Discussion Questions - Essay Example

Discussion Questions The essay aims to answer the discussion questions by providing explanation of the answers and reflect on personal experiences.Discussion Questions1. Why do you think there is a difference in population growth between developed and developing countries? What are some social and economic changes this difference has caused in Europe and the United States? What are some measures that developed countries are taking or could take to stabilize and increase populations?Answer: According to the Population Reference Bureau (2011), population growth in developed countries is little or even declined while developing countries are increasing in numbers (n.p.).

This is because developed countries are wealthier countries with low birth rates and rapid aging while developing countries have high birth rates and low life expectancies. This difference has caused social and economic changes in Europe and United States, which include aging population, changing role of women in the labor force, changing family structure, and demographic shifts towards urbanization (Bloom, Canning & Fink, 2008, 15). Labor force is expected to increase but due to changes in age participation rates and low fertility, youth dependency is lowered and female participation in the labor force increases.

Economic growth apace and aging population proliferates due to betterment of health care. Thus, to stabilize and increase populations, developed countries focused on behavioral and economic responses that would aid in the betterment of health of working individuals to improve economic growth (Bloom, Canning & Fink, 2008, 1).2. You are studying the community of a small pond and discover two similar species of fish. You believe they may be competitors, but you want scientific evidence to support or refute this idea.

How would you conduct research, including studies you might carry out and findings you would expect if your hypothesis were true? Explain.Answer: To support the belief that two similar species of fish can be competitors, a research should be conducted and started through review of literatures, studies, and theoretical bases as these would provide the strong foundation for the study. For instance, Helfman, Collette, Facey & Bowen (2009) support the idea that members of the same species (like fishes) can compete with the resources and is called intraspecific competition (542).

Researcher might carry out an experimental type of research observing two set ups – two same species of fish and two different species of fish to differentiate existence of competition or to assess the degree of competition between two set ups. The existence of competition even with the same species is the expected finding and this hypothesis can be proven true using the empirical evidences and the result of the experimental research.3. What are ecosystems? Name two effects of human activities on your local ecosystems. Explain. Answer: Dickinson & Murphy (2007) define ecosystems as the energy-driven complex of a community of living organisms together with the physical processes that occur within the environment (2).

Pollution and destruction of the aquatic and wild life habitats are the effects of the human activities to our local ecosystems. Pollutants from cities and farms aid in the production of algae and cyanobacteria that deplete fishes of essential oxygen whereas the construction of dams and canals on our locality destroy terrestrial and aquatic habitats because water flow are reduced to the coastal areas and coastal storms increase (Miller & Spoolman, 2011, 183). 4. What influences have humans had on your local environment, positive or negative?

Provide examples. Answer: Humans have negative influences on our local environment. As I’ve said earlier, there are cities and farms in our locality that run off excess nutrients to the freshwater lakes. The excess nutrients caused the algae and cyanobacteria population to explode, which depleted fishes of oxygen and eventually die. Certain species of fishes in our locality may lose their biodiversity due to human activities like this.5. What are some of the new policies designed to protect the environment in your community?

How do they affect your life?Answer: The Risk Control Policy is one of the new policies of the Obama administration designed to protect the environment in our community. This policy affects my personal beliefs and my life as a student because one of its provisions includes animal testing to determine the toxicity of certain substances to humans. I know that as part of the study to improve the health of humans, animal testing is necessary; however, I am also an advocate of animal life and I think that giving them toxic experimental substances is a cruel act.

ReferencesBloom, D.E., Canning, D. & Fink, G. (2008). Population Aging and Economic Growth (p. 1-30). Washington: The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/ The World Bank.Dickinson, G. & Murphy, K. (2007). The Nature of Ecosystems. Ecosystems (2nd ed.) (p. 1-26). New York: Rutledge.Helfman, G.S., Collette, B.B., Facey, D. E. Bowen, B.W. Individuals, Populations, and Assemblages. The Diversity of Fishes: Biology, Evolution, and Ecology (2nd ed.) (p. 525-550). New Jersey: Blackwell Publishing.Miller, G.T.

& Spoolman, S. E. (2011). Aquatic Biodiversity. Living in the Environment (17th ed.) (p. 165-186). California: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning.Population Reference Bureau. (2011). 2008 World Population Data Sheet. Retrieved on December 28, 2011 from http://www.prb.org/Publications/Datasheets/2008/2008wpds.aspx