Giant Panda Facts

Giant Panda Facts Giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) are bears that are well known for their distinct black-and-white coloration. They have black fur on their limbs, ears, and shoulders. Their face, belly, and the middle of their back is white and they have black fur around their eyes. The reason for this unusual color pattern is not fully understood, although some scientists have suggested it provides camouflage in the dappled, shady environments of the forests in which they live. Fast Facts: Giant Pandas Scientific Name: Ailuropoda melanoleucaCommon Names: Giant pandaBasic Animal Group: MammalSize: 2–3 feet tall at the shoulder when on four legs, about 5-feet tall standing erectWeight: 150–300 poundsLifespan: 20  years (in the wild)Diet: OmnivoreHabitat: Broadleaf and mixed forests, where bamboo is present, in southeast China  Population: About 1,600Conservation Status:  Vulnerable Description Giant pandas have a body shape and build that is typical of most bears and are roughly the size of an American black bear. They have a distinctive black-and-white coat with black fur covering their ears, arms and legs, and part of their chest and back. The rest of their fur is white. Giant pandas molars are very broad and flat, which helps the animals crush the bamboo shoots, leaves, and stems  that  they eat. They also have an enlarged wrist bone that functions as an opposable thumb, which helps them grasp the bamboo. Giant pandas do not hibernate and are the rarest species in the bear family. Habitat and Range Giant pandas inhabit the broadleaf and mixed forests where bamboo is present, in southeast China.  They usually communicate using calls or scent marks. Giant pandas have a sophisticated sense of smell and they use scent marking to recognize and define their territories. Diet and Behavior Giant pandas are highly specialized in terms of their diet. Bamboo accounts for over 99 percent of the giant pandas diet, though they sometimes hunt for pikas and other small rodents. Since bamboo is a poor source of nutrition, the bears must make up for this by consuming vast amounts of the plant. Another strategy they use to compensate for their bamboo diet is to conserve their energy by remaining within a small area. To consume sufficient bamboo to provide all the energy they need, it takes giant pandas as long as  10 and 12 hours of feeding every day. Giant pandas have powerful jaws and their molar teeth are large and flat, a structure that makes them well suited for grinding up the fibrous bamboo they eat. Pandas feed while sitting upright, a posture that enables them to grab onto bamboo steams. The digestive system of a giant panda is inefficient and lacks the adaptations that many other herbivorous mammals possess. Much of the bamboo they eat passes through their system and is expelled as waste. Giant pandas obtain most of the water they need from the bamboo they eat. To supplement this water intake, they also drink out of streams that are common in their forest habitat. Reproduction and Offspring The giant panda mating season is between March and May and young are usually born in August or September. Giant pandas are reluctant to breed in captivity. Young giant pandas are born quite helpless. Their eyes remain closed for the first eight weeks of their life. For the next nine months, the cubs nurse from their mother and they are weaned at one year. They still require a long period of maternal care after weaning, and for this reason, remain with their mother for a one-and-a-half to three years, as they mature. yesfoto/Getty Images Conservation Status Giant pandas are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. There are only about 1,600 giant pandas that remain in the wild. Most captive pandas are kept in China. Classification Debate The classification of giant pandas was once a subject of intense debate. At one time they were thought to be of a close relation to raccoons, but molecular studies have revealed they belong within the bear family. Giant pandas diverged from other bears early in the familys evolution. Sources â€Å"Giant Panda.†Ã‚  WWF.â€Å"Giant Panda.†Ã‚  National Geographic, 21 Sept. 2018.â€Å"The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.†Ã‚  IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Causes of stress and its solution

