Buddhist Ethnography Free Essays

The Buddhist Experience Buddhism is a religion that focuses more on the individual and the actions of that individual, which was prevalent to me when I made my way into Portland and set foot in a Buddhist temple. The man I met within the walls of this temple was far from my stereotypical thoughts of Buddhist monks. The man I met looked like your plain old, average Joe, American man. We will write a custom essay sample on Buddhist Ethnography or any similar topic only for you Order Now Before I delve into the depths of my visit to this inspiring place, I need to sum up the Buddhist religion and why I chose to study this particular group of people. First, Buddhism. Buddhism is a religion based off of the idea that there is a path that one can take to achieve enlightenment, instead of believing in a god or multiple gods. Buddhism began with a man named Siddhartha. Siddhartha, the son of a king and heir to the throne, was forbidden to leave the castle walls within which he was confined. His Father, the king, made him stay within the walls at all time so as not to see the suffering that was happening in the outside world. His father even hid all aging and sickness from his son. One day, Siddhartha told his personal bodyguard that he wanted to venture beyond the walls of the castle. The servant had no choice but to obey what Siddhartha had told him. The two set out and on their journey, they came across an old man in the street who was very close to dying. Siddhartha asked the bodyguard what was wrong with the man and the bodyguard had no choice but to tell Siddhartha the truth. They repeated this feat of leaving the castle walls on 3 more occasions, seeing a sickly woman on the side of the road one day, a dead body on the side of the road the next, and a renunciator on the fourth and final day. Each time the bodyguard was asked what was wrong with the person they saw, and each time, he was forced to tell Siddhartha the truth. These four people became known as the four sights, and eventually lead to Buddhism’s main teachings: life is suffering but there is a way out of the suffering. The way out of the suffering of life is through the Noble Eight Fold Path. The Noble Eight Fold Path teaches the way to act within the living world and what you can do to further your way along the path of Enlightenment. The Eight folds are: Right understanding, Right thought, Right speech, Right action, Right livelihood, Right effort, Right mindfulness, and Right concentration. This is the way that everyone should live if they want to achieve enlightenment along the Buddhist path. This is not the only thing that Siddhartha taught though. Like every single religion since the beginning of time, there is a list of rules. Christianity has the 10 Commandments, Islam has the Five Pillars of Islam, and Buddhism has the Religious Reformations of Buddha. Unlike most religions, Buddhism strays from the focus on an all mighty deity or deities. Buddhism preaches five different logics that deviate from the norm when it comes to religious ideals: first, Strive after enlightenment with due diligence. This means you must put a lot of effort into the job of enlightenment if you wish to achieve it. Second, there will be no metaphysical theorizing. This is the one that seems to throw a wrench into the ideals of every religion before it, there is no God and if you even think that there is a God, you are disgracing the Buddhist way of life. Buddhism is a way of life, it is not a religion with a holy God. Third, there is no tradition, no ritual. The teachings themselves are supposed to lead you, but if you do not know yourself, there is no way that you can know Buddhism and have the ability to follow the Noble Eightfold Path to enlightenment, once you find yourself and know yourself, then you can accept or reject the teachings of the Buddha. Fourth, is that you will find salvation through your efforts. If you are a diligent Buddhist and you work at the Eightfold Path to achieve enlightenment, you will be rewarded; you just need to have patience. Finally, there are no supernatural miracles, no water into wine, no parting of the Red Sea, just what goes on down here on plain old earth. In fact, at one point, the Buddha says â€Å"Those who attempt to work miracles are not my disciples†. This tells you just how serious the Buddha is about his focus on the natural and this-worldly things. Now that the basics have been laid out, time for why I chose to study Buddhism. Buddhism has been in my life for as long as I can remember, if only minimally. My father subscribed to a Buddhism magazine called Tricycle, more of an Americanized look at Buddhism. Moreover, the teachings of Buddhism and its focus on the here and now, how you treat people around you, and how you act towards people, have always been appealing to me. This opportunity fell into my lap and I was more than happy to take the chance to learn about something I had always known too little about. When I approached the temple, I immediately got a feel for an organized group of people simply by the way they approached the trimming of the trees and plants. Everything seemed to have a purpose and seemed to play off each other. The trees, with circles of branches only, seemed to perfectly accent the red, almost poinsettia looking flowers behind them leading up the staircase into a very plain, unexpressive building. Once I gained entrance into the temple itself, it was a different site than I expected. Beyond a Plexiglas barrier, was a very church-like worship area with decorations on a slightly elevated plateau. Gold smattered in with vivid colors greeted my eyes as I stepped through the door into the temple’s worship area. There was a statue of the Buddha in the middle, made out of gold, with a halo surrounding his head. On the left, slightly behind the level of the Buddha, was a cloth with the picture of 7 men that our Reverend Gregory G Gibbs would refer to as the authors of the Chinese Buddhist Cannon which is about 100,000 pages long. There was two thirds of a copy of the Cannon itself on the far sides of the raised area. In front was a large circular bowl with a top on it that we were informed was used for incense which is one of the three offerings that people were allowed to leave for Buddha. Incense is one of the ancient ways, and would be burned while the reverend would teach to the disciples. The other two gifts were flowers, which were meant to signify impermanence, and candles, meant to signify wisdom. The man we were lead by was a middle aged looking white male, far from the short, bald, Asian monk dressed in flowing orange robes I had expected to meet. He taught us all about the temple and how it had been around for more than 105 years. He was a very cordial man who loved to hear the sound of his own voice, unfortunately. The man lead us through the basement, seeing holy murals that had been created for the centennial celebration a few years prior. He was very obviously a pious man who had sought to follow the path of the Buddha into enlightenment. How to cite Buddhist Ethnography, Essay examples

Managing Human Resources in an Organization Sample for Students

Questions: 1.How do the New Workplace Practices Introduced by the New yard Manager Complement One Another? 2.What are the Risks to Sustaining these Changes if George or the Yard Manager Moves on? 3.Do you think tough Blue Collar Unions like the Transport Workers Union are more of less likely to engage in Workplace Changes like these than Public or Service Sector Unions? Answers: Introduction Human resource management has huge impact on managing the employee relation of an organization through proper and transparent communication (Jackson et al., 2014). This study will select the case study of Constructive Relations at Top Trucking Company. The aim of this study is to explore the employee relation in the organization mentioned in the case study. Effective human resource management fosters positive workplace environment in an organization, which turns into effective employment relation. The study will describe the new workplace practice introduced by the new yard manager of the organization. The study will also analyze the risks towards sustaining organizational change, if the union delegate or yard manager moves on. Furthermore, the study will also compare the engagement level of tough blue collar unions and public or service sector unions towards the organizational change. 1.Workplace practice defines the work environment and workplace condition of an organization. According to Ogbonnaya and Valizade, (2015), good workplace practice lies in open communication and high level of employee value. On the other hand, Whyman and Petrescu, (2015) opined that good workplace practice is highly beneficial for improved employee relation through boosting employee morale. The new yard manager of Top Trucking Company introduced a unique workplace practice towards getting the success of the organization. He was highly open in communicating with the workers and union of the employees. It was quite different from the previous yard manager of the company, where the yard manager used to rule the employees in autocratic way. Moreover, the new yard of the company started to follow open communication in the workplace. New workplace practices introduced by the new yard manager are described below: Open Communication The new yard manager used to communicate with the workers and the union openly. Moreover, the manager was quite flexible in sharing the important information with the workers. It has ultimately harmonized the workers towards completing the common goals of the organization. Furthermore, openly communicative workplace has resolved several worker issues by immediately solving their issues. Autonomy According to Samnani and Singh, (2014), great business always allows their workers towards dealing with their jobs in their own way. On the other hand, Neuhaus et al., (2014) opined that good workplace practice always provide enough freedom to the workers towards performing their tasks. The new manager of yard does not treat the workers like children and provide enough autonomy towards performing their job role. Moreover, the yard manager always provides training and development opportunity to the workers so that they can works in an efficient way. Safe Workplace Environment The new yard manager is always concerned about the health and safety of the workers. For this purpose, he has introduced more training for the drivers both in terms of technical as well as customer service. It has assisted the workers to work in a safe way by avoiding any physical harm. The drivers can now effectively complement each other, as they are all efficiently trained. On the other hand, the drivers of the organization have also started to feel good about their new uniform and truck. Shared value and Learning environment The yard manager is not afraid of opening up pressure and success of the workers. Moreover, rather than blaming others, he always use to check thinks out and explore the issues hindering the organizational success. It demonstrates a sense of fairness in the workplace of the organization. According to McDonald et al., (2013), shared value in workplace can bring innovation in the business process. On the other hand, Mencl and Lester, (2014) opined that shared value can enhance the worker morale towards performing at their peak. Furthermore, the new yard manager always used to consult with the workers and union before coming into a solution towards enhancing the organizational success. On the other hand, training and development programs have initiated learning environment in the workplace. In this way, the workers have become highly supportive to each other by improving workplace productivity. 