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Kengo M

FastFacts What's Made From Trees? - 0 views

www.idahoforests.org/makeit1.htm

5lwh

shared by Kengo M on 16 Sep 09 - Cached
  • What's Made From Trees? It's no wonder people have used wood products for centuries. Wood is durable, renewable, recyclable, biodegradable, energy efficient and environmentally friendly. What would your life be like without wood? Things made from trees touch our lives every day. More than 5,000 products come from trees. And there are many uses for wood that may surprise you. Trees not only provide wood and paper, but other less obvious forest products such as chemicals and other materials that are impor- tant ingredients in plastic filler, varnishes, tooth- paste, shoe polish, foam rubber and much, much more. Tree bark is used for mulches, soil conditioners, medicines and cosmetics. Once a log reaches a mill, there is virtually no waste. The entire log is used to produce either lumber, paper, particleboard products or energy. Nationally, forest product companies are one of the most efficient of all manufacturing industries because they use sawdust and other wood waste to furnish up to 75% of their energy needs.   Idaho Forest Products Commission©2005 All rights reserved.
    • Kengo M
      Kengo M on 16 Sep 09
       
      for Q2
  • Kengo M on 16 Sep 09
     
    What made from trees and why
Victoria B

Rainforest Aboriginal Heritage - Our Future(good for my Question) - 0 views

www.wettropics.gov.au/...rah_our_future.html

5lwh

shared by Victoria B on 16 Sep 09 - Cached
    • Victoria B
      Victoria B on 16 Sep 09
       
      important info on rainforest people and their future if we keep destroying their enviro ment
  • Which Way Our Future Aboriginal people are very proud of their indigenous heritage. They want the importance of their culture recognised, respected and protected. To ensure the ongoing survival of their culture, Rainforest Aboriginal people have been negotiating for shared management of their traditional country with government agencies. Rainforest Aboriginal people want to be to be recognised as the traditional land owners of the World Heritage Area with distinct cultures and individual needs. They would like to negotiate plans for their traditional lands and be involved with all aspects of land management decision making, and activities such as tourism and walking tracks planning, fire management, wildlife protection, and on the ground management. Other important goals include ranger training and employment opportunities so that Rainforest Aboriginal people can actively use their customary and contemporary land management knowledge to continue their traditions of managing their country.
  • The identification, ongoing protection and presentatiosn of cultural values is paramount. This includes cultural sites and their traditional knowledge (sometimes referred to as intellectual and cultural property rights) such as food and medicine resources. They want to be able to hunt and gather their traditional foods and other resources, while managing impacts which have the potential to impair these activities through disturbance and habitat destruction. Other important aspirations relate to the future of Rainforest Aboriginal people's communities and their survival into the 21st century. Many Rainforest Aboriginal people want to get more involved in cultural tourism because it means they can present their culture and benefit economically. One of the most heart-felt aspirations Rainforest Aboriginal people have is to get secure title to their traditional lands to ensure the integrity and survival of their cultures.  
  • ...5 more annotations...
  • Caring For Our Country The TAFE Caring For Country Program started in 1990 at the request of North Queensland Aboriginal communities who wanted culturally appropriate ranger training. The Diploma level course runs for four years and is equivalent to tertiary education. Aboriginal rangers have unique skills as they are trained to use both traditional knowledge and contemporary management practices to preserve cultural and natural values. Practical skills taught include such things as map reading, site surveys, animal and plant field skills, visitor facility management, first aid and office management. An ecological component includes vegetation management and feral animal control as well as traditional knowledge. Archaeological and anthropological knowledge and techniques are gained in class as well as on sites in the field.
  • Aboriginal rangers now work for Aboriginal communities and in some government agencies such as the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, looking after rainforest and sea country. Aboriginal rangers are involved in all types of nature conservation and cultural heritage work. They liaise between Elders, Aboriginal community members and government agencies. They build and manage walking tracks for tourists. Rangers carry out surveys on cultural sites and help to manage and protect these sites. They are involved in pest and weed control, and help Government agencies to use controlled fires to maintain the diversity of plants and animals in the World Heritage Area.
  • Rangers also have an important role to play in public education. They visit schools, talk to tourists and the wider community about their work and culture. Cross cultural education and experiences for the wider community and visitors help to promote interracial understanding - an important step towards reconciliation. Aboriginal community rangers are often employed on a part-time basis to work in their communities on land management and cultural heritage protection through funding from the Commonwealth agency, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) and the Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP). CDEP is similar to the mainstream "work for the dole" (unemployment benefits) program in that these schemes also benefit local communities. A difference is, in some cases, that many Aboriginal people may not have other opportunities to find work or be involved in caring for their country. Many young community rangers find it frustrating to be employed only on CDEP after having done four years of training. Employment of more Aboriginal rangers has the potential to greatly increase the integration of traditional management knowledge and techniques to improve overall management of the World Heritage Area, it is a question of resources. With their Elders, Aboriginal rangers are negotiating with government land management agencies for more permanent, full-time positions managing their country in the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area.  
  • t agencies.
  • Victoria B on 16 Sep 09
     
