Whaling In Us Compared To Japan

Did you know that in the last 50 years over two million whales have been killed? The United States views whaling very differently than Japan does. It is a complicated and controversial topic. Many people have opinions about whale hunting. However, everyone should know both sides of the whale hunting issues before they act on the issue. To start out I am going to tell you a little about whaling. The first whale hunters were in the prehistoric times. At first they would just kill and eat beached whales. That became such a habit that they started hunting them. Most whale hunters use harpoons, guns, lances, or bombs that blow up inside the whale. They use catcher boats, or kayaks. In 1925, whalers developed factory ships that could hold 12 catcher boats and a crew of about 400. These ships had radar under the boat that could detect where the whales were. These boats are what made it so easy to hunt whales. In 1931, the International Whaling Convention began. The major whaling countries formed the IWC to protect whales from being over hunted and to regulate the whaling industries. The main duty of the IWC is to keep under review and revise the measures laid down in the Schedule to Convention, which governs the conduct of whaling throughout the world. These measures provide for the protection of certain species; designate specified areas as whale sanctuaries; set limits on the numbers and size of whales which can be taken; have open and closed seasons and areas for whaling; and prohibit the capture of female whales accompanied by calves. The United States stopped whale hunting in 1940 because of the International Whaling Convention and also because Congress made an U.S. code on whale hunting. The United States never depended on whale meat like Japan. They mostly whale hunted for a hobby. The Congress feels that whales are a unique resource of great scientific interest to mankind and are a vital part of the marine ecosystem. Man has overexploited whales for many years, highly reducing species and endangering others. The United States has extended its responsibilities to protect all marine animals. They think that whales are a particular interest to citizens of the United States. Japan started whaling way back in the 2nd Century BC. They whale because they have whale meat as part of their diet. In 1946, whale meat was not considered special food anymore but was necessary to keep the Japanese healthy and alive because they depended on it for so long. People ate whale meat as a source of protein whether they liked it or not. In 1947, about 47% of the total animal protein was whale meat. Until the 1960's, whale meat continued to be their main source of protein. In 1962, the whaling industry recorded 226,000 tons of whale meat; this was the highest amount throughout the history of the Japanese whaling. The percentage of whale meat consumption compared to the total animal meat consumption was 23% in 1964. (whalenet 1) Whale meat was the only meat served in school lunches, which began in 1947 and continued until the mid-1950. After that, pork and chicken began to be served in school lunches and the amount of whale meat decreased. In the mid-1970's, whale meat was used more than any other meat and today it still is but has reduced highly since then. In the United States there is an Indian Tribe that is still whaling. This Tribe is called the Makah Indians. They are from the western state of Washington. They are allowed to hunt because the IWC believes that whaling has been in their tradition for so long that it is all right. Whaling has been a tradition of the Makah for more than 2000 years. They had to stop in the 1920’s due to there not being many gray whales still alive. The gray whales’ abundance now makes it possible for them to hunt again. One Makah Indian says, “I feel that our health problems result, in some degree, to the loss of our traditional diet of seafood and sea mammal meat. We would like to restore the meat of the whale to our diet.” (Whalenet 1) And another one said in an interview, “ Whaling and whales have remained central to our culture. They are in our songs, our dances, our designs, and our basketry. Our social structure is based on traditional whaling families. The conduct of a whale hunt requires rituals and ceremonies, which are deeply spiritual. Whale hunting imposes a purpose and a discipline which we believe will benefit our entire community.” (Makah 1) Many of them also believe that a problem with their young people is from the lack of discipline and pride. They believe that the restoration of whaling will help to restore that discipline and pride. Not like Japan, they are only legally permitted to take up to five whales per year. They can only if there is a traditional subsistence or cultural need for the whale in the community. So it is possible that as little as one whale per year will suffice. Also they can only hunt the Eastern Pacific or California Gray whales, because there are a lot of that kind of whale. What do you think is in store for the future of whales? Many larger kinds of whales face an uncertain future. Whalers have killed so many different species and most of them are threatened with extinction. Do you think that Japan should continue having whale meat as their diet and kill whales, or do you think that the U.S is correct for stopping? Well you can think what you feel is right. I hope that you learned as much as I have about the differences and likes on Whaling in the United States compared to Japan.