2.Risk of Sustaining Change Lack of Control According to Zhao et al., (2014), lack of effective leadership can create lack of control in the workplace t0wards sustaining the new changes organization. In the same way, the workers of Top Trucking Company can feel lack of control towards performing at per the new changes in the organization, if the new yard manager moves on. They can face lack of proper support in completing any complex jobs within new work environment. On the other hand, Bromiley et al., (2015) opined that the workers can be confused about the uncertain things of the new changes, where there is lack of proper management. Hence, the same situation can also be occurred in Top Trucking Company through minimizing the overall performance of the workers. High chance of Workers Conflict According to Lord et al., (2015), trade union plays an important role towards maintaining positive worker relation within an organization. It always remains engaged towards collective bargaining between the worker group and the management. On the other hand, Tavakoli, (2014) opined that the member of trade union represents the interest of the workers to the management towards fulfilling them. In such situation, if George moves on, then the employees can face tough challenges in communicating their issues with the management of the organization. They also lose the legal support on their support. Therefore, there is high risk of employee confliction in the organization. Lack of Efficiency According to Fumasoli et al., (2015), good leadership and management is always associated with development of the workers. Moreover, good leadership is highly needed for developing the workers towards accepting new organizational change. In such circumstance, if the new yard manager of the organization moves on, the workers will face lack of proper development programs towards enhancing their skills for accepting new organizational changes. Hence, it can minimize the efficiency level of the workers and damage the success of the organizational change. Chance of High Turnover According to Tudor, (2014), the culmination of ongoing poor leadership can create high worker turnover. It can have severe impact on the success of the organizational change. On the other hand, Packendorff et al., (2014) stated that employees often do not get proper managerial support in poor management. In case of the Top Trucking Company, if the yard manager moves on, the workers can face high level of complexity in the changing work environment. Lack of support from the manager will increase their job complexity level. Hence, there is high risk of high worker turn over, if the yard manager moves on. On the other hand, the rate of worker turnover is also high in this company, if the George moves on. Lack of union delegate can causes high level of worker confliction. It can turn into in high rate of worker turnover. Lack of Synergy According to Zhao et al., (2014), poor departmental leadership can inhibit the development of synergy. The workers of this organization can be unable to coordinate task among them, while the yard manager moves on. It can lead to more fragmented departments and job roles of the workers and destroy the overall success of the organizational change. Engagement of Blue Collar Union in Workplace Change Tough blue collar unions are more like to accept the change than the public or service sector unions. The public or service sector unions always deal with white collar employees, who are to deal more with advanced technology and changes organizational process (Bromiley et al., 2015). Hence, they are the first towards resisting for organizational changes. Blue collar employees are always willing to accept organizational changes, if it seems to be beneficial for them. While considering the case of Top Trucking Company, it has been found that the organization rejuvenated their fleets, cleaned up the yards and bought new uniforms for the drivers. Moreover, they organization has also introduced new supportive yard manager. All these changes seem to be beneficial for the blue collar workers. The rejuvenated fleets must have some modern facilities and styles, which can be highly flexible to operate by the drivers. Hence, the blue collar union can be highly willing to accept the changes. On the other hand, the organization has also initiated new computerized system, which may have much impact of the employees, who are in the technical department of the organization. Hence, the white collar union can have much resistance over the organizational changes. While considering the public and service sector union, it always deals with such employees, who have high chance of being promoted or even demoted by the organizational change. Organizational changes can have huge impact on the power distribution among the employees of public or service sector. In such circumstance, the public and service sector union may demonstrate high level of resistance towards organizational changes, if the change demotes the position of any employee (McDonald et al., 2013). On the other hand, blue collar union deal with the workers group, where there is no such chance of worker promotion. Hence, organizational changes in regards to power distribution cannot have much impact on the blue collar workers (Lord et al., 2015). Hence, their union is more likely to accept organizational change, if it seems to be beneficial for the workers. In case of Top Trucking Company, the organizational changes have benefited the workers through increasing their value and support. Hence, they seem to be quite happy with the organizational change. Organizational change may have direct impact on the work procedure of the public and service sector employees. Hence, they are much worried about the unknown factors of organizational changes. Therefore, the public and service sector unions raise high level of resistance towards engaging with organizational change. On the other hand, organizational changes do not have direct impact of the blue collar workers. They are often indirectly related to organizational change. Hence, the tough blue collar unions are more likely to engage in organizational change. Conclusion While concluding the study, it can be said that the new yard manger of Top Trucking Company is democratic in nature. He always shares important information of the organization among the workers. It creates shared value with the organization and workers can complement each other towards achieving organizational goals. The organization has newly appointed this manger for better management of the employees. The organization has also incorporated some changes through rejuvenating the fleets, buying the uniforms of the drivers and cleaned up the yards. It has also incorporated new computerized system in the organization. The workers and union seem to be quite happy with the organizational changes. However, the employees can feel lack of support towards sustaining the organizational change, if the union delegate or the yard manger moves on. The tough blue collar unions are more likely to engage in organizational change than those of public and service sector union. References Bromiley, P., McShane, M., Nair, A., Rustambekov, E. (2015). Enterprise risk management: Review, critique, and research directions.Long range planning,48(4), 265-276. Fumasoli, T., Pinheiro, R., Stensaker, B. (2015). Handling Uncertainty of Strategic AmbitionsThe Use of Organizational Identity as a Risk-Reducing Device.International Journal of Public Administration,38(13-14), 1030-1040. Jackson, S. E., Schuler, R. S., Jiang, K. (2014). An aspirational framework for strategic human resource management.The Academy of Management Annals,8(1), 1-56. Lord, R. G., Dinh, J. E., Hoffman, E. L. (2015). A quantum approach to time and organizational change.Academy of Management Review,40(2), 263-290. McDonald, P., Townsend, K., Wharton, A. (2013). The legitimation and reproduction of discourse-practice gaps in work-life balance.Personnel Review,42(2), 205-222. Mencl, J., Lester, S. W. (2014). More alike than different: What generations value and how the values affect employee workplace perceptions.Journal of Leadership Organizational Studies,21(3), 257-272. Neuhaus, M., Healy, G. N., Dunstan, D. W., Owen, N., Eakin, E. G. (2014). Workplace sitting and height-adjustable workstations: a randomized controlled trial.American journal of preventive medicine,46(1), 30-40. Ogbonnaya, C. N., Valizade, D. (2015). Participatory workplace activities, employee-level outcomes and the mediating role of work intensification.Management Research Review,38(5), 540-558. Packendorff, J., Crevani, L., Lindgren, M. (2014). Project leadership in becoming: A process study of an organizational change project.Project Management Journal,45(3), 5-20. Samnani, A. K., Singh, P. (2014). Performance-enhancing compensation practices and employee productivity: The role of workplace bullying.Human Resource Management Review,24(1), 5-16. Tavakoli, M. (2014). A Cognitive Model of Positive Organizational Change.Journal of Management,2(1), 11-25. Tudor, L. (2014). Change Management Employees Resistance Towards Organizational Change.Romanian Statistical Review Supplement,62(9), 36-43. Whyman, P. B., Petrescu, A. I. (2015). Workplace Flexibility Practices in SMEs: Relationship with Performance via Redundancies, Absenteeism, and Financial Turnover.Journal of Small Business Management,53(4), 1097-1126. Zhao, X., Hwang, B. G., Pheng Low, S. (2014). Enterprise risk management implementation in construction firms: An organizational change perspective.Management Decision,52(5), 814-833.

