which targets the threat drive and contentment system in order to ensure survival.
Q5. What techniques are used in CFT?
CFT uses compassionate and mind training, appreciation exercises, mindfulness and compassion focused imagery exercises.
References: | https://optimistminds.com/compassion-focused-therapy/ |
What is Yoga?
Yoga is a Sanskrit word which translates as ‘union’. Yoga can be thought of as the union of body, mind and spirit which is characterised by a feeling of balance, harmony and well-being. Through practising Yoga, the mind settles into a state of increased calmness and clarity and the body is able to relax, strengthen and heal. Originating in India, the holistic system presented by Yoga has been tried and tested over thousands of years and is now actively practised worldwide.
In Yoga, the individual is treated as a number of inter-connected layers of being. The practices and ideas associated with Yoga operate on all levels to bring about a re-integration of these various layers leading to a sense of wholeness. Through working on the physical body we can make real, positive changes not only to our physical health, but also start to gain a sense of mental and emotional wellbeing and a quieter mind. Working with breathing practices we are able to balance our physical, mental and spiritual energy levels.
Through the deep relaxation reached during meditative practices, we are able to attain a sense of inner stillness, the effects of which radiate outward affecting our body as well our mind. Yoga provides lifestyle guidelines, ideas and philosophy from both ancient texts and contemporary sources, which are timeless and compatible with any belief system or stand alone as a framework for ethical living. As a holistic system Yoga brings us back to a natural state of balance and harmony.
Current classes
What are the benefits of practising Yoga?
The combined effect of practising Yoga is a reduction in the unwelcome physiological effects which arise as a direct result of the stresses and strains of everyday life. Yoga practitioners report:
- Improved physical and mental health
- Better posture
- Fewer aches and pains
- More restful sleep
- Reduced anxiety
- More appropriate energy levels
- A greater sense of mental clarity and inner peace
- Improved concentration
- More patience
- An enhanced ability to deal with life’s ups and downs with ease and equanimity
Yoga poses work on the physical body, easing through muscular tension and helping us to reach a balance between strength and flexibility thereby maintaining joint health. By approaching the postures with an attitude of mindful awareness, we are able to work sensitively with the body and find new ways of moving which will help us in our everyday life. When practised appropriately and under proper guidance, Yoga may allow the body’s natural healing processes to function so that aches and pains such as low back pain and joint discomfort are relieved. Apart from the positive effects on the musculo-skeletal system, the Yoga postures have direct, positive effects on our breathing, digestion, circulation and the functioning of many of our internal organs.
The emphasis on breathing during Yoga poses along with separate, dedicated breathing practices, work directly to improve respiratory health and also help to reverse the physiological responses to stress which we all encounter in everyday life. Learning to control, direct and slow down the breathing has a profound effect on the mind, leaving us feeling calmer and more balanced.
The inner stillness achieved through meditative practices and deep relaxation builds upon the sense of calm achieved through working on the body and the breathing, providing a sense of harmony, clarity and peace, the effects of which enhance the sense of physical relaxation and balance experienced in the body. | https://www.lucymurrayyoga.com/what-is-yoga/ |
“Yoga” comes from the ancient Sanskrit root “yuj” which literally means union. Yoga creates balance and union between the body, mind, and spirit. Yoga connects our soul to the universal consciousness which many of us call God. But when we think of Yoga we normally associate it with the physical practice (asana) and breathing exercises (prana). In truth asana and prana are just part of the paths to reach awareness and enlightenment. The highest joy can be achieved through Yoga of silent reflection or by following the philosophy and practice of the Yoga Sutras. The Western world is now realizing the holistic benefits of Yoga and what it can bring on man’s physical, mental and spiritual well-being.
The Yoga of Silent Reflection
Yoga is a 3,000-year-old tradition that brings about a meditative state on people that practice it. Yoga Sutras is the acknowledged authoritative text on Yoga which is credited to the ancient sage Patanjali. He formulated the Eight Limbs of Yoga. Ashtanga or “eight limbs” is the eightfold path to awareness and enlightenment. These are the ethical principles to follow to live a meaningful and purposeful life.
- Yama (Ethical standards)
- Niyama (Self-discipline)
- Asanas (Postures)
- Pranayama (Breath control)
- Pratyahara (Sense Withdrawal)
- Dharana (Concentration)
- Dhyana (Meditation)
- Samadhi (Spiritual Ecstasy).
Many different yogic disciplines have been developed based on Yoga Sutras like Yoga Nidra and Hatha yoga. Each discipline has its own techniques but all of them are geared to attain the state of yoga or the union of the body and mind.
The unification of our body and mind using series of body postures (asana) and breathing exercises (pranayama) enhances the capacity of our physical body. Performing the asanas and pranayama releases the blockages in the energy channels of our body. Clearing the energy system creates balance on our body and mind. Even the medical community recognises Yoga as a form of mind-body medicine because it integrates the individual’s mental, physical and spiritual components to improve all aspects of health.
The National Institutes of Health classified Yoga as a form of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). Yoga is a holistic mind-body fitness. The therapeutic effects of Yoga include reduction or alleviation of physiological, emotional and spiritual pains. There are four basic principles that make Yoga a complete healing system. Our body is composed of various interrelated dimension (body, mind, and soul), this is the first principle. Each dimension is inseparable from one another; the health of one dimension affects the other dimensions. Good health can only be attained through the union (Yoga) of all the dimensions. The second principle states that every individual is unique. Yoga is self-empowering, this is the third principle. The fourth principle states that a positive mind is crucial to healing. You must play an active role in your own healing because healing comes from within.
Breathing exercises and physical postures get our body and mind ready to reach the state of meditation and enlightenment. If we follow the philosophy and practice of Yoga we will cultivate a sense of calmness and well-being. Stress is implicated in numerous diseases like heart disease and cancer. Medical evidence shows that Yoga improves all aspects of health by reducing stress. Let us make Yoga a part of our stress management. By living the Yoga philosophy and practice we will change our life’s perspective and improve our life force enabling us to live our life in spiritual bliss. | http://www.acmgroup.yoga/yoga-of-silent-reflection/ |
Achieving Lotus is a place where healing starts from within: where support of energy fields, the psyche and the spirit are merged to help heal wounds from emotional trauma, lived experiences, chronic and severe illnesses, and spiritual convalescence through a variety of holistic healing modalities.
We all come from backgrounds that may not have been perfect: our developmental phases are ultimately affected by the environments in which we are raised or exposed to during our lifetime. All of these instances have a deep, resounding effect on our mental health, and subsequently will appear in our physical bodies symptomatically at some point or another: headaches, digestive issues, eating problems, addictions, poor skin quality, depression, anxiety and a myriad of other complexities.
Achieving Lotus strives to bring a renewed sense of hope to clients, by offering them modalities of wellness that bring peace and calmness to the body in order to foster a deeper level of healing spiritually, physically and emotionally.
Visit our Services page to see what we can offer you or your loved ones on your journey to better health!
Currently registered with and a member of NADA, and the BCTTNS. | https://www.achievinglotus.org/index.html |
Performance: 12 noon – 2:00 pm, April 16, 1994.
Free and Open to Public
1000 Cranes, Making A Wish For The Environment is a community event to promote recycling. Under the joint sponsorship of Southern Exposure’s Artists in Education Program and Youth In Action…artist Rene Yung has been working with twelve students of Youth In Action. Over an eight week period, students from the Mission, Portrero Hill and Bay View/ Hunters Point have addressed environmental issues through art, discussion and site-specifc projects. On April 16 at the site in Dolores Park the students will create a large scale diagram of the recycling emblem using paper cranes folded from recycled paper. The project’s goal is to 1000 cranes in a symbolic enactment of the traditional Japanese ritual belief that the act of folding 1000 cranes expresses a sincerity of belief which causes one’s wish to come true. Members of the community are invited to participate in the act of folding paper cranes, and well as to bring their recyclables and join in making a wish for a cleaner, more sustainable environment. | https://soex.org/artists-education-project/1000-cranes-making-wish-environment |
Unity Community is a community organizing different kinds of meditation events weekly, to help people find harmony, joy and calmness between physical body ,mental and spirit.
For Meditation, we have different types with different techniques like Breathwork Meditation, Hypnosis Meditation , Mindfulness Meditation, Kirtan Meditation and Tibetan Singing Bowl Sound Healing happening each Wednesday evening. In Which You can benefit from specifically to
* Release stresses and anxiety
* Cleanse negative energies from in-depth of body and rebuild subconsciousness
* Raise ability to train the mind to focus on presence and connect with self-being.
* Increase ability for sense of awareness
* Gain mental clarity
*Find more pure joy, happiness and calmness
地址：肇嘉浜路750号, 近高安路
电话：6466 0817
Scan our QR Code at right or follow us at Thats_Shanghai for events, guides, giveaways and much more!
Weekly updates to your email inbox every Wednesday
Never miss an issue of That's Shanghai! | http://www.thatsmags.com/shanghai/event/detail/73872 |
Healing is not curing.
There I said it.
It stings doesn't it?
Truth is I feel the sting, too.
After a few months of working in hospice as a spiritual counselor I quickly realized just how sucky and unfair life can be.
I felt the sting that winter afternoon I connected with WALTER a 90 something year old WWII veteran. He shared with me how music brought him back to life after an unspeakable year of being a prisoner of war.
It was then that I noticed his hands, crippled and cold. He could no longer play any beloved instrument. We both cried.
What does healing look like for Walter in this circumstance?
After all his hands cannot be fixed.
Furthermore, he's now trapped by a culture who sweeps the elderly under the rug, so to speak. Out of sight, out of mind. Given that Walter isn't formally contributing to society anymore, where might he find a sense of purpose and meaning now?
Our culture has us under a spell, one where we've lost touch with the true nature of the human experience. I'm talking about the full spectrum of the normal human experience.
We've quite literally bought into the notion that we can fix, treat or change x, y or z with the "right" approach or worse by "thinking positive".
*bleh. I have a real bone to pick with positive thinking. While positivity and using the mind to focus on the good is a powerful therapeutic tool we must be mindful of it's slippery slope into spiritual bypassing and fantasy land (both of which are no longer therapeutic).
We've been conditioned by our pervasive culture to avoid embracing the sting of life. If only you have the "right" mindset and focus hard enough. Just use your incredible self will and resilient spirit to create the live you've imagined. (I kid.)
Each of these shiny approaches comes at the cost.
For it is only when you experience, embrace and engage life of life's terms do you uncover a great depth and intimacy with life, others, and yourself.
And this... this is deeply satisfying.
More satisfying than a buzz.
More satisfying than skin on skin and pleasure abound.
More satisfying than lavished praise.
More satisfying than (you fill in the blank).
Let's circle back to Walter. Put yourself in his shoes.
Close your eyes and connect with his pain.
War. Violence. Service to Country. Isolation. Pain. Sacrifice. TRAUMA. Returning to "normal" life. PTSD. Pushing forward. Reconnecting. Reinventing. Creativity. Joy. Music. LOSS. Grief. Sadness. Disconnection. Memories. More sadness. EMPTY.
Before we can entertain "what healing looks like" for him we must first feel what he feels. This is empathy. This is connection and understanding.
As a helping professional I am fully invested in witnessing the pain of others and far less so in solving problems.
Witnessing is a sacred act and is deeply transformative.
When you offer yourself as a witness to another you honor the pain and suffering, the desperation they feel. This is the power of empathy.
Instead of minimizing, fixing or stealing their pain you acknowledge that while wounded, yes, they are still a wise, powerful being capable of enduring the blows of life and finding healing.
You see illness, change, trauma, pain and grief are the gateway to healing.
When you accept reality, life on life's terms, you surrender to what is.
This alone creates a shift, the start of the healing process.
As sweet as it sounds, understand it's often messy-as-hell.
And sometimes a bumpy-start-stop process.
the true nature of healing
Healing is a journey.
It's a process.
Spiral in, spiral out. Rinse and repeat.
Sometimes it's super straight forward and simple.
Sometimes it comes in the form a cure.
Sometimes death is a healing.
Yes, it's true. I know it sounds unfathomable and yet I cannot possible recount the number of people who have shared with me in their end of life journey how death is the relief and end to suffering and discomfort they seek.
Death also qualifies as a healing in a metaphorical sense. Think re-birth / total transformation and reconfiguration.
More often than not though healing looks like a negotiation.
A negotiation between pain and joy, your hopes and fears, expectations and desires, and your physical body / physical resources.
Plain and simple, healing is a negotiation between your mind, body and soul.
Ask any trauma victim whose done 'the work' and they will tell you: it's a long road and yes! you can transform your wounds into a source of strength and gold.
Often, healing is on-going negotiation requiring daily surrender, focus, and flow.
For example, recovering addicts and alcoholics create healing immediately and in the long-term by...
1: admitting they have a problem,
2: creating awareness around the breadth and depth of their disfunction,
3: changing lifestyle choices,
4: consistently addressing emotional, mental and spiritual needs,
5: accepting and addressing the demands of life on life's terms
Healing here takes the form of "recovery".
But what of WALTER?
Can you see the gateway of healing for Walter?
It lies in embracing his grief and loss. Next he must adapt and adjust to his new limitations and circumstances and find a new connection to love, joy and creativity.
You see, the burden of healing lies within ourselves to recalibrate. Doing so generally requires the assistance or input from an external source of wisdom (i.e. a book, a trusted friend or helping professional).
Healing always involves shifting your perspective but only after feelings the feels.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Healing is not curing.
- Healing is not a linear journey but rather a spiral journey.
- Life of life's terms is unfair, sucky and down right difficult, at times.
- Pain, trauma, suffering and illness are the gateway to healing.
- Keep an open mind about what HEALING looks like.
- Remember healing is an on-going negotiation, bring your seat to the table.
- Enlist helping professionals and trusted sources of wisdom for support.
One final remark:
You don’t have to suffer alone, in silence and isolation.
Find one person you can share your truth with.
Let them in. Let them see your pain. Let them LOVE you without attempting to fix or change it. I know this sounds risky, and in some ways it is, BUT your a wise person. You can trust your gut to lead you to the *right* individual.