    Which Way Our FutureAboriginal Ranger, Eric Wason and WTMA's Mike Stott discuss a mapping project Aboriginal people are very proud of their indigenous heritage. They want the importance of their culture recognised, respected and protected. To ensure the ongoing survival of their culture, Rainforest Aboriginal people have been negotiating for shared management of their traditional country with government agencies. Rainforest Aboriginal people want to be to be recognised as the traditional land owners of the World Heritage Area with distinct cultures and individual needs. They would like to negotiate plans for their traditional lands and be involved with all aspects of land management decision making, and activities such as tourism and walking tracks planning, fire management, wildlife protection, and on the ground management. Other important goals include ranger training and employment opportunities so that Rainforest Aboriginal people can actively use their customary and contemporary land management knowledge to continue their traditions of managing their country. The identification, ongoing protection and presentatiosn of cultural values is paramount. This includes cultural sites and their traditional knowledge (sometimes referred to as intellectual and cultural property rights) such as food and medicine resources. They want to be able to hunt and gather their traditional foods and other resources, while managing impacts which have the potential to impair these activities through disturbance and habitat destruction. Other important aspirations relate to the future of Rainforest Aboriginal people's communities and their survival into the 21st century. Many Rainforest Aboriginal people want to get more involved in cultural tourism because it means they can present their culture and benefit economically. One of the most heart-felt aspirations Rainforest Aboriginal people have is to get secure title to their traditional lands to ensure the integrity and survival of
Ajay V

Deforestation in the Amazon - 0 views

www.mongabay.com/brazil.html

5RTo

shared by Ajay V on 11 Sep 09 - Cached
  • Hamza Ali H on 11 Sep 09
     
    Home What's New About Contribute Submissions Rainforests Mission Introduction Characteristics Biodiversity The Canopy Forest Floor Forest Waters Indigenous People Deforestation Consequences Saving Rainforests Amazon rainforest Borneo rainforest Congo rainforest Country Profiles Statistics Works Cited For Kids For Teachers Photos/Images Expert Interviews Rainforest News XML Feeds Chinese French Japanese Spanish Other Languages Pictures Books Links Newsletter Education Mongabay Sites Kids' site Travel Tips Tropical Fish Madagascar Contact About this site Providing tropical forest news, statistics, photos, and information, rainforests.mongabay.com is the world's most popular rainforest site. [more] Deforestation in the Amazon DEFORESTATION IN BRAZIL: 60-70 percent of deforestation in the Amazon results from cattle ranches while the rest mostly results from small-scale subsistence agriculture. Despite the widespread press attention, large-scale farming (i.e. soybeans) currently contributes relatively little to total deforestation in the Amazon. Most soybean cultivation takes place outside the rainforest in the neighboring cerrado grassland ecosystem and in areas that have already been cleared. Logging results in forest degradation but rarely direct deforestation. However, studies have showed a close correlation between logging and future clearing for settlement and farming. [Português | Español | Français] Deforestation by state Deforestation Figures for Brazil Year Deforestation [sq mi] Deforestation [sq km] Change [%] 1988 8,127 21,050 1989 6,861 17,770 -16% 1990 5,301 13,730 -23% 1991 4,259 11,030 -20% 1992 5,323 13,786 25% 1993 5,751 14,896 8% 1994 5,751 14,896 0% 1995 11,220 29,059 95% 1996 7,012 18,161 -38% 1997 5,107 13,227 -27% 1998 6,712 17,383 31% 1999 6,664 17,259 -1% 2000 7,037 18,226 6% 2001 7,014 18,165 0% 2002 8,260 2
  • Hamza Ali H on 11 Sep 09
     
    TROPICAL RAINFORESTS: Deforestation in Brazil Click Here Home What's New About Contribute Submissions Rainforests Mission Introduction Characteristics Biodiversity The Canopy Forest Floor Forest Waters Indigenous People Deforestation Consequences Saving Rainforests Amazon rainforest Borneo rainforest Congo rainforest Country Profiles Statistics Works Cited For Kids For Teachers Photos/Images Expert Interviews Rainforest News XML Feeds Chinese French Japanese Spanish Other Languages Pictures Books Links Newsletter Education Mongabay Sites Kids' site Travel Tips Tropical Fish Madagascar Contact About this site Providing tropical forest news, statistics, photos, and information, rainforests.mongabay.com is the world's most popular rainforest site. [more] Deforestation in the Amazon DEFORESTATION IN BRAZIL: 60-70 percent of deforestation in the Amazon results from cattle ranches while the rest mostly results from small-scale subsistence agriculture. Despite the widespread press attention, large-scale farming (i.e. soybeans) currently contributes relatively little to total deforestation in the Amazon. Most soybean cultivation takes place outside the rainforest in the neighboring cerrado grassland ecosystem and in areas that have already been cleared. Logging results in forest degradation but rarely direct deforestation. However, studies have showed a close correlation between logging and future clearing for settlement and farming. [Português | Español | Français] Deforestation by state Deforestation Figures for Brazil Year Deforestation [sq mi] Deforestation [sq km] Change [%] 1988 8,127 21,050 1989 6,861 17,770 -16% 1990 5,301 13,730 -23% 1991 4,259 11,030 -20% 1992 5,323 13,786 25% 1993 5,751 14,896 8% 1994 5,751 14,896 0% 1995 11,220 29,059 95% 1996 7,012 18,161 -38% 1997 5,107 13,227 -27% 1998 6,712 17,383 31% 1999 6,664
Shaian R