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Whales

Blue Whales The Blue whale is the largest creature of the sea; in fact, it’s the largest creature known to man. Contrary to what most people think, even though Blue whales live in the sea, they are mammals. They breathe air, have their babies born alive, and can live anywhere from 30 to 70 years. The Blue whale is a baleen whale, and instead of having teeth, Blue whales have around 300-400 baleen plates in their mouths. Baleen are rows of coarse, bristle-like fibers used to strain plankton from the water. Baleen is made of keratin, the same material as our fingernails. The Blue whale is called a “rorqual”, a Norwegian word for “furrow” referring to the pleated grooves running from its chin to its naval. The pleated throat grooves allow the Blue whale’s throat to expand during the huge intake of water during filter feeding; they can “hold 1,000 tons or more of food and water when fully expanded” (Small 1971). They average about 50-70 throat grooves. Blue whales grow up to about 80 feet (25m) long on average, weighing about 120 tons. The females are generally larger than the males, this is the case for all baleen whales. “The largest specimen found was a female 94 feet (29m) long weighing more than 174 tons” (Satchell 1998). The head of the Blue whale forms up to a quarter of the total body length. Compared with other rorquals, the head is very broad. The blue whale heart is also large, the size of a small car and can pump almost 10 tons of blood throughout the body. They also have a very small, falcate (sickle-shaped) dorsal fin that is located near the fluke, or tail. Blue whales have long, thin flippers 8 feet (2.4m) long and flukes that are 25feet (7.6m) wide. The blue whale’s skin is usually blue-gray with white-gray spots. The underbelly has brown, yellow, or gray specks. During the winter, in cold waters, diatoms stick to the underbelly, giving it a yellow to silver- to sulfur-colored sheen; giving the blue whale its nick-name of “sulfur bottoms”. Other names include Sibbald’s Rorqual and Great Northern Rorqual. Blue whales (like all baleen whales) are seasonal feeders and carnivores that filter feed tiny crustaceans (krill, copepods, etc), plankton, and small fish from the water. Krill, or shrimp-like euphasiids are no longer than 3 inches. It is amazing that the world’s largest animals feed on the smallest marine life. Blue whales are gulpers, filter feeders that alternatively swim, then gulp a mouthful of plankton or fish. “An average-sized blue whale will eat 2,000-9,000 pounds (900- 4100kg) of plankton each day during the summer feeding season in cold, arctic waters (120 days)” (Hasley 1984). The blue whale has twin blowholes with exceptionally large fleshy splashguards to the front and sides. It has about 320 pairs of black baleen plates with dark gray bristles in the blue whale’s jaws. These plates can be 35-39 inches (90cm-1m) long, 21 inches (53cm) wide, and weigh 200 pounds (90kg). The tongue weighs 4 tons. Blue whales live individually or in very small pods (groups). They frequently swim in pairs. When the whale comes to the surface of the water, it takes a large breath of air. Then it dives back into the water, going to a depth of 350 feet (105m). Diving is also the way in which whales catch most of their food. Whales can stay under water for up to two hours without coming to the surface for more air. Blue whales breath air at the surface of the water through 2 blowholes located near the top of the head. “ They breathe about 1-4 times per minute at rest, and 5-12 times per minute after a deep dive” (Hasley 1984) Their blow is a single stream that rises 40-50 feet (12-15m) above the surface of the water. They are also very fast swimmers; they normally swim 3-20 mph, but can go up to 24-30mph in bursts when in danger. Feeding speeds are slower, usually about 1-4mph. The whales emit very loud, highly structured, repetitive low-frequency sounds that can travel form many miles underwater. They are probably the loudest animals alive, louder than a jet engine. These songs may be used for locating large masses of krill (tiny crustaceans that they eat) and for communicating with other blue whales. Blue whales typically are found in the open ocean and live at the surface. They are found in all the oceans of the world. The majority of Blue whales live in the Southern Hemisphere. The sub-species found in the Southern Hemisphere are the balaenoptera musculus. The smaller populations inhabit the North Atlantic and North Pacific. These Northern Hemisphere Blue whales are the balaenoptera brevicauda. They migrate long distances between low latitude winter mating grounds and high latitude summer feeding grounds. They are often seen in parts of California, Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez), Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada and the northern Indian Ocean. Blue whale breeding occurs mostly in the winter to early spring while near the surface and in warm waters. “The gestation period is about 11-12 months and the calf is born tail first (this is normal for cetaceans) and near the surface in warm, shallow waters” (Hasley 1984). The newborn instinctively swims to the surface within 10 seconds for its first breath; it is helped by its mother, using her flippers. Within 30 minutes of its birth the baby whale can swim. The newborn calf is about 25 feet (7.6m) long and weighs 6-8 tons. Twins are extremely rare (about 1% of births); there is almost always one calf. The baby is nurtured with its mother’s fat-laden milk (it is about 40-50% fat) and is weaned in about 7-8 months. A calf may drink 50 gallons of mother’s milk and gain up to 9 pounds an hour or 200 pounds a day. The mother and calf may stay together for a year or longer, when the calf is about 45 feet (13m) long. Blue whales reach maturity at 10-15 years. They also have a life expectancy of 35-40 years. However, there are many factors that limit the life span of the Blue whale. Packs of killer whales (orcas) have been known to attack and kill young blue whales or calves. Man also hunted blue whales until the International Whaling Commission declared them to be a protected species in 1966 because of a huge decrease in their population. The Blue whale was too swift and powerful for the 19th century whalers to hunt, but with the arrival of harpoon canons, they became a much sought after species for their large amounts of blubber. They were also hunted years ago for their baleen, which was used to make brushes and corsets. But it was their size and high yield of oil that made them the target of choice for modern commercial whalers. Before mans intervention there were 228,000 Blue whales swimming the oceans of the world. “Between 1904 and 1978, whalers scoured the seas for this huge cetacean, most were taken in the Southern Hemisphere, many illegally” (Satchell 1998). As the population figure suggests, it was relentlessly slaughtered for every reason imaginable, almost to the point of extinction. Another reason why Blue whales are almost extinct is pollution. Most of their illnesses are contracted by pollution. It is estimated that there are about 10,000-14,000 blue whales world-wide. Blue whales are an endangered species. They have been protected worldwide by international law, since 1967. The blue whale was listed as endangered throughout its range on June 2, 1970 under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Conservation Act of 1969. They are not to be hunted by anyone for any reason at all. Suggestions are that some populations may never recover. Bibliography-1998 Making Sense of the Songs Whales Sing. Natural Wild Life.Volume 36, Number 8. Hasley, W. 1984. -Collier’s Encyclopedia. P.F. Coillier, Inc. New York, NY. -Mulvaney, K. 1998. A Canny Way with Whalers. New Scientist. Volume 157, Number 2118. -Satchell, M. 1998.A Whale of a Protest: Animal-Rights Activists Hope to Keep an Indian Tribe from Bringing Home the Blubber. -US News and World Review. Volume 125, Number 13. Small, G. 1971. -The Blue Whale. New York Columbia University Press. New York, NY. Zimmer, C. 1998.