Oh and love, heals. | https://www.sarahhnicotra.com/publications/category/Sobriety+%26+Recovery |
Based on the Principles of Therapeutic Yoga
This post is part-two of a series on therapeutic yoga for chronic pain. Part-one provided the science behind the mind-body-pain connection and explored the role of the brain in pain, how trauma exacerbates chronic pain, and why we need to move to heal. In this post, I apply the principles of therapeutic yoga to working with chronic pain conditions such as fibromyalgia, migraines, or back pain.
Yoga is a comprehensive and holistic approach to healing mind and body that involves meditation, breath awareness, spiritual inquiry, and living an ethical life. The word yoga is translated as “union” or to join together the mind and body through disciplined self-awareness. In most yoga classes, a teacher guides you to move with the breath, to focus your mind in the moment, and to cultivate a sense of curiosity about yourself. Within therapeutic yoga, personal inquiry becomes your greatest teacher. There is a decreased emphasis on the directives of an outer teacher guiding the outer shape of a posture and an increased focus on sensory awareness guiding intuitive, healing movements.
“Chronic pain experiences are often debilitating and can be life changing. It is common to feel powerless and overwhelmed. It is important to have predictable practices that offer relief for body, mind, and spirit. The principles of therapeutic yoga for chronic pain provide you with guidelines for your practice.”
-Dr. Arielle Schwartz
Therapeutic Yoga for Chronic Pain
It is important to approach yoga carefully and listen to your body to avoid creating overwhelm or exacerbating chronic pain conditions. In other words, we need to pace ourselves when reclaiming the body from chronic pain conditions. Over time you can reclaim a sense of safety in your body and increase your ability to feel. Maybe you sense tightness in your hips or tension in your chest. Once you feel your sensations you can then use tools of breath and movement to work with your pain—instead of against it. You might notice that vulnerable emotions arise. When the time is right, allow yourself to release and let go as part of your healing.
Consider these principles of therapeutic yoga for chronic pain when looking for the right class or when developing a home-based practice:
- Create a Safe environment: There is no single type of environment that will feel right for everyone. Your yoga space or class needs to feel safe for you. Sometimes this means finding a room that does not have mirrors or a teacher that emphasizes the inner experience instead of the outer look or a posture. Look for a teacher who has been teaching for a while and who knows how to develop modifications of postures that are right for you.
- Focus on Choice: David Emerson, author of Trauma-Sensitive Yoga in Therapy (2015) emphasizes that therapeutic yoga offers an opportunity to “practice making choices” based upon what feels right to you. Chronic pain is not a choice. You might feel powerless or helpless to change your experience. Your yoga practice focuses on the moment by moment exploration of body, breath, behavior. Look for subtle changes that feel good to you. Choices can help you feel empowered!
- Increase Embodied Awareness: Healing chronic pain requires that you increase somatic Yoga is a mindfulness practice that focuses on breathing into sensations and allowing somatic awareness to guide your movements. One of the common mindfulness myths is that you will feel relaxed as a result. Sometimes you will feel calmer, but not always. Actually, paying attention can increase your awareness of turbulent emotions or painful sensations that perhaps you were avoiding. However, mindfulness can give you the tools to work more consciously with difficult experiences.Develop your capacity to stay with painful emotions and sensations without judgment.
- Focus on the Good: Attending to discomfort in the body needs to be balanced with attention to non-pain related stimulus in order to avoid flooding and overwhelm. In yoga, we practice the art of directing and focusing attention. Pain sensations can be overwhelming; therefore, we can alternate awareness of pain with awareness of pleasurable (or neutral) sensations. For example, you might sense the pain in your shoulder and then bring your attention to the tip of your nose attending to the movement of air as you breathe in and out. Or you might prefer to alternate between a pain sensation and an external observation such as gazing at a candle flame.
- Find Healing Movements: Once you build tolerance for sensations you can use the physical yoga postures as an opportunity for self-discovery. According to Alan Fogel, author of Body Sense (2009), awareness of pain becomes an opportunity to reclaim healing movements that were suppressed, sometimes many years ago (See part-one of this series to understand movement suppression contributes to chronic pain.) Perhaps you stand up tall and reach your arms up to the sky. How good it can feel to expand and extend your limbs long and outstretched. Maybe you get low on your hands and knees and curl yourself up into a small, contracted shape. In my therapeutic yoga classes, I like to invite participants to move intuitively. The shapes that you make with your body will not have a fancy Sanskrit name, nor is there a goal for postures to be perfectly aligned. Rather, your movements are healing actions. For example, if you have a knot in your throat ask yourself if there is a sound that matches the feeling. Or, if you feel tightness in your hips notice if you can become aware of any corresponding emotional tone. Your sensations are invitations for movement. Just like a full body yawn…imagine that you are your favorite animal just waking up from a nap. Like the lion in the photo above, you can see that pandiculation is a process that involves both stretching and contracting the body. Pandicular movements are deeply healing as they are the nervous system’s way of waking up sensory-motor system. These healing movements prevent the build-up of chronic muscular tension and increase voluntary control over your muscles.
- Seeking Serenity: When working with chronic pain, we recognize that there are some aspects of our experience that we can change, and some that we cannot. You can actively focus on decreasing the fear that amplifies pain or creating lifestyles changes that increase mind-body health such as healthy nutrition or getting better sleep. However, we must also accept that not all health challenges can be changed, no matter how hard you try. Here, you can focus on acceptance, self-compassion, surrender, and processing grief about living with pain.
Relief from Chronic Pain
Move, breathe, stretch, contract, and release.
Hopefully, by now you understand why I have not directed you into a specific sequence of physical yoga postures that will heal your fibromyalgia, chronic migraines, or back pain. Instead, I hope that I have inspired you to trust yourself and your body. Your sensations are your teacher—your yoga.
(photo credits: Victor Tondee, Creative Commons)
In the Boulder, Colorado area?
Take a class on therapeutic yoga for trauma with Dr. Arielle Schwartz at the Hanuman Festival on June 18, 2017.
Looking for a mind-body approach to healing C-PTSD?
Connect to this post? The Complex PTSD Workbook, is now available on Amazon! Click here to check it out and increase your toolbox for healing. Whether you are a client or a therapist this book will offer a guided approach to trauma recovery.
About Dr. Arielle Schwartz
Dr. Arielle Schwartz is a licensed clinical psychologist, wife, and mother in Boulder, CO. She offers trainings for therapists, maintains a private practice, has passions for the outdoors, yoga, and writing. Dr. Schwartz is the author of The Complex PTSD Workbook: A Mind-Body Approach to Regaining Emotional Control and Becoming Whole. She is the developer of Resilience-Informed Therapy which applies research on trauma recovery to form a strength-based, trauma treatment model that includes Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), somatic (body-centered) psychology and time-tested relational psychotherapy. Like Dr. Arielle Schwartz on Facebook, follow her on Linkedin and sign up for email updates to stay up to date with all her posts. | http://drarielleschwartz.com/yoga-for-chronic-pain-dr-arielle-schwartz/ |
By Revd. Peggy Kruse
After being at home during these past 19 months, our homes are have become more than just the dwellings that house us. They are the sacred spaces that envelope our lives. They are places of safety and security. Each home holds in all of its glory – the celebrations, the joy, the sadness, the messiness, the conflict and sometimes even the similarity – to a circus, our family life together.
An important way to find that sense of ‘being at home or coming home’ without even leaving our homes – is through prayer, mindfulness and meditation. The world can be falling down around us, but having a strong sense of who we are, a strong identity, can be acquired in learning how to just be still and to listen. Some call this inner world – our soul – and we all have the choice of developing it or ignoring it. Sadness, suffering, pain and joy are all part of the human lot. The spiritual, or soulful, path provides no escape from life’s problems but it does offer us a way of integrating life’s contradictions into a more positive and complete perspective. Find your sacred space – whether outside or inside of yourself – and keep returning to it – time and time again.
We know that at times – homes are not always safe and secure places for many of our students. We pray for the homes that are not happy, where conflict rather than peace is at the centre.
May God bless these homes – and bring a calmness and a sense of hope to each member of the family who resides there.
These words below are adapted from one of my favourite spiritual writers, John O’Donohue.
May our houses shelter our lives.
When we come home,
May all the weight of the world
Fall from our shoulders.
May our hearts be tranquil there,
Blessed by peace the world cannot give.
May nothing destructive
Ever cross its threshold.
May this be a safe place
Full of understanding and acceptance,
Where we can be as we are,
Without the need of any mask – (literally)
Of pretense or image.
May it be a house of courage,
Where healing and growth are loved,
Where dignity and forgiveness prevail;
A home where patience of spirit is prized,
And the sight of the destination is never lost
Though the journey be difficult and slow.
May there be great delight around this hearth.
Amen. | https://www.beaconhills.vic.edu.au/new-events/blog/home-is-the-sacred-space/ |
When you are in a state of genuine creative inspiration, you are connected to a greater force. To be creatively inspired is to enter a zone where ideas, movements, words, music flow through you. The pleasure of true creativity comes from the fact that it connects you directly to the Self, to the innate creativity of the universal consciousness itself. When we are at our most creative, we are the most in touch with the Divine. Inspired creativity can flow in a conversation when all the participants are open to being channels for something to come that is greater than any one individual can access. It can arise when you ask for inner guidance in solving a problem. Or it can come totally on its own, as a gift.
What does it take to experience the pleasure of being inspired? First, you have to be willing and able to surrender to it, to let go of the fears, doubts and beliefs that block you from receiving inspiration. Second, you need to have the skill and patience to translate the inspiration into action. And third, you need to be able to notice and avoid the pride that comes in when you are tempted to “own” the gifts of inspiration. Experiencing the full depth of joy in inspiration demands that you let go of the feeling ” I did this,” and that you recognize that creative inspiration comes from the essence, from the Self. The practice for experiencing the pleasure of creativity is non-doer-ship: what Taoism call the action of non action.
For thousands of years Yoga, the sister science of Ayurveda has been used as a way to get more in tuned with one’s spiritual self. It originated in India and takes a holistic approach to life, enabling you to experience balance inside and out.Yoga consists of a unique blend of physical exercises, psychological insight and philosophy. It can assist you with bringing your body, mind and spirit into balance.
Traditionally there are four paths of yoga. Most westerners believe that yoga is the act of performing asanas or various poses and stretches but yoga is much deeper than that. Although each of the four paths of yoga are complete disciplines within themselves, it is best to combine all four practices for the benefits of bringing harmony to the emotional, intellectual and physical aspects of your life. The four paths of yoga consist of Hatha and Raja Yoga, Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and Jnana Yoga.
For the purpose of this article we will be discussing how Hatha and Raja Yogarelease your hidden energy. This is the yogic path of body and mind control. It is best known for its practical aspects, particularly its asanas (poses) and pranayama (breathing exercises). This path teaches ways of controlling the body and mind, including silent meditation and its practices gradually transform the energy of the body and mind into spiritual energy. It is through this harmonizing of energizing of the mind, body and spirit that the hidden energystores are released.
It is said that the practice of Yoga brings calmness to the mind at all times, brings restful sleep, it increases energy, vigor, vitality, longevity and high standard of health, it allows you to turn out higher quality of work, more effectively in a shorter period of time and it can help bring success to every area of life. In addition to these benefits which many have to do with increasing your energy,yoga also improves muscle elasticity, joint range of motion and flexibility. Through the controlled breathing, meditation and asanas (poses) relaxation of the mind and body begin to occur which is a powerful aid for relieving stress. Yoga has been used very successfully in the management of stress and can be used to reduce pain, lower blood pressure and heart rate and decrease anxiety and muscle tension.
Internally, Yoga benefits the organs through massage. The wide range of asanas or poses performed during a Yoga session massages many of the body’s internal organs. This massage action helps to stimulate the internal organs, increasing blood flow to the area and increasing the ability to ward off disease and improve the organ’s function. With the positive effects on muscle strength and flexibility as well as massaging of the internal organs, Yoga boost blood and lymph circulation throughout the body and immune function which results in faster excretion of harmful toxins. Still another benefit is the fact that due to the increase in blood circulation throughout the body increased nourishment and waste exchange is occurring at the cellular level. This leads to increased mental awareness, increased vitality and increased energy.
As a result of the stress reduction, detoxification, and improvements in strength and flexibility, it believed that those who practice Yoga are said to live longer, healthier and more energetic lives. Yoga is said to affect all areas of life, physiological, biological and mental. Yoga provides the body and mind with new, challenging stimuli that unlocks your awareness, stimulates your body and connects you to your spirit. This beautiful act of self love unlocks the hiddenenergy within you in such subtle, gentle and loving ways that you will feel balanced, clear, peaceful, healthy and happy. | https://ayurvedahealing.org/2013/01/ |
Surah Adiyat (Arabic: سورة العاديات, “The Courser, The Chargers”) is the 100th sura of the Qur’an with 11 verses (ayat). Opinions are divided as to the place where the revelation of this Surah took place; whether it was at Mecca or Medina.
The verses of the Surat are short; where oaths are emphasized on, and the Resurrection is seriously referred to. These are some characteristics which confirm that the Surat is Meccan.
But, on the other hand, the content of the oaths, of this Surat, refer mostly to the affairs of Holy War, which we will discuss in detail later, and also to the existence of the narrations which denote that this Surat was revealed after the war known as /that-us-salasil/, indicating that the Surat is Medinan, even though we consider that the introductory oaths of the Surat point to the movement of pilgrimages toward Mash’ar (Sacred Monument) and Mina.
(This war happened in the eighth year AH. in which many pagans were captured. They were bound in chains and that was why it was called the battle of /that-us-salasil/.)
With attention to all of the above, we prefer to consider this Surat Medinan. From the aforementioned statements, it is understood that at the beginning of the Surat there are some awakening oaths and then, reference is made to some human weaknesses like blasphemy, miserliness, and mammonism.
Concluding the Suraah, a comprehensive hint is made to the Resurrection, and the fact that Allah knows everything about His servants.
Imam Muhammad bin Nasr narrated From Hadrat A’ta bin Abi Rabah that Ibn Abbas (رضي الله عنهم) reported that the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said Itha Zulzilati (Surah 99) is equal to half of the Quran. Wal Aadiyati (Surah 100) is also equivalent to half of the Quran . Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad (Surah 112) is equal to one-third of the Quran and Qul Ya Ayyuha Al-Kafiroon (Surah 109) is one-fourth of the Quran. (Dur al-Manthur)
What are Ways in Which Quran Heals Our Body and Mind ?
