THE BORNEEEEEEOOOO STORY
1: How does the story of Borneo exemplify the idea of ecosystems and the interaction of organisms (specifically the importance of all organisms in that ecosystem)?
The story of Borneo tells us that all species within an ecosystem interact with one another. Every specie plays a role in the Trophic level pyramid and the absence or influx of one specie affects another
2: How does the story exemplify how humans (in our attempt to fix one thing), cause unforeseeable problems in ecosystems?
The story exemplifies human interactions because the adding of the DDT cause one specie to die off resulting in a change in the numbers of all other consumer species in the pyramid. In this case, the scientists did not think their decisions.
3: Explain how a toxin in a food web will harm some while killing others- why did the mosquitos and cats die while other things lived? (hint: research bioaccumulation & biomagnification)
A toxin in a food web will harm others because the toxins kill off one specie. The death of one species allows food for the next higher, however the food is toxic, and those toxins spread through out the food web.
4: Explain why you think DDT has been banned in the U.S. but is still in production and used in countries all over the world.
I think the U.S. has banned DDT because the country has acknowledge the risks and consequences of DDT, and can see that it outweighs the risk in the long term
5: If DDT is still being used around the world, but not in the U.S.- are we still exposed to it? (Discuss).
We in fact are still being exposed to DDT as many of our food is imported and brought in from outside countries. Not all of our food is manufactured or grown in the U.S. meaning there would be food from other countries who do use DDT's
6: Do you think scientists should have sprayed the island with DDT? If not, what should they have done about
the Malaria issue?
I believe that the scientists should have not sprayed the island with DDT. The toxin affected the food web too drastically. To combat the Malaria, scientists could destroyed the mosquito breeding grounds preventing Malaria
The story of Borneo tells us that all species within an ecosystem interact with one another. Every specie plays a role in the Trophic level pyramid and the absence or influx of one specie affects another
2: How does the story exemplify how humans (in our attempt to fix one thing), cause unforeseeable problems in ecosystems?
The story exemplifies human interactions because the adding of the DDT cause one specie to die off resulting in a change in the numbers of all other consumer species in the pyramid. In this case, the scientists did not think their decisions.
3: Explain how a toxin in a food web will harm some while killing others- why did the mosquitos and cats die while other things lived? (hint: research bioaccumulation & biomagnification)
A toxin in a food web will harm others because the toxins kill off one specie. The death of one species allows food for the next higher, however the food is toxic, and those toxins spread through out the food web.
4: Explain why you think DDT has been banned in the U.S. but is still in production and used in countries all over the world.
I think the U.S. has banned DDT because the country has acknowledge the risks and consequences of DDT, and can see that it outweighs the risk in the long term
5: If DDT is still being used around the world, but not in the U.S.- are we still exposed to it? (Discuss).
We in fact are still being exposed to DDT as many of our food is imported and brought in from outside countries. Not all of our food is manufactured or grown in the U.S. meaning there would be food from other countries who do use DDT's
6: Do you think scientists should have sprayed the island with DDT? If not, what should they have done about
the Malaria issue?
I believe that the scientists should have not sprayed the island with DDT. The toxin affected the food web too drastically. To combat the Malaria, scientists could destroyed the mosquito breeding grounds preventing Malaria