Rituals of the Nacirema Essay Example

Rituals of the Nacirema Paper To most of us, hospitals are a place to help you when you’re in need or want to get healthy. But for the Nacirema, it’s quite the opposite. According to the Nacirema ritual article, they call hospitals a latipso, which is hospital spelt backwards without the ‘H’. They discuss and caricature the repulsive viewings on what they think goes on in hospitals (latipso’s), or what they think they do. I will now tell you how in Miner’s perspective, the body is ugly and how the body is dirty. In the Nacirema point of view this is how they see hospitals. In the Nacirema ritual article they call the people who dehumanize other people medicine men. The medicine men manage their sick patients dressed in costumes and headdress. The Nacirema also say how it’s rarity that patients actually come out of the latipso alive. They say the latipso is â€Å"where you go to die†. The Nacirema also say that adults are eager to go under the control of the medicine men. Unless you can afford to give a â€Å"rich gift to the custodian†, you can’t be admitted into the latipso. Even if you have paid them, you will still have more to pay after you’ve fully recovered. The Nacirema avoid exposing their bodies, but at the latipso you are stripped of all your clothing. We will write a custom essay sample on Rituals of the Nacirema specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Rituals of the Nacirema specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Rituals of the Nacirema specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer They evaluate your body and bathe you in the latipso shrine, not considering where they’re touching or how they are violating you. The Nacirema say people go into shock when they realize they had lost their clothing privileges. Even though the men’s wives have never seen them in an excretory act, doesn’t mean no one else can. The â€Å"vestal maiden† makes him perform his â€Å"natural functions† in front of her. The Nacirema say on the other hand that females have to be nude and the medicine men can freely probe them wherever they please. The Nacirema say the medicine men torture their patients, and perform â€Å"ablutions†. The Nacirema consider medicine men as jabbing their clients with needles, and impairing, and making them worse than they were. The Nacirema people are more conservative and keep to themselves. Their body is their temple and is sacred to them. To sum it all up, the Nacirema people exaggerate, and make up assumptions on almost everything they see, and make things seem worse than they actually are. In our point of view this is how we see hospitals. The reasons of why the Nacirema rituals may seem bizarre to us is that we simply call medicine men doctors. The doctors in our culture dress in uniform according to their  work position. In a hospital, there’s always a chance that you’re going to die, and sometimes it’s too late for them to save you because you were too sick to begin with, or they made a mistake. But doctors do everything in their power to not let that happen and do all they can to make you sturdy enough to go home safely. In a hospital, you have to pay for the time and services of the hospital and workers, but just because you don’t have the money doesn’t mean the workers won’t take care of you, we will find a way to help you and find a way for you to pay for their services. The reasons doctors examine you is to see what’s causing the problem and what’s wrong so they can fix it. The nurses bathe you in a bathroom where it is private from the public if you are incapable of doing so. You also have the right to keep your clothes on, unless you’re told to take them off for a medical reason, in exchange, you are told to change into a gown in a private room. Usually for men, when you are asked to change into a gown is for a physical, or nurses trying to examine you for a logical or medical reason. But for women being examined, if you are pregnant, this gives the doctor or nurses a reason to check on the baby and how things are coming along. Almost everyone goes through this at some point of their lives, and you are not judged or discriminated upon. When you are very sick and unable to take care of yourself and can’t do things on your own, it is the nurse’s job to take care of you. The nurses use a thermometer to check their patient’s temperature and give them food to help them heal and recover. On the other hand, when doctors need to cure you or prevent you from a disease or illness, they insert needles to cure that disease, or make you immune to it to help you stay healthy. The reason all the Nacirema assumptions seem bizarre to us is because hospitals aren’t that extreme, or don’t seem that way to us. People strip their clothes and lather their bodies with a greasy like substance. They then lay in a bright spaceship for a little bit while the spaceship cooks them until people are golden brown, or burnt. But that’s not the only thing they do that’s strange. They pour on their bodies a sticky honey like paste, and cover themselves with a sheet. The sheet is then ripped off of the people, tearing off a layer of skin which makes blood spill out, and you look as red as a tomato. These examples can be related to the two tenets of how the body is ugly, and dirty. The body is ugly because people look like disgustingly brown and red bloody creatures, which are mentally deranged. The body is dirty because of the repulsive, grotesque substances that are put on their bodies to have them be cooked, and peeled. In summarization, the Nacirema see their bodies as a temple and is very sacred to them, and have great care for their bodies. But for us, we disrespect our bodies, and disregard what we’re actually doing to them. What seems to be normal to us may seem bizarre and strange to others who have never seen these sorts of actions or aren’t used to seeing it. The way the class is related to this paper is that everyone goes to the hospital or has been to one for some reason. Also, we don’t take care of our bodies, and mutilate them just to look good and feel good about ourselves.