Rainforest Animals - 0 views

www.savetherainforest.org/savetherainforest_003.htm

5LWh

shared by Shaian R on 16 Sep 09 - Cached
  • Many animals wake up to full activity in the night and can be seen and heard throughout the rainforests if you are walking through at night. Bats generally fly far around the rainforests at night searching for food.
  • Monkeys and Apes can be found on various continents. Monkeys live in Asia, Africa and South America. Gorillas and chimps live in Africa, and orangutans and gibbons live in Southeast Asia.
  • Many animals wake up to full activity in the night and can be seen and heard throughout the rainforests if you are walking through at night. Bats generally fly far around the rainforests at night searching for food.
  • ...8 more annotations...
  • Monkeys and Apes can be found on various continents. Monkeys live in Asia, Africa and South America. Gorillas and chimps live in Africa, and orangutans and gibbons live in Southeast Asia.
  • This monkey is a white-faced capuchin monkey. When you stand quiet for a few minutes in the rainforest, you will certainly hear monkey "talk." Monkeys call to each other to keep in contact with their groups or to warn strangers away.
  • Monkeys and Apes can be found on various continents. Monkeys live in Asia, Africa and South America. Gorillas and chimps live in Africa, and orangutans and gibbons live in Southeast Asia.
  • Many animals wake up to full activity in the night and can be seen and heard throughout the rainforests if you are walking through at night. Bats generally fly far around the rainforests at night searching for food.
  • Many animals wake up to full activity in the night and can be seen and heard throughout the rainforests if you are walking through at night. Bats generally fly far around the rainforests at night searching for food
  • Other animals are not very active at night, like this Mastigodryas melanomus, that is found asleep at night.
  • Red-eyed tree frogs (Agalychnis callidryas) They normally stay high in their forest canopy homes of Mexico, Honduras, and Panama, only coming down during the evenings of the rainy season to mate.
  • Iguanas are mainly found in the New World, although there are a few species in Madagascar and Fiji. Iguanas are found in many different habitats, and the green iguana is common in Central and South America - it is often eaten by local people, and tastes rather like chicken!
Katie Day

The British Library: Words for time travellers - 0 views

www.bl.uk/...timewords.html

G5_voices english_language literature anglo-saxons

shared by Katie Day on 02 Mar 10 - Cached
  • Become a language time traveller, travelling back in time to explore the history of the English language.Having looked at the Language timeline  and the Written word timeline, try out these activities and learn how our language has been changing constantly over past centuries.  Anglo-Saxon word play   Beowulf - page 1  
Hugues M

Land mine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - 1 views

en.wikipedia.org/Land_mine

landmine history use wikipedia 5msa

shared by Hugues M on 03 Nov 09 - Cached
  • Hugues M on 03 Nov 09
     
    "A land mine is a target (person or vehicle) triggered explosive weapon . Their non-explosive predecessors (caltrops, stakes and spikes) have been used on the battlefield since ancient times. Landmines were designed to be used to deter, channel, delay and kill an enemy. They have been used in various formats, for centuries and have featured in all major conflicts. Land mines are force multipliers , meaning that they may increase the efficiency of a force without requiring more personnel. The name originates from the practice of mining , where tunnels were dug under enemy fortifications or forces. These tunnels ("mines") were first collapsed to destroy fortifications above, and later filled with explosives and detonated. Land mines generally refer to devices specifically manufactured for this purpose, as distinguished from improvised explosive devices ("IEDs"). The use of land mines is controversial because they are indiscriminate weapons, harming soldier and civilian alike. They remain dangerous after the conflict in which they were deployed has ended, killing and injuring civilians and rendering land impassable and unusable for decades. To make matters worse, many factions have not kept accurate records (or any at all) of the exact locations of their minefields, making removal efforts painstakingly slow. These facts pose serious difficulties in many developing nations where the presence of mines hampers resettlement, agriculture, and tourism. The International Campaign to Ban Landmines campaigned successfully to prohibit their use, culminating in the 1997 Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction, known informally as the Ottawa Treaty . As of 2007, a total of 158 nations have agreed to the treaty. Thirty-seven countries have not agreed to the ban, including China , India , Israel , Pakistan
Jean Luc L

People of the Amazon Rainforest - 0 views

www.tigerhomes.org/...people-amazon-rainforest.cfm

5RTo biomes rainforest people

shared by Jean Luc L on 07 Sep 09 - Cached
    • Zoe P
      Zoe P on 16 Sep 09
       
      There are many people in the rainforest the main tribes are the Huli the Pygmies Yanomami who are protected by the government. They often have diffrent belifes as it is very rare to find same tribe in another place. Many tribes have not yet been out of the depths of our world and are totaly disconeccted but they now that there are others out there. But because of deforesttation the tribes will soon be in contact with our world and forget there ways of living.
  • Of these varying Amer-Indian people living in the Amazon Rainforest, one of the largest groups is the Yanomami.  “Yano” translates to “communal house”.  Their village life is centered around the “yano”, or communal house.  The “yano” is a large, circular shelter constructed of vine and leaf thatch, which has a living space in the middle.   Village activity revolves around the main house which has multiple living quarters built in the center.  
  • Emily S on 10 Sep 09
     
