The Main Reason for the Increase in the Divorce Rate Is Changes to Divorce Laws

According to the item the proportion of marriages ending in divorce has increased from 27,000 to almost 55,000 between 1961 and 1969. Although the changes in law might have an impact on the divorce rate of couples, I think that other factors are just as important or maybe even more important than changes to the law. The divorce reform act was introduced in 1969 and so couples were able to get a divorce without needing to prove adultery, cruelty or desertion. But to decrease the divorce rates, the government only accepted divorce requests from partners that have been living separate for at least 2 years.This law only increased the divorce rate as the item suggests that from 1969 to 1973 divorce rates doubled again. Another factor that could have an impact on change in divorce years is changes in position of women. From 1959 to 2005 the proportion of working women increased from 45% to 70%. This shows that women are now more independent due to changes in their economic position so it i s correct to say that availability of welfare benefits means women no longer have to be financially supported by their husband.Feminists rightly argue that the more independency of women creates a new source of conflict between couples, leading to more divorces. This argument is logical, because women tend to get divorced because they know that they can earn money and live independently in society. Also, Decline in stigma and changing attitudes could be causing divorce rates to increase. According to Since 1960s stigma has declined and divorce has become more socially accepted. Wilson (1966) argues that this reduction in stigma is a result of secularisation, the decline of religion in modern society. less than half of today's marriages involve religious ceremonies.He also believes that the attitudes towards the effect of divorce on children might have been shifted. In conclusion, although changes in law, decline in stigma and changing attitudes are reasons for the increase in the di vorce rate, I think that the change in position of women has the most impact on the increase of divorce rates because in the last decade women have gained many new rights in terms of the vote, employment and education, and the rise in divorce may reflect this shift in their position within society and make them less willing to accept marriages that do not fulfil their personal needs.

Do Children Learn Better in Boys-Only and Girls-Only Schools? Essay

The City of Tagaytay (Filipino: Lungsod ng Tagaytay) is a third class city in the province of Cavite, Philippines. Only 55 km (34 mi) away from Manila via Aguinaldo Highway, it is one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations. Tagaytay City provides a good view of the Taal Volcano. The city is a popular summer tourist destination because of its cool climate due to its high altitude. Legend has it that the word â€Å"Tagaytay† came from â€Å"TAGA† meaning â€Å"to cut† and â€Å"ITAY† which means â€Å"Father†. A father and son were said to be on a wild boar hunt when the animal they were chasing turned and attacked them. As the boar charged towards the old man, the son cried â€Å"TAGA- ITAY†. The boy’s repeated shouts reverberated in the valleys of the ridge. Heard by the residents, hunters and wood gatherers, the cries became the subject of conversation for several days among the people in the countryside. In time, the place where the shouts came from became known as TAGAYTAY. During the Philippine Revolution of 1896, the ridges and forests of Tagaytay became the sanctuary for revolutionaries including of those from nearby provinces. The passage to and from towns via Tagaytay added the word â€Å"Mananagaytay† to the native’s vocabulary. It means â€Å"to traverse ridges†. At the outbreak of the Second World War, the 11th Airborne Division of Lieutenant General William Krueger’s 8th Army airdropped military supplies and personnel on the Tagaytay Ridge prior to the Liberation of Manila from the Japanese. A marker was installed in 1951 at the junction of the Manila-Canlubang-Nasugbu roads by the city officials in coordination with the Philippine Historical Institute. Tagaytay became a chartered City on June 21, 1938 when President Manuel L. Quezon signed Commonwealth Act No. 338, a bill authored by Representative Justiniano S. Montano of Cavite. The City of Tagaytay is geographically located at the Southeastern part and highest point of Cavite at 120 º56’ latitude and 14 º16’ longitude. It overlooks Manila Bay on the North, Taal Volcano and Taal Lake on the South and Laguna de Bay on the East. The total land area of the city is 6,500 hectares (65 square kilometers. Tagaytay City is composed of 34 barangays, 10 of which are urban and the rest are rural. Vision ————————————————- We envision the City of Tagaytay to be a Resort, Retirement Haven and Character City with a government geared towards excellence and supported by disciplined, honest, God-centered, healthy and united community ————————————————- Mission We shall expand and improve our infrastructure thereby securing a dynamic, safe, peaceful and healthy environment conducive for retirement, learning, sports and religious tourism. We shall strive for service excellence through continuous learning on service improvement with emphasis on positive character qualities to serve our people better and leave a legacy that our family and community will be proud of. We shall encourage the participation of our stakeholders in crafting and implementing plans, programs and activities to better address the needs or our people. We shall be dedicated to the prevention and further enrichment of our environment. We shall strive for excellence in all that we do, driven strenght and good character and seek to be competitive with the best in the world. Core Values