Soil Analysis Essay Example

Soil Analysis Essay Example Soil Analysis Essay Soil Analysis Essay Soil forms the basis of the world we live in. It is the top layer of the Earths surface, consisting of rock and mineral particles mixed with organic matter. There are many varieties of soil around the world from Clay to Sand and from Rainforest to Mud. Different types of soil have their own individual characteristics that in turn affect the suitability of growth. This is due to different nutrient levels, water holding capability, pH etc. Many species of plants have adapted to better suit their soil environment. These adaptations have allowed certain plant species to thrive in an area in which other plants would never survive. Mangroves are highly admired for the way they have adapted to live in a saline environment. Flora naturally need freshwater to survive just as we do. Then how can mangroves survive growing in salt water? Mangroves have adapted to filter out the salt when it is absorbed along with the nutrient filled water. This salt is excreted through roots, leaves and bark. What is left is freshwater that can be used by the mangrove. This may seem like a big deal when you could just grow in fresh water however this adaptation allows mangroves to have less competition from other flora. The following experiments are to observe the individual characteristics of 3 different Zones of Mangrove Mud and also Beach, Rainforest and Clay Soil. The purpose of these experiments is to carry out various experiments and thus observe the different characteristics of soils. These characteristics can be compared to see how differences in soil might determine the type of vegetation that grows there. Safety Precautions: Make sure gloves are worn at all times as there are some harmful bacteria and diseases in dirt. Experiment 1 Soil Texture: Aim: To find the percentage of sand, clay and silt in different soil samples. Prediction: I predict that the soil with the highest percentage of sand will be the Trinity Beach sample. The soil with the highest percentage of clay will be the Clay sample. The soil with the highest percentage of silt will be the Outer Zone Mangrove Sample. Materials: * 6 x 200mL measuring cylinders * 3 x Mud samples from different areas of the mangroves (Inner, Middle and Outer Zones) * Ruler with mm measurements * Disposable Gloves * 3 x Samples of various areas (Beach, Rainforest and Clay Soil) * Spoons * Sieve Diagram: (For Step 4 and 5) Procedure: 1. Sift all of the samples to remove insoluble lumps of dirt, plant debris etc. 2. Measure 40mL of the first dried sample (for example Inner Zone Mud) into a measuring cylinder and label it accordingly. 3. Fill the cylinder with 200mL of water and shake until all the dirt particles are mixed throughout the water. 4. Put the cylinder down on a level bench and measure the depth of the sediment after the following time intervals: 30 seconds, 30 minutes, and 12 hours. 5. Repeat for each dirt sample. Record results on the table. Results: Mangrove Mud: Inner Zone Mud Middle Zone Mud Outer Zone Mud Stoney Creek Rainforest Trinity Beach Soil Clay Soil 30s depth (sand) 30 min depth 12 hour depth (total depth) 17 mm 30 mm 41 mm 11 mm 20 mm 37 mm 5 mm 34 mm 51 mm Minimal 29 mm 38 mm 28 mm 32 mm 33 mm 12 mm 25 mm 54 mm Sand layer (30s depth) Silt layer (30 min 30s depth) Clay layer (12h 30min depth) 17 mm 13 mm 11 mm 11 mm 9 mm 17 mm 5 mm 29 mm 17 mm Minimal à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 29 mm 9 mm 28 mm 4 mm 1 mm 12 mm 13 mm 29 mm % Sand = Sand depth Total depth 41.46 % 29.73 % 9.80 % Minimal 84.85 % 22.22 % % Silt = Silt depth Total depth 31.71 % 24.32 % 56.86 % à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 76.32 % 12.12 % 24.07 % % Clay = Clay depth Total depth 26.83 % 45.95 % 33.34 % 23.68 % 3.03 % 53.70 % Discussion: There are many different kinds of soil and they all have there own individual characteristics that affect the flora growth in that type of soil. These characteristics are things like: * The capacity of soil to hold minerals and water * The movement (capillary action) of water into soil * The drainage ability of water through the soil These are just a few of the characteristics affected by the amounts of clay, sand and silt present in the soil. These three sediment types were determined through the experiment above. It was determined that the soil sample with the highest percentage of sand was Trinity Beach with 84.95% of the sample being made up of sand. This is obviously no surprise but note how it is still made up of other types of sediment. On average sand is made of silica which is a mineral similar to quartz and opal. This is a hard substance that resists erosion. This insoluble mineral does not offer the best conditions for flora growth as nutrient and water trapping in the soil is difficult. The sand in the Trinity Beach area upholds the characteristics outlined for silica however due to the results above it is evident that the soil also contains 12.12% of silt and 3.03% of clay. These other sediments may help to trap the necessary nutrients for plant growth in the soil. The flora that grows on the beach is hardy (casuarinas and Spinifex). This is due to the limited amount of water and nutrients available. The highest percentage of Silt in the soil samples was Stoney Creek rainforest (76.32%). Rainforest is a nutrient high area where flora growth is prominent. This nutrient level is due to the way silt (and also clay) traps the nutrient rich water needed for the extensive growth. Silt is made up of finely eroded rock (this rock is largely made up of quartz and feldspar). This sedimentary silt is washed down with the rain and is trapped amongst the roots of trees. In relation to the mangroves, this silt is washed downstream in the annual floods and trapped in the particular roots (stilt, prop etc). This root network holds the nutrient laden silt to be used when needed. Without these roots (if the mangroves are cut down) the silt will wash through along with the nutrients. This silt collects at river mouths, causing shallower water and in the case of the nearby Great Barrier Reef in the Cairns area silt deposits that destroys the original habitat. Obviously the clay soil sample contained the highest percentage of clay (53.70%). Clay, when wet, is a flexible substance that can be moulded at will. When dry it becomes rock like and perfect for holding soil together. This characteristic is highly beneficial to the environment in the way it helps to prevent erosion. Clay is not necessarily highly nutrient filled sediment but, like clay, it is finer grained and holds a lot of water. Soil with high clay percentages is not a preferable flora environment because it is not well draining. Some plants still live in clay soil and many Australian plants have adapted to this especially wattles. Mangrove Mud contains its fair share of clay (ranging from 36% to 46%). This clay is responsible for the sticky characteristic of mud when it is wet. Clay helps to hold the mud together to avoid it being washed into the river or wetland. Clay is not well draining and could be responsible for the way mangrove mud appears to be wet even when the tide ha s long since gone out. It was often difficult to take readings of the amount of soil that had settled at different time periods. In the case of the mud samples they are rich in silt and clay and this clouded the water. It was difficult to determine what was actually settled from what was still suspended in the water above. A reading was taken and this was compared to readings taken when the water had cleared and all particles had settled. At this stage it was quite easy to see the different sediments that had settled. This difficulty in recording the levels could give reason for an amount of percentage error. Conclusion: The different sedimentary percentages analysed in this experiment are responsible for the individual flora species that grow in some areas but not in others. This variation in plant types is important to provide different habitats and food sources for Australian wildlife and marine species. Experiment 2 Soil Permeability: Aim: To observe the rate at which 50mL of water passes through different samples of saturated soil and mud. Prediction: I predict that it will take the longest amount of time for 50mL of water to pass through the Outer Zone Mud. I predict that it will take the shortest amount of time for 50mL of water to pass through the Trinity Beach Soil Sample. Materials: * 6 x 100mL measuring cylinders * 3 x Mud samples from different areas of the mangroves (Inner, Middle and Outer Zones) * 1 x 100mL beaker * Disposable Gloves * 3 x Samples of various areas (Beach, Rainforest and Clay Soil) * Filter Wool * 6 x 75mm filter funnels * 6 x Timers Diagram: (For Steps 8 and 9) Procedure: 1. Loosely plug the necks of all the filter funnels with filter wool and place a 100mL measuring cylinder beneath each of them. 2. Take up the first funnel. Fill the funnel about one third with the first sample of dry dirt. 3. Repeat this for each individual funnel and dirt sample. 