    u
  • ...2 more comments...
  • Emily S on 10 Sep 09
     
    At one time almost 10 million native Indians occupied the lands of the South America Rainforest. At the time when Western and European explorers and conquistadors invaded the land in search of untold riches, there were less than one million indigenous people, today there are less than 250,000 indigenous natives. As the Rainforest dies, so does the heritage of the land and sadly so do the people of the Rainforest. The remarkable human diversity here has over 215 ethnic groups speaking 170 different languages in an area composing 190 million acres of land - roughly twice the size of California. 188 million acres of this land remains inside the Brazilian Amazon, in the states of Acre, Amapa, Amazonas, Maranhao, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia, Roraima, and Tocantins. Of these varying Amer-Indian people living in the Amazon Rainforest, one of the largest groups is the Yanomami. "Yano" translates to "communal house". Their village life is centered around the "yano", or communal house. The "yano" is a large, circular shelter constructed of vine and leaf thatch, which has a living space in the middle. Village activity revolves around the main house which has multiple living quarters built in the center. Pygmy Tribes, include Baka and Mbuti Pygmies, like the Bushmen of the Kalahari in Africa, are some of the last remaining "hunter-gatherers". Totally self-sufficient, these many Amazonian Indian Tribes have called the Amazon Rainforest home for centuries now. The Huli Indian Tribe are one of many who make their home in the remote highland forests of Papua New Guinea. In their culture, men and women live in large groups in separate quarters. The people of the Amazon are highly intelligent, even though many have never seen any modern technology. They live by the earth and the sea and have developed an extreme affinity with nature. Their ritual ceremonies and beliefs in their lives are often governed by nature. They look between the l
  • Mahi N on 14 Sep 09
     
    A bit long but interesting
  • Victoria B on 14 Sep 09
     
    descriyion
  • Zoe P on 16 Sep 09
     
    descriyion
Connor R

Slash and burn - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - 0 views

en.wikipedia.org/...Slash_and_burn

cool

shared by Connor R on 10 Sep 09 - Cached
  • Slash and burn consists of cutting and burning of forests or woodlands to create fields for agriculture or pasture for livestock, or for a variety of other purposes. It is sometimes part of shifting cultivation agriculture, and of transhumance livestock herding. Historically, the practice of slash and burn has been widely practiced throughout most of the world, in grasslands as well as woodlands, and known by many names. In temperate regions, such as Europe and North America, the practice has been mostly abandoned over the past few centuries. Today the term is mainly associated with tropical rain forests. Slash and burn techniques are used by between 200 and 500 million people worldwide.[1] Older English terms for slash and burn include assarting, swidden, and fire-fallow cultivation. Slash and burn is a specific functional element of certain farming practices, often shifting cultivation systems. In some cases such as parts of Madagascar, slash and burn may have no cyclical aspects (e.g., some slash and burn activities can render soils incapable of further yields for generations), or may be practiced on its own as a single cycle farming activity with no follow on cropping cycle. Shifting cultivation normally implies the existence of a cropping cycle component, whereas slash-and-burn actions may or may not be followed by cropping.
  • Connor R on 10 Sep 09
     
    cool
Kavya D

The CAUSES of RAINFOREST DESTRUCTION - 0 views

www.rainforestinfo.org.au/...causes.htm

5RTo

shared by Kavya D on 23 Sep 09 - Cached
  • The creation of national parks has undoubtedly helped to protect rainforests. Yet, as national parks are open to the public, tourism is damaging some of these areas. Often, national parks are advertised to tourists before adequate management plans have been developed and implemented. Inadequate funding is allocated for preservation of forests by government departments. Governments see tourism as an easy way to make money, and therefore tourism is encouraged whilst strict management strategies are given far less government support. Ecotourism, or environmentally friendly tourism, should educate the tourists to be environmentally aware. It should also be of low impact to its environment. Unfortunately, many companies and resorts who advertise themselves as eco-tourist establishments are in fact exploiting the environment for profit. In Cape Tribulation, Australia, for example, the rainforest is being threatened by excessive tourism. Clearing for roads and pollution of waterways are two of the major problems in this area. The Wet Tropics Management Authority which oversees the surrounding World Heritage Area is promoting tourism to the area before any management plans have been formulated, before any effective waste management strategy has been devised and before any ecofriendly power alternatives have been fully explored. Solutions: The rights of indigenous forest dwellers and others who depend on intact forests must be upheld. In instances where there are campaigns opposing specific tourist developments, they should be supported. Genuine ecotourism should be preferred to other tourist enterprises.
    • Kavya D
      Kavya D on 23 Sep 09
       
      How tourism affects the rainforests.
  • Kavya D on 23 Sep 09
     
    According to Professor Norman Myers, one of the foremost authorities on rates of deforestation in tropical forests, "the annual destruction rate seems set to accelerate yet further, and could well double in another decade" (Myers 1992). As Myers points out, "we still have half of all tropical forests that ever existed". The struggle to save the world's rainforests continues, and there is a growing worldwide concern about the issue. In order to save rainforests, we need to know why they are being destroyed. Nobody knows exactly how much of the world's rainforests have already been destroyed and continue to be razed each year. Data is often imprecise and subject to differing interpretations. However, it is obvious that the area of tropical rainforest is diminishing and the rate of tropical rainforest destruction is escalating worldwide, despite increased environmental activism and awareness. A 1992 study by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) placed the global rate of tropical deforestation at 17 million ha. per year. A study by the World Resources Institute (WRI) suggests that the figure could be as high as 20.4 million ha. per year. 1. Immediate Causes The immediate causes of rainforest destruction are clear. The main causes of total clearance are agriculture and in drier areas, fuelwood collection. The main cause of forest degradation is logging. Mining, industrial development and large dams also have a serious impact. Tourism is becoming a larger threat to the forests. 1.1 Logging Commercial logging companies cut down mature trees that have been selected for their timber. The timber trade defends itself by saying that this method of 'selective' logging ensures that the forest regrows naturally and in time, is once again ready for their 'safe' logging practices (WWF). In most cases, this is untrue due to the nature of rainforests and of logging practices. Large areas of rainforest are destroyed in order to remove only a few logs. The heavy mac
Ajay V