The Holy Quran is more than just a religious text, it is a source of healing and solace for many. The power of the words contained in the Quran is believed to bring physical and spiritual health. According to Islamic belief, Quran was sent by Allah (God) to provide us with guidance and mercy. Therefore, reciting Quran can bring a sense of peace and contentment.
Quran helps us to relax, clear our minds and increase positive feelings. Its calming words and verses can help us to reduce stress and anxiety levels. It can also help to promote better sleep, reduce pain and improve overall well-being. Reciting the verses of the Quran has been linked to improved concentration, mental clarity and emotional balance.
Moreover, some scholars suggest that the sound vibrations created by reciting Quran can bring physical healing. It is said that the vibrations of certain Quranic verses can help to restore balance to the body’s energy system, helping to alleviate physical ailments such as headaches and muscle tension.
The Holy Quran also has the power to uplift our spirit and give us strength. Its verses bring a sense of solace in times of hardship, giving us courage and resilience. By reading its words we can reconnect with Allah and fill our hearts with faith and hope.
In short, the Holy Quran is a source of healing for our body and mind. Through its verses, we can find strength, peace and comfort. By regularly reciting its words we can experience a deeper sense of connection with our Creator and enjoy its healing benefits.
Whate are Surah Adiyat Benefits ?
Reciting Surah Adiyat can be a powerful way to unlock its healing benefits. Here are some tips for maximizing the benefits of reciting this Holy Quran chapter:
1. Read it with intention: Make sure that you set an intention before you recite Surah Adiyat. This will help you focus on the verses and receive their full benefit.
2. Visualize what you’re reading: To get the most out of your recitation, try visualizing each verse as you read them. This will help you connect more deeply with the text and make the experience even more powerful.
3. Read it with understanding: It’s important to understand what you’re reading in order to receive the full benefit of Surah Adiyat. Take your time to learn the meaning of each verse so that you can gain deeper insight into them.
4. Recite it regularly: Regular recitation of Surah Adiyat is essential if you want to maximize its healing effects. Try to recite it at least once a day, or whenever you need a mental or physical boost.
5. Pray and meditate: Praying and meditating while reciting Surah Adiyat can help bring you closer to Allah and facilitate a deeper spiritual connection.
By following these tips, you can unlock the powerful healing benefits of Surah Adiyat and take full advantage of its power.
READ MORE Benefits of Suraah Fatiha
Surah Adiyat Benefits : There are many Surah Aadiyat benefits few are given below
- Our Beloved Prophet sallal laahu alaihi wasallam said that the reward for reciting this Surah is equivalent to ten times the number who are present in ‘Arafah and Muzdalifa at the time of Hajj.
- Our Beloved Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (Radi allahu tala anhu) has said that those people who recite Surah al-‘Aadiyaat everyday will be counted from the companions of Ameerul Mu’mineen (a.s.) and it has also been narrated that reciting Surah Aadiyat daily carries the reward of reciting the entire Qur’an.
- If a person has many creditors, recitation of Surah Adiyat Benefits him to clear his debts.
- Some narrations denote that the virtue of reciting Sura Aadiyat is as much as the virtue of reciting half of the Qur’an.
- It is clear, without any explanation, that all these excellences are for those who believe in its contents thoroughly and act accordingly.
- Surah Al Adiyat is best for eliminating evil eye. To get help from Allah in this regard: Recite the Surah 41 times, blow on a glass of water and give the affected (nazr e badd) child to drink. Repeat the process for three days straight
- If recited by a person in fear, this Surah brings him to safety.
- if recited by a hungry person, it helps in his finding sustenance.
- if recited by a thirsty person, his thirst will be quenched.
- The Holy Quran is a powerful source of spiritual healing and guidance. One of the most beneficial Surahs in the Quran is Surah Adiyat, which has many benefits for those who recite it regularly. This Surah is known to be very effective in curing diseases and providing protection from evil spirits.
- Reciting Surah Adiyat has been known to give a person tremendous strength and courage to face difficult times. It is said that reciting this Surah daily will help to reduce fear and anxiety. It can also help people overcome depression and stress. Those who are suffering from any kind of chronic illness may find relief by reciting this Surah on a regular basis.
- Surah Adiyat is known to be an excellent source of inner peace and tranquility. It is believed that it helps to create balance in one’s life, promoting harmony and reducing negative emotions. Furthermore, it helps to keep the mind clear and focused, enabling a person to make sound decisions. Reciting this Surah also increases one’s spiritual level, allowing them to see the world from a different perspective.
- Surah Adiyat also has many physical health benefits. It helps to strengthen the immune system and heal physical ailments such as fever, headache, and stomach aches. This Surah can also help to purify the blood, reduce fatigue, and increase energy levels.
- Overall, reciting Surah Adiyat is a powerful way to gain spiritual and physical wellbeing. The Holy Quran is an invaluable source of healing and guidance, and reciting this particular Surah can bring about many positive changes in one’s life. | https://www.sarkarhealings.com/2018/09/15/virtues-of-surah-adiyat-benefits/ |
Inspiration.... we may not always be able to say when it will come, but I think we all know what inspiration does - it moves us to action.
It is a catalyst. It lights a fire. It's an "ah-ha" moment. It's the light bulb over the head.
Inspiration motivates. It spurs us to do.
The infusion of ideas into the mind by the Holy Spirit; the conveying into the minds of men, ideas, notices or monitions by extraordinary or supernatural influence; or the communication of the divine will to the understanding by suggestions or impressions on the mind, which leave no room to doubt the reality of their supernatural origin.
This is how the scriptures were written from the pens of many men but the heart of the one God.
I believe this type of inspiration is available to us today also.
Now not in the sense of the authors of the Bible, it is written, it is whole, it is complete. No, the Holy Spirit will not inspire us to add to the writings of the Holy Bible.
But, as believers and children of God, the Holy Spirit does pour in to us and inspire us to action.
And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
We are also told in Galatians 5 of the Fruit of The Spirit, the outward expression of the inward dwelling of the Holy Spirit. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control are all the physical result of the Holy Spirit infusion into our lives.
If we stay in step with the Spirit, this infusion into our lives will inspire us into action!
the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control;.... If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.
So I have a challenge for all of us this week... to let our souls be inspired.
To be more in step with the Holy Spirit's prompting and be aware of the moments when we have the divinely inspired opportunities to love others, to be joyful, to bring peace, to exercise patience, to extend kindness, to live out goodness, to remain faithful, to respond with gentleness and to exercise self-control.
One way we can inspire others is through a simple act of kindness. Share a word of encouragement with someone. Send them a note. Leave an encouraging word on a co-workers desk. Thank someone for their selflessness.
To download a printable blank version of the tag in the photo above, click here. Just download, print, color, add your own message, trim and bless someone's day.
Ask the Holy Spirit to inspire you! | http://sweettothesoul.com/blog/2017/03/06/divine-inspiration |
To understand the symbolic significance of our name, and to fully receive its energetic transmission, it is important for you to understand the ancient practical and spiritual significance of the hearth.
For centuries, the hearth featured at the very centre of every home, town hall, and temple of worship, and was highly regarded – both literally and symbolically – as the heart of all home, family, and community life, inspiring the familiar adage “hearth and home”.
Deeply honoured as a sacred space responsible for supporting and sustaining all life within the home, the hearth provided light and warmth, facilitated the preparation and cooking of food, enabled the creation of various tools, provided a safe space for families and communities to gather, and served as an altar where offerings were placed. Many ancient polytheist cultures (particularly those of Egypt, Greece, Rome, England, Ireland, Scotland, and Scandinavia), believed the hearth was governed by a Goddess who ensured security, safety, and abundance within the home, family, and wider community, therefore it was always tended to with great care, intention and reverence.
With the advancement of modern society, the hearth has lost its cultural significance and is no longer present at the heart of every significant structure or afforded the same level of honour and devotion as it once was. However, it has not lost its symbolic potency. Our name, along with our studio, is an activation, acting as both a transmission of, and attunement to, the ancient and sacred energies of the hearth by honouring and embodying its traditional symbolism as a homely and comforting place of light, warmth, nourishment, creation, family, community, and reverence, and its spiritual symbolism as a reflection of the creative spark of existence that resides within all; the heart of Being.
When you attend a healing session, class, or workshop at Sacred Hearth, you are returning home to your Self, to the warmth, comfort, safety, and security within, and tending to that space with the same intention, care and reverence as our ancestors once tended to the hearths within their own sacred spaces.
Welcome to Sacred Hearth.
Welcome home.
Our Purpose, Vision, & Mission
Our Purpose -
To heal the disconnect between Mind, Body, and Spirit within the Health and Wellness industry, and the individual.
Our Vision -
To relieve the feelings of tension, separation, and suffering caused by disconnection from Self.
Our Mission -
To ground, nurture, support and uplift you, using integrated Complimentary and Holistic wellness therapies to facilitate the cultivation of Self-Awareness, deconditioning, and the development of effective Self-Care practices
Our Core Values
Our core values not only underpin how we operate as a Wellness Studio, but act as a framework for the development of our therapeutic healing practices. Intricately interwoven, we believe these values both facilitate and support true healing and lasting wellness.
Complimentary & Holistic Therapies
One of our most passionate beliefs is that Mind, Body and Spirit are not separate, and the separate treatment of Mind, Body, and Spirit within the Health and Wellness industry fosters, rather than alleviates, feelings of tension, separation, and suffering.
Complementary means that our healing practices are designed to compliment all other forms and methods of healing, particularly Western Allopathic Medicine, rather than act as alternatives. We believe there is value in all forms of healing, and it is through the combination of therapies, and collaboration between healers, that will best support your health and wellness.
Holistic refers to our belief that the Mind, Body, and Spirit are intimately interconnected, and that an individuals overall health and well-being can only be understood and supported with reference to the whole Self. Our healing practices assess and address all aspects of Being collectively, as opposed to individually, thereby alleviating feelings of tension, separation and suffering, and leading to a deeper, more holistic, healing experience.
It is through the integrated treatment of Mind, Body and Spirit using Complimentary and Holistic Healing practices, that we are able to cultivate feelings of relaxation, connection, and relief, supporting and maintaining true healing and lasting wellness.
Meet Our Founder
Images courtesy of Spanda Yoga School
Chloe Thomas
Chloe is a vibrant, passionate and highly skilled Holistic Bodyworker, Reiki Master, Yoga Teacher and Meditation Facilitator from Perth, Western Australia.
With her open heart, gentle, down-to-earth and nurturing nature, and warm, comforting presence, Chloe instantly evokes feelings of safety and relaxation, giving you the complete freedom to rest, unwind, unburden, and be yourself, in all your humanness.
After earning her Diploma of Remedial Massage Therapy in 2016, and her Diploma of Reflexology in 2017, Chloe became fascinated by the link between our physical wellness, mental-emotional wellness, and spiritual wellness, noting that these three seemingly separate elements were not in-fact independent, but intricately interwoven expressions of a greater whole. She felt that the separate treatment of Mind, Body, and Spirit within the Health and Wellness industry had created a disconnect that caused feelings of tension and separation, rather than wholeness and healing.
This realisation sparked a desire to offer a more holistic approach to healing, leading her to pursue further studies in Hot Stone Massage Therapy, Cyclical Living, Sound and Crystal Healing, certificates in Reiki I and II, Ka Huna Bodywork, and Acupressure, and most recently, her Reiki Master, and Yoga and Meditation Teacher certifications.
Now, as a multi-modality practitioner, Chloe intends to guide, nurture, support, and hold space for others on their wellness journeys through the integration of Bodywork, Energywork, Yoga, Meditation, and Intuitive Guidance. Her healing approach is designed to address Mind, Body and Spirit collectively, bringing the Being back into balance, and alleviating feelings of tension and separation. | https://www.sacredhearth.com.au/about-us |
Spirit is quite a personal topic. The main thing is to connect yourself to something you love.
My point is that what Spirit means to you is true for you. Most people confuse religion with spirit and not so many people described themselves as ‘Spiritual’. I am no hippy, I love hippies as I do the majority of people from all walks of life. I was raised by a pair of Atheists (one raised as Catholic and one as Anglican – both going to boarding school – which would be enough to put anyone off religion they told me), and I am not an atheist. I don’t judge people’s religious beliefs, Christian, Muslim, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jedi etc; whatever works for you to make you feel connected to others or to something.
I believe in the beauty and power of Mother Nature and as an animal, we should fit in and connect with Mother Nature as much as possible not to fight her. I know when I have felt most stressed in my life, I have been cooped up in a hospital, room, office or city and can’t see sunlight, trees or hear the birds. I also noticed the more I studied biology I became in awe of the design of all living things.
The things that are most important are our family, our animals, plants, and environment. If we all aimed to be gentle, kind, generous and sensitive to those less ‘powerful’ in our environment the world would be a more beautiful place. When we understand that we are all connected to all other species on this planet, everything including the insects, plants, and animals, it is only then that we take more care with our attitudes, behaviour, and approach to every living thing. Connecting with Mother Nature to feel at one with yourself and Spirit, even just kick off your shoes and walk on the grass bare-footed!
Everything we do does affect the planet; we are connected to everything else that lives in our same home. The Earth is a fragile creature, we are well served to remember that. Historically the species that have overgrown, have eventually become extinct. The human species has now become the very sickest species on the planet, the rates of CANCER are now so staggering. When I say to connect with nature, your religion, your environment it is all the same. We need to regularly take stock and remember other creatures and to get into the environment to balance ourselves and feel well again.
To reconnect some people go for a walk with their dog, some people ride their bike, others meditate, others pray, or go camping; whatever works for you. When you are feeling sick, stressed, over-worked, or lonely, reconnect with Mother Nature, or your Church, or friends and you will you feel much better.
I do a mixture of things, I meditate, walk my dog (in nature), play tennis (in nature), go sailing (in nature), ride my bicycle (in nature), meet with special friends (often in nature), and go camping (in nature). I define these as all spiritual pursuits.
Meditation:
Meditation is a mental focus to realise benefits or as an end in itself.