The circumstances that cause stress are called stressors. Stressors vary in severity and duration .For example the responsibility of caring for a sick parent may be an ongoing source of major stress , whereas getting stuck in a traffic jam mat cause mild short term stress .Some events such as death of a loved one are stressful for everyone .But in other situations ,individuals may respond differently to the same event. Stressors can be classified into 3 general categories: 1)catastrophic stress 2)Major life changes 3)Daily hassles In addition simply thinking about unpleasant past events or anticipating unpleasant future events can cause stress for many people. 1)Catastrophe: Is a sudden , often, life threatening calamity or disaster that pushes people to do outer limits of their coping capability example earthquakes ,tornadoes ,fires ,floods and hurricanes as well as wars ,torture ,automobile accidents , violent physical attacks and sexual assaults . They often continue to affect the individuals mental health long after the event has taken place. 2)Major life changes: The most stressful events for adults involve major life changes such as death of a spouse ,family member ,divorce , imprisonment ,loosing ones job and major personal disability or illness . The most stressful events for adolescents are death ,imprisonment or divorce of parents ,personal disability or illness .Getting married is a positive experience but planning the wedding ,deciding whom to invite ,and dealing with family  members may be stressful for the couples. 3)Daily hassles: Much of the stress in our lives results from having to deal with daily hassles pertaining to our jobs ,personal relationships and everyday living circumstance .Many people experience the same hassles everyday example living in a noisy neighbourhood ,commuting with heavy traffic ,disliking ones fellow workers ,worrying about money , waiting in a long line and misplacing or losing things .When taken individually , this hassles may feel like minor irritants , but cumulatively , they can cause significant stress . Studies have found that one’s exposure to daily hassles is actually more predictive of illness than is exposure to major life events . SOLUTIONS TO STRESS 1)coping with stress: Coping with stress means using thoughts and actions to deal with stressful situations and lower our stress levels. People who cope well with stress tend to believe that the can personally influence what happens to them .The usually make more positive statements about themselves ,resist frustration ,remain optimistic and persevere even under extremely adverse circumstances. People who cope poorly with stress tend to have somewhat opposite personality characteristic such as low self esteem and a pessimistic outlook on life. Coping strategies: Psychologists distinguish 2 broad types of coping strategies: a)Problem focused coping b)Emotional focused coping The goal of both strategies is to control ones stress level. In problem focused coping people try to short circuit negative emotions by taking some actions to modify ,minimize or avoid the threatening situation . In emotional focused coping people try to directly moderate or eliminate unpleasant situations. Problem focused coping is the most effective coping strategy. 2)Social support: Social support from friends ,family members and others who care for us goes a long way in helping us to get by in times of trouble. Social support system provides us with emotional sustenance ,tangible resource ,aid and information when we are in need .People with social support feel cared about and valued by others and feel a sense of belonging to a larger social network. 3)Bio feedback: Bio feedback is a technique by which people learn voluntary control of stress related physiological response such as skin temperature ,muscle tension ,blood pressure and heart rate .Normally people cannot control these responses voluntarily .Individuals learn to be sensitive to subtle changes inside their body that affect the response system being measured. 4)Relaxation: There are 2 types of relaxation A)Progressive muscular relaxation B)Relaxation We should learn to relax our body. 5)Aerobic exercise: Aerobic exercise such as running , walking ,biking and skiing can help keep stress level down because the increase the endurance of the heart and lungs ,an aerobically fit individual will have a lower heart rate at rest and lower blood pressure ,less reactivity to stressors and quicker recovery from stressors.

Landscape Rehabilitation - China Clay Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Landscape Rehabilitation - China Clay - Essay Example Legal Requirements, Commitments and Funding Sources 15 3.1 Legal Requirements 15 3.2 Proposed Commitments 15 3.3 Possible Funding Sources 16 4. Environmental Rehabilitation Process and Its 17 4.1 Proposed Landscape Rehabilitation and Habitat Creation 17 4.1.1 Lay-out of Proposed Sites 24 4.2 Proposed Visitor Pathway Sites in Rehabilitated Lands 24 4.2.1 Lay-out of Proposed Visitor Pathway Sites 25 5. Adopting Conservation Strategies with Anthropogenic Benefits in Rehabilitated Sites 26 5.1 Application of Ecological Principles in Landscape Design 26 5.2 Impartation of Environmental Awareness and Appreciation to Visitors 26 5.3 Balancing Conservation Objectives with Human Use 26 6. Post Rehabilitation Phase Monitoring and Management 28 6.1 Faunal Population and Habitat 28 6.2 Flora / Vegetation Monitoring 28 7. References 29 1. Introduction and Methodology 1.1 Project Context Since the discovery of china clay deposits in Cornwall in 1746 by William Cookworthy, tons of china clay has be en extracted thereby massively growing the kaolin industry (China Clay Mining 2012). During the recent years, the use of china clay has majorly evolved from ceramics to paper, with some by-products such as paint, rubber, plastics, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, cork and agricultural products (China Clay Mining 2012). ... observed in some of the old conical tips but the new terraced tips seemed to adapt well likely because of the non-native grass seed mix that had been applied in the area (Landscape Rehabilitation 2012). The southern end of Cornwall china clay extraction area is where the Blackpool tip and pit site is located (see Figures 1,2). It is proximal to St Austell and Wheal Martyn china clay museum. This vast property is owned by Imerys, renowned as the world’s leading company in china clay extraction (Landscape Rehabilitation 2012). Figure 1. Map of Cornwall, United Kingdom (Google Earth 2012) Figure 2. City Map of St Austell and Blackpool China Clay Pit, Cornwall, UK (Cornwall Highstreet2 2012) Figure 3. Picture Map of St Austell and Blackpool China Clay Pit, Cornwall, UK (Google Earth 2012) Recently towards the end of November 2007, Imerys has stopped using the Blackpool working area and have instead affirmed its intention for Blackpool to be restored into a productive landscape like a traditional Cornish landscape. Imerys became interested in working with the local council for this land rehabilitation project, in favour of the local community and potential visitors. This decision made by Imerys posed significant benefits to the local residents especially the 200 workers who had lost their jobs when the china clay extraction operations ceased. Therefore, in response to Imerys’ interest for a land rehabilitation project in Blackpool China Clay Site, Landscape Architecture Consultancy dispatched a group of surveyors to conduct a preliminary assessment of the target area last April 2011. The objective was to provide a status report on Blackpool china clay pit to enable the completion of this proposal to do environmental rehabilitation in the study site. This report

