Energy Pyramid is sometimes referred to as an ecological pyramid or trophic pyramid. It is a graphical representation between various organisms in an ecosystem. The pyramid is composed of several bars. Each bar has a different trophic level to represent. The order of these bars is based on who feeds on whom. It represents the…
Water is arguably the most powerful tool for erosion, thanks to its great ability to move objects from one location to another. So, water erosion is the detachment and transport of soil material by water. This process could be natural or facilitated by human activity. For example, when humans cut down too many trees and…
Nine in every 10 people in the world breathe air that violates World Health Organization guidelines. Inhaling polluted air can cause multiple health problems including respiratory conditions, lung cancer, heart disease and stroke. Air pollution has also been linked to damaging brain development in children, pneumonia, emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Exposure to high levels of…
Mechanical weathering is the process through which large rocks are broken into increasingly smaller pieces. Sometimes referred to as physical weathering, the process normally happens near the Earth’s surface. Can you believe that the tiny sand grains you see at the beach were once part of massive rocks? It involves mechanical processes that disintegrate a rock,…
Sustainable construction is a new approach in the building industry that improves the way people build and live. It is geared towards utilizing resource-efficient and environmentally responsible processes in construction. This ensures lifetime sustainability of the building. In sustainable construction, structures are designed to have a minimal environmental impact during their entire lifespan, while delivering…
Biodiversity, or Biological Diversity, is the sum of all the different species of plants, animals, fungi and microbial organisms that live on Earth, including the various ecosystems in which they live on. Biodiversity also includes the genetic information that these organisms contain. Therefore, on a smaller scale, you can use biodiversity to describe the variation…
Sound energy is the form of energy generated when an object vibrates. Once produced through vibrations, sound energy is transferred in waves through mediums such as air and water before it reaches your ears. There must be a medium through which sound travels, such as water, air, glass, or metal because it cannot travel through…
Phosphorous is a crucial nutrient for plants and animals. For instance, it forms an integral component of genes and also plays a significant role in the Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) energy cycle. Without phosphorous, you wouldn’t be able to contract your muscles. The phosphorus cycle refers to the biogeochemical cycle by which phosphorous moves through the…
In the U.S., 82 percent of cell phones are now smartphones, according to a recent survey of 2,000 respondents by Deloitte. By 2020, it is estimated that there will be 6.1 billion smartphone users worldwide, a usage level of about 70 percent. In the last few years, smartphone penetration has reached 80 to 90 percent…
The biosphere is also known as ecosphere. It is the worldwide sum of all ecosystems, incorporating all life forms and their relationships, which includes their interactions with the elements of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere. Simply put, the biosphere is the space on or near the Earth’s surface where land, air, and water interact with…
All over the world humans have thrown away an excessive amount of stuff that we are running out of landfills. There are no more untouched places left on earth, from Mount Everest to Antarctica and even the oceans, you will find tons of trash. We have totally ruined the places. Every year more than 910,000…
The Earth has four main spheres. Hydrosphere is of them. It is the water component of the Earth. In other words, all of the water found on Earth is known as Hydrosphere. Estimated to be about 361740000 square kilometers, the hydrosphere covers 70.8% of the earth. It encompasses all water bodies, icebergs, as well as…
A food chain contains several trophic levels. These trophic levels separate various types of organisms. A tertiary consumer is a fourth trophic level after producers, primary consumers, and secondary consumers. Tertiary consumers eat primary and secondary consumers as their main source of food. These organisms are sometimes referred to as apex predators as they are…
Secondary consumers occupy the third trophic level in a typical food chain. They are organisms that feed on primary consumers for nutrients and energy. While primary consumers are always herbivores; organisms that only feed on autotrophic plants, secondary consumers can be carnivores or omnivores. Carnivores eat only animals, but omnivores eat both animals and plants….
In an ecological food chain, consumers are classed into primary, secondary, and tertiary consumers. Primary consumers make up the second trophic level as they feed on primary producers. In other words, primary consumers are organisms that take up food directly from plants. Primary consumers are normally herbivores. They are also referred to as heterotrophs as…