Translation review 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Translation review 2 - Essay Example nsists that this event can serve as one of the best opportunities for the promotion of linguists and cross cultural studies and the linguist experts can play an effective role in the entire scenario. The article tells that spectators from all over the world are expected at London during the grand event of Olympic and Paralympics Games in 2012. The gathering of people belonging from over 220 countries would be an excellent example of cultural diversity because the capital city of UK will act as a global city by welcoming people from different languages and cultures. The event will show the rich capacity of the city to absorb different type of cultures and languages. The management of the games has also constituted a delegation of 30 people who speak 28 languages and act as a connecting thread for the people belonging to different cultures and groups. The event will efficiently work for the promotion of the linguistics and cultures and the linguists will also find excellent opportunities during these sports events. The author points out in the article that international sports events always serve as opportunities for the promotion of linguistics and cultures and the linguists have great scope of working during such events. For example, during the sports events of Barcelona Games, Seoul Games, Atlanta Games and Sydney Games, the management hired the services of linguist professionals to perform different linguist services and like these events, the Olympics and Paralympics 2012 also offer different opportunities for the linguist experts. The importance of these events from the linguists and cultural point of view has been widely recognized. These events are viewed as excellent opportunity as well as great challenge for the linguists experts and different professional linguists associations like the Association of Translation Companies (ATC), Chartered Institute of Linguists (IOL), Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI) and International Association of

Distinguish between business risk and financial risk Essay

Distinguish between business risk and financial risk - Essay Example Systematic risk refers to the risk posed by the conditions of the environment, i.e. the possibility that the economy within which a business operates will experience a downturn; while unsystematic risk refers to the possibility that the specific sector of the economy in which a business operates will fail. In order to protect against unsystematic risks, businesses try operating is a variety of sectors so that losses from one business can be offset by the profits from another. Since systematic risk pertains to the economy of a country, there is little that businesses can do to prevent against the dangers of this kind of risk. Several internal and external factors cause business risk. Internal business risk factors can be corrected by the business, however the external factors are beyond the organization’s control. Internal factors broadly include operating costs, business structure and business efficiency. In order to reduce operating costs, businesses should look toward cost cutting measures or to increasing revenues such that costs are covered. Similarly, business structure and management policies should be tailored such that they enhance efficiency. The external factors that cause business risk include the change in demand for the product, unpredicted changes in the state of economies worldwide etc. Another category of risk posed to a business is financial risk. Financial risk pertains to the financing structure of a business. It can pertain to risks associated with shares (in case of a public limited company) or with the debt structure of the business and occurs when a business fails to pay its creditors. This risk is business specific, since each business has its own financing structure and how it manages the structure depends on the business’s policies and strategies. Financial risks are of several types; market risk (risks associated with shares in the stock market),

No Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

No - Essay Example sis shall in addition provide a discussion on the suggestions of what are to be done in order to improve the profit performance of the industry in the future. The following analyses are the probable reasons for the reduction of the industry’s profit according to the London’s time and tide (2011) newspaper explanation. According to the Excellence Clothing Company journal of 2014, there is a general decrease in base of revenue for the company. The revenue of the industry declined from  £255063 to  £215623 from the years 2013 to 2014. Since profit is a direct related function of revenue, that is profit = revenue – cost (cost of sales). Such a reduction in revenue consequently leads to loss realization or profit decline. There can be quite a number of factors that may lead to such a reduction in revenues. The policies of London have been proved to be ignorant on the clothing industries. The policies have not allowed for any incentive offer to be given to the industry. There are also varieties of stringent restrictive actions imposed by the London policies that have subjected the industry to many operation ceilings (Clutterbuck, & Crainer, 2012). This means that the company cannot operate beyond a certain set level of production even if it has the capacity of doing so. Most of the policies especially those by the London government have imposed huge amount of taxation on the industry in the year 2014. The industry is being taxed hugely in cases where the clothing raw materials to be used are imported. The custom duty to be paid in such cases of raw materials importation have been cutting deep in to the amount of cost expenses that are to be paid by the industry. The company is as well expected to be paying excise duties monthly and submitting their returns for excise duty charges. The above mentioned costs of taxation are of a negative impact to the industries revenues. Since such costs have to be paid by the industry through making withdrawals and deductions

Christopher Columbuss View of the Americas Native Indigenous People Research Paper

Christopher Columbuss View of the Americas Native Indigenous People - Research Paper Example This was attributed greatly by the different personalities of the two colonialists. Notably is that Bartholomew De Las Casas was a priest, writer, a Dominican friar and an advocate for humane treatment and fair relation for the indigenous people of the Americas. On the other hand, Christopher Columbus was the early colonialist and explorer whose aim was to gain power and control over indigenous America at whatever means. In order to get a conceptual view and understanding of the two perspectives, it is worth to analyze critically each of the sides in regard to the newly discovered colonies and its indigenous native people who are the inhabitants. Christopher Columbus's Perspective Christopher Columbus’s perspective view of America's native indigenous people is evident in the contents of the letter he wrote to his majesty’s in Spain. In his letter regarded to a letter on the first voyage Columbus gives a vivid and conceptual description on his adventure and encounters wi th the native indigenous people in his exploration trip in America. Columbus describes the indigenous American natives not really as a detached observer but as an entrepreneur whose main aim is to exploit, the economic opportunities in the region (Jane ). His expedition can be perceived as for an economic expedition and commercially driven. Having critically analyzed the islands man and the extensive indigenous people he interacted with, Columbus portrayed the regions and the people to be suitable for future colonization (Jane). Columbus lays great emphasis and focuses on the Spaniard's interaction with the native indigenous Americas people. He describes the local natives giving an account of their lifestyles and the societal customs in detail. Notably is that the people both men and women go naked only covering some specific parts, also he describes them as very generous and welcoming without any creed.