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Veterinary Shadow Day

When I first arrived “Lisa” The girl that I shadowed told me that there was an emergency with one of the animals. It ended up that a one-year-old beagle ate an entire thing of metabolite, and then slowly started to die. The liver had shut down, and the heart rate was up to 300. Lisa told me that taking a thing of metabolite was like taking 50 cups of coffee at once. The owners of the beagle were there and bowling. The beagle’s name was Murry. Murry's body slowly was shutting down one thing after another. The owners made the decision the dog was going to be put to sleep. We got the dog ready to be taken out. They undid all the cords from the dog so they could take it to another room. I said goodbye to the dog, and then they took it into the other room so that the owners could be there when they put him to sleep. After that happened they then had to put a sleep a little hedgehog that had cancer on its mouth. We then did two regular checkups with one cat and with one dog. Those when great. After that we had a dog come in and it ended up having an affection that might end up killing it. I never heard the end result. The last thing that I did there was that a black lab had been bitten by another dog, and that dog ripped a hole in the neck of the black lab. The doctors had to perform surgery on the dog to close up the holes in the neck. They first had to clean it out with qutips. And blood stated to come out right then I was a little dizzy and I thought I was going to faint. But thank god I didn’t. I saw a cat get dental work on it. And a cat get a bath and they had to blow dry it and brush the hair while it was a sleep. I thought that the work place environment was very clean and very professional. On my pictures on the poster it shows you that they even had a place for dogs to go in and a separate place for cats to go in they also have different waiting rooms for each of them. I could easily be able to work in a place that is that clean, and so organized. I learned multiple things there from chemicals how much they need how much they use math and science, to there organization skills, and there abillity to be able to communicate with the animals and be able to not cry ever time they have to put them to sleep. The things that they do hardly relate to what I’m doing in school right now, because I’m not that smart yet. But in science we are learning about different chemicals together and how they make a reaction. Also I’m learning how to keep everything nice and organized, so I know where everything that I need is. I observed many behaviors that they showed that would be important in a lot of jobs. One of those are there communication skills. To be able to work with many different people under the type of stress that they can be in is hard. That aplies to a lot of jobs because a lot of different jobs make you work under a lot of stress with many different people at the same time. There are countless skills that you take on with you to college or even work. Kindness, cleanness, organization, and most of all people skills with out that you not be able to handle being in a job with other people. Being a veterinarian is something that I have always even since I was a little girl have wanted to be. I have always loved animals expesialy dogs. I love to take care of them to train them, and most of all to make them feel better. This is exactly what a veterinarian does every day. Nothing was really bad about the job shadow. It was a great experience and I had a lot of fun. But one thing is the animals dying a dog and a hedgehog. It was really sad to see the owners crying, but to become a veterinarian you have to get used to being around animals dying , and putting them to sleep often. The thing that I liked the most was being able to help them out when they need. Even if it was just holding the dog or cat down. I loved being in one of the al fits and being able to interact with the doctors and help out the animals even though I’m under age. I still more then ever want to be a veterinarian being with the animals and on the site just built up my hopes of becoming one even more. I cant wait till I go to college and study about this. This dream of becoming a veterinarian I don’t think will ever pass I want it way to much. The most important thing that I learned would have to be that you need to be able to handle yourself in front of patients that are in tears because of there animal. And that you need to be the steady one not the one that is falling a part because you just put an animal to sleep