4. Place each funnel in a 100mL measuring cylinder. 5. Pour approximately 50mL of water in each funnel. 6. Allow the water to filter through the dirt until it stops dripping. This is the point at which the dirt is fully saturated. 7. When this point is reached empty the cylinders and replace back under the saturated soil funnels. 8. Pair each funnel and measuring cylinder set up with a Timer. Add 50mL of water to each funnel and start their timers as you do so. 9. Time how long it takes for the 50mL to pass through each sample that is until the drip rate is less than one drip per minute. 10. Do NOT discard the saturated soil sample as it will be used in Experiment 3. Results: Sample Type Time It Takes For 50mL To Pass Through Saturated Sample Inner Zone 13.56 minutes Middle Zone 17.32 minutes Outer Zone 23.14 minutes Clay Soil No Dripping At All Trinity Beach Soil (Sand) 17.32 minutes Rainforest Soil 7.54 minutes Discussion: Soil naturally traps water and this can be determined by testing it for Soil Permeability. It took the longest for the 50mL of water to drip through the clay because it didnt drip at all. Clay is a highly water absorbing substance and when wet the particles cling together creating a thick goop. This thick clay settled in the bottom of the funnel. There were no more gaps to allow water to flow through so it accumulated in the funnel. In the environment clay soil also absorbs this water and when it reaches a certain point of water absorbency it can no longer absorb any more water. This non-absorbed water runs off the clay soil and floods nearby rivers and creeks. This not only becomes damaging floodwater but it limits the clay to how much nutrients they can absorb through the water. The drainage of soil is also important. Soil that either drains to fast or drains to slow can affect the floras growth. The clay could not drain and this would lead to root rot and lack of oxygen available to the plants roots. Mangrove mud can absorb a lot of water and therefore trap a lot of nutrients. However they also contain a lot of clay (26% to 46%) and this along with the increase in water due to tidal activity makes it difficult for mangroves to absorb oxygen through underground root systems. This is the reason that mangroves have evolved to have roots like stilt roots, aerial roots and knee roots. The rainforest soil drained the fastest of all the soil samples. Rainforest soil is full of flora debris that creates well draining holes in the soil. The soil is also well aerated which allows gaps for the water to run through. This is not a problem for the flora as it is well known that a lot of rain falls in rainforest areas. Conclusion: It is necessary to have a good balance of absorbency and drainage to make conditions for flora growth as good as possible. Mangroves live in a less suited environment and this has been the reason for the evolution of above ground roots to breath and help with stability. Experiment 3 Field Capacity: Aim: To measure the water-holding ability of a soil. This is to get an idea of the maximum amount of soil moisture available to plants, since the water which drains off due to gravity is in the root zone too briefly to be absorbed. Prediction: I predict that the Rainforest Soil will have the best water-holding ability however the Inner Zone Mud will hold the least amount of water.. Equipment: * The 6 Saturated Soil samples left over from the last experiment * 6 x 100mL beakers * 6 x plastic spoons or spatulas * Balance accurate to 0.01g * Permanent marker * Drying oven set at no more than 105à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C Procedure: 1. Label each evaporating dish so that later when the saturated soil sample is added it is not confused with the other ones. 2. Weigh each evaporating and record its weight under its appropriate name on the results table. 3. Transfer each soil sample to its appropriately labeled evaporating dish (do not include the filter wool used in the last experiment). 4. Weigh each evaporating dish along with its soil sample. Subtract the weight of the evaporating dish from this weight to find the weight of the Soil + Water. 5. Place the dishes in a drying oven at 100à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C and allow the dish to dry for 24 hours. 6. Allow the evaporating dishes to cool then weigh them. Subtract the weight of the dish from this weight to find the weight of dry soil. 7. Subtract the weight of dry soil away from the weight of the original soil + water to find the weight of water lost. Results: Trinity Beach Stoney Creek Rainforest Clay Outer Zone Mud Middle Zone Mud Inner Zone Mud 1. Mass of Evaporating Dish 49.62 41.62 48.09 43.51 48.22 45.31 2. Mass of Evaporating Dish and Saturated Soil 97.71 78.78 90.31 83.88 82.00 85.29 3. Mass of Saturated Soil (2 1) 48.09 37.16 42.22 40.37 33.78 39.98 4. Mass of Evaporating Dish and Dry Soil (Final Mass) 87.22 63.07 79.09 68.25 70.81 70.87 5. Mass of Dry Soil (4 1) 37.60 21.45 31.00 24.74 22.59 25.56 6. Mass of Water in Soil (3 5) 10.49 15.71 11.22 15.63 11.19 14.42 7. Percent of Water in Soil Mass Of Water (6) Mass Of Saturated Soil (3) 21.81 % 42.28 % 26.58 % 38.72 % 33.13 % 36.07 % Discussion: Field capacity is a measurement of the water-holding ability of individual soils. Soil can only hold so much water and then the rest becomes drain off. This in turn is the maximum amount of water available to the flora growing in that soil. The Stoney Creek Rainforest soil sample contained the most amount of water held in the sample (42.28%). This high percentage means that this particular soil sample holds the most amount of nutrient rich water for flora use. This is highly beneficial for the use of the plant at that time and also for storage of water and nutrients for later. The increased holding ability of the soil means that less water is wasted. The soil with the least holding ability is the Trinity Beach sand (21.81%). The Trinity Beach sand sample is obviously from the beach and this is by a tidal mass of water. These tidal tendencies soak the soil say once a day. The tide is always going to be there so the soil does not need to store as much water. Also it is not capable of storing a lot of water because of its grainy structure instead of finer particles (silt and clay) that can absorb water (Experiment 1). Mangroves need to absorb a lot of water to obtain as much nutrients as possible. Mangrove mud is able to hold a lot of water (33% to 39%) however this water is predominantly saline. The mangroves have evolved to use this nutrient rich water by filtering out the salt. This leaves the plant with fresh water filled with the nutrients. Conclusion: It is necessary for some soils to absorb a lot of water but it is also important to have a certain level of drainage ability. If the soil absorbed ALL of the water then root rot would occur. Also if all of this water was absorbed then the ground beneath our feet would become a sloppy mess unsuitable for walking on. Experiment 4 Capillary Action Of Soil: Aim: To observe the rate at which water is absorbed into different soil samples using a Capillary Action setup (see Diagram). Water is absorbed by soil as the soil contains small spaces where water can be held. Prediction: I predict that the Stoney Creek rainforest will absorb the most amount of water over the designated days and the Inner Mud Zone will absorb the least. Materials; * 2 x Mud samples from different areas of the mangroves (Inner ; Middle Zones) * 3 x Samples of various areas (Beach, Rainforest and Clay Soil) * 5 x 50cm Clear Plastic Tube, approximately 2cm in diameter. * 5 x Clamps and Stands * 5 x bottom half of Petri Dishes * Permanent marker * Filter Wool * Beaker to top up Petri Dishes * Ruler marked with millimeters Note: The Outer Zone mud sample was too hard to insert and pack into a tube so it was not tested. Diagram: Procedure: 1. Loosely plug one end of each plastic tube with filter wool and trim the excess ends. 2. Label each tube and three quarters fill the named tube with the appropriate dried soil. 3. Tap the tubes to settle the soil. 4. Clamp the tubes above a Petri dish so that it is held just off the bottom of the dish. 5. Fill the Petri dish with water and refill it when necessary during the experiment. 