Research Method in Social Science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Research Method in Social Science - Essay Example It is infact a habit of questioning what you do, and a systematic examination of the observed information to find answers, with a view to instituting appropriate changes for a more effective professional service. One's philosophical orientation might stem from one of the several paradigms and approaches in research - positivist, interpretive, phenomenolist, action or participatory, feminist, qualitative or quantitative. The concept of 'validity' can be applied to any aspect of the research process. It ensures that in a research study correct procedures have been applied to find answers to a question. 'Reliability' refers to the quality of a measurement procedure that provides repeatability and accuracy. 'Unbiased and objective' means that every step has been taken without introducing vested self-interest. Adherences to these three criteria enable the process to be called 'research'. However, the degree to which these criteria are expected to be fulfilled varies from discipline to discipline and so the meaning of 'research' differs from one academic discipline to another. For example, the expectations of the research process are markedly different between the physical and social sciences. In the physical sciences, a research endeavour is expected to be strictly controlled at each step, whereas in social sciences rigid control cannot be enforced and sometimes is not even demanded. There are two main para... However, there is distinction between qualitative data on the one hand and qualitative research on the other as the first is confined to the measurement of variables and the second to a use of methodology. Qualitative Vs Quantitative Research The term quality comes from the Latin word qualitas which means "of what kind'. There is an element of evaluation and judgement and taste connected to the term quality. Quantity is a different matter. The term quantity comes from the Latin word quantitas meaning "how great" or, for our purposes, "how much" or "how many". In the context of social science, quantitative researchers are sometimes accused of being too narrow, basing their research on what they count, measure and observe, and neglecting other matters. Qualitative researchers, however, are accused of "reading into" texts that are not there or of having opinions or making interpretations that seem odd or excessive. Therefore none of the modes of research are exclusively complete in themselves. A combination of the two approaches is a better way of solving a social science research problem. Qualitative and quantitative research methodologies differ in the philosophy that underpins their mode of inquiry as well as, to some extent, in methods, models and procedures used. Though the research process is broadly the same in both, qualitative and quantitative research are differentiated in terms of methods of data collection, the procedures adopted for data processing and analysis, and the style of communication of the findings. Qualitative and quantitative research can be compared on the basis of certain parameters. Let us delve into the parameters one by one. 1. Underpinning philosophy The underlying philosophy of the quantitative approach is

Paris Garbage Transport via Inland Waterways Essay

Paris Garbage Transport via Inland Waterways - Essay Example Selection of an environmental friendly method for waste transportation becomes necessary for such a situation. For better understanding of the whole process of garbage transport through inland waterways, we can select the port of Lille in France. All the collected waste are not transported, instead a part is processed where it has been created especially for agriculture, mining and construction. Household wastes are put into 20 open top containers having capacity of 10 tons per container in the Collection Centre of Sequedin. The containers are transported from Sequedin to the 3km distant Port of Lille by truck. With the Ampiroll system containers are released on the terminal by the truck itself. Containers are loaded into the barge by the scaffold crane. The barge navigates to the landfill site of Blaringhem which is at a distance of 63 km. In Blaringhem, containers are unloaded by a super stacker and cleared in the spot. Empty containers are loaded into the barge and the vessel returns in the opposite direction. Since June 1999, estimatedly 76 000 Teu's were transported this way. In 2005, t he 7 314 containers transported this way reduced the quantity of CO produced through the transport by half and the quantity of energy consummation by one third. Recycling, reuse and valorizing waste is good for environment. The process of garbage disposal through waterways is more environmental friendly as it needs less land filling, less wasting of money and less consumption of natural resources. Also Inland Ports have the experience of terminals with up to date material and large traffic management.Cities and services in charge of waste have skills for waste collection, waste processing and waste valorization. Inlands Ports can be reliable and competent partners for companies or organizations that are in charge of waste management. Syctom in Paris, a household waste treatment company managing 2.5 milliontons/year of municipal solid waste in the Paris area for the past 10 years has encouraged sustainable transport solutions for the huge waste flows generated by an urban region like Paris. Its contract passed with the paper company UPM Kymmene is a unique and fine example of an innovating solution. Shipping waste consisting of collected old newspapers and magazines for recycling to Grand-Couronne has been in operation since 2005 with an 800 tones motor barge outfitted with an onboard crane. Now UPM Kymmene will send the newly manufactured paper rolls by ship to Paris and will be used to print daily newspapers and magazines. This 1,800 tones vessel takes on board 30'45 ft pallet wide' containers to and from Grand-Couronne and operates twice a week. The operation substitutes 4,200 truck movements and this volume is set to go up. Paris is conducting a pilot study to examine the prospect of transporting recyclable glass using inland waterway transport. Every year, 2,500 truck movements are necessary to transport glass collected from public glass deposit bins to the processing center in Rozet Saint-Albin, in Aisne. A first test using river transport as a substitute was carried out between Gennevilliers and the processing center through the port of Soissons along the Seine and the Oise. Currently Paris transports more than 2.5 million tones of wasteby river, among which are ashes, papers, plastics, and bulk, industrialand building material waste. In February 2005, The Council of