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The Plains Zebra

The Plains Zebra Deep ebony, blinding cream, these are the colors of the zebra. The zebra is one unique animal. Zebras are one of the marvelous animals in Africa. About the size of a small horse, these amazing animals are about 50-53 inches in height. When a male zebra grows up, he can weigh up to 520 pounds! It's a good thing that the female zebra is friendly. It can weigh a whopping 510 pounds, almost as much as the male! Zebras usually do not attack unless threatened though, whew! The large animal, the zebra, mates all year round, but mostly during the early rainy season. Eighteen male zebras battle it out with the dominant male at that certain time to see who has the rights to mate with the number one female. In three years, female zebras are able to mate, and the is able when he is about five. Found mainly in the Southern Savanna, these hungry zebras can also be found in the arid plains of eastern Africa. They are also found in many national parks because hunters kill countless zebras for their picturesque fur, much as the elephant for its tusks. During the day, zebras are not as active as they are at night. The zebra easily adapts to just about anything Africa can throw at them, from poachers to food shortage. Therefore, one of the most successful herbivores in Africa. These friendly zebras main predator is the lion. When attacked by a lion, the zebra makes it difficult to eat just one zebra, so it is kind of all for one, and one for all! as the Three Musketeers would say. Also, poachers present another problem. People are trying to stop the hunting of endangered animals, but as long as people have the right to bear arms, we will keep running into this horrible problem. The poachers get a large sum of money for killing these poor, defenseless, endangered animals, and selling their fur on the black market. Zebras are Africa's most brilliant painted horses. They are truly astonishing animals. I think one should go see the zebras at the nearby Great Plains Zoo to get a real idea of what they look like. Thanks for reading my report on an extraordinary animal, The Plains Zebra. Bibliography(none)