Deepak Chopra describes meditation as ‘not a way of making your mind quiet but a way of entering into a quiet already there.’
The average person thinks about 50,000 thoughts every day. Meditation has been used for centuries by Eastern cultures and nowadays is a widely accepted relaxation technique. Some sports/exercise use it as part of the program e.g. Yoga, martial arts (e.g. Karate, Kendo, etc) and some spiritual and relaxation programs use mediation. The goal of all meditation procedures both spiritual/religious or therapeutic is to quiet the mind. Meditation can benefit you as much as you can manage, ideally daily would be best and some people practice at the start and at the end of the day. When you have cancer it can quiten your stressed, busy mind.
There are three types of meditation:
-
-
-
Mindfulness Meditation
-
The practice of mindfulness meditation primarily focuses on breathing. I use this practice myself daily or when doing Yoga. My basic recommendation:
-
-
- Sit upright with spine straight, either crossed legged or on a firm chair, with both feet on the floor uncrossed. (I sometimes meditate lying down, but usually, fall asleep due to relaxation, so suggest sitting instead), go to bed if you need to sleep.
- With eyes open gently looking a few metres ahead or eyes closed, focus on the exhalation and inhalation of the breath.
- If the mind wanders, acknowledge and return to the ‘out’ breath.
-
Transcendental Meditation (TM)
-
Transcendental Meditation uses a mantra (a word that has a specific chanting sound but no meaning). The person meditating repeats the word silently, or sometimes out loud, letting thoughts come and go. Try ‘I am enough’ as your mantra, it will help your healing.
-
-
Mini-Meditation
-
This method involves heightening awareness of the immediate surrounding environment, the act of which is very like the definition of mindfulness. Choose a routine activity when alone:
-
- Folding your clothes, focus on the feeling of the fabric on your hands and the weight of the fabric
- Washing the dishes, focus on the feeling of the water on your hands and the weight of the dishes in your hands, etc.
-
If you have any trouble meditating or getting your mind off your stresses I recommend that you get an App to help you such as CALM, as this can help distract your busy mind until it relaxes.
The benefits of meditation:
There have been multiple studies on the minds of Buddhist monks, who regularly meditate, which have shown that they have increased activity in the areas of the brain associated with happiness, compared to those who do not meditate regularly. Monks meditate for many hours/day, which may not be practical for you, however when you are waiting at appointments or treatment centres even small amounts of meditation are known to have benefits in terms of concentration, reduced stress, and ratings of higher enjoyment of life. Studies have shown that meditation can benefit the heart and can reduce blood pressure, and improve calmness and happiness.
Mindfulness
Yesterday is History. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present!
Mindfulness has gained more ‘awareness’ and popularity in recent times. The state of mindfulness is being in present time consciousness. Your attitude can point your mind in a direction.
What lies behind us, and what lies before us, are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Laughter
One of the most effective and inexpensive methods to reduce stress is laughter, during the absolutely most stressful times in my life, the most effective way to cope with the stress I found was to use my sense of humour and to joke around and laugh! Laughter is always best shared!
-
-
- Laughter is known to:
- Lower blood pressure,
- Stimulate the production of endorphins (feel-good hormones),
- Open up your creativity.
- Laughter is known to:
-
Play leads to happiness
Have you ever watched little children play – most of the time they are laughing, acting out ideas and just being themselves. In our busy world as adults, we usually allocate no time in our schedule for play. I am not talking about exercise, while you might be playful when you do exercise, find something you love and let yourself be playful. Most of you may have even forgotten how to play. Tapping back into that part of you, you once easily expressed as a child can increase your creativity, relaxation, and enjoyment of life. Try to schedule AT LEAST one session of play per week. If you can fit in more fantastic, remember, life is too short not to enjoy it and play is about one of the best ways to live your life. Watch a comedy movie if you are not feeling playful.
Ideally think of something you can do with others, board games (especially acting out roles – I did this once with my cousin’s boys – we played a game where we had to act like different animals – it was hilarious and we laughed so much – it was great fun) or something active outside in nature is perfect. Do something that you love and you will enjoy your play time. Schedule as much in as possible, which will lift your spirits.
Passion and love
Ideally, you will be living and working in your passion, have passion and love in your relationships and love yourself as well. If this is not true for you, you may need some assistance and perhaps coaching to get to your sweet spot! Follow this link to find out more about how to train your Mind for the ultimate in health and wellness. Or book in with Dr Rachel for some coaching and assistance.
Yours in good health, | https://www.healthequalsfreedom.com/spirit/ |
A set of metabolic reactions and processes that helps the organisms to convert chemical energy into adenosine triphosphate from nutrients or oxygen molecules is called cellular respiration. The catabolic reactions are involved in the respiration process that helps to break down large molecules into smaller particles.
The visual representation of the known information either in the form of graphs or charts or tables or Venn diagrams. By analyzing the meaning of the concept map we will learn the definition of the cellular respiration concept map, it is a graphic representation of the complete process of cellular respiration.
Let us see the cellular respiration map and analyze it by following the steps mentioned below.
Steps Involved in Cell Respiration Concept Map
During the process of cellular respiration, the glucose molecule is broken down into water and carbon dioxide. In the reactions that transfer glucose, some of the ATP molecules are produced along the way. But the maximum number of ATP is produced in the process called oxidative phosphorylation. A series of proteins are embedded in the mitochondria, the movement of the electrons takes place in the electron transport chain reaction during which oxidative phosphorylation occurs.
The electrons that are traveled to the electron transport chain are directly derived from the glucose molecule by some of the electron carriers such as NAD⁺ and FAD and when the gain in the electrons takes place these carriers get converted to form NADH and FADH₂. In the cellular respiration map where ever it is mentioned as “+NADh and + FADH₂”, the molecules are not being added from the scratch instead they are being converted from the electron carriers.
Equations:
NAD⁺ + 2e⁻ + 2H⁺ → NADH + H⁺
FAD + 2e⁻ + 2H⁺ → FADH₂
We will see how the carbon dioxide is obtained from the glucose molecule and how the energy is harvested as NADH/FADH₂ and ATP. Cellular respiration consists of four stages, they include:
Glycolysis is the first process in the cell respiration concept map, in this process a six-carbon sugar molecule called glucose undergoes various forms of chemical transformations to convert as two pyruvate molecules at the end. The pyruvate molecule is an organic three-carbon molecule. The end product of this process is ATP and NADH which is converted from NAD⁺.
The second step that is involved in the cellular respiration concept map is pyruvate oxidation. In this process, the pyruvate that is obtained from the process of glycolysis is transferred to the innermost compartment of mitochondria called the mitochondrial matrix. In the mitochondrial matrix, each of the pyruvate molecules gets converted into a two-carbon molecule that is bound to coenzyme A called acetyl CoA. The end product of this process is the generation of NADH molecules by the release of carbon dioxide.
Citric acid cycle: The acetyl coenzyme that is obtained in the previous step of a cellular respiration mind map combines with the four-carbon molecule to undergo several cycles of reactions to obtain the regenerated four-carbon starting molecule. The final product of this process yields ATP, NADH, and FADH₂ by the release of carbon dioxide.
Oxidative phosphorylation: The NADH and FADH₂ generated in the previous steps, deposit the electron molecules in the electron transport chain by obtaining their original forms such as NAD⁺ and FAD. When these electrons are traveled down the chain the release of energy takes place and this energy is utilized to pump the protons out of the mitochondrial matrix by forming an electron gradient. To form an ATP molecule the protons are transferred back to the matrix with the help of an enzyme called ATP synthase. The end product of the electron transport chain is the formation of water with the acceptance of electrons and protons by oxygen molecules.
The final equation at the end of the cellular respiration is
Glucose + Oxygen → ATP + Carbon dioxide + Water
[Image will be Uploaded Soon]
If the process of glycolysis takes place in the absence of oxygen it is called fermentation. Cellular respiration includes other three steps that require oxygen, they are pyruvate oxidation, the citric acid cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation. Among these, oxygen is directly utilized only in the case of oxidative phosphorylation, but the remaining two processes are dependent on oxidative phosphorylation for the consumption of oxygen.
Conclusion:
The process which is used by all the living organisms in the formation of energy from glucose molecules is cellular respiration. While the autotrophs produce their own glucose molecules by the process of photosynthesis and the heterotrophs obtain their glucose from another organism. However, the process of cellular respiration is the collection of metabolic processes such as glycolysis, citric acid cycle or Krebs cycle, and electron transport chain. While moving from glycolysis to the citric acid cycle the pyruvate molecules obtained from glycolysis are oxidized by a process called pyruvate oxidation. Practice cellular respiration concept maps to understand the process easily and efficiently. Remembering the end products of each step involved is necessary as it can appear in the examination in the form of objectives.
1. What is Cellular Respiration and What are the Steps Involved in it?
The process of conversion of glucose into energy is called cellular respiration.
The steps involved are:
Glycolysis
Pyruvate oxidation
Citric acid cycle or Krebs cycle
Electron transport chain or oxidative phosphorylation
2. Why is Cellular Respiration Important?
Plants and animals use a process called cellular respiration to break down the larger glucose molecules to convert into energy. The converted energy is utilized in several cellular levels to perform specific functions. These enzymatic reactions occur in the mitochondria of a cell. As it involves various steps learning the concept map about cellular respiration is important to remember the process easily. The availability of glucose, temperature surrounding the organism, and the level of oxygen concentration can affect the process of cellular respiration. | https://www.vedantu.com/biology/cellular-respiration-concept-map |
It is a series of chemical reactions of central importance in all living cellss that utilize oxygen as part of cellular respiration. In these aerobic organisms, the citric acid cycle is a metabolic pathway that forms part of the break down of carbohydrates, fats and proteins into carbon dioxide and water in order to generate energy. It also provides precursors for many compounds such as certain amino acids, and some of its reactions are therefore important even in cells performing fermentation.
The citric acid cycle takes place within the mitochondria in eukaryotes, and within the cytoplasm in prokaryotes.
The citric acid cycle forms part of carbohydrate catabolism, protein catabolism and fat catabolism. All these three processes produce acetyl-CoA, a two-carbon acetyl group bound to coenzyme A. Acetyl-CoA is the main input to the citric acid cycle.
Citrate is both the first and the last product of the cycle (Fig. 1), and is regenerated by the condensation of oxaloacetate and acetyl-CoA.
Figure 1 : Schematic drawing of the citric acid cycle.
|Molecule||Enzyme||Reaction Type||Reactants/
|
Coenzymes
|Products/
|
Coenzymes
|I. Citrate||1. Aconitase||Dehydration||H2O|
|II. cis-Aconitate||2. Aconitase||Hydration||H2O|
|III. Isocitrate||3. Isocitrate Dehydrogenase||Oxidation||NAD+||NADH+H+|
|IV. Oxalosuccinate||4. Isocitrate Dehydrogenase||Decarboxylation|
|V. α-Ketoglutarate||5. α-Ketoglutarate Dehydrogenase||Oxidative Decarboxylation||NAD+
|
CoA-SH
|NADH+H+
|
CO2
|VI. Succinyl-CoA||6. Succinyl-CoA Synthetase||Hydrolysis||GDP
|
Pi
|GTP
|
CoA-SH
|VII. Succinate||7. Succinate Dehydrogenase||Oxidation||FAD||FADH2|
|VIII. Fumarate||8. Fumarase||Addition (H2O)||H2O|
|IX. L-Malate||9. Malate Dehydrogenase||Oxidation||NAD+||NADH+H+|
|X. Oxaloacetate||10. Citrate Synthase||Condensation|
|XI. Acetyl-CoA|
The sum of all reactions in the citric acid cycle is :
Major metabolic pathways converging on the TCA cycle
|
Figure 2: Schematic drawing of the major metabolic |
pathways associated with the citric acid cycle.
The citric acid cycle is the second step in carbohydrate catabolism (the breakdown of sugars). Glycolysis breaks glucose (a six-carbon-molecule) down into pyruvate (a three-carbon molecule). In eukaryotes, pyruvate moves into the mitochondria. It is converted into acetyl-CoA and enters the citric acid cycle.
In protein catabolism, proteins are broken down by protease enzymes into their constituent amino acids. These amino acids are brought into the cells and can be a source of energy by being funnelled into the citric acid cycle.
In fat catabolism, triglycerides are hydrolyzed to break them into fatty acids and glycerol. In the liver the glycerol can be converted into glucose via dihydroxyacetone phosphate and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate by way of gluconeogenesis. In many tissues, especially heart, fatty acids are broken down through a process known as beta oxidation which results in acetyl-CoA which can be used in the citric acid cycle. Sometimes beta oxidation can yield propionyl CoA which can result in further glucose production by gluconeogenesis in liver.
The citric acid cycle is always followed by oxidative phosphorylation. This process extracts the energy from NADH and FADH2, recreating NAD+ and FAD, so that the cycle can continue. The citric acid cycle itself does not use oxygen, but oxidative phosphorylation does.
The total energy gained from the complete breakdown of one molecule of glucose by glycolysis, the citric acid cycle and oxidative phosphorylation equals about 38 ATP molecules. | http://www.fact-index.com/c/ci/citric_acid_cycle_1.html |
Cell Respiration - Coggle Diagram
Cell Respiration
Aerobic cell respiration
It is a process in which organisms use oxygen to turn fuel, such as fats and sugars, into chemical energy.
It requires oxygen and gives a large amount of ATP from glucose. Formula : C6H12O6 + 6O2 yields 6CO2 + 6H2O
The diagram above is called the citric acid cycle also called the tricarboxylic acid cycle or the Krebs cycle, is a series of redox reactions that begins with Acetyl CoA in which the reaction occurs twice for each molecule of glucose.
ATP
It captures chemical energy gotten from the breakdown of food molecules.
Formula : C10H16N5O13P3
It is a molecule that carries energy inside cells, known as "Adenosine triposphate". It is also an organic compound and hydrotrope that provides energy in living cells.
Ethanol
Ethanol produced either by fermentation or by synthesis is obtained as a dilute aqueous solution and must be concentrated by fractional distillation.
Formula : C2H5OH
It is an organic chemical compound that is an important industrial chemical. It is used as a solvent, in the synthesis of other organic chemicals, and as an additive to automotive gasoline (forming a mixture known as a gasohol).