6. Measure the height of the water absorbed up the tube at the time intervals shown in Table 4. Results: Monday 21 May Tuesday 22 May Wednesday 23 May Rate of Absorbency (average mm per day) 30 mins 10:00 am 1 hour 10:30 am 2 hours 11:30 am 3 hours 12:30 am 4 hours 1:30 pm 24 hours 9:30 am 48 hours 9:30 am Inner Zone Mud 34 mm 40 mm 52 mm 53 mm 55 mm 105 mm 146 mm 48.7 mm per day Middle Zone Mud 32 mm 33 mm 41 mm 44 mm 45 mm 71 mm 93 mm 31 mm per day Trinity Beach 94 mm 99 mm 114 mm 124 mm 133 mm 184 mm 243 mm 81 mm per day Clay 36 mm 39 mm 52 mm 53 mm 64 mm 107 mm 219 mm 73 mm per day Stoney Creek Rainforest 44 mm 47 mm 54 mm 55 mm 56 mm 120 mm 121 mm 40.3 mm per day Discussion: All soil samples have small gaps between the particles where water is absorbed and stored. All soil samples have their own characteristics and this could account for the individual rates at which they are able to absorb water. The Trinity Beach Soil sample absorbed the most amount of water in 3 days (243mm). This sample has a high percentage of sand grains in its soil. These grains are quite large and because of their irregular shape when packed together they are not completely fitting. This leaves small gaps between the grains where water can be absorbed. The Middle Zone Mud sample absorbed the least amount of water in 3 days (93mm). I do not believe this is an accurate reading because when it came time to fill the plastic tube with the sample it was extremely difficult as the Middle Zone Mud had bonded together. This was due to the clay percentage in the soil. When the soil dried so had the clay and this formed an almost rock like substance. This was also the reason why the Outer Zone Mud sample was not tested. It had also become a solid mass that could not be sieved to obtain the finer particles needed for this experiment. In previous experiments mangrove mud was quite high in the amount of water present in its soil. Also in experiment 2 Soil Permeability the Outer Zone and also the Middle Zone mud drained the fastest and this was due to the fact that they had gaps in between their particles to allow water to flow through. This is similar to the principle used in this experiment so I would assume that had this experiment been done accurately that these two zones would have absorbed close to the highest amounts absorbed over 3 days. Mangroves thrive in these muddy environments and have learnt to avoid the drowning affect that extensive amounts of water often have on plants. Some species of mangrove have evolved to have above ground roots such as stilt roots and aerial roots. When the tide begins to rise in the areas where mud is present (around the coastline) it is quickly absorbed into the mud and held there. This provides nutrients for the mangroves but without the above ground roots they would be dead. This strategy that the mangroves have helps to support my theory that the Outer and Middle Zone mud must be able to absorb water at quite a fast rate even though the reading for Middle Zone mud says otherwise. Conclusion: The ability to absorb a lot of water at a relatively fast rate is important to trap nutrients in the soil. However it is important to balance the soil to water ratio because flooded soil is not what the plants need. Experiment 5 Soil pH: Aim: To observe the individual pH levels of soils. Prediction: I predict that the Middle Zone Mud sample will have the highest acidity (below 7). Trinity Beach on the other hand will have the lowest acidity (higher than 7). Materials: * 3 x Mud samples from different areas of the mangroves (Inner, Middle and Outer Zones) * 3 x Samples of various areas (Beach, Rainforest and Clay Soil) * pH kit * Distilled water * 6 x small beakers * 6 x stirring rods * Permanent marker Procedure: 1. Label each beaker and add the appropriate dried soil to each beaker. Make sure each soil sample is approximately the same. 2. Add approximately the same amount of distilled water to each beaker. 3. Thoroughly stir the beakers to dissolve as much soil as possible. 4. Test each beaker of soil sample with the pH tester and remember to wash the tester with distilled water after every beaker. Results: Soil Sample Ph level Trinity Beach 6.1 Stoney Creek Rainforest 6.7 Clay 5.9 Outer Zone Mud 7.0 Middle Zone Mud 7.2 Inner Zone Mud 8.4 Discussion: Soil pH is an indication of the alkalinity or acidity of soil. A pH meter ranges from 0 to 14 and 7 is the point at which soil is deemed neutral. Some plants tend to thrive in one condition but placed in another death is inevitable. They prefer either one or the other along with many soil organisms that live alongside the flora. The pH of the soil can also affect the availability of nutrients. The table below left shows the different types of nutrients available to flora depending on the pH of the soil. The table at the right shows the scale of pH and how to read this scale. Acid Neutral Alkali 4 4.5 5 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10 nitrogen, N phosphorus, P potassium, K calcium, Ca magnesium, Mg sulphur, S iron, Fe manganese, Mn boron, B copper, Cu zinc, Zn molybdenum, Mo The pH of soil can be affected by decomposing matter, rainfall, fertilisers, and the original materials that the soil was formed from. Soil that is mixed with rocks that have a low pH reading generally have a higher acidity level. The soil that has been mixed with rocks that have a high pH will have a lower acidity level (a basic pH level). When it rains nutrients are leached from the soil by the passing water. This is a good thing as it makes the nutrients available for the plants however it does change the acidity level as these nutrients are being replaced by acidic elements such as aluminium and iron. This is asumed to be the reason why soil formed in rainy conditions is more acidic than that formed in dryer conditions. The decomposition of matter also makes the soil more acidic. The Inner Zone Mud sample had the highest pH reading (8.4). This reading, using the pH scale rates the soil as Moderatly Alkine. The other mud samples are closer to 7 and nutural and this could be due to the fact that the Inner Zone is not as flushed with floodwater and tide as the other Zones and therefore the soil is not subject to changes in acidity in the ways stated above. The soil with the lowest pH reading was the Clay sample (5.9). Using the pH scale this means that the soil is Moderatly acid. I am not too sure of the accuracy of this reading as it does not agree with the facts on pH examined above. A search on the internet comes up with the following results. More often than not, clay soil is alkaline (has a high pH).1 Conclusion: The acidity of the soil is affected by elements of nature such as rainfall, decomposing of matter and rock matter present in the soil. It is also STRONGLY affected by fertilisers washed into the soil from farms and gardens. Experiment 6 Soil Organic Matter (Humus): Aim: To determine the percentage of soil organic matter (Humus) in each soil sample through heating. Prediction: I predict that the rainforest will contain the most amount of Humus and that the clay will contain the least amount of Humus. Materials: * The six dry soil samples form experiment 3 Field Capacity. * 6 x evaporating dishes * 6 x heat mats, tripod, pipe clay triangle and wire gauze * 6 x Bunsen burner * Metal Spatula * Tongs * Balance accurate to 0.01g Diagram: Procedure: 1. Label each evaporating dish and weigh it. Record each weight at its appropriate name on the results table. 