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Leopard Frog - Rana Pipiens Distribution: Found throughout Ontario but more abundant in southern and central Americas. Range: Adults maintain small home ranges (up to 500 m2) in fields or open forest during the summer. Where terrestrial habitats are quite dry, home ranges include some shoreline. A minimum of 4 ha of terrestrial habitat is recommended for the vicinity of breeding sites, however, individual adults may move several kilometres away. Most recently metamorphosed froglets stay within 20 m of shoreline although some froglets begin dispersal before metamorphosis is entirely complete. Diet: Larvae eat algae, phytoplankton, periphyton and detritus. Adults eat mainly invertebrates but will also take tadpoles or very small froglets. Reproduction: Successful breeding sites are permanent ponds, marshes, or pools or backwaters of streams. Eggs and tadpoles require warm (prefer 18o - 28o C), shallow, sunny areas. Breeding occurs from mid-March to mid-May in southern Ontario, and a few weeks later further north. Metamorphosis occurs in 2-3 months. Tadpoles require minimum oxygen concentrations of 3 ppm. Habitat: Relative to bullfrogs and green frogs, leopard frogs use open fields more and prefer denser terrestrial vegetation. In aquatic habitats, submerged vegetation, detritus and soft mud are used for cover. Lookout/Sunning Froglets require muddy shorelines, lily pads, rocks, logs or beaver dams with clear access to deeper water. Adults prefer unmowed fields (15 - 30 cm high, no more than 1 m high vegetation) or open forest in the vicinity of shallow open marshes. Connectivity/Corridors Corridors may be required among breeding, hibernation and summeringhabitats, within 2 km. These may be either aquatic (streams or rivers) or terrestrial (field or forest, usually not cropland except during periods of irrigation). Hibernation Hibernate in deep or running water that will not freeze solid or become anoxic. Are found hibernating on muddy substrate or under rocks, sunken logs, leaf litter or vegetation. Oxygen levels at one known successful hibernation site were 7 ppm. Tadpoles metamorphose in the year of hatching. Hydrology Permanent wetlands with fishless areas or near fishless (temporary) wetlands. Breeding requires sufficient water for metamorphosis to be completed (mid-late August). Soils/Substrate In water prefer muddy bottom. On land prefer moist soil, leaf litter or moss. Design Criteria Vegetation Prefer egg-laying sites with emergent vegetation on about 2/3 of edge and submergent vegetation in 1/2 of surface area in May. Structures Rocks, logs, floating vegetation or dams to sun on, with access to deep water. Submerged vegetation, logs or rocks to hide in. Soils, Slope, & Substrate Prefer wetlands with gradual slope at edge. Hydrology Hibernate in streams with minimum depth 90 cm, moderate mid-depth water velocity, minimal sedimentation, and rocks with average diameter of 20 cm. Critical Periods Breed April-June, metamorphose July-September Other Considerations Froglets are used as bait for fishing. Has declined in much of its western range and apparently in northern Ontario. Tadpoles and froglets are vulnerable to predation by large Bullfrogs and fish. BibliographyCook, F. R. 1966. Amphibians and reptiles of Saskatchewan. Regina: Saskatchewan Museum of Natural History, Department of Natural Resources. . 1984. Introduction to Canadian Amphibians and Reptiles. Ottawa: National Museum of Natural Sciences. Corn, P. S., and J. C. Fogleman. 1984. Extinction of Montane Populations of the Northern Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens) in Colorado. Journal of Herpetology 18: 147152. Cunjak, R. A. 1986. Winter Habitat of Northern Leopard Frogs, Rana pipiens, in a Southern Ontario Stream. Canadian Journal of Zoology 64: 255257. Emery, A. R., A. H. Berst, and K. Lodaira. 1972. Underice Observations of Wintering Sites of Leopard Frogs. Copeia 1972 (1): 123126. Hammerson Geoffrey A. 1982. Bullfrog Eliminating Leopard Frogs in Colorado? Herp Review 13 (4): 115116. Hine, R. L., B. L. Les, and B. F. Hellmich. 1981. Leopard Frog Populations and Mortality in Wisconsin, 197476. Department of Natural Resources, Madison, Wisconsin. McAlpine, D. F., and T. G. Dilworth. 1989. Microhabitat and Prey Size among Three Species of Rana (Anura: Ranidae) sympatric in eastern Canada. Canadian Journal of Zoology 67: 22442252. Merrell, D. J. 1977. Life History of the Leopard Frog, Rana pipiens, in Minnesota. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Bell Museum of Natural History, University of Minnesota. Niven, B. S., J. C. Moore, and M. G. Stewart. 1982. The Precise Environment of Some WellKnown Animals X. The Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens). Brisbane, Australia: School of Environmental Studies. AES Paper 6/82. 32 p. Roberts, W. E. 1981. What Happened to the Leopard Frogs? Alberta Naturalist 11: 14. Seburn, C. N. L., Seburn David C., and C. A. Paszkowski. in press. Northern Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens) Dispersal in Relation to Habitat. Amphibians in Decline: The Report of the Canadian Declining Amphibian Populations Task Force. Wassersug, R. J., and E. A. Seibert. 1975. Behavioural Responses of Amphibian Larvae to Variation in Dissolved Oxygen. Copeia 1975 (1): 86103. Wershler, C. 1991. Status of the Northern Leopard Frog in Alberta 1990. Alberta Forestry Lands & Wildlife. Whitaker, J. O. 1961. Habitat and Food of MouseTrapped Young Rana pipiens and Rana clamitans. Herpetologica 17 (3): 173179.


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Ridley's Sea Turtle

Sea Turtles Each species of sea turtle is distinctive in appearance and behavior, all sea turtles have certain characteristics in common the shell consist of a carapace (upper part) and plastron (lower part), which are joined together by cartilage called a bridge. in most species with the exception of the leatherback scutes cover the carapace. Like all turtles sea turtles have no external ears, they hear best at low frequencies and their sense of smell is excellent. Though their vision underwater is good, on land they are nearsighted. Sea turtles spend most of their time underwater but must come up to breath. During routine activities sea turtles can dive for about three to five minutes. Sea turtles can sleep for several hours underwater, but their ability to hold their breath is shortened by high activity and stress. This is why sea turtles drown in shrimp nets and other gear in a short time. Adult sea turtles sleep near rocks or under ledges. Hatchlings and juveniles sleep on the surface with their front flippers pulled back over the carapace. Kemp's ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempi) Charming Tortoise of Kemp Ridleys are the smallest of the sea turtles. The Kemp's ridley is slightly larger than the olive ridley, measuring 24 - 28 inches in carapace length and weighing 78 - 100 pounds when mature. An adult is olive green on top and yellowish in color on the bottom, with a large head and powerful jaws. The carapace is circular to heart shaped. Hatchlings are dark gray and about an inch and a half long. Kemp's ridleys were first discovered and described in 1880 by Samuel Garman. But until the 1940's was not recognized as a species and was often confused with the olive ridley and the loggerhead. Confusion continued through the 1950's with many biologist convinced that the ridleys sea turtle was a sterile hybrid of the green and the loggerhead turtles. No one could find nesting beaches or an egg-bearing female. In 1963 an old film was discovered, made in 1947 by Mexican engineer Andres Herrera that showed nesting ridleys. The film showed an estimated 40,000 Kemp's ridleys nesting on an isolated beach now called Rancho Nuevo in Tamaulipas, Mexico, 200 miles south of Texas. Ninety-five percent of the population comes to the 17 mile strip of beach. The other five percent nest at the adjacent beach in Veracruz. No other sea turtle species goes almost entirely to one nesting spot to breed. The arribada (Spanish for arrival) of Kemp's ridleys in Mexico occurs at irregular intervals between April and June. Arribadas may occur several times a season. Male and Females congregate to mate off the coast of the beaches using wind direction velocity , lunar cycles and water temperature to gather is a theory. Once mated females wait for ideal conditions to come ashore. Conditions generally are high wind and heavy surf. The high wind cools stressed females and hides traces of the nest from predators. Mass nesting is thought to be a predator swamping where females and hatchlings will die but many more will survive. Herrera's film is now being used as a base line to measure the rapid decline of Kemp's ridleys since 1947. forty thousand turtles declined to two thousand in 1966. In 1966 Mexican officials set up its first camp to monitor and protect turtles from egg takers. In 1977, Rancho Nuevo was declared a National Reserve by Mexico. Programs were developed to help protect turtles from poachers and predators. Now eggs are moved to protective enclosures to decrease the death to predators. Every year 50,000 hatchlings are released each year. Even with these programs nest counts in 1993 showed that there were only 400 nesting females. These small numbers result in broken up arribadas into small groups and solitary nestings. The remaining females lay fewer than 1000 nest each year. The range of Kemp's ridleys is limited for the most part to the gulf of Mexico where adult forge for crabs. their favorite is blue crabs that share the same habitat as shrimp. So ridleys sea turtle is often caught in shrimp ne


