Borneo Reflection
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)?
When we think of getting rid of the organisms that we think are bad for us, it will mess up the ecosystem because each organism weather bad or good depend on each other.
2: How does the story exemplify how humans (in our attempt to fix one thing), cause unforeseeable problems in ecosystems?
Humans cause unforeseeable problems by thinking that they're helping the ecosystem, in fact they are and the results might be good for short term but in the long run it'll cause a negative effect for the ecosystem and nature in general.
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)
Mosquitos and cats die because of a toxin in food web because as mosquitoes and cats because they are one of the first organisms that consume food second hand so they'll get the toxic with low rate of internal degradation of a substance so the organic chemicals they consume will be more concentrate.
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.
In the USA there isn't malaria as far as I know, and to use DDT just in case is just a waste and has only negative and no positive outcomes. In other countries there's malaria even though the death rate and amount is different so if they use it at least it'll have one positive effect preventing malaria.
5: If DDT is still being used around the world, but not in the U.S.- are we still exposed to it? (Discuss).
Yes, because if DDT is being used around the world and the products are imported to U.S so as long we're using those we are still affected to the second hand effects of DDT.
6: Do you think scientists should have sprayed the island with DDT? If not, what should they have done about the Malaria issue?
I don't think scientists should have sprayed the island with DDT because DDT isn't really nature and ecosystem friendly and in my opinion they should have researched a way to control malaria and a way not to harm the ecosystem at the same time.
When we think of getting rid of the organisms that we think are bad for us, it will mess up the ecosystem because each organism weather bad or good depend on each other.
2: How does the story exemplify how humans (in our attempt to fix one thing), cause unforeseeable problems in ecosystems?
Humans cause unforeseeable problems by thinking that they're helping the ecosystem, in fact they are and the results might be good for short term but in the long run it'll cause a negative effect for the ecosystem and nature in general.
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)
Mosquitos and cats die because of a toxin in food web because as mosquitoes and cats because they are one of the first organisms that consume food second hand so they'll get the toxic with low rate of internal degradation of a substance so the organic chemicals they consume will be more concentrate.
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.
In the USA there isn't malaria as far as I know, and to use DDT just in case is just a waste and has only negative and no positive outcomes. In other countries there's malaria even though the death rate and amount is different so if they use it at least it'll have one positive effect preventing malaria.
5: If DDT is still being used around the world, but not in the U.S.- are we still exposed to it? (Discuss).
Yes, because if DDT is being used around the world and the products are imported to U.S so as long we're using those we are still affected to the second hand effects of DDT.
6: Do you think scientists should have sprayed the island with DDT? If not, what should they have done about the Malaria issue?
I don't think scientists should have sprayed the island with DDT because DDT isn't really nature and ecosystem friendly and in my opinion they should have researched a way to control malaria and a way not to harm the ecosystem at the same time.