2. Add the dry soil samples from experiment 3 to their appropriately labeled dish. 3. Find the Mass of the dry soil present (No 3 on the results table) by subtracting the mass of the Evaporating dish from the mass of the evaporating dish PLUS the dry soil. 4. Set up the 6 sets of Bunsen burner, heat mat, tripod, pipe clay triangle and wire gauze as shown in the diagram. 5. Heat the soil strongly for 15 minutes remembering to turn it often with the spatula during heating. 6. Remove the dishes from the heat and allow them to cool on a heat mat. 7. Weigh them all again and record the weights in the No 4 column. 8. Work out the other weights using (No 5 and No 6) the results table. 9. Work out the Percentages using the formula shown. Results: Trinity Beach Stoney Creek Rainforest Clay Outer Zone Mud Middle Zone Mud Inner Zone Mud 1. Mass of Evaporating Dish 49.62 41.62 48.09 43.51 48.22 45.31 2. Mass of Evaporating Dish and Air-Dry Soil 87.22 63.07 79.09 68.25 70.81 70.87 3. Mass of Air Dry Soil (2 1) 37.60 21.45 31.00 24.74 22.59 25.56 4. Mass of Evaporating Dish and Soil After Strong Heating 86.14 60.83 77.94 66.34 69.67 70.53 5. Mass of Heated Soil (4 1) 36.52 19.21 29.85 22.83 21.45 25.22 6. Mass of Organic Matter (3 5) 1.08 2.24 1.15 1.91 1.14 0.34 7. Percent Of Organic Matter Mass of Organic Matter (6) Mass of Air-Dry Soil (3) 2.87 % 10.44 % 3.71 % 7.72 % 5.07 % 1.33 % Discussion: Organic matter in the soil is debris that has been discarded by other flora and this acts like mulch. It releases nutrients into the soil as the bacteria and fungi decompose it. In soil such as Stoney Creek Rainforest the percentage of Humus is relatively high in comparison to the actual soil (10.44%). This is due to the fact that Rainforests contain a huge number of plants which are constantly depositing dead leaf litter and branches. These are in turn decomposed to form smaller particles that become part of the soil below. These smaller particles also help to create gaps in the soil that can be used to absorb water/nutrients and also to aerate the soil. The Inner Zone Mud sample contained the least amount of Humus (1.33%). This is because not very much can grow in its soil. Some of the smaller species of mangroves do grow their but they do not exceed about 2.5m in height. The Inner Zone is too far away from the tidal area to be able to absorb much water. This leaves this area with limited nutrient supply and also limited water supply. When the soil was collected from this area it was dry and hard to dig up however the mud collected from the Outer Zone was goopy and sticky. These differences are due to the fact that one area gets more water than the other. In the Outer Zone much more flora grows and this in turn creates more leaf litter and debris to be absorbed into the soil. Conclusion: Not only does Humus provide gaps for water to be absorbed into but it also provides extra nutrients for plants. The percentage of Humus depends on the amount of vegetation growing in the soil and also the tendencies for those plants to deposit leaves and other debris. Experiment 7 Identifying Bacteria Growth in Soil Aim: To determine the amount of Bacteria and Fungi growth in different soil samples. To compare the growth against each other to determine which area has the greatest amount of decomposers. Prediction: I predict that the Rainforest sample will have the most amounts of Bacteria and Fungi and that the Inner Zone Mud sample will have the least amount of Bacteria and Fungi. Materials: * Enough Molten Agars to fill 6 Petri Dishes * Distilled water * Permanent Marker * 6 Beakers * Stirring Rods * 6 pipettes * Sticky Tape * 3 x Mud samples from different areas of the mangroves (Inner, Middle and Outer Zones) * 3 x Samples of various areas (Beach, Rainforest and Clay Soil) * Camera * Incubator Diagrams: Diagram 1: Diagram 2: Diagram 3: Procedure: 1. Warm up pre prepared agar until it becomes molten. 2. Whilst the agar is warming take the 6 small beakers and label them. 3. Add 1 teaspoon of dirt to the appropriately named beaker and add 50mL of water to each beaker. 4. Thoroughly mix the dirt in the beaker until as much of it has dissolved as possible. 5. Label 6 sets of Agar plates. 6. For each plate half fill it with agar then add a sample of the appropriate soil sample using a pipette. Put the lid on and firmly sticky tape it shut. 7. Repeat this with the other 5 agar plates. 8. Place all the agar plates in an incubator at 20à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C. Results: Inner Zone Mud sample Middle Zone Mud sample Outer Zone Mud sample Trinity Beach sample Stoney Creek Rainforest sample Clay sample Discussion: It is difficult to see the details in the pictures above but when viewing them naturally it was possible to see that the Beach grew the most Fungi and Bacteria. This was the amount visible in the agar not by separating the colonies into either Fungi or Bacteria. Soil pH affects the suitability for fungi and bacteria growth. The pH of the beach was moderately acidic and this is only slightly below the pH level preferred by most soil bacteria. Fungi, moulds and anaerobic bacteria and tend to multiply in higher numbers the lower the pH level is. This is in accordance with the low pH of the Trinity Beach Sample. Conclusion: Bacteria and fungi growth is predominatly determined by the pH levels of the soil. Summary: Different soil types have individual characteristics which in turn affect the vegetation growth in that particular soil. Below are the results of all of the experiments (excluding Experiment 7). Inner Zone Mud Middle Zone Mud Outer Zone Mud Stoney Creek Rainforest Trinity Beach Sand Clay Soil % Sand 41.46 % 29.73 % 9.80 % Minimal 84.85 % 22.22 % % Silt 31.71 % 24.32 % 56.86 % à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 76.32 % 12.12 % 24.07 % % Clay 26.83 % 45.95 % 33.34 % 23.68 % 3.03 % 53.70 % Time It Takes For 50mL Of Water To Pass Through Saturated Soil Sample 13.56 mins 17.2 mins 23.14 mins 7.54 mins 17.32 mins No Dripping Percent of Water in Soil 36.07 % 33.13 % 38.72 % 42.28 % 21.81 % 26.58 % Average Rate Of Absorbency Per Day Over 3 Days 48.7 mm 31 mm N/A 40.3 mm 81 mm 73 mm pH Of Soil 8.4 7.2 7.0 6.7 6.1 5.9 Percent Of Organic Matter In Soil 1.33 % 5.07 % 7.72 % 10.44 % 2.87 % 3.71 % The Stoney Creek Rainforest is overall the best soil sample. The soil sample has good drainage which avoids root rot and oxygen deprival because of too much water flooding the soil. However the soil sample can also hold a lot of water which is necessary for trapping nutrients in the soil. The pH of the soil is close to neutral which is good for promoting Bacteria and Fungal growth. These Bacteria and Fungi help to decompose the high percentage of Organic Matter present in this soil type. The vegetation in the Stoney Creek Rainforest area where this sample was collected is thriving with lush, tropical plants. This type of vegetation needs a lot of water and the soil provides necessary water holding abilities and absorbency rates to hold this water. The flora growing in this area is prone to shedding leaves and this is accountable for the high percentage of Organic Matter. Rainforest soil is appropriate for most flora growth as it contains high nutrient levels. However the soil drains really fast and if clearing occurs the topsoil is easily washed away. The soil which is least suitable for soil growth is Clay. It does not drain easily however it also absorbs water at a relatively strong rate. This is not a good combination as it leaves the soil open to over saturation and also oxygen depletion. This over saturation causes the soil to become unsuitable for most vegetation growth. Most plants prefer well drained soil. Mangroves have evolved to live in saline environments whose soil is flooded half the day at least. They have evolved to have above ground roots that help the plant to breath. These roots also provide stability for the plants in mud that is soft and often unstable due to the high percentage in water. The Outer Zone Mud sample and the Middle Zone Mud Sample both had relatively neutral pH and this preferable pH level was backed up by the higher percentage in vegetation compared to the Inner Zone Mud sample where less vegetation grew along with less water content. All vegetation growth is affected by the soil environment they are in however some plants have adapted to better suit this difference.