Anaerobic cell respiration
In this process, it breaks down glucose when there is no presence of oxygen. It produces lactic acid, rather than carbon dioxide and water
It transfers energy from glucose to cells. Furthermore, it transfers a large amount of energy quickly. Formula : C6H12O6 -> 2C3H6O3
Fermentation
It is a metabolic process that produces chemical changes in organic substrates through the action of enzymes in which molecules such as glucose are broken down anaerobically.
Formula : C6H12O6 → 2 C2H5OH + 2 CO
Cytoplasm
Its function is to support and suspend organelles and cellular molecules.
It is a thick solution that fills each cell and is enclosed by the cell membrane. It is mainly composed of water, salts, and proteins.
Lactic Acid
Formula : C3H6O3
It is a chemical byproduct of anaerobic respiration — the process by which cells produce energy without oxygen around. Bacteria produce it in yogurt and our guts.
Mitochondria
Chemical energy produced by the mitochondria is stored in a small molecule called adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
It is a membrane-bound cell organelles (mitochondrion, singular) that generate most of the chemical energy needed to power the cell's biochemical reactions. | https://coggle.it/diagram/X83d7UvpCPXfaL0T/t/cell-respiration |
Presentation is loading. Please wait.
Published byErika Adams Modified over 5 years ago
1
Cellular Respiration Chapter 8.3
2
Animal Plant Mitochondria
3
Cellular Respiration Catabolic pathway Organic sugars are broken down to release energy for the cell Electrons are used for energy (opposite of photosynthesis) C 6 H 12 O 6 + 6 O 2 6 CO 2 + 6 H 2 O
4
Cellular Respiration Glycolysis Krebs Cycle Electron Transport Anaerobic : Does not require oxygen Aerobic : Requires oxygen
6
Outer membrane Intermembrane space Inner membrane Matrix Mitochondria
7
Glycolysis Overall Purpose: Initial break down of GLUCOSE to release energy Produces ATP and NADH molecules for energy storage Takes place in the…. CYTOPLASM Reactants : Glucose (ADP & NAD + ) Products : Two PYRUVATE molecules (ATP & NADH)
8
Krebs Cycle (Citric Acid Cycle) Overall Purpose: In the presence of oxygen, pyruvate is broken down to carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) Takes place in the…. MITOCHONDRIAL MATRIX Reactants : Pyruvate (ADP, NAD +, & FAD) Products : CO 2 (ATP, NADH, & FADH 2 )
9
Overall Purpose: High-energy electrons and hydrogen ions from NADH and FADH 2 are used to convert ADP to ATP Electrons from NADH and FADH 2 are passed to the electron transport chain Oxygen picks up the electrons (and hydrogen) to make water Hydrogen ions flow through ATP synthase to make ATP Takes place in the…. INNER MITOCHONDRIAL MEMBRANE Reactants : (NADH & FADH 2) Oxygen Products : (NAD & FAD) water Electron Transport
12
What about bacteria? Prokaryotic cells (bacteria) don’t have mitochondria… Electron transport takes place in the cell membrane!
13
Mr. Anderson’s Podcast (Bozemanbiology): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gh2P5CmCC0M http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gh2P5CmCC0M
17
Lactic Acid Fermentation The equation for lactic acid fermentation after glycolysis is: pyruvic acid + NADH → lactic acid + NAD+
Similar presentations
© 2021 SlidePlayer.com Inc.
All rights reserved. | https://slideplayer.com/slide/8081712/ |
1. How Enzymes Are Involved In The Processes Such The Breakdown Of Fructose. Hereditary fructose intolerance is metabolic disarray whereby the small intestine cannot process fructose. Enzymes are proteins that work as catalysts. They help in the acceleration of certain chemical reactions that would be much slower devoid of them. This takes place in a lock-and-key model, whereby only a particular enzyme may ‘fix’ into a given substrate to catalyze a particular reaction. Enzymes decrease the activation energy for the functions or processes in the body.
2. How Aldolase B deficiency causes Hereditary Fructose Intolerance. Aldolase B is also known as fructose 1 phosphate aldolase. Adolase B is a chemical produced in the brain liver and kidneys. It is required for the fructose breakdown. Fructose is a sugar found in honey, fruits, vegetables, as well as other sweeteners. The enzyme fructose 1 phosphate aldolase is necessary for the metabolism of fructose. A deficiency in aldolase B affects the usual fructose breakdown, a condition known as Fructose Intolerance. Because Aldolase B gene plays a major role in the enzyme Aldolase B formation, gene mutations affects the formation as well as eventual decline in the supply of the enzyme fructose 1 phosphate aldolase, this causes hereditary Fructose. Aldolase B (ALDOB) plays a major task in carbohydrate metabolism; Aldolase B catalyzes one of the glycolytic-cluconeogenic pathway steps. Genetic mutations leading to aldolase B defects consequences in a condition known as hereditary fructose intolerance (HFI). In human beings, aldolase B is encoded via the ALDOD gene positioned on DNA 9. Defects in this genetic material have been known as the hereditary fructose intolerance (HFI) cause which may be ameliorated via eliminating fructose from the post-weaning diet, by turns out to be life threatening if nutritional limitations are not adhered to right away.
3. Discuss the specific substrate acted upon by Aldolase B. Fructose-1-phosphate (F1P) is the specific subtrate acted on by Aldolase B. This afterwards is converted into glyceraldehydes and DHAP. Once the translation is over the product may go into the glycolysis cycle to form energy or be converted into ATP and utilized by the body.
4. Explain the role of Aldolase B in the breakdown of fructose. Aldolase B is in charge for the next step in the fructose metabolism, which breaks down the molecule fructose-1-phosphate (F1P) into dihydroxyacetone and glyceraldehyde phosphate. To a smaller degree, aldolase B is also involved in simple sugar glucose breakdown.
Case 2
1. Cori Cycle Occurring in a Single Cell. Mitochondria are organelles found in a cytoplasm cell. In addition, mitochondria are the site of energy discharged in the (Adenosine Triphosphate) ATP form. The Cori cycle is the procedure which bonds the glucose breakdown in muscle cells to the creation of glucose in the liver. Muscle cells change glucose to lactate making 2 ATP, which is drained by muscle tightening. The lactate is emitted into the bloodstream and moved to the liver whereby it is changed to glucose in the procedure of gluconeogenesis. Gluconeogenesis is an energy intensive procedure entailing the 6 ATP consumption. The liver changes lactate formed in the anaerobic reaction into glucose, which afterward returns to muscle cells for translation into lactate. If the core cycle interconversions were to occur in a single cell it would form a "fruitless cycle" with glucose being resinthesized and consumed at the expense of GTP and (Adenosine Triphosphate) ATP Hydrolysis. Because the cycle causes ATP loss, the cell would of course loose energy.
3. A stage in the Citric Acid where a Hypothetical Defect of an Enzyme Occurs Hindering an Increase in ATP Production. Oxidative Phosphorylation, the conversion of ADP into ATP, is the stage at which Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) is produced. This builds up as a by-product, damaging mitochondrial membranes, a condition called oxidative stress. This alters the optimal pH levels for the ATP Synthase functioning. Oxidative phosphorylation is a metabolic path that utilizes energy discharged by the nutrients oxidation to generate adenosine triphosphate. Even though different forms of life in the world make use of a range of dissimilar nutrients, nearly every aerobic organism carry out oxidative phosphorylation to make Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP), the molecule that supplies energy for metabolism. This path is most likely to be so pervasive since it is a highly efficient means of discharging energy, matched up to alternative fermentation procedures for example anaerobic glycolysis. Each human body cell contains mitochondria apart from for red blood cells. The energy is basically made by the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) conversion to adenosine triphosphate (ADP). In a chemical reactions reverse chain, ATP may be made from AMP or from ADP, which is adenosine with one attached phosphate molecule. The adenosine triphosphate is originally derived from either fatty acids or carbohydrate. Glycolysis is the mitochondria’s metabolic pathway that converts glycogen/glucose into hydrogen and pyruvate. The Krebs cycle transformations rate determines how much adenosine triphosphate is eventually generated. The Krebs cycle engrosses thiamine, riboflavin, magnesium and malate which have insinuations for mitochondrial disorders treatment. ADP is changed into ATP. Reactive oxygen genus builds up as a byproduct and these harm mitochondrial membranes, cellular DNA, cellular RNA, proteins created by the cell, as well as cellular membranes. Reactive Oxygen Species may cause cell apoptosis (cellular suicide). If there is not enough oxygen, then less adenosine triphosphate is made and lactate builds up as a byproduct.
4. The Role of Coenzyme Q10 in ATP Synthesis. Adenosine Triphosphate
CoQ10 works as a carrier of an electron from enzyme complex I and enzyme complex II to complex III in ATP synthesis. It performs a very important role in this procedure, because no other molecule can do this work. Therefore, CoQ10 works in each body cell to synthesize energy. CoQ10 plays a major role in the ETC; it can assist in improving stamina as well as assuage impaired aerobic reaction connected with fatigue. | https://prime-essay.org/samples/informative/biochemical-deficiencies-essay.html |
Respiration is a process in which organic compounds or reduced inorganics (such as hydrogen or ferrous iron) are oxidized by inorganic electron acceptors for the production of energy. Eukaryotes can only use oxygen as a final electron acceptor, in what is called aerobic respiration. Microorganisms can also use nitrate, sulfate, some metals, and even carbon dioxide, in what is generally called anaerobic respiration. In environmental applications the term anoxic respiration is generally used for nitrate reduction, and anaerobic respiration is limited to the other forms.
Strictly speaking, glycolysis is not a part of respiration, although it is the first step leading to respiration for glucose. Nevertheless, when discussing respiration, many scientists and engineers are referring to the overall conversion of glucose or other carbohydrates to carbon dioxide and water:
Respiration occurs in two phases. The first is the Krebs cycle [also called the citric acid cycle or tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle]. The Krebs cycle completes the job of oxidizing the carbon that originated with glucose, forming CO2 and ATP. However, much of the energy is left in the reducing power of NADH2 or FADH2. These are converted to ATP in the second phase, called the electron transport system or cytochrome system. The cytochrome system is also responsible for reducing oxygen to water, the other product of the overall reaction for the oxidation of glucose. Both the Krebs cycle and the cyto-chrome system are cyclic because intermediates involved in each reaction are regenerated by other reactions.
Both of these process are mediated by enzymes bound to membranes and require the presence of the membranes in order to function. In eukaryotes this occurs within the mitochondria. Pyruvate must diffuse into the mitochondria to enter the process. Prokaryotes do not have internal membrane structures. Their respiratory enzymes are bound to their cell membrane. The discussion here focuses on eukaryotes, but the process is similar in pro-karyotes. Mitochondria consist of an inner and an outer membrane, forming an inner and an outer compartment. The inner membrane is folded extensively (Figure 5.6). The Krebs cycle occurs within the inner compartment. The cytochrome system is integral to the inner membrane and involves reactants in both compartments.
Glycolysis forms two three-carbon pyruvate molecules for each glucose. When oxygen or another suitable electron acceptor is available, the pyruvate enters into respiration instead of fermentation. Respiration begins when the pyruvate diffuses into the inner compartment of the mitochondria. There, each pyruvate becomes covalently bonded through a sulfhydryl bond with a coenzyme, called coenzyme A CoA, which itself is a derivative of
ADP. The process is an oxidation and requires an NAD. It results in a compound called acetyl-CoA:
Was this article helpful? | https://www.ecologycenter.us/wastewater-treatment-2/respiration.html |
Cellular Respiration How do living things release energy??? Quick Review Most energy used thru conversion of ATP molecules into ADP molecules Thus cells.
Correlation between a campfire and Cellular RespirationAnalyzing a campfire can clarify your understanding of cellular respiration. A campfire breaks chemical bonds in wood, releasing stored energy as light and heatCellular respiration breaks chemical bonds in glucose, releasing stored energy and transferring some to 38 ATP; some energy is lost as heat.
What is the process of glycolysis????
GlycolysisProcess takes place in the cytosol of the cytoplasm outside of mitochondria; coverts glucose with the help of 2 ATP molecules and eventually releases 4 ATP molecules; for a net gain of 2 ATP molecules.
The Krebs Cycle 1. 2nd stage of cellular respiration 2. Named after Hans Krebs, British biochemist in 1937 3. Here pyruvic acid is broken down into carbon dioxide in a series of energy-extracting reactions 4. Citric acid is the 1st compound formed in this series of reactions, so Krebs is sometimes called the Citric or Citric Acid Cycle.
These 38 ATP molecules represent 38% of the total energy of glucose, remaining 62% is released as heat, thus your body feels warmer after vigorous exercise and does not freeze in winter.
Anaerobic and aerobic respiration share the glycolysis pathway. If oxygen is absent, fermentation may take place, producing lactic acid or ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide. Products of fermentation still contain chemical energy, and are used widely to make foods and fuels.
Lesson Summary In the two to three billion years since photosynthesis added oxygen to earths atmosphere, life has become mostly aerobic. Some organisms and types of cells retain the older, anaerobic pathways for making ATP;these pathways comprise anaerobic respiration or fermentation.Muscle cells can continue to produce ATP when O2 runs low using lactic acid fermentation, but muscle fatigue and pain may result.Both alcoholic and lactic acid fermentation pathways change pyruvate in order to continue producing ATP by glycolysis.Aerobic respiration is far more energy-efficient than anaerobic respiration. Aerobic processes produce up to 38 ATP per glucose. Anaerobic processes yield only 2 ATP per glucose.
What organelle is pictured on the right??? Mitochondrion*How many pathways follow glycolysis in presence of oxygen?????? TWO*These happen in the presence of WHAT????? OXYGEN!!!!!!!
*Click to show definition of cytosol and cytoplasm for note sheetsTop right corner mitochondriaHave them answer question in their packet about what else is produced?**Byabillion years agoExplain oxygen catastropheno photsynthetic organisms at the timeAccording to the endosymbiotic theory, engulfing of some of these aerobic bacteria led to eukaryotic cells with mitochondria, and multicellularity followed. After that, living things could use oxygen to break down glucose and make ATP. Today we live in an atmosphere which is 21% oxygen and most organisms make ATP with oxygen. They follow glycolysis with the Krebs cycle and electron transport chain to make more ATP than by glycolysis alone. Cellular respiration that proceeds in the presence of oxygen is called aerobic respiration.