MOD 3 CA ACC Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

MOD 3 CA ACC - Essay Example The Chief Financial Officer of the company, Lester Ledger, feels that the product lacks the aesthetic appeal and suggests repackaging them in designer bottles. This will increase the variable cost per unit by $ 4.75 and the fixed production costs will increase by $ 40,000 per year. He predicts that the sales volume will increase by 32 % (264,000 units). However, the increase in sales does not outdo the increased costs and the company will incur a loss of $ 1.334 million (as shown in Appendix 2). According to the Production Manager, Buster Bumble, the reduction in the standard size of the bottle by 10 % would drop the variable costs by $ 2.65 (amounts to $ 13.35 per unit). However, due to the reduced size, the sales will drop to $ 195,500 units. Though the contribution margin is considerably increased, the company still incurs a loss of $ 549,425 (as shown in Appendix 3). The marketing manager suggests that the product requires more promotion and an increase of marketing budget by $ 527,000 will be appropriate. This, combined with a price increase by $4.90 per unit will increase the sales volume by 17 % (234,000 units). The contribution margin is considerably increased as both the sales volume and the unit prices are higher than before. The increase in the contribution margin is significantly higher than that of the fixed costs and hence results in a profit of $ 129,600 (Appendix 4). It is evident from the above analysis that the first three proposals still result in a heavy loss for The Lovely Scent Perfume Company. The proposal made by the marketing manager indicates an estimated profit of $ 129,600. Hence it is recommended that the company should increase the marketing budget (by $ 527,000) and also increase the price by $ 4.90 per

Buying Favor: Why Congress Depends on Funding From Special Interests Es

There is a problem with Congress. The previous sentence summarizes the collective sentiment of the general public concerning the legislative branch of the federal government. A 2010 Gallop poll revealed that over eighty-nine percent of Americans have no confidence in Congress (Lessig 2). It is theorized that Congress is so far out of favor because it has been unable to resolve the nation’s most important issues, such as Medicare, Medicaid, immigration reform, and the growing budget deficit, due to seemingly trivial reasons. Some theorize this lack of significant legislative action is due to growing partisanship between the system’s dominate political parties, the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. According to Mark Brewer, â€Å"Politicians†¦are more likely to support their party and oppose the other party today than any other time since the 1950s (219).† Another hypothesis explaining the lack of legislative action by Congress is the special in terest theory. According to the theory’s advocates, the Congress has not accomplished much because of the institution’s dependency on large-scale campaign contributions; and these donors would rather there be little regulation or regulations supporting their specific industry. To support this hypothesis, Harvard University law professor Lawrence Lessig authored Republic, Lost: How Money Corrupts Congress–and a Plan to Stop It in 2011. The book details the effect of campaign funding by special interests and its effect on congressmembers and government policies. Within Republic, Lost, Lessig attempts to draw interest to the issue he believes is the reason for the federal government’s inactivity: dependence corruption. He argues congressmembers have become unresponsive to the will ... ...ed States Trade Representative. â€Å"Statement by U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk on Congressional Passage of Trade Agreements, Trade Adjustment Assistance and Key Preference Programs.† Web. 4 May 2012. . â€Å"Public Support for Increased Trade, Except With South Korea and China.† 9 Nov. 2010. Pew Research Center. Web. 4 May 2012. Tea Party Platform. â€Å"Ten Core Beliefs of the Modern-Day Tea Party Movement.† 2011. Teapartyplatform.com. Web. 4 May 2012. . United States Bureau of the Census. â€Å"Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2010.† By Thom File and Sarah Crissy. May 2010. Census Bureau. Web. 4 May 2012. .