Rainforest Facts - 2 views

www.rain-tree.com/facts.htm

5RTo

shared by Ajay V on 09 Sep 09 - Cached
  • It is estimated that nearly half of the world's estimated 10 million species of plants, animals, and microorganisms will be destroyed or severely threatened over the next quarter-century due to rainforest deforestation.
    • Marius S
      Marius S on 09 Sep 09
       
      Wow!
  • Commercial logging is the single largest cause of rainforest destruction, both directly and indirectly. Other activities destroying the rainforest, including clearing land for grazing animals and subsistence farming. The simple fact is that people are destroying the Amazon rainforest and the rest of the rainforests of the world because "they can't see the forest for the trees."
    • Gurupranav G
      Gurupranav G on 25 Sep 09
       
      Useful if you are looking at the destruction of rainforests.
  • When a medicine man dies without passing his arts on to the next generation, the tribe and the world loses thousands of years of irreplaceable knowledge about medicinal plants.
    • Marius S
      Marius S on 09 Sep 09
       
      Linked to a paragraph below...
  • ...19 more annotations...
  • Rainforests once covered 14% of the earth's land surface
    • Gurupranav G
      Gurupranav G on 25 Sep 09
       
      gurusQ4. Useful- Destruction of rainforests.
  • Most rainforests are cleared by chainsaws, bulldozers and fires for its timber value and then are followed by farming and ranching operations, even by world giants like Mitsubishi Corporation, Georgia Pacific, Texaco and Unocal.
    • Gurupranav G
      Gurupranav G on 25 Sep 09
       
      gurusQ4. Useful. Destruction of rainforests.
  • There were an estimated ten million Indians living in the Amazonian Rainforest five centuries ago. Today there are less than 200,000.
    • Audrey C
      Audrey C on 05 Oct 09
       
      Why though?
  • At least 3000 fruits are found in the rainforests; of these only 200 are now in use in the Western World.
    • Antonio D
      Antonio D on 23 Sep 09
       
      We should stop this!
  • The beauty, majesty, and timelessness of a primary rainforest are indescribable. It is impossible to capture on film, to describe in words, or to explain to those who have never had the awe-inspiring experience of standing in the heart of a primary rainforest.
  • Each time a rainforest medicine man dies, it is as if a library has burned down.
    • Chloe W
      Chloe W on 22 Sep 09
       
      I can't believe they have that much knowledge!
  • At least 80% of the developed world's diet originated in the tropical rainforest. Its bountiful gifts to the world include fruits like avocados, coconuts, figs, oranges, lemons, grapefruit, bananas, guavas, pineapples, mangos and tomatoes; vegetables including corn, potatoes, rice, winter squash and yams; spices like black pepper, cayenne, chocolate, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, sugar cane, tumeric, coffee and vanilla and nuts including Brazil nuts and cashews.
    • Chloe W
      Chloe W on 22 Sep 09
       
      WOW! It may not be the most unique foods and plants, but it is interesting that most of our things come from rainforests!
    • Chloe W
      Chloe W on 22 Sep 09
       
      Hopefully, this will come in handy for my central idea.
  • Two drugs obtained from a rainforest plant known as the Madagascar periwinkle, now extinct in the wild due to deforestation of the Madagascar rainforest, have increased the chances of survival for children with leukemia from 20 percent to 80 percent. Think about it: eight out of ten children are now saved, rather than eight of ten children dying from leukemia. How many children have been spared and how many more will continue to be spared because of this single rainforest plant? What if we had failed to discover this one important plant among millions before human activities had led to its extinction? When our remaining rainforests are gone, the rare plants and animals will be lost forever-and so will the possible cures for diseases like cancer they can provide.
    • Marius S
      Marius S on 05 Oct 09
       
      Because of deforestation, all this has happened!
  • Rainforests have evolved over millions of years to turn into the incredibly complex environments they are today. Rainforests represent a store of living and breathing renewable natural resources that for eons, by virtue of their richness in both animal and plant species, have contributed a wealth of resources for the survival and well-being of humankind. These resources have included basic food supplies, clothing, shelter, fuel, spices, industrial raw materials, and medicine for all those who have lived in the majesty of the forest. However, the inner dynamics of a tropical rainforest is an intricate and fragile system. Everything is so interdependent that upsetting one part can lead to unknown damage or even destruction of the whole. Sadly, it has taken only a century of human intervention to destroy what nature designed to last forever. The scale of human pressures on ecosystems everywhere has increased enormously in the last few decades. Since 1980 the global economy has tripled in size and the world population has increased by 30 percent. Consumption of everything on the planet has risen- at a cost to our ecosystems. In 2001, The World Resources Institute estimated that the demand for rice, wheat, and corn is expected to grow by 40% by 2020, increasing irrigation water demands by 50% or more. They further reported that the demand for wood could double by the year 2050; unfortunately, it is still the tropical forests of the world that supply the bulk of the world's demand for wood.
    • Yen Yu C
      Yen Yu C on 23 Sep 09
       