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Population Estimation

Population estimation Introduction Estimates of population size play a vital role in many fisheries management decisions. The numbers of fish in a stock are used to identify influences of environmental factors, human exploitation, and ultimately to identify the effectiveness of management strategies. (Van Den Avyle & Hayward 1999) The three most common methods of population estimation among biologist are sample plots, mark and recapture, and removal. Counts on sample plots is based on the principle that an estimate of population size can be obtained by determining the average density of animals per unit area and multiplying its value by the total area covered by the population. This procedure is done by setting up a pre-determined number of circular, square, or rectangular plots. These plots should be randomly placed and should not over lap. This method is used when all members of the target population can be counted with reasonable certainty(Van Der Avyle & Hayward 1999). The formula used with this method is: Where A is the size of the study area, a is the size of the plot, and n is the average number of animals counted per sample plot (Van Der Avyle & Hayward 1999). The mark and recapture method is simply preformed by collecting fish, marking them, releasing them, and at a later time collecting fish from the same area and examining them for marks. This is based on the principle that the number of marked fish in the second sample is proportional to the total number of fish in the population. This is called the Peterson method and the equation is as follows: Where M is the number of fish initially marked and released, C is the number of fish collected, and R is the number of recaptures (Van Der Avyle & Hayward 1999). The Peterson index can give biased estimates when the numbers of fish sampled are low; so several modifications have been made to correct this. One being Bailey's modification which is used when sampling during the recapture period is conducted with replacement. The Chapman method is used if replacement is not taking place. The differences in these three methods would be of little significance if the recapture number exceeds 7 (Van Der Avyle & Hayward). All three of these variations are based on the assumptions that: 1. Marked fish don't lose their marks. 2. Marked fish are not over looked in the recapture sample. 3. Marked and unmarked fish are equally vulnerable to recapture. 4. Marked and unmarked fish have equal mortality. 5. Following release marked and unmarked fish become randomly mixed. 6. There are no additions to the population during the study. If any of these conditions are not met over estimation will most likely occur (Van Der Avyle & Hayward 1999). The third and final method of population estimation is the removal method. This is based on the idea that the number of fish caught per unit of effort will progressively decline as members of the population are removed. The population can be estimated from data on fishing effort and catch rates. The assumptions with this method are: 1. All members of the target population are equally vulnerable to capture. 2. Vulnerability to capture is constant over time. 3. There are no additions to the population or losses other than the removal itself (Van Der Avyle & Hayward). The Leslie and DeLury methods are used in cases when sampling effort my vary among periods. They are used on large populations where the probability of catching an individual fish is low (Kohler 138). The Leslie method assumes that the number of fish caught per unit effort is proportional to the number of fish present at the beginning of the interval. The DeLury method differs in that the population estimate is based on total effort rather than cumulative data. The Zippin method is used where the catchability is high and equal effort is expended in each sample period. This is most commonly used in small mountain streams in conjunction with electrofishing as the removal method. Materials & Methods On September 13, 2000 we went to Mull Creek. We set up two stop nets spanning 75m one upstream and one downstream to keep the population contained. We made three runs with electrofishing gear to remove the fish. Once removed we anesthetized the fish using clove oil. Then we measured their length in cm and weight in grams with slide scale, and clipped their adipose fin and released them. We returned on September 20, 2000 and used the same method recaptured the fish. This time taking their weight, length, and examining for marks. Results To estimate the population of trout in this section of Mull Creek the Peterson index for single mark/recapture procedure was used. N is the population estimate, M is the number of fish initially marked and released, C is the number of fish caught and examined for marks during the second period, and R is the number of recaptures observed in C ( Van Der Avyle & Hayward 1999). So: The Peterson index estimate for the first sample period was 19.5 The Zippin method was also used to estimate the population of trout in Mull Creek. The first step in the Zippin method is to calculate the depletion rate R. Where T is the total number of fish caught and Q is the catachability quotient. The estimated population using the Zippin method is 18.367. A 95% confidence interval can be calculated by using: With a 95% probability the number of fish is between 16.64 and 20.90. To estimate biomass the area of the sample plot in hectares must first be calculated by multiplying length by width. The total weight of the fish in Kilograms is then divided by the area, which will provide the standing crop biomass. Discussion The population estimates from the Peterson index and the Zippin method were similar. The Zippin method provided an estimate of 18.367 and a 95% confidence interval of 16.64 and 20.09. The Peterson index estimated the population to be 19.5, which falls within the 95% of the confidence interval of the Zippin method. With both estimates being close in number I conclude that if all conditions are met both the Zippin method and the Peterson index are valid accurate methods of population estimation. When comparing this data with other samples taken from the Southern Appalachian Mountains it was found that our sample was higher than average. Patricia Flebbe performed a study sampling 242 rainbow trout streams in the Southern Appalachian Mountains and found the average population density to be .025 fish per meter squared (Flebbe 1994). When converted to meters squared our population from Mull Creek comes out to be .035 fish per meter squared a difference of .01fish per meter squared. Over all I believe this study to be valid and reasonably accurate as justified by the data present. Flebbe, Patrica. A regional View of the Margin: Salmonoid Abundance and Distribution in the Southern Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina and Virginia. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society. Vol 123 (1994) Van Der Avyle, Micheal, & Robert Hayward. 1999. Dynamics of Exploited Fish Populations. Pg 132-140 in Inland Fisheries Management in North America, second edition. American Fisheries Scoiety, Bethesda, MD 1999