Why Copper Bowls Are Better for Whipping Egg Whites

Why Copper Bowls Are Better for Whipping Egg Whites The bowl you use makes a difference when you are whipping egg whites. Copper bowls produce a yellowish, creamy foam that is harder to overbeat that the foam produced using glass or stainless steel bowls. When you whisk egg whites in a copper bowl, some copper ions migrate from the bowl into the egg whites. The copper ions form a yellow complex with one of the proteins in eggs, conalbumin. The conalbumin-copper complex is more stable than the conalbumin alone, so egg whites whipped in a copper bowl are less likely to denature (unfold). How Does Whisking Change the Eggs? When air is whisked into egg whites, the mechanical action denatures the proteins in the whites. The denatured proteins coagulate, stiffening the foam and stabilizing the air bubbles. If the foam is overbeaten in a non-copper bowl, eventually the proteins become completely denatured and coagulate into clumps. There is no going back from the clumpy mess to nice foamy whites, so overbeaten whites are usually discarded. If a copper bowl is used, then fewer protein molecules are free to denature and coagulate, because some are tied up in conalbumin-copper complexes. In addition to forming complexes with conalbumin, the copper may also react with sulfur-containing groups on other proteins, further stabilizing the egg proteins. Although the iron and zinc found in other metal bowls also form complexes with conalbumin, these complexes dont make the foam more stable. When glass or steel bowls are used, cream of tartar may be added to egg whites to stabilize the whites.

Ipad sales Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ipad sales - Research Paper Example As of today, iPad is still leading the computer tablet market despite the competitor’s effort to unseat iPad. Apple and iPad in particular success can be attributed to a lot of things. Apple in general made itself distinct by making its hardware and software work in synergy that enabled its products and services unequalled by its competitors. The best example that we can show for this is the synergy that its operating system iOS5 that provide synergy among the different product lines of Apple. It powers the iPad, iPod and iPod touch which allows the three products to interact and complement each other. Its new computer operating system Lion also has an Air-drop feature that made sharing of information between Mac computers very convenient. Air-drops peer to peer wi-fi based network made file sharing so easy where it was such a pain before that it can induce consumers to upgrade to Mac to make file sharing easy with other Mac users. And iPad miniaturized all that features in a tablet which the reader can interact through its touch screen and the interest it stirred among its consumer created the computer tablet industry which proved to be profitable. The computer tablet industry in the US continues to grow. By 2015, it is estimated that tablet users will grow from the present users of 26 million to 82.1 million market. To date, it is currently dominated by Apple Inc.’s Ipad 2 cornering around 75 percent of the total market share in September of 2011 leaving leaving only a 25 percent market share for its rivals (Huff Post, 2011). This is currently challenged by Amazon’s Kindle Fire whose recent performance in the market is predicted to dethrone Ipad’s leading position in the market. Ipad however is quick to retaliate by launching its smaller version of iPad called iPad mini which is designed to compete with its close competitors Nexus and Kindle Fire (Arthur, 2012). The newest  iPad's  boast of faster A6X processor that adds extra system speed and graphics power to the tablet which is still unsurpassed by its competitors (Cnet, 2012). Being the pioneer in retina display, iPad also features clear, deep and crisp display which raised the bar in computer screens. Also, the synergy between iPad and Apple’sother product line is not only about the complementary nature of its devices but also its guarantee that Apple devices â€Å"just work†. Unlike its competitors such as Google’s Android which is open to be used by many devices, Apple implemented a strict hardware and software control that guarantees synergy between the device and the software which provided iPad a distinct advantage over its competitors. As a result, Apple’s product lines does not have the vulnerability of Android where it suffers from hardware foibles because the hardware and software does not synergize. Apple may be a little pricey with a retail price of $499 compared to its competitors Nexus which is priced at $199 and Amazon’s Kindle Fire at $299 yet this disparity in price did not became prohibitive for its customers in acquiring the gadget. And most consumers consider now the pricing of Apple products including iPad to be very competitive considering its quality and previous price. This relative competitive price of iPad was made possible by the briliant management of Apple’s supply chain by capitalizing its organizational capability of having huge cash reserves to leverage iPad. It made its supply

Discussions Questions- Managing Diversity Research Paper

Discussions Questions- Managing Diversity - Research Paper Example The evolution of anti-discrimination laws shall be used to elaborate this idea. Factors such as demonstrations, rallies and social uprisings have led the passage of anti-discrimination laws. All those factors require immediate attention from the government. Those acts show the level of concern that the public has given to the issue. For instance, to defend gay rights after the occurrence of Stonewall Uprising in1969, gays executed street rallies and demonstrations for the government to hear their concern (â€Å"Stonewall’). In a way, the alarming rate of incidence of discrimination based on sex, religion, race and national origin in the workplace has also influenced the passage of anti-discrimination laws. For example, the many complaints of racial segregation in schools and racial discrimination in the workplace have made the American congress pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964. With regard to the Equal Pay Act, feminist movements have influenced the government decision to cr eate such law which will prohibit employers from basing the salary rate on sex. Q2- ABC Company has just been notified that the federal government will cut-off funding to the company because it does not have a diverse workforce that is representative of the community where it does business. Its workforce is 75% white men and the other 25% are minorities but only in unskilled positions. The community comprises women, people of color, people with disabilities, and other people who would be considered a minority. The company is given three months to develop a plan to address how it will become diverse, including having minorities in management positions. ABC Company has hired you, a diversity expert, as its consultant to develop the plan. What is your plan for ABC Company? Describe in detail including your rationale for specific actions of the plan. From the facts given, it is obvious that majority of the employees occupying managerial positions in ABC Company are white men while those designated with unskilled positions are minorities. To have a diverse workforce, it would be proper for the company to divide the employee population into 50% men and 50% women. Such division will be representative of both sexes. To include the other minorities in the division, each division will comprise the following: 15% people of color, 15 % men or women, 10% people with disabilities and 10% from the other minorities. This kind of workforce will be the target of the company’s plan. To make this happen, the company must enforce a policy emphasizing non-tolerance of discriminatory hiring and promotion of employees (â€Å"How’). It should also highlight the fact that it would always consider workforce diversity in choosing employees for management and unskilled positions. To instill diversity awareness among the current and future employees of the company, it should organize diversity trainings through seminars and workshops (â€Å"How†). This method is known to promote communication between the diverse groups (â€Å"How†). Moreover, ABC company should expand its hiring potential by joining career expos and job fairs as well as to advertise in local publications (â€Å"How†). Q3- Diversity in the workplace is so wonderful, says Jane who is a graduate student at Cal State University. Paul, another graduate student at Cal State University, rebuts, Diversity in the workplace sucks! What are at least five points that Jane could argue to support her position and what are at