      rainforest could be gone if the wood suplies keeps going up like this!
  • In 1950, about 15 percent of the Earth's land surface was covered by rainforest. Today, more than half has already gone up in smoke. In fewer than fifty years, more than half of the world's tropical rainforests have fallen victim to fire and the chain saw, and the rate of destruction is still accelerating. Unbelievably, more than 200,000 acres of rainforest are burned every day. That is more than 150 acres lost every minute of every day, and 78 million acres lost every year! More than 20 percent of the Amazon rainforest is already gone, and much more is severely threatened as the destruction continues. It is estimated that the Amazon alone is vanishing at a rate of 20,000 square miles a year. If nothing is done to curb this trend, the entire Amazon could well be gone within fifty years. Massive deforestation brings with it many ugly consequences-air and water pollution, soil erosion, malaria epidemics, the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, the eviction and decimation of indigenous Indian tribes, and the loss of biodiversity through extinction of plants and animals. Fewer rainforests mean less rain, less oxygen for us to breathe, and an increased threat from global warming.
    • Yen Yu C
      Yen Yu C on 23 Sep 09
       
      that is just scary but it is something we must know inorder for someone to solve the problem someday...i guess
  • But who is really to blame? Consider what we industrialized Americans have done to our own homeland. We converted 90 percent of North America's virgin forests into firewood, shingles, furniture, railroad ties, and paper. Other industrialized countries have done no better. Malaysia, Indonesia, Brazil, and other tropical countries with rainforests are often branded as "environmental villains" of the world, mainly because of their reported levels of destruction of their rainforests. But despite the levels of deforestation, up to 60 percent of their territory is still covered by natural tropical forests. In fact, today, much of the pressures on their remaining rainforests comes from servicing the needs and markets for wood products in industrialized countries that have already depleted their own natural resources. Industrial countries would not be buying rainforest hardwoods and timber had we not cut down our own trees long ago, nor would poachers in the Amazon jungle be slaughtering jaguar, ocelot, caiman, and otter if we did not provide lucrative markets for their skins in Berlin, Paris, and Tokyo.
    • Yen Yu C
      Yen Yu C on 23 Sep 09
       
      why really is to blame??i think it's every human that lives in a house and have wonerful furnitures . I think even me.....us....
    • Yen Yu C
      Yen Yu C on 23 Sep 09
       
      good for some of my questions.....
  • More than half of the world's estimated 10 million species of plants, animals and insects live in the tropical rainforests. One-fifth of the world's fresh water is in the Amazon Basin.
    • Gurupranav G
      Gurupranav G on 25 Sep 09
       
      Useful for my Q1, Q3
  • It is estimated that a single hectare (2.47 acres) of Amazon rainforest contains about 900 tons of living plants, including more than 750 types of trees and 1500 other plants.
    • Gurupranav G
      Gurupranav G on 25 Sep 09
       
      Useful if you are loking at the biodiversity of a rainforest.
  • Destruction of our rainforests is not only causing the extinction of plant and animal species, it is also wiping out indigenous peoples who live in the rainforest.
    • Gurupranav G
      Gurupranav G on 25 Sep 09
       
      Useful for my Q4
  • he problem and the solution of the destruction of the rainforest are both economic. Governments need money to service their debts, squatters and settlers need money to feed their families, and companies need to make profits. The simple fact is that the rainforest is being destroyed for the income and profits it yields, however fleeting. Money still makes the world go around . . . even in South America and even in the rainforest. But this also means that if landowners, governments, and those living in the rainforest today were given a viable economic reason not to destroy the rainforest, it could and would be saved. And this viable economic alternative does exist, and it is working today. Many organizations have demonstrated that if the medicinal plants, fruits, nuts, oils, and other resources like rubber, chocolate, and chicle (used to make chewing gums) are harvested sustainably, rainforest land has much more economic value today and more long-term income and profits for the future than if just timber is harvested or burned down for cattle or farming operations. In fact, the latest statistics prove that rainforest land converted to cattle operations yields the landowner $60 per acre; if timber is harvested, the land is worth $400 per acre. However, if medicinal plants, fruits, nuts, rubber, chocolate, and other renewable and sustainable resources are harvested, the land will yield the landowner $2,400 per acre. This value provides an income not only today, but year after year - for generations. These sustainable resources - not the trees - are the true wealth of the rainforest.
    • Gurupranav G
      Gurupranav G on 25 Sep 09
       
      Useful for my Q4. Tells you the basic reason why rainforests are being destroyed.
    • Marius S
      Marius S on 05 Oct 09
       
      That's interesting...
  • More than 20 percent of the world oxygen is produced in the Amazon Rainforest.
  • And while 25% of Western pharmaceuticals are derived from rainforest ingredients, less than 1% of these tropical trees and plants have been tested by scientists.
  • Rajkumar R on 10 Sep 09
     
    Its good
  • ...4 more comments...
  • Rajkumar R on 10 Sep 09
     
    At least 3000 fruits are found in the rainforests; of these only 200 are now in use in the Western World
  • Rajkumar R on 10 Sep 09
     
    Its intersting, and I never knew that!
  • Aditi P on 10 Sep 09
     
    Loads of inforamation... really good!
  • Katie Day on 14 Sep 09
     
    a commercial website that has a page of rainforest facts aimed at students doing reports
  • Antonio D on 23 Sep 09
     
    At least 3000 fruits are found in the rainforests; of these only 200 are now in use in the Western World
  • Audrey C on 05 Oct 09
     
    At least 3000 fruits are found in the rainforests; of these only 200 are now in use in the Western World
Katie Day

British Library: Beowulf - 0 views

www.bl.uk/...beowulf.html

G5_voices english_language literature anglo-saxons beowulf

shared by Katie Day on 02 Mar 10 - Cached
  • This is the only known manuscript of Beowulf, and dates from c.1000. However, the poem is much older than this manuscript - some historians believe it might date right back to c.750.
  • Katie Day on 02 Mar 10
     