Influential African American Leaders

In the years following Reconstruction, many African Americans rose to the challenge of bringing rights and equality to blacks. Booker T. Washington, W. E. B. DuBois, and Ida Wells-Barnett are Just of few examples of the outstanding influential African American leaders that had an impact on the people, time period, and history. Booker T. Washington did what seemed like the impossible for blacks; he founded the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. It was there that the former slave trained uneducated African American students in a trade that would help them achieve conomic freedom and experience the same equality as whites.To achieve this freedom and equality, he taught that if blacks excelled in fields like teaching, agriculture, and manual labor trades (blue collar fields), then eventually they would be treated as the equals they strived to be. Even though the Institute became an important center for technical education in the South, many blacks found his philosophies and teachings controv ersial. While those blacks wanted to integrate and become a bigger part of society, Washington saw no problem with segregation. One f his most famous doings is his Atlanta speech given 1895.In support of his campaign for segregation, he said during the speech, â€Å"In all things that are purely social, we (whites and blacks) can be as separate as the fingers, yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress. † As always there as two sides to everything, and Mr. W. E. B. DuBois was the exact opposite of Washington. W. E. B. DuBois was the very first black Ph. D. graduate from Harvard University. DuBois was one of those African Americans that found Washington's philosophies and teachings controversial, and he disagreed with him n many things.Offended by the ideas that Booker T. expressed in his Atlanta speech, DuBois saw Washington as someone that only wanted to please the white community and population. In response to Washington's Atlanta speech, DuBois delivere d the â€Å"Atlanta Compromise. † Within this speech he argued about how the acceptation of segregation and settling for achievement would not get the African American community anywhere. He thought that blacks should go after occupations in humanities and managerial/professional (white collar) fields.It was his thoughts hat blacks must be politically, legally, and socially active in order to achieve equality. DuBois helped organize a group of black intellectuals known as the Niagara Movement; it was their goal to outline an agenda for African American progress in the US. In 1909, he was also an important part of the founding of the NAACP, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; they also devoted themselves to the progress of African Americans. Ida Wells-Barnett, an African American woman, led campaigns against the Ku Klux Klan and for the women's movement.As the KKK terrorized southern blacks, Ida led a ampaign against the lynchings that made many of the unaware northerners aware of the situations occurring in the southern states. As for the women's movement, her active role gained even more notoriety when she refused to march at the end of suffrage parades Just because she black. She, along with others, helped DuBois form the NAACP. These Atrican Americans tougnt tor the rights that they telt they were granted by the Bill of Rights and the amendments added afterwards. It was because of the efforts of these three men and women, African Americans and women now have the rights that they do.

Classism in The Grapes of Wrath Movie Essay example

In the year of 1939, the Great Depression affected the lives of many located within the United States. This was a severe, and most widespread depression which affected people across the world. For the reason that there was a fall of the stock market, a drought ravaged the agricultural heartland. Those who were dependent on their farmland to provide for their families became imposed by coercion to retreat and re-locate their entire families. This migration was a struggle during this period because the lack of resources and money to survive. Among other elements, starvation and homelessness caused many to die at an early age. John Steinbecks, The Grapes of Wrath, exhibits the Joads, a family who undergoes the collapse of the agrarian†¦show more content†¦However, as time develops and the migration continues her exterior begins to slightly crack as she realizes she cannot fully keep her sorrows to herself. As she is not a full advocate of solitude, the unity of her famil y is important and keeps her moving forward. The father of the family, Pa Joad, is a character that is naturally god and thoughtful. The hardship of the trip as a whole and attempting to remain the head of the family affects him, and causes him to become emotionally drained. However, he began as the strong leader collaborating the big move for the entire family, upon leaving several shelters Mama Joad informed him that he is beginning to loose his responsibility to support the family. For the reason that Pa Joad gradually breaksdown continues to remind the family that hardships are not the only way to build character. Tom Joad, becomes friends with a very important person throughout the uprooting process and learns that a human being can have a little effect on the world if they do not bond together as a whole. The hardships faced with, cause Tom to follow this teaching and come to the realization that he cannot continue to be a silent witness to the injustices in the world. This experience, and from meeting friends who share the same beliefs ultimately caused him to become an advocate and join union organizers. The strength that is portrayed from the individuals who choose to remain together showed Tom another side of life, and that he will