Poverty in modern life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 188

Poverty in modern life - Essay Example There are many reasons for this problem and many solutions. The main cause of this problem is social stratification, where the poor people are condemned to their poverty. The rich continue enriching themselves by using their power and authority while the poor continue being poor. Income inequality caused by social stratification, political issues and poor economic policies lead to increased poverty among the minority members of the society. In addition, this problem happens due to lack of information about microfinance and banking in the society. Information asymmetry leads to inadequate information by the members of the society which could be used to make appropriate financial and economic decisions in order to come out of poverty. Lastly, this issue is caused by governments’ inability to implement public policies effectively. There are three primary solutions to this issue. The first solution is the government should establish effective systems of financial and economic empo werment. A country that has people that are development conscious can least find itself in situations of war and other forms of violence. Therefore, governments should create favorable policies that enhance business growth and peaceful co-existence among all people. In my opinion, economic empowerment is the only way that people can understand ways of identifying and providing solutions to social needs. Secondly, the government should create regulations to control financial markets so that they provide financial services effectively to all members of the society. For instance, the government should direct banks to lower their lending rates to small and medium businesses to allow them to invest and provide financial and economic security to members of the public.  

Bushido the soul of Japan Essay Example for Free

Bushido the soul of Japan Essay The book Bushido the soul of Japan presented the various aspects of the Japanese society when there was the emergence of close interaction between the western and eastern civilizations. In this essay, an attempt is made to discuss the major themes and significance of this book. Analysis Inazo Nitobe, the author of the book, Bushido the soul of Japan, intended to provide information regarding the basis of Japanese doctrines of knighthood to the western scholars. Perhaps his interaction with the western scholars must have inspired him to write a book, which discussed regarding the main features of the Japanese feudal society. This is not a huge book. The book, however, has ambitious motives in the sense that through this small book attempt is made by the author Nitobe to reveal the complete essence of Japanese culture to the western audience. However, it simplifies the basic features of Japanese culture to make it more comprehendible to the western audience. To achieve this objective, several examples are given from the eastern and western literature. Consequently, this book has attracted the attention of several western scholars who wished to learn about the cultural aspects of the Japanese society. This book attempts to explain the basic features of the Japanese culture for the western audience by the use of English language. This book has been translated into different languages such as German, Polish, Marathi, and Chinese. This fact indicates the popularity of this work among both western and eastern readers. In the following pages, we try to give the details regarding the information that we gather from this book. The author obtained the information regarding the martial code from the elders when he was young. During those days, the author avers that there still existed few features of feudalism. The book Bushido argues that among the variety of doctrines of the Japanese culture, the most important are the samurai ways of life. The book deals with an attempt to trace the traditional Japanese martial code, which is not preserved in a written mode; but it spread from one generation to the other through the oral means. This book tries to reveal the past and present status of this martial code, which has been safeguarded by the Japanese martial arts experts for several years. This book is very essential to comprehend the real soul of Japan. The book traces the origin of this martial code to the Buddhist and Confucian thinkers and practitioners of this martial code. The followers of Zen Buddhism and Shintoism who have discussed regarding this code in their writings also developed it. This book comprises different chapters which provide information regarding the principles and the various aspects such as the ethical system, sources of Bushido, justice, courage, benevolence, politeness, truthfulness, honor, duty of loyalty, training of samurai, self control, institutions of suicide and redress, the soul of samurai, influence of bushido, and the future of bushido. (Nitobe, 1908) The Japanese warrior was expected to follow certain ethical principles, which were the part of this martial code. This system has been compared with the western chivalry system. These ethical principles had great impact on the behaviour and activities of the Japanese warrior or Samurai. He possessed both his sword as well as the ethical principles, which can be considered, as his soul. In this respect, we can say that the title of the book is very apt because the book intends