*The amount of energy produced by aerobic respiration may explain why aerobic organisms came to dominate life on Earth. It may also explain how organisms were able to become multicellular and increase in size. | https://docslide.net/documents/cellular-respiration-how-do-living-things-release-energy-quick-review.html |
What is the goal of cellular respirtaion?
to take glucose and turn it into ATP
Where does cellular respiration take place?
in the mitochondria
Cellular respiration and _________ are dependent on each other.
photosynthesis
What are the two kinds of cellular respiration?
aerobic and anaerobic
What are the four steps in aerobic respiration?
1. Glycolysis
2. Transition Step
3. Krebs Cycle (citric acid)
4.Electron Transport Chain
Where does glycolysis take place?
in the cytoplasm
what does "lysis" mean?
to spilt or cut
In glycolysis, glucose is spilt into two _____.
PGAL
What do the NAD's do during glycolysis?
they are the hydrogen taxies that start stripping the H from glucose
What are the final products of glycolysis?
net gain of 2 ATP and 2 pyruvic acid
No ___ is used during glycolysis.
O
2
In the transition step ____ is required but not used.
O
2
Why is O
2
required in the transition step?
without it pyruvic acid won't go though the mitochondrail membrane
In the transition step pyruvic acid is broken down into what? What is the carbon make-up? What is given off?
acetic acid
C-C+C
CO
2
What is the final product of the transition step?
acetyl-CoA
What isn't formed in the transition step?
ATP, but you are gearing up for a big pay off
The Kerb's cycle is similar to the ________.
Calvin Cycle
In the Kreb's Cycle, NAD's come to take away what?
H
In the Kreb's Cycle, what is released?
CO
2
In the Kreb's Cycle, what new H taxi comes into play?
FADs
At the end of the Kreb's Cycle ___ and ___ are gone from the glucose.
C
O
2
Kreb's Cycle takes place where?
in the mitochondria matrix
In the Kreb's Cycle, you have a net gain of ___ ATP.
2
How many turns of the Kreb's Cycle must happen for one unit of glucose?
2
Where does the electron transport chain take place?
the Cristae
A. NAD and FAD dump off of H and e
-
B. O
2
What is the byproduct of the ETC?
H
2
O
The byproduct of Cellular Respiration is used for _________ and visa-versa.
photosnythesis
What is the cristae?
the folded membrane in the mitochondria where the ETC takes place
What are the two steps in anaerobic respiration?
1. glyclyosis
2. fermentation
What are the two types of fermentation? What type of things do they apply to?
lactic acid (human muscle cells and some bacteria) and alcohol (plants, bacteria, and yeast)
What is the only way to get rid of lactic acid?
convert it back to pyruvic acid
Why is alcoholic fermentation important?
baking industry and adult beverage industry
Waste heat from __________ is used for body heat.
cellular respiration
Define: hypo
too little heat
Define: hyper
too mcuh heat
What is another word for warm blooded?
homeothermic
What advantages to bing warm blooded?
you are always at peak operating time
What are disadvantages to being warm blooded?
you need more energy
you are in severe danger if you get out of temperature range
What is another name for being cold blooded?
Ectothermic
What don't cold blooded animals have?
insulation
What are advantages to being cold blooded?
low energy requirment
dormentance
What are disadvantages to being cold blooded? | https://freezingblue.com/flashcards/142261/preview/cell-respiration |
.
Quiz
iOS
Android
More
(ATP)
Adenosine triphosphate:
Adenosine bonded to three phosphate molecules.
ATP creats the energy to fuel the cell's processes
Hydrolyze
Breaking the bond between the second and third phosphate in ATP.
This releases stored energy.
ATP + hydrolyze = ADP and a phosphate.
ADP
Adenosine diphosphate
The end product of energy release from an ATP molecule.
Adenosine bonded to two phosphate molecules.
Electron Carriers
How energy is stored.
Takes and gives up electrons to transport energy.
The most common are:
NAD
+
and
FAD
Reduced
When an electron carrier accepts a pair of electrons.
Ex: NAD
+
+ H
+
==
2e-
== NADH
Oxidized
When an electron carrier gives up electrons.
Glycolysis
The splitting of Glucose
The first step in cellular respiration.
Happens in the cytoplasm.
C
6
H
12
O
6
+ 2 ATP + 2 NAD
+
= 2 pyruvate + 4 ATP + 2 NADH
Pyruvate
Half of glucose.
One of the end-products of glycolysis.
Anaerobic
Without oxygen.
Glycolysi
s is an anaerobic process.
Aerobic
Requiring oxygen.
PDC
, the
Krebs cycle
, and
Electron transfer/oxidative phosphorylation
are aerobic processes.
PDC
Pyruvate dehydrogenase complex.
The second step in cellular respiration.
A group of enzymes.
Designed to remove one carbon atom from pyruvate, to prepare it for the Krebs cycle.
In the matrix of the mitochondria
Pyruvate-------> NADH + Acetyl Co-A + Removed CO
2
Coenzyme A
The enzyme in the PDC which attaches to the remaining two-carbon structure (after one carbon is removed from the pyruvate).
Krebs Cycle
Combines Acetyl CO-A with oxaloacetic acid to form citric acid.
Works by breaking down citric acid one carbon at a time.
In the matrix of the mitochondria.
Acetyl Co-A + oxaloacetic acid = oxaloacetic acid, 3 NADH, 1 FADH, 1 ATP and CO
2.
Citric acid cycle
Synonymous with
Krebs
cycle
.
Called this because citric acid is broken down during the cycle.
Electron transport
Done to return the electron carries (NADH and FADH
2
) to there oxidized state.
The electron carriers pass on there electrons to a chain of carrier molecules and finish at oxygen.
The end product is water.
Inner mitochondrial membrane.
Oxidative phosphorylation
Uses energy from electrons to make ATP.
Inner mitochondrial membrane.
Final Electron acceptor
This refers to oxygen because at the end of electron transport oxygen accepts the electrons to form water.
Inner Mitochondrial Mebrane
Where Electron transport occurs.
The Mitochondria is double-membraned, and during elctron transport the H
+
ions are pumped out to the space in between membranes.
ATP Synthase
The Protein that transports the H
+
ions back into the matrix of the mitochondria.
Inside this protein energy is used to phosphorylate an ADP into an ATP.
Fermentation (having to do with oxygen)
Regenerating electron carriers in the absence of oxygen.
Produces Lactic acid in muscle, and produces Ethanol and CO
2
in yeast.
Author:
Krudge
ID:
134136
Card Set:
Bio Sat2 ch3
Updated:
2012-02-10 00:48:11
Tags:
Bio Sat2 Chapter
Folders:
Description:
Cellular Respiration
Show Answers: | https://www.freezingblue.com/flashcards/print_preview.cgi?cardsetID=134136 |
Word BankADP, ATP, aerobic, alcoholic, anaerobic, carbon dioxide, carbon dioxide, citric acid cycle, cristae, cytoplasm, electron transport chain, fermentation, glucose, glycolysis, glycolysis, krebs cycle, lactic acid, matrix, mitochondria, oxygen, products, pyruvic acid, reactants, synthase, water, water
Use the "Printable HTML" button to get a clean page,
in either HTML or PDF,
that you can use your browser's print button to print.
This page won't have buttons or ads, just your puzzle.
The PDF format allows the web site to know how large a
printer page is, and the fonts are scaled to fill the page.
The PDF takes awhile to generate. Don't panic! | https://www.armoredpenguin.com/crossword/Data/2017.10/0906/09060214.804.html |
Clinton Community College explains that pyruvate is converted into acetyl coenzyme A before entering the citric acid, or Krebs, cycle. A carbon atom is removed from each of the two molecules of pyruvate, yielding acetyl coenzyme A and carbon dioxide. Pyruvate is produced during the first stage of cellular respiration, known as glycolysis. During the process of converting pyruvate to acetyl coenzyme A, six adenosine triphosphate molecules are produced.
The citric acid cycle is the second step in cellular respiration for eukaryotic organisms. While glycolysis occurs in the cytoplasm of the cells, the citric acid cycle and the final step in the process, known as the electron transport chain, take place in the mitochondria of the cells. Prokaryotic organisms also engage in the citric acid cycle. However, as explained by About.com, bacteria conduct the citric acid cycle in the cytoplasm of the cells, rather than in mitochondria. Most of the adenosine triphosphate produced via cellular respiration occurs during the portions of the cycle that occur inside the mitochondria.
According to About.com, the citric acid cycle was discovered and described by a British biochemist, Sir Hans Adolf Krebs. The process was named in his honor, shortly after its discovery in 1937. | https://www.reference.com/science/pyruvate-converted-before-entering-citric-acid-cycle-d3e3808ba9e635a6 |
Chapter 9 has covered all about Cellular respiration. This is a set of metabolic reactions and processes that take place in the cells of organisms to convert biochemical energy from nutrients into adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and then release waste products. Take the review questions below to see how much you understood.
Glycolysis
Aerobic respiration
Oxidization
Anaerobic respiration
Ethyl alcohol
Yeast
Phosphates
Glucose
NAD
FAD
ADP
ATP
Ribosome
Cytoplasm
Nucleus
Mitochondria
Photosynthesis
Electron transport
Krebs cycle
Glycolysis
Glycolysis-fermentation-Krebs cycle.
Fermentation-electron transport- glycolysis.
Glycolysis-Kreb cycle- electron transport.
Krebs cycle-glycolysis-electron transport.
Food molecules
ADP
Water
Carbon dioxide
Glycolysis
Electron transport
Krebs cycle
Photosynthesis
The Krebs cycle.
Glycolysis.
Lactic acid fermentation.
The Calvin cycle.
Sunlight
Water
Oxygen
Glycogen
2
1
0
34
30
Oxygen
Water
Glucose
Carbon dioxide
ATP
Citric acid
Pyruvic acid
Lactic acid
Glucose
2
8
38
40
Bacteria
Human muscle cells
Yeast
Plants
Bacteria
Yeast
Plants
Muscle cells
Sour cream
Bread
Wine
Cheese
Lactic acid, carbon dioxide and oxygen
Lactic acid, carbon dioxide and 2 ATP
Alcohol, oxygen and 2 ATP
Lactic acid, carbon dioxide and 38 ATP
6 CO2 + 6 H2O + Energy --> 6 O2 + C6H12O6
6 O2 + C6H12O6 + Sunlight --> 6 CO2 + 6H20
6 O2 + C6H12O6 --> 6 CO2 + 6 H2O + Energy
None of the above
Wait!
Here's an interesting quiz for you. | https://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/story.php?title=mtm3oda2mw55aa |
Adenosine triphosphate. Energy.
Pyruvic Acid
3 carbon sugar produced when glucose is split during glycolysis
Mitochondria
Organelle found in all organisms that is the site of aerobic cellular respiration
ATP synthase
Enzyme that helps make ATP
Krebs Cycle
Second Step in aerobic respiration that takes pyruvic acid from glycolysis to produce carbon dioxide and high energy electrons. Takes place in mitochondria. Net gain of 2 ATP.
Electron Transport Chain
Third step of aerobic respiration that take the high energy electrons from the Krebs cycle to change ADP to ATP. takes place in mitochondria. Net gain of 32-34 ATP
Anaerobic Respiration
Does not use oxygen
Aerobic Respiration
Uses oxygen
Glycolysis
The first step of cellular respiration
Cytoplasm
Place where cells perform glycolosis
Krebs Cycle and Electron Transport Chain
process occurring in the Mitochondria
Steps 2 and 3 of Cellular Respiration. | https://quizlet.com/317107767/cellular-respiration-biology-flash-cards/ |
Chocolate or strawberry? Life or death? We make some choices quickly and automatically, relying on mental shortcuts our brains have developed over the years to guide us in the best course of action. Other decisions are agonizing, and deliberation drags on inefficiently. Some factors that can limit the ability to make good decisions include missing or incomplete information, urgent deadlines, and limited physical or emotional resources. When making a decision, we form opinions and choose actions via mental processes which are influenced by biases, reason, emotions, and memories. The simple act of deciding supports the notion that we have free will. We weigh the benefits and costs of our choice, and then we cope with the consequences. New research has some revealing insights into how to make better choices with less associated risk.
Decision-Making
All About Decision-Making
How to Choose Wisely
How do we choose between two or more options that seem equally appealing on the surface? Decision-making usually involves a mixture of intuition and rational thinking; critical factors including personal biases and blind spots are often unconscious, which makes decision-making hard to fully operationalize, or get a handle on. However, there are steps to ensure that people make consistently excellent choices, including gathering as much information as possible, considering all the possible alternatives, as well as their attendant benefits and costs, and taking the time to sleep on weightier decisions. | https://rsrc2.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/decision-making |
VET and learner choiceResearch 23 Oct 2017 4 minute read
New research explores the drivers influencing VET student behaviour and their impact on choice of provider and course in a competitive training market, as Justin Brown explains.
VET and learner choice
Research undertaken by ACER to explore the policy and operations of Australia’s vocational education and training (VET) system is helping policymakers and education practitioners to better understand how people navigate and make their choice of training course and provider. The findings reveal a complex decision-making process and challenges some key assumptions.
Funded through the National VET Research Program, the research investigated Victorian VET students’ experiences in choosing a vocational training provider and course.
The report, In Their Words: Student choice in training markets – Victorian examples, reports insights into students’ understanding of choice and explores the extent to which the consumer model of training introduced in Victoria, aimed at increasing student choice, is changing the dynamics between prospective students and vocational training providers. Victoria was the first state to initiate reforms in the sector through the Victorian Training Guarantee.
Findings
Despite it being a centrepiece of recent training reforms across Australia, the research has found that ‘choice’ of training course and provider can be extremely limited for many prospective students due to their location and access to comparable information on what is available at a local level.
