Coral Reef Ecosystems

If you’re thinking about getting a fish tank for your home, or already have a few underwater pets, you may be looking for some coral reefs to make your fish’s home complete. But did you know that coral reefs are more than just decorations for your aquarium? Here is some information about coral reef ecosystems that may help you find the right tank accessories.

For coral reef ecosystems, the sun is the main source of energy. Photosynthesis, algae, and plankton also contribute to the growth of coral reefs, which helps the light energy in the coral to be converted to chemical energy. This energy is passed on in the underwater ecosystem as other sea creatures eat other plants or animals.

There are a number of coral reef ecosystems that suit a number of different animals. Sponges, which are one of the most common parts of the ecosystem house small animals like crab and shrimp, as well as a number of small fish. Sponges appear in a number of shapes and colors and can be quite beautiful. There are also sea anemones, which are closely related to corals. Clownfish and anemone fish make their homes in the tentacles of these structures, and the anemone fish even remove parasites from the sea anemone.

Coral reef ecosystems also include bryozoans. These organisms live on the outskirts of the coral reef and they cement the structure of the reef. Sea urchins, along with sea stars and cucumbers also live on the reef, and the sea star is actually a predator of coral polyps, which means that too many sea stars can damage the reef and leave behind only calcium carbonate. This breakdown in the food chain affects the population of deep sea fish in the area, and will reduce the amount of large fish and game.

There are also a number of animals that live in the coral branches. Crab and lobster make up the coral reef ecosystems as well, but these crustaceans are also predators and crush sea urchins with their claws. The coral shrimp is another protective predator that removes parasites and dead skin from the fish that live in and on the reef.

If you are planning on going deep sea diving, you may even see some small reptiles that belong to the coral reef ecosystems. Sea snakes don’t actually live on the reefs, but they live in the areas of water around the coral reef. Their fangs are very small, but the venom is potent, so it’s best to admire this animal from afar. Different types of turtles live around the coral reef as well; sea turtles live in the warm water along the Great Barrier Reef.

Now that you know a little about the animals that make up the coral reef ecosystems, you’ll know just how to decorate a new home for your fish. Enjoy!

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If you’re concerned about the constantly rising price of vehicle fuel, but still want to use products that are all natural to power your car, you’ll definitely want to learn more about biofuels. You can find many of these fuels in the products that you use every day, For example, vehicle fuel sold in the European Union contains 5% biofuel by law.

Biofuels are defined as a solid, liquid, or gas fuel that is made from biological materials that have recently died. This makes them different from fossil fuels, which are produced from biological animals and plants that have died years ago.

The most common source of biofuels are photosynthetic plants, and all over the world, these fuels are used to power stoves and some vehicles. This industry is starting to grow tremendously in Europe and Asia, and parts of the Americas are starting to follow this trend as well.

There are two main ways to produce biofuels; one is growing crops that have a high sugar content, such as sweet sorghum, sugar cane or sugar beet. Corn starch is also used to create this fuel, and after these crops have grown, yeast fermentation will produce ethyl alcohol, or ethanol.

The second method in getting the biofuels that you need is to grow plants that have high amounts of vegetable oil; these plants include soybeans, algae, or oil palm.

When the oils are brought to a high temperature, they can be burned directly in a diesel engine. Chemically processing the oils produces biodiesel.

In Britain, some enterprising characters collect the cooking oil from their local fish and chip shops. They then filter it using specialist equipment, add an additive and then put it into diesel vehicles

Biofuels have been the center of a number of global economic debates, such as the issue of carbon emissions levels in the air, and the food versus fuel debate.

The impact that biofuels have on water resources is also a topic of discussion between government officials and farmers, since the materials needed to make these fuels are completely natural.

Scientists and economists are also looking for way to make sure that soil erosion is reduced while biofuel is being created, and of course, the cost of oil prices is a consideration as well.

Getting a car that will only use natural fuels will help to make progress when it comes to bettering the air quality in the environment, which can preserve the natural resources in the world as well.

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The Political Economy Research Institute or PERI has recently released a report on the various clean energy policies that can potentially be effective poverty alleviation measure. The report states that the ultimate beneficiaries of investments in clean energy sources are the American people.

The Economy, Global Warming and Unclean Energy Sources

The past two decades has shown the world the struggle for control of energy sources has created a dependency on not only unclean energy, but unsustainable as well. America, the world’s largest oil consumer has become dangerously dependent on Middle East oil.