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Polar Vs. Brown Bear

There are eight different species of bears found throughout the world: the spectacled bear, the Asiatic black bear, the brown bear (including grizzlies), the polar bear, the sun bear, the American black bear, the sloth bear and the giant panda. Even though most people can distinguish a polar bear from a brown bear by the color of the fur, a lot of people fail to identify all the differences among those two species. Both bears can be perceived as large, clumsy and lumbering beasts with heavily built bodies but short legs, necks and tails. Both of them have rounded ears and noticeably small eyes relative to their large body size. While both of the bears belong to same family, they have several profound differences. They live in different geographical areas, differ in amount of the population, size, physical features, some eating habits, and their behavior toward human beings. The polar bear is found in all of the polar regions of the entire northern hemisphere. This includes Russia, Norway, Greenland, The United States and Canada. Their preferred habitat is in the area where the northern seas meet the shoreline. In this area, there is a constant freezing and thawing of the ice. It is estimated that there are currently somewhere between 20,000 and 40,000 polar bears. The polar bear is the largest member of the bear family, weighing in at between 440 and 1760 pounds with overall body length 11.5 feet. It can grow much larger, however. In fact, there is a record of an adult polar bear weighing over 2200 pounds. Polar bears have a distinctive all white fur which is important camouflage when hunting on the ice pack. Their actual color of the skin is black which is thought to be an adaptation for better heat retention. Compared to the other bears, the neck of polar bear is much longer. This makes it easier for them to keep their heads above water when swimming. Like those of other bears, the ears of the polar bear are round. They are, however, smaller and closer to the head. This also helps the animal to be an exceptional swimmer. The forepaws on a polar bear are very large. With a diameter approaching 12 inches and partial webbing between their toes, polar bears are able to use their front feet much like paddles to propel them rapidly through the water. Polar bears are excellent swimmers. They are able to swim distances greater than 60 miles without a pause to rest, maintaining average speed of 6 miles per hour. On land, they are not as quick as brown bears and appear to have traded off speed for their extremely massive forelegs which they use to break through seal dens and to flip a large seal out of the water. Polar bears have also developed large stomachs with a capacity of more than 150 pounds of food. Their digestive system is also more adapted for processing meat than plant material because they are almost exclusively meat eaters. While out on the ice, their diet consists mostly of marine mammals such as the ringed seals, bearded seals and occasionally a walrus or narwhal. Also, in keeping with their carnivorous nature, the canine teeth, used for seizing and holding prey, are longer, sharper and spaced wider apart than in brown bears. Polar bear are at the top of the arctic food chain with no natural enemies. Because of that, compared to other bears, polar bears are the most aggressive and more willing to consider humans as a prey. In other words, when they see a human, they see a walking meal. Consequently the person attacked is usually killed unless the bear is killed first. The most carnivorous, they are also the most patient and determined all of bears. In some instances they may follow a person for hundreds of miles in order to hunt him down. Out of eight species polar bear is considered to be the most dangerous to human beings. The brown bear has the most widespread distribution in the world of any of the eight bear species. They are found throughout most of the northern hemisphere including North America and Eurasia. Their preferred habitat includes mountain forests, open meadows and large river valleys. It is estimated that there are currently somewhere between 125,000 to 150,000 brown bears throughout the world. The brown bear is one largest bear species, yet considerably smaller than the polar bear. It weighs between 300 and 860 and can be up to 9.5 feet in total body length depending on the availability of food. Brown bears can run and climb with considerable skill, speed and dexterity. They are able to attain speeds of 35 mile per hour for a short distance. They are also capable swimmers. The brown bear distinguishes itself from other bears by virtue of its shoulder hump, which is caused by muscles which are used for digging. The front claws are approximately 1.7 times longer than the rear claws and generally visible even from distance. The color of the animal varies from a light creamy color to almost black. Brown bears are omnivorous, eating a mixed diet of grasses, fruits, bulbs and roots, insects, fish and small animals. In few areas there are known to be predators of larger animals such as caribou and moose. Each of the brown bears has a different temperament rather like humans. Some will attack, others will not. Some bears are scared of humans, others will have a have natural curiosity. Brown bears may be very dangerous. However, most of the time a they more likely to attack when defending cubs or territory. A stalking brown bear is even a more rare occasion. Even though polar and brown bears have a lot in common they differ in many ways such as amount of population, size, areas of living, physical characteristics and attitudes towards people. Scientists have studied these magnificent animals for many years, but there is still much to learn about them. They are very complex and fascinating creatures that deserve great respect. Bibliographyno biography