to reveal this soul of the Japanese warrior. The Japanese were given information regarding the various moral principles at an early age. One such principle is that they should demonstrate their obedience to the elders. These moral principles were advocated to improve the character of the people, which allowed the people to make distinction between the right and the wrong. Bushido existed during the feudal age in Japan where there existed differences between the elite warrior class and the ordinary people. Bushido provided few guidelines regarding the actions of the individuals and their attitudes towards others in the society. This moral code of Bushido gives great importance to the obligation or the duty of individuals towards other members in the society. Each individual was expected to perform his duties towards elders, superiors, and other members of the society. The young people were given instructions regarding the need to imbibe the spirit of courage and they were informed that the death caused due to courageous and right actions leads to obtaining honour in the society. An important principle of Bushido is that the people were expected to follow the principle of benevolence, which means that they were supposed to help other individuals. In fact, this principle was the basis of the feudal Japanese society. This work gave importance to the quality of politeness and sincerity among individuals. Through these qualities, it is possible to obtain the love and friendship of other individuals. This will lead to harmonious relationship between the various members of the society. Bushido gave extreme importance to honor. It was the duty of every warrior or samurai to protect his honor and reputation. The book criticized the act of lying, which was considered as a sign of weakness. It was not considered as an honorable act. The book also gives information regarding the life and activities of the samurais, who possessed the feudal characteristics. The main aim of the samurais was to serve their masters and to show obedience towards their lord. The training of the samurais consisted of various principles such as wisdom, benevolence, and courage. They were given training in different arts of warfare such as archery, horse riding, wrestling, sword warfare, etc. At very early age, the samurais were subjected to training in fighting. Importance was given to developing their character rather than intelligence. Bushido encouraged the development of the personality of the warriors. They were not supposed exhibit any weaknesses or other emotions which would harm their own character and those of their lord. Hence, the samurais were expected even to commit suicide in order to safeguard their and lord’s honor and reputation. Particularly when a samurai committed errors, they were expected to kill themselves. In fact, the work refers to the ceremonies where there was the suicide of the samurais. This act surprised many western observers. This was one system, which differentiated Bushido code from other martial codes. The Bushido code mentions that the most important companion of the warrior was the sword which can be considered as his soul and he was expected to carry the sword wherever he went as it’s use led to the happiness and misery of the warriors. Ceremonies were performed which gave the right to samurai to possess the sword. The sword was one symbol of samurai, which differentiated him from other individuals in the society. Both rights and duties were performed and enjoyed by the warrior class who lived in the feudal Japanese society. The book also gave specific information regarding the role of women in the feudal society. As the male members in the family sacrificed their lives for their overlords, the female members also sacrificed themselves for the male members like husband and sons. This represented the characteristics of a stereotype feudal society. Duty of loyalty towards the male members was the quality that was expected from the female members of the Japanese family. In the end, the author discussed regarding the relevance of the martial code for the modern Japanese society. The author agrees that the Japanese society has voluntarily accepted the forces of modernization and westernization. Yet, at the same time, one can see that the Japanese believe that Bushido or the martial code is the basic spirit that can be found in their heart. The Japanese in the modern context possessed great passion for this martial code, in the same way, as it was the guiding force during the pre-modern times. Thus, the author argues that Bushido has maintained the basic features of the Japanese culture through this martial code. (1908) Conclusion The book gives information concerning the perception of the author regarding the ethical principles of the martial code called Bushido. This book provided information regarding the features of the feudal society of Japan in the pre-modern times. However, the author suggests that these principles are relevant even in the modern context. The author argued that the Japanese military achievements in the modern period against its enemies like China were due to the martial codes such as Bushido. This meant that there is a need to encourage the modern generation to imbibe the principles, which would lead to the development of their personality and the personality of the Japanese society. Reference Nitobe, Inazo(1908). Bushido the Soul of Japan, 13th edition.