This economic situation has borne political complications that culminated in the Gulf War of the 90′s. The recent US invasion of Iraq and the ensuing war in Afghanistan has made energy independence one of the forerunner issues that brought President Obama to the White House. The continuing rise of oil prices has hurt consumers all over the world while Mother Nature sustained damages that caused natural disasters the world has never seen before.

Hurricane Katrina, the wildfires in Australia, the tsunami is Southeast Asia: all these disasters have made investing in alternative energy sources imperative; global warming has suddenly become a more relevant concern than ever.

Reducing Global Warming as a Way to Fight Poverty

With the ill effects of the recent economic crisis that is plaguing the world and in response to the green movement, the American public and private sectors are going green. They are investing in cleaner fuel and redefining business and professional practices and standards to become more earth-friendly.

The recent PERI report has established that investments in a clean-energy economy elevates the economic lives of low-income and underprivileged Americans, boosts the economy by reducing dependence on foreign oil and helps avert the global warming and climate change. Especially in the building and construction industries, there’s a growing demand for qualified skilled workers to fill vacancies.

Currently, the supply of workers is largely insufficient to meet this demand. It is in this convergence that experts see a unified solution to both economic and environmental challenges in this country. Going green raises general public awareness on environmental issues and enlists voluntary support of earth-saving practices. At the same time, the trend toward green buildings, homes and communities opens doors of opportunities to the American workforce for a steady, sustainable career in the various green industries.

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The land in Los Llanos is mainly savannah plans that get a lot of rain. Few people live there due to the poor soil quality. After flying over the area in 1965, Lugari wondered whether people could live there. He staked a claim to 25 000 hectares of land and Gavoitas – named after a local bird – was born.

The original settlers worked out a way to use the soil with cement to build houses and other infrastructure. Then they turned their attention to an efficient lightweight pump. It can be worked by children riding a see saw or a swing.

One of their greatest inventions was a windmill that works in the slightest breeze without the need for maintenance. But it took 58 attempts before the design was perfected. The windmills were then manufactured at Gaviotas and distributed throughout Columbia.

After that the settlers created a solar water heater. Amazingly, it still works in the rain. The heater delivered benefits far beyond Gaviotas. It was so effective and cheap that a factory was set up in Bogota to produce the device. Additionally, the factory gave jobs to street children dramatically raising their welfare.

Other amazing eco-friendly inventions followed these successes. A bio-gas generator, a solar pressure-cooker and a solar kettle were also successful. The solar kettle was a particularly important invention. It provides clean, safe drinking water.

As the poor soil made growing food difficult, the settlers found a solution. Containers made of nutrition less rice hulls were used to grow eggplants, lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers. This was followed over the next few years with the creation of hydroponic greenhouses.

To cater for the villagers’ medical needs, they built a solar hospital. It’s cooled by the wind and heated by the sun. It was even named by a Japanese architecture journal as one of the world’s most important buildings.

The villagers even managed to find a plant that grows in the difficult conditions of Los Llanos – but with a twist. Caribbean pines from Venezuela will only grow in the Los Llanos soil if dipped in a fungus. The 20 000 hectares of pine forest planted by the villagers started to deliver many benefits quickly.

Seeds dropped by passing birds or blown in by the wind were able to grow due to the shade provided by the growing forest. As a result, the rainforest began to grow again, causing animal species like the armadillo, to come to the area.
The villagers were able to tap resin from the pines and process it into turpentine. This had the environmental advantage that it replaced the imported oil products that had previously been used. The turpentine factory was designed to be pollution-free and in 1997 was given a United Nations World Zero Emissions Award.

By planting the pine trees in ever-decreasing circles and tapping the resin, the villagers have restored fertile rainforest to an otherwise barren land. It’s an amazing achievement. But that’s not all. The villagers are working with the indigenous Guahibo people to research 250 new native plants species that have appeared and discover their ethno-botanical properties.

Gaviotas shows us what can be done to preserve the planet and how to live in harmony with the environment. Perhaps the last word about what could be done on a global scale should be left to Paolo Lugari:

“Just imagine. There are 250 million hectares of savannahs like these in South America alone. There’s Africa. The tropical Orient. Places where there’s space and sun and water. If we show the world how to plant them in sustainable forests, we can give people productive lives and maybe absorb enough carbon dioxide to stabilize global warming. This is a gift just as important down as our pumps and solar water purifiers. Everywhere else they’re tearing down rainforests. We’re showing how to put them back”.

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