    Enlarged image of Beowulf manuscript along with activities for students to explore the language of the poem and how English has changed -- includes an audio clip of someone reading the original text
Katie Day

Simple Machines - 0 views

atlantis.coe.uh.edu/...finalhome.htm

G5_machines physics simple_machines

shared by Katie Day on 05 Dec 09 - Cached
  • Katie Day on 05 Dec 09
     
    "Purpose: The purpose of this web site is to teach elementary students about the six simple machines. Each of the machine pages below contain information and activities for the students to use. Teachers may use the links at the bottom for ideas, resources, and lesson plans. Enjoy! About this site... What is a simple machine?"
Kengo M

Amazon Rainforest Products - 0 views

www.amazon-rainforest.org/amazon-products.html

rainforest 5LWH fruit

shared by Kengo M on 05 Oct 09 - Cached
  • •  Natural rubber (or latex): used to make many rubber products from electronic components to condoms. Rubber was responsible for the first economic cycle of development in the Amazon rainforest. Natural rubber is extracted from tall trees called "Seringueiras" and still today is a major activity for many families. •  Brazil-nut: the nut is actually a seed. The Brazil-nut is one of the biggest nuts of the world and is exported all over the planet. Local populations use this nutritious seed to make all sort of food and condiments; •  Guarana: is a small berry-like fruit that is very sweet and juicy. You can taste it in natural refreshments anywhere in Brazil , they are also used to make sodas. Brazilians are very fond of their guarana sodas and it's something they usually miss when living outside Brazil . Because of that you can find it in any city that has a Brazilian community like Miami , New York or Paris. People use Guarana to stay awake and active in parties and raves, since guarana has an effect similar to caffeine without the problems related to it. Nowadays some companies sell Guarana as a weigh loss substance, although its value for weight loss has not been proven.
    • Kengo M
      Kengo M on 05 Oct 09
       
      for Q1
  • Kengo M on 05 Oct 09
     
    This is about rainforest products mainly fruits.
Kengo M

The desert biome - 0 views

www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/...deserts.php

5RTo desert biomes

shared by Kengo M on 02 Sep 09 - Cached
  • Desert biomes can be classified according to several characteristics. There are four major types of deserts: Hot and dry Semiarid Coastal Cold
    • Kengo M
      Kengo M on 15 Sep 09
       
      4 major types of deserts
  • Deserts cover about one fifth of the Earth's surface and occur where rainfall is less than 50 cm/year.
  • The animals include small nocturnal (active at night) carnivores. The dominant animals are burrowers and kangaroo rats. There are also insects, arachnids, reptiles and birds. The animals stay inactive in protected hideaways during the hot day and come out to forage at dusk, dawn or at night, when the desert is cooler.
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • Although most deserts, such as the Sahara of North Africa and the deserts of the southwestern U.S., Mexico, and Australia, occur at low latitudes, another kind of desert, cold deserts, occur in the basin and range area of Utah and Nevada and in parts of western Asia. Most deserts have a considerable amount of specialized vegetation, as well as specialized vertebrate and invertebrate animals. Soils often have abundant nutrients because they need only water to become very productive and have little or no organic matter. Disturbances are common in the form of occasional fires or cold weather, and sudden, infrequent, but intense rains that cause flooding.
  • Hot and dry desertThe four major North American deserts of this type are the Chihuahuan, Sonoran, Mojave and Great Basin. Others outside the U.S. include the Southern Asian realm, Neotropical (South and Central America), Ethiopian (Africa) and Australian. The seasons are generally warm throughout the year and very hot in the summer. The winters usually bring little rainfall.
  • pstudent 1 on 02 Sep 09
     
    Desert biomes can be classified according to several characteristics. There are four major types of deserts: * Hot and dry * Semiarid * Coastal * Cold
  • Kengo M on 15 Sep 09
     
    There 4 types of desets. To find out go hear
Marius S

Tropical Rainforest- Trivia & Facts on Saving - 0 views

www.globio.org/...article.aspx

5LWh Rainforest Trivia

shared by Marius S on 07 Sep 09 - Cached
Jean Luc L liked it
  • Today, we know that the soil of the tropical rainforests is thin and very low in nutrients. Decomposers like leaf-cutter ants, termites, bacteria, and fungi quickly turn falling leaves and dead organisms into nutrients. Plants take up these nutrients the moment they are available, so they don’t get a chance to enrich the soil. Keeping Tropical Rainforests Healthy Conservation of tropical rainforests should be easy. They have survived for millions of years. The trick to keeping them healthy is to not take too much too fast. This gives the rainforests time to recover from human activities like logging. But many countries that have tropical rainforests are poor. They can make money by cutting down and developing the rainforests. But uncontrolled development results in deforestation
    • Marius S
      Marius S on 07 Sep 09
       
      About the rainforest cycle. (First Paragraph)
  • Rainforests have 170,000 of the world's 400,000 known plant species. The United States has 81 species of frogs, while Madagascar (which is smaller than Texas) may have 300 species. Europe has 321 butterfly species, while Manu National Park in the tropical rainforest of Peru has 1,300 species! The world’s only species of flying snake and lizard live in the Borneo rainforest. The largest catfish in the world lives in a tropical rainforest river in Vietnam. It weighs over 300 kg. About one-quarter of all the medicines we use come from rainforest plants. Curare comes from a tropical vine. It is used as an anesthetic and to relax muscles during heart surgery. Quinine, from the cinchona tree, is used to treat malaria. A person with leukemia has a 99% chance that the disease will go into remission because of the rosy periwinkle. More than 1,400 varieties of tropical plants might be potential cures for cancer.
  • Some traditional rainforest cultures still live in the forests. They travel as a group to collect and hunt food. As rainforests are destroyed, so are the homes of these interesting and amazing people.
    • Marius S
      Marius S on 09 Sep 09
       