Factors Causing Changes to the Ecosystem | Experiment

Factors Causing Changes to the Ecosystem | Experiment Madison Chapman Purpose/Hypothesis The purpose of this experiment was to better understand how an ecosystem changes over time by simulating the interaction between the aquatic, terrestrial and decaying parts of an ecosystem. Several variables of an aquatic chamber, terrestrial chamber, and decaying chamber were monitored to provide evidence for the changing of the ecosystems. Dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, and turbidity, were some of the things measured and used as evidence to prove that the ecosystem was undergoing change. Obvious aesthetic changes were also noticeable, these were observed and recorded as changes within the environment. Without a complete and complex food chain, and with the small size of the ecosystem, it was not likely that the ecosystem would remain stable for a extended period of time. The lack of a food chain will not allow for larger organisms such as the fish and beetle to remain alive for a long time. The chambers should undergo similar changes that a normal ecosystem would. Methods The setup for the experiment was begun on September 9, 2013. Two liter soda bottles were used as the chambers for each environment type. The bottles were cleaned, cut to appropriate size, and taped together. Openings were cut into both the terrestrial and aquatic environment to allow access for testing. The top chamber was the decomposition environment. Two rotting banana peels, decaying leaves, and†¦ were added to the decomposition column, the top column. Rocks, soil, grass, moss, sticks, three earthworms, and one beetle were inserted into the middle, terrestrial chamber. A long stick was inserted through the decomposition chamber, into the terrestrial chamber to connect the two chambers. The bottom aquatic chamber was filled with local lake water and some aquatic plants. At the beginning of November the dissolved oxygen levels in the water were high and had stabilized, so a fish was added to the chamber. Upon each sampling event several variables were measured in the aquatic a nd terrestrial chambers. In the aquatic chamber turbidity, color, Nitrate, Dissolved Oxygen, alkalinity, pH, and temperature were measured and recorded. In the terrestrial chamber Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium, and pH levels were measured and recorded. Also during each sampling event visual observations were made and recorded for both chambers. The sampling events were biweekly for most of the experiment. Throughout the experiment there were six sampling events; these were on September 9, October 1, October 8, October 22, November 5, and December 3. The experiment lasted a total of 75 days, with the last sampling event on December 3, 2013. Results Table 1 The ecosystem appeared to be stable until around the third sampling event. The ecosystem was growing and stabilizing. In the aquatic chamber dissolved oxygen was slowly increasing as well as alkalinity. In the terrestrial chamber potassium increased from an adequate level to a sufficient one. On October 22 the nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorous levels in the soil declined significantly from the last sampling event. There were also small fluctuations visible in the aquatic variables we tested. The dramatic depletion of almost all variables observed on the November 5th sampling event was foreshadowed by the turning of the water from clear to yellow. This showed the first signs of changes within the environment. On the November 5th sampling event the water in the aquatic chamber was green, the dissolved oxygen and alkalinity levels dropped considerably. Nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorous levels were all depleted in the soil. Figure 1 With the exception of alkalinity most of the aquatic variables that were measured and recorded stay remotely constant. Turbidity did increase steadily toward the end of the experiment and the dissolved oxygen levels decreased. This was shown by the green water color that was observed. Discussion ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS. NUMBER EACH QUESTION. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO RETYPE THE QUESTIONS!! Identify two Food Chains or Food Webs in each of your habitats (chambers). Use arrows to illustrate these food chains and food webs; complete sentences are not required. Use extra paper if needed. Aquatic Chamber Decomposition Chamber (top soil chamber) Terrestrial Chamber Identify and briefly discuss the biogeochemical cycles which are taking place/which are present in your EcoColumns. Do not merely state that â€Å"they are all present†; instead, provide more specific information. water cycle nitrogen cycle carbon cycle phosphorous cycle Is your ecosystem column a closed or open system? or is it something in between a closed or open system? Explain how this (closed, open or other) influences the ecosystem column overall. The ecosystem is closed with the exception of when things were added such as the fish or â€Å"rain water.