The research also found that decision-making process for VET students can be influenced by a range of factors beyond the control of the individual student including cost and the availability of local offerings
According to the In Their Words report, an array of factors influence students’ training choices in their local environment. These include:
- location, in terms of the number and composition of RTOs within ‘travelable’ distance
- job prospects, in terms of the opportunities available in the local area
- affordability and return on investment, in terms of costs of study
- affordability and access, in terms of income support, and
- entitlement to government-subsidised training.
It appears rarely to be the case, however, that one or two factors alone influence training decisions and resulting student choices.
Ultimately, many students have limited control over choice, given that influential factors such as location, timetables, course content and fees are ‘fixed’ – often there is no or very limited choice. While trusted sources of advice and information are growing and improving, the primary concerns for prospective students relate to information accessibility and whether the information is straightforward, independent and trusted.
Implications
For policymakers, the findings of the In Their Words report suggest that the concept of student choice in VET is a worthy policy aspiration, although the potential problems associated with the concept have not been adequately defined. The choices available to students are not unlimited, and choice is currently imprecisely measured through the routinely used indicators of numbers of students participating, the reasons (often predefined in surveys) for choosing a provider, and the numbers of RTOs in the system.
With the growing emphasis on training markets in VET policy in Australia, there will likely be increased interest among policymakers, practitioners and researchers in understanding the types of decision-making and choices raised in this research. The challenge, however, remains in addressing the limitations of transferring and applying economic models and rational choice theory to an ‘experience good’ offered through an eligibility-based entitlement to government funding.
From the student perspective, there is a clear need for the system to communicate information that is accessible, independent and trusted, relevant and customised to prospective students. There is also a pressing need to ensure that this information is made relevant through segmentation of student types, while also recognising that many segments are not well equipped to navigate the complexity of the VET system and, ultimately, may have limited control over the training choices available in their local environment.
Read the full report:
Download In Their Words: Student choice in training markets – Victorian examples by Dr Justin Brown. | https://www.acer.org/in/discover/article/vet-and-learner-choice |
Among many critical factors influencing the aging process, our genetic heritage is a major one. Obviously, genetics escape our control, yet twins with an identical genetic imprint can age differently, pointing to the presence of other factors, namely lifestyle related.
Some are the conditions in which we live such as climate over which we have no control either. But other factors have to do with how we choose to live our lives. At the same time, many of these choices are still not within the realm of our decision-making so long as we have not become aware of their effects, positive or negative.
The physical effects of aging may accelerate as a result of:
- where you live (dry or humid, hot or cold, temperate or extreme climates)
- your socioeconomic conditions (depening on the time and resources you have to take care of yourself)
- your relationships (family and friends)
- your psychological frame of mind (tendency to worry, embrace fear and anger, or to laugh and be merry)
- your diet
- your exercise routine
- your socializing habits
- various personal disciplines you might or might not have, including how you handle stress (at work and in your private life) your spiritual life.
Some factors have little to do with the amount of free time or disposable income you have.
- Do you drive when you could walk instead?
- Do you take the escalator rather than the stairs?
- Do you take every opportunity you have to stretch, exercise, and breathe deeply?
- Do you take a few minutes, even a few seconds, throughout the day to meditate and to manage your negative emotions when they appear?
- Do you find reasons to smile and to laugh?
- Can you stay clear of smoking and alcohol (beyond an occasional beer or glass of wine) and recreational drugs?
Exercise, nutrition and diet (including the choice for energetic foods and phytochemicals in our diet), colon therapy and inner cleansing, and mindfulness practice are all key elements of a lifestyle designed to slow the aging process as much as possible.
In this post, we’ll focus on exercise, so pertinent for this time of year, and we’ll discuss food, inner cleansing and mindfulness practices in soon upcoming posts.
Exercise does not need to be strenuous, but we do need two types of exercises: stretching and cardiovascular. Exercising in general, and stretching in particular, sponsors the movement of vital energy throughout the body, accelerating the flow of blood that brings necessary nutrients to all cells. It also stimulates the process of elimination of waste within cells and tissues.
It is good to remember that we generate more internal energy as we exercise, but depending on the type of exercise, we might also expend a large amount of energy, leaving us depleted at the end of our session. The goal is to build up energy while expending as little of it as possible. In that respect, low impact and moderately intensive cardiovascular exercises are superior forms of wellness enhancement.
Mindful exercising connects intention to action. It is important because energy follows our intention, therefore we can redirect it. Yoga, qi gong, and tai chi are known for their focus on the coordination of movement and breath with intention and awareness. There are many other activities that can be performed with conscious focus, from golf to simply walking upstairs.
All this is contrary to the frequent practice of mechanically performing exercises while listening to music or watching television in an attempt to distract the mind from repetitive and boring movements.
Conscious breathing should also be considered part of our exercise regimen. For most people, twenty to thirty minutes of accelerated breathing three times a week is quite sufficient. Experts point to the need of breathing from the abdomen and not simply from the top of the lungs. This action helps the movement of the diaphragm, the largest muscle in the body that acts as a major pump for the movement of lymph and of water throughout the body.
Source:
The book by PHYTO5 President Jon Canas that evokes a greater awareness of the possibilities for achieving enhanced beauty and vitality when working with vital energy. | https://www.phyto5.us/blog-1/tag/Genetics |
|One of the fundamental concepts of systems engineering is that in any systems design process there are always three systems to be considered. The first is the obvious system that systems engineers call the system of interest. This is the system under design or transformation – the subject of the design effort. The second system – called the context system – is the environment in which the system of interest will operate. It is sometimes forgotten and the price for such an omission is paid in the form of unintended consequences growing out of the interaction of the system design with the unexplored context system.|
It is, however, the third system which is the most often forgotten. That is the system through which the design process is carried out. Very often this system arises organically without much thought or intentionality as to its structure. It typically evolves from the business as usual flow of experience. A major component of this system is the decision-making process by which design choices are made. The significance of this decision-making process to leaders is that decisions skills are critical to effective design process leadership.
Leaders need to begin by recognizing that design team members bring their own processes to the decision table. Not all of these are visible. We all use heuristics and rules of thumb that save us from laboriously plowing the same ground, decision after decision. These heuristics and rules of thumb are not inherently bad and can actually serve good purposes by integrating experience and skills into the decision process. However, they do present some risk insofar as they operate below the surface in ways that are not visible to the group. They may also generate even larger risks by operating in ways that are not visible to the individual who is using them.
Much the same may be said of a group of decision pathways known as cognitive biases. These include such propensities as a confirmation bias, which can cause us to collect evidence that confirms our existing hypothesis while ignoring evidence that contradicts it. As with the thinking shortcuts discussed above, the greatest danger from these biases comes from their operation “in the background” beneath the awareness of the decision maker. They can shape our hypotheses and arguments without our knowledge.
Much of our thought about decision making presumes that we are totally rational in our approach. But this is not so. A good deal of research shows us that we are guided by more than the surfaced rational decision processes. Our neurophysiology can integrate our experience and natural tendencies in ways that add to and subtract from our process of evaluating our decisions – often without our knowledge. Awareness of the possibilities and actual presence of these decision shortcuts and cognitive biases is an important tool for any leader.
The leader needs to consider these factors in constructing an intentional decision process which promotes good communication and enhances the quality of the information available about the decisions to be made. Such a process should surface and examine all underlying processes and assumptions. Once constructed this decision process becomes an integral part of the design system. A good thorough job in constructing this system contributes immeasurably to a high quality design solution.
In the wake of the 1961 Bay of Pigs debacle, President Kennedy sought the advice of his predecessor, Dwight D Eisenhower. Eisenhower’s main line of inquiry was into the nature of the decision process which led to the Bay of Pigs decisions. Eisenhower knew from experience that a high quality decision-making process was critical to high-quality decisions. He knew that the failures around the unsuccessful invasion of Cuba likely stemmed from a flawed decision process. His advice to President Kennedy focused on improving that process. President Eisenhower’s approach to his role in advising his successor provides an example of the importance of the intentionality with which we should approach our decision-making processes. High quality decisions and design choices rest on a well-thought out decision process. | http://community.vitechcorp.com/systems-engineering-leadership-decision-making-part-1/ |
What influences our decisions about money: Part 1
Understanding the psychology of financial behavior can improve our overall financial health.
Behavioral Economics and the related area of study Behavioral Finances looks at the social, cognitive and emotional factors in decision-making. Basically, it is about trying to better understand why people make certain choices and in turn what can be done to improve those choices. Very often, people make choices which are based on familiarity or simply seem comfortable. The factors influencing our decisions are often more complicated and do not make a lot of sense from a rational perspective. So the more a consumer understands the basis of their financial decision-making, the more they can adjust their lifestyle choices toward a more healthy financial future.
Behavioral Economics teaches that the context, along with financial management knowledge and skills, have to be considered together. Financial Context is the mesh of actual circumstances and the way we think about and understand these circumstances. There is the fact of the matter and there is the manner of how we think about it, which is what Behavioral Economics addresses. Generally, this field of study creates behavioral models integrating psychological, classical and neo-classical economic theory to predict social purchasing models and marketing strategies. On a personal level, we want to be self-aware and understand that our financial behavior should express our best interest. This means that it takes more than having the skills to add and subtract or use a spread sheet to create and utilize a realistic household budget. How a person defines themselves, what process they use to make choices and if they can delay gratification are a few factors that influence a person’s relationship with money.
It is quite common that decisions regarding money are in fact irrational. For example a person may gamble on the lottery ticket, or spend less responsibly while on vacation than they would at home. Studies show that people often settle for less return instead of delaying gratification for a higher yield in the future. People continually promise themselves and others that they will start saving tomorrow, but then do nothing to alter their behavior. It’s important to understand that this pattern of irrational decision making is not limited to certain communities or income levels. It challenges all of us.
There are solutions to these behavioral conundrums. In the next two articles published on the Michigan State University Extension webiste, the key behavioral economic findings will be examined and options for addressing the challenges will be presented. | https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/what_influences_our_decisions_about_money_part_1 |
What Affects Your Decision-Making?
By Ken Wylie
Over the last ten years there have been fantastic advances in the field of avalanche safety through research and technical development. Additions made to snow stability evaluations, terrain assessment tools and avalanche response technologies deepen our awareness of the snowpack, our decision-making skills and our response times. Yet when I look at these intense efforts, it frustrates me that people are still dying out there each winter. Even some of the best: Robson Gmoser. How do we make ourselves safer?
Ian McCammon’s work with heuristic traps is helpful. He discusses how decision-making shortcuts work against us, like familiarity. As if a past experience will predict a future one. Or by seeking acceptance from others socially, yet not sharing what we know to be true for ourselves. Great steps toward the notion that our decisions are often flawed, but I propose that we go deeper and come to better know our situation inside.
Casting light on our character flaws frightens most human beings. In our industry, my observation is that we try to replace looking at ourselves with technical solutions. If Icarus (from Greek mythology) was plummeting to the sea, (and he was an avalanche professional), he’d say: “Daedalus should have used epoxy to glue the feathers to these wings instead of wax.” When really the lesson was about hubris. When tragedy strikes, we often point to and wonder about technically obvious factors that were ignored, and we ask: Why?
In Transforming Your Dragons, Dr. Jose Stevens lays out seven archetypes that can afflict humans. His work is a powerful tool for putting language to our internal situational awareness in a way that we can easily identify in our decision-making, if not fully admit to recognizing in ourselves.
- Arrogance
- Self-Deprecation
- Impatience
- Martyrdom
- Greed
- Self-Destruction
- Stubbornness
According to Stevens, each of us is particularly plagued by one of these seven dragons and they surface, or gain control, in the presence of fear. However, it is also important to keep all of them in our awareness in the decision-making process. Let’s take a closer look at each one of these and see how they can play out in the backcountry skiing paradigm.
Arrogance
There is a big difference between confidence and arrogance. A confident winter backcountry guide or enthusiast also listens to input. There is a willingness on the part of the confident individual to welcome new information from anyone in the group. Conversely, a person with the arrogance dragon will say, “I am/know the best,” and believe it. This individual is incapable of receiving input from others. The root of this behavior is insecurity. Arrogance in avalanche terrain can and does lead to information gaps. Individuals have blind spots, a limited perspective grounded in biases and perceptions. If we invite others into the decision-making process, the scope of available information broadens, which can impart the choices we make.
Self-Deprecation
Self-deprecation is a lack of confidence to the point that we forfeit our voice. We may possess the most relevant piece of information, but we are too afraid to share it because we carry no value in our perceptions. If we consider that all parties exposed to the hazard of an avalanche are risking the same thing—their life—then we need to master social courage and speak up.
Impatience
People with the impatience dragon are stricken with the fear that if things are not happening quickly, something bad will happen. However, being in a hurry can lead to a failure to take the required time to do a task safely and efficiently. In the mountains there are many instances when going more slowly can help us maintain a higher level of diligence and therefore safety. Think of crossing an avalanche slope one at a time. It can be uncomfortable to travel slowly if we fear worsening conditions, but only time will tell if the conditions worsen. Rather than rush through a critical piece of terrain, explore other options and terrain choices.
Martyrdom
Martyrs are victims; they feel that they do not have the power of choice. Others make decisions for them and they are oppressed. This differs from self-deprecation in that martyrs have good ideas, but they are not heard or heeded by colleagues or friends. A martyr follows a leader onto a suspect slope, despite knowing the potential consequences of withholding their knowledge and information. We say, “Oh, I don’t think this is okay, but they want to go there, so I guess I’ll go with the flow. I don’t want to make waves.” In this case, the fear is about standing in one’s truth and living it to the full, regardless of social fallout.
Greed
Greed is an easy dragon to understand, especially on a powder day when the sun is shining. The statistical fact that more avalanche tragedies happen on sunny days with new snow underpins the concept of greed. After a long period without any snow it becomes more likely that we may undermine our own ability to make rational decisions, making going for it easier and escalating our tolerance for risk. Our greed dragon also comes into play when we race ahead of other groups in order to get first tracks. Our focus on the race can erode good decision-making.
Self-Destruction
Self-destruction may be fueled by a general propensity for self-hate, depression, or a sense of despair. This does not make for good decisions in avalanche terrain. It brings a devil may care attitude to an activity that requires great care and diligence to preserve the well-being of self and others. This behavior often creates drama and subconsciously encourages poor outcomes. The underlying fear is one of success and the responsibility that it brings.