      Interesting facts on rainforest people.
  • ...7 more annotations...
  • More than half the species on Earth are found in tropical rainforests. Many species living in these forests have never before been seen or studied by scientists. Most of these unknown species are insects, like moths.
  • Tropical rainforests are wet nearly all the time. They get lots of rain all year long, but they also help make rain through evaporation. Tropical rainforests help regulate weather all over the world.
  • Tropical rainforests are found in a narrow region around the equator that is known as the tropics. The climate is rainy and the temperatures are warm and nearly the same every day. The sun and the rain combine to create an environment that is very humid. This climate is ideal for the growth of many kinds of green plants.
  • Many different frog species live in the canopy of the rainforest. Most spend their entire lives in the canopy. They lay their eggs in little pools of water held in leaves instead of in ponds or streams.
  • Tropical rainforest plants have many adaptations for living in the forest. Some collect all their water from the air. For this reason, many of them have very large leaves. Others have flexible stems that allow them to bend and follow the sunlight so they can carry out photosynthesis all day.
  • which is part of a conservation effort known as ecotourism. People also are trying to help wildlife survive by creating protected areas and rehabilitation centers.
  • Decomposers like leaf-cutter ants, termites, bacteria, and fungi live on the forest floor. These decomposers quickly turn fallen leaves and dead organisms into nutrients. This creates food for trees and other plants and animals.
    • Marius S
      Marius S on 22 Sep 09
       
      Decomposers
Marius S

Saving the Rainforest - 0 views

www.rainforestfoundationuk.org/Saving_the_Rainforest

5LWh Saving the Rainforest

shared by Marius S on 07 Sep 09 - Cached
  • So what can you do to help the rainforest? 1) Choose wood carefully Make sure that your home and school do not buy wood that comes from rainforests, such as mahogany, ivoko, sapele, vamin and rosewood. Ask the salesperson where the wood came from. You can check in the 'Good Wood Guide' published by Friends of the Earth. 2) Spread the word! You can show the rest of your school what you have learned about the rainforests by making a display! Colour in the rainforest sheets that you can download here, or you can draw pictures and write your own stories about the people and animals who live in the rainforest. 3) Protect an Acre By raising money you can help protect an acre of rainforest. For a £25 donation you will receive a certificate to display in your classroom and an information pack on the area of land that you have helped to protect. To read more about the Protect an Acre scheme, click here.
Marius S

Rainforests - 0 views

striweb.si.edu/...save_them.html

5lwh

shared by Marius S on 16 Sep 09 - Cached
Marius S liked it
  • What We Can Do To Save Them Learn and Share Information The first step toward saving the rainforests is to learn about them. Through reading we can explore the wonders of the rainforests without ever visiting them. Once we learn about them we need to share our knowledge with others. Letters to our congressional representatives can influence those in power and encourage discussion on the rainforest. And by talking to friends about the rainforests another person can become active in saving the them. Join Groups We can join a conservation group. The group can tell us what needs to be done to save the rainforests and how we can help. Or we can volunteer with the local zoo, nature center, botanical garden, or museum. We can learn a lot from the professionals that work there. Begin at Home Our own homes provide many chances to help save the rainforests. We can recycle all reusable materials. We can learn to use products made from rainforests in a thoughtful way. And we can protect living things in our own backyard. The plants and animals there also need protection. Ask Questions We can protect illegal trade of animals and plants from the wild by asking questions. We need to ask store owners if the plants and animals they sell were taken from the wild. Unless we ask questions, illegal trade will continue. Illegal trade leads to endangered species and extinction. Think Globally And we can encourage our local or national conservation organizations to help save the rainforests. It is necessary for all of us to be aware of and help with saving the rainforests. Although the rainforests cover on ly a small area of the world, far away from many of our homes, they have an effect on all of us.
    • Kengo M
      Kengo M on 16 Sep 09
       
      Can use for central Idea
    • Marius S
      Marius S on 16 Sep 09
       
      Paragraph 3 (Q2) Paragraph 5 (Q1/3)
  • Kengo M on 16 Sep 09
     
    HOW TO SAVE THE RAIN FORESTS
  • Marius S on 16 Sep 09
     
    HOW TO SAVE THE RAIN FORESTS
  • Marius S on 16 Sep 09
     
    Great site!
Marius S

Rainforest Conservation Efforts - 0 views

rainforests.mongabay.com/1001.htm

5LWh Conservation

shared by Marius S on 16 Sep 09 - Cached
  • rainforests continue to be destroyed at a pace exceeding 80,000 acres (32,000 hectares) per day.
    • Marius S
      Marius S on 16 Sep 09
       
      Q3
  • World rainforest cover now stands at around 2.5 million square miles (6 million square kilometers), an area about the size of the contiguous 48 United States or Australia and representing around 5 percent of the world's land surface. Much of this remaining area has been impacted by human activities and no longer retains its full original biodiversity
    • Marius S
      Marius S on 16 Sep 09
       
      Q1/3
  • Marius S on 16 Sep 09
     
    Great site on what is happening to the rainforest.
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