† There are no outside forces working on the ecosystem, such as wind. What kind of niches are available/present for the various organisms in the column? Be specific, descriptive, and use terminology that is pertinent to the topic. The larger organism could hold the role of predator and prey on the smaller organisms. Most of the smaller organisms and the earthworms held the roles of decomposers. Discuss evidence of ecological succession taking place in your column (or in the column of another lab group if you have not observed any signs of succession in your column). One group whose ecocolumn water turned completely black in the first few weeks of testing experienced succession. Eventually the water cleared and the oxygen levels rose. Discuss the stability and sustainability of the ecosystem columns in the lab, including your own. The ecocolumns appeared to show moderate stability throughout the experiment, however, once in deviations in a variable occurred the ecocolumn seemed to change rapidly. The ecocolumns were sustainable until around two to three weeks before the experiment ended. Discuss three trends or patterns which stand out as you think back on the data which you have been recording for 6 weeks. These trends or patterns should apply to the water quality tests or other observations which you have made over this multi-week time period. Briefly discuss these three trends or patterns, providing possible explanations based on environmental science principles. Fluctuation in dissolved oxygen tend to be a precursor to fluctuation in other things. Water color was a good indicator of dissolved oxygen levels. Turbidity and dissolved oxygen are inversely linked. Explain what eutrophication refers to and how this occurs. Apply this explanation to your ecosystem column. How might eutrophication take place in your column? Explain fully. Eutrophication is the excessive increase in nutrients that causes an overgrowth in aquatic plant life, the plants become so dense it causes death in organisms and a loss of oxygen. If a large amount of nutrients drains from the soil of the terrestrial chamber into the aquatic chamber, then eutrophication may occur. Pick another group in your class. How do your data compare to theirs? Brainstorm some causes/reasons for any differences. The group in front of us has several sources of error such as bad lake water, and lack of precision during sampling events. Finally, address any sources of error in this lab. This should be narrated in a â€Å"cause and effect† manner and talk about specific problems. A good example would be â€Å"water did not drain from the terrestrial chamber so †¦Ã¢â‚¬  while a bad example would be â€Å"we messed up the measuring one day.† There was not an adequate amount of rainwater added to the environment as we were not in control of when the ecosystem was watered. The ecosystem was not completely closed because of the holes that had to be cut into the ecosystem for testing purposes, this allowed for unknown outside organisms to enter the environment. Conclusion (~.5 page) Write a brief summary paragraph as your â€Å"conclusion†. Address what did you learned that you did not know prior to the experiment? What were the most important findings of the project and why? The ecocolumn remained fairly stable and function for the first few weeks of the experiment. Not until three weeks before the experiment was concluded were fluctuations in the tested variables observable. Eventually due largely to the small size of the ecosystem and the incomplete food chain within it, the ecosystem broke down and the levels of nutrients began to greatly decline, as well as the dissolved oxygen levels within the aquatic chamber. Prior to this experiment I had never seen eutrophication in person. The opportunity to observe and further study eutrophication will help me later. The most important finding of this experiment was that different parts of an ecosystem (aquatic, terrestrial, decomposing) are all linked together. The variables in each part can easily influence variables in another part. References (on a separate page) You must use at least three (3) sources in your report. Cite them using the correct parenthetical or footnote format as indicated by the APA style guide that was handed out in class. If you do not know how to format the parenthetical citations or the bibliography, please see Mrs. Houston for help before the paper is due! TSA Program. (2013, May 23).Eutrophication. Retrieved from http://toxics.usgs.gov/definitions/eutrophication.html Ritter, M. E. (2009, October 1). Biochemical cycles. Retrieved from http://www4.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/ritter/geog101/textbook/earth_system/biogeochemical_cycles.html Britannica, E. (2007, April 6). Niches. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/topic/414016/history Eco-column Grading Sheet