Ironically, these individuals may have a long list of successes in the mountains, but the intention behind those successes is suspect. Were they reckless and lucky? Stubbornness. When afflicted by the stubbornness dragon, we refuse to cooperate. It may be that we are afraid to be wrong, or we are so fixed on the objective of the day that we can’t shake ourselves from achieving the goal. Single mindedness can be a required strength in hazardous environments, but the game is about seeking the best solution to the challenges we face.
Fear fuels these archetypes. Be it the fear of not being as good as we claim, our own self-efficacy, not enough time, personal responsibility or simply being incorrect, each of these fears is a hazard to the avalanche professional, as it is to human beings traversing through life. I believe I have been gripped by every one of these dragons at one time or another. However, mostly I have tripped on being a victim to others: martyrdom. What I can do to remedy my fear is to be aware of it.
There is a place for fear in the avalanche game. Fear keeps us on our toes and brings focus to hazardous situations. In the case of tragedies, rather than point out what appear as obvious flaws, let’s instead try to understand what lead to the mistake. Let’s identify that process within ourselves. That is the cure for fear of any unknown: facing it with full situational awareness. | https://theavalanchereview.org/decision-making-dragons/ |
were intentional about who they are and how they live?
For years I’ve tried to articulate a desire I have within to inspire women to pursue their lives with a particular philosophy. Words like mindfulness, spirituality, intentionality, purpose, and meaning have floated around in my mind. They’re all related to this approach and help define it, but on their own they don’t seem to fully express it. Recently I’ve come across a phrase that seems to best describe this approach in just a couple words: conscious living.
In simple terms, conscious living is being aware of yourself and how you live your life and using that awareness to make thoughtful decisions. In more complex terms, as I define it, conscious living is a lifestyle that is driven by an intention to navigate your life with a malleable sense of self-awareness that fuels your choices and directly impacts your experience of life and your interactions with the world.
The Importance of Self-Awareness
Self-awareness is at the heart of living a conscious life. When you cultivate the seed of self-awareness and invest in personal growth, you begin to notice and understand the complexity of your being. This includes being aware of your inner thought processes, your social conditioning, your underlying motives, and especially your personal mission, or your dharma.
Your increased awareness then helps you to participate in your life with intention and integrity. You essentially become an empowered character in your own story, pursuing a life’s mission that fills you with purpose and positively impacts the world around you.
Self-awareness empowers people to recognize the central role they play in making choices for themselves, ranging from career choices to thought processes and everything in between. In the long-run, collective self-awareness is what gives birth to a more awakened society.
When we slow down to be intentional about our career, our choices, our beliefs, and how we show up in the world, we naturally find more meaning in our lives, and in the process we contribute to a more mindful society.
The Art of Conscious Living
Live with authenticity.
Self-awareness opens the doors for us to understand who we are and what is truly important to us. We can then use this sense of awareness to live with authenticity by making choices and engaging with the world around us in a way that aligns with what’s true to us. When it comes to the opinions we share, the paths we choose, the relationships we engage in, and more, we’re always presented with the choice to either show up authentically or to turn away from our sincerity.
Living with authenticity is a courageous and vulnerable decision we make moment-by-moment. It opens us up to potential hurt, but if we want to experience a deep sense of fulfillment that comes with living an authentic life, we must risk other people’s opinions and disapproval that inevitably comes when we live from our hearts.
Be an empowered character in your own story.
It can be easy to get caught in the mundane, day-to-day tasks of life and feel that we’re simply a character in a story that we didn’t write. Though it’s true that life brings each of us scenarios and circumstances we don’t have control over, it’s also true that we always have a degree of choice within those circumstances. A sailor doesn’t have control over the wind, but she does have control over her sails. Likewise, we don’t have control over what comes our way but we do have control over how we navigate what does. Hold this truth close and let it empower you.
Before we can live consciously, we have to acknowledge that we have power over our choices and can make decisions that lead to a more meaningful and fulfilling life. The person who lives life with awareness and can truly make a difference in themselves and in those around them.
Stop living your life on autopilot. Many of us are hurried along a particular life course without slowing down to understand the "whys" behind our "whats." We latch on to particular identities, religions, and beliefs without evaluating why.
Go to school, get a job, find a partner, get married, have children, work, then retire. Sound familiar? It’s a path many of us pursue, and it’s not without its logic. For many people, this chronological path works and makes sense. But many others pursue this path in a sort of slumber where they ignore their deeper desires and feel a lack of purpose.
Living on autopilot means pursuing your life without a conscious awareness of what you’re doing and why, and it often happens when we live in the illusion of immortality. Looking death in the eyes is one of the most startling but powerful ways to wake up to your life.
Be intentional about your choices.
We make hundreds of decisions each day, and our lives are paved in large part by these decisions. Some of them are minor and others are more important. What will you eat for lunch? What food will you buy at the grocery store? How will you spend your time after work? Who will you build a relationship with? Where will you live? What career will you pursue?
When we live on autopilot, we make choices without taking the time to understand 1. The motives behind them, 2. The impact they have on our lives, and 3. The impact they have on the world around us. By making intentional choices, we draw awareness to our choices by digging below the surface and asking if what we’re choosing is in alignment with who we want to be and the way we want to show up in the world.
Be aware and intentional about how you spend your time.
This point fits right in with making intentional choices. We each have 24 hours in a day, and though each of our responsibilities and day-to-day tasks vary, we all have choice over how we spend our time outside of other obligations. Conscious living asks that we make choices that foster our connection with the things that are important to us. What do you truly care about? What kind of life do you want to create? How do you want to feel? Do you create time in your life for those things, or do you mindlessly give it over to other people and activities that get in the way of them?
Be aware of what you consume.
This is a big one, and it plays into making intentional choices. We consume a variety of things on any given day: media, food, dialogue, ideas, and more. Every single thing we consume has an impact on us, and overtime these choices typically produce a negative or positive effect on our lives. This is most obvious when it comes to food, but it also applies to a wide range of habits like consuming news or TV entertainment, gossiping, drinking alcohol, and making purchasing decisions.
Consumption doesn’t only impact us personally, it also impacts society at large. Take for example the massive plastic issue we have in the world, or the obvious over-consumption of material goods in the United States. Many of us financially support companies we wouldn’t support ethically or accumulate things without understanding the impact it has on others and the environment.
Conscious consumption means to use that same sense of awareness we talked about earlier and applying it to your purchasing habits so that where you spend your money reflects the values and intentions you hold for your life. In this way, conscious living helps us recognize the unbreakable, reciprocal relationship we share with each other and the environment. Our choices not only impact our personal lives, but also the world around us.
Practice mindfulness. Mindfulness simply means to bring awareness to whatever is happening in the present moment. It’s the practice of developing a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, physical sensations, and the external environment without judgment. A consistent mindfulness practice teaches us to see deeply into things and receive insight into the true nature of those things.
“Everything is related to everything else. Your well-being and the well-being of your family are essential elements in bringing about the well-being of your business or of any organization where you work. Finding ways to protect yourself and promote your own well-being is the most basic investment you can make. This will have an impact on your family and work environment, but first of all it will result in an improvement in the quality of your own life. – Thich Nhat Hanh, The Art of Power
Cultivate meaningful relationships.
Rising Woman defines conscious relationships as “a way of being–a commitment to understanding ourselves, our minds, our shadows, our thoughts, and our patterns” and then building relationships with others from that place of self-awareness.
Whether it be in familial, romantic, or friendly relationships, many of the challenges that people face arise from the inner worlds of both people. Meaningful relationships aren’t the result of not having challenges, in fact conflict is an important ingredient for relationship growth. Rather, meaning arises in our relationships when we show up with a desire to truly know ourselves first, and then when we use that awareness to build a healthy and supportive bond with another person. As I mentioned earlier, self-awareness is imperative to living a conscious life.
We can also cultivate meaningful relationships and practice conscious living by making intentional choices about who we spend time with and how we show up in our relationships. Are you half-present with the ones you love? Do you truly see who the other person is and connect with that part of them? Is your life filled with relationships with people who don’t know who you truly are and wouldn’t actually show up for you if you needed it? These are a few questions we can ask ourselves to help us experience conscious and meaningful relationships.
Reflect & Ask Important Questions
Living a conscious life comes down to reflecting on your life, asking important questions, bringing a nonjudgmental awareness to the answers, and then actively participating in creating the answers you desire.
Take for example someone who wants to be more mindful about how they spend their time. They first have to inquire how they currently spend their time, and then they have to ask if that’s how they actually want to be spending their time. Let’s say the answer is that they often binge watch Netflix and hit the bars with friends when they’d rather spend time working toward personal goals. In order to move toward conscious living, it’s important that they honestly see the reality of their situation without judgment so they can go on to make conscious choices that align with their intentions.
There are many aspects of living a conscious life, but this is an important one: consistently and honestly reflect on your choices, ask yourself insightful questions, and then use that insight to make empowered and intentional choices to create a fulfilling life for yourself.
Cultivate Spirituality
Conscious living incorporates a degree of spirituality. Spirituality draws our awareness toward the soul and away from the material just as conscious living invites us to connect to something deeper than the surface-level offerings of society. By strengthening our innate connection to the soul, we cultivate a greater sense of self-awareness which then opens the doors to living our lives with intention.
If we couldn’t understand our connection to something greater than ourselves, it wouldn’t necessarily matter whether we lived thoughtfully or not. But by uncovering this truth, we have an inevitable desire to treat our lives as something that truly matters and make choices that support that realization.
Spiritual practices like yoga, meditation, mindfulness, and more help us to create an internal environment that breeds consciousness and intentionality.
Walking the Conscious Journey
Conscious living invites us to explore the question: What’s below the surface of who we are and how we live our lives? It asks us to acknowledge the significant, finite gift of life and to fully embrace it. Conscious living reminds us to not merely drift through this precious life, but to pursue it with heightened awareness and intentional decisions.
When we choose to shine the light of awareness onto who we are, the choices we make, the impact we have on others, and the life we’re living, we begin to experience life with a sense of purpose. Conscious living makes it possible to live a meaningful life.
The practice of conscious living is a life-long journey. It’s not a result of a single decision, but rather the gradual and continual expansion of life as a result of consistently showing up with presence and choosing over and over again to navigate life with thoughtful awareness.
Look deeply into everything that you do. See its effect on you. Use that insight to make intentional choices that fuel a more enlightened version of yourself. An enlightened you will compel the individuals around you to do the same, and together we will begin to experience the profundity of life and choose to co-create a world of depth and meaning. | https://www.samanthacase.com/post/what-is-conscious-living |
Sources for moral decision-making are multiple and cover a number of theoretical, physical and philosophical fields of investigation. While traditional beliefs often privilege sources of ethical authority as the basis for moral decision-making, authorities such as religion and rationality, other research suggests that biological and psychological factors may also play significant roles.
One of the oldest and most pervasive sources of moral decision-making is religion. Religion not only tends to outline what is right and wrong, but also customarily prescribes behaviors that allow the individual to navigate through tough choices in their daily lives. In other words, it provides codes of conduct from which people can formulate the most basic ethical decisions. Moral philosophy is another source and appeals to human reason and recognition of people's common humanity rather than faith. In both cases however, moral decisions are deduced from broader belief systems which propose answers for most, if not all, situations. Individual societies and cultures also create their own ethical norms, ones which can have a profound impact on people's worldview and choices, with or without religion being the primary motivator.
These sources are not the only ones recognized by scientists however. According to Princeton University, scientists also consider emotions as a possible site of moral decision-making. Some researchers have observed, for example, that moral questions induce "a greater level of activation in emotion-related brain areas." This and related research suggests that moral decision-making may be linked to neuro-scientific causes alongside rational or faith-based contemplative ones. | https://www.reference.com/world-view/influences-moral-decisions-a96fcfbc3cd0ac56 |
When implementing a new initiative to help teachers, what really makes a new technology or resource stick?
Learning Forward’s recent report, Beyond Barriers: Encouraging Teacher Use of Feedback Resources, looks at the value of investing in change management processes to aid in the adoption and use of new tools. We often talk about change management, but how much do we really do?
The report refers to specific change management strategies, including:
- Increasing awareness about available products and services and the potential benefits and rationale for their use;
- Engaging users in decision-making about the products and services;
- Identifying and addressing implementation challenges quickly and effectively; and
- Evaluating the efficiency, effectiveness, and impact of the products and services.
The study suggests that effective change management has a significant effect on the scaling and spread of an innovation.
When managing change, awareness is a crucial first step: What do people actually know? Do they recognize the initiative as a viable approach to solving a problem? Do they even recognize the problem?
Without a solid base of awareness and understanding, getting buy-in and use of a new innovation is unlikely to succeed. Building awareness takes time and dedicated effort, and educators can overestimate the amount of knowledge across systems.
Addressing the following questions along the way will help identify and manage key factors in fostering adoption and use of a new innovation.
- Can we enroll our peers as advocates along the way and allow them to communicate as agents of change?
- Can we enroll both advocates and naysayers in the decision-making process?
- Can we learn why people with negative outlooks on the process are positioned that way?
- Are their positions entrenched and based on reason, or will they become more flexible when they learn more about the initiative?
Once the new initiative is under way, it’s best to be honest about progress and transparent about both the benefits and drawbacks of the new implementation. Some points to consider: What were our goals at the outset? Were we clear about these? What has gone well and what hasn’t? What can we change along the way? Do we have enough information quickly enough to make midcourse corrections? How might we get that?
Two case studies included in the Beyond Barriers paper highlight a slightly different approach to successful change management. There is no one right approach to these challenges, but asking the right questions along the way can help immeasurably with planning.
Learning Forward’s Standards for Professional Learning address change management through the Implementation standard, which stresses the importance of both applying change research and sustaining support if long-term change is the goal.
Several Learning Forward resources address aspects of change management and introducing a new initiative, including these facilitator modules on change management as well as several books that show how addressing change is critical to implementing new initiatives, such as Becoming a Learning System and Becoming a Learning Team.
We invite you to dig into the report and consider how the findings might help you in your context. We are also interested in hearing about your implementation strategies and successes.
This study was supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. | https://learningforward.org/2018/05/24/change-management-is-key-to-successful-implementation/ |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.