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Mustafa

Había una mujer muy chiquita que se llamaba Chiquitín. Chiquitín vivía abajo de una calle. La calle estaba en una ciudad arábica, Mustafa. En Mustafa había mucho sol, y era muy caliente. Habían muchas personas en Mustafa que podrían hacer juegos malabares con espadas. También habían otras que podrían hacerlo con antorchas. Chiquitín no tenía ningún centavo, y necesitaba robar comida cada día. Era muy fácil para Chiquitín porque ella era muy baja, y las personas no podrían verla cuando ella robaba la comida. Cuando las personas miraban a Chiquitín, ella les mordía a los dedos del pie, y se escapaba. Había una persona que se llamaba Pumba. Un día, Pumba fue al Mustafa. Pumba era muy grande, y tenía una voz muy baja. Un día, Chiquitín intentó robar comida de Pumba. Pumba pudó sentir a Chiquitín, y la vio por debajo. Cuando Pumba vio para abajo, Chiquitín le picó a los dedos de Pumba muy rápidamente, pero Pumba la agaró antes que élla hiciera mucho daño. -¿Por qué estás robando comida de esas personas?- Pumba le preguntó a Chiquitín. -Porque yo no tengo comida, y por eso, necesito robar mis cosas,- respondió Chiquitín. -¿Es verdad?- -Si, es verdad.- -¿Por que le estás picando a los dedos de las personas?- -Es una manera de escapar.- Si quieres comida, debieras preguntarme.- -¡No, yo no le pregunto a nadie!- En este momento, Pumba picó a Chiquitín. -Por que haces eso?- preguntó Chiquitín. -Para que supiste como me siento,- repondio Pumba. -Mis dedos de mi pie me duelen mucho. Lo siento, Persona Grande. Que es tu nombre?- -Me llamo Pumba.- -Me llamo Chiquitín. ¿Puedo tener un poquito de tu comida, Pumba?- -Absolutamente.-


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Mountain Gorillas

Half man and half beast. This is what is usually said about the gorilla. They say that the gorilla is related to us. You can find mountain gorillas in the Virunga Volcanoes, which are located on the boundaries of Zaire, Rwanda, and Uganda. The Virungas are 600 miles of tropical rainforest. You’ll find then roaming around 7,800 and 11,000 feet, but at low elevations. The gorillas live in units. Most of the units consist of about 6-12 members in it, most of them being related in some way. With each unit, there is a leader, usually an old silverback, who was a virtual dictator. A silverback male has large canines and he may weigh 400 pounds. He is the one who decides when to proceed, and when to stop, and which direction to go. When he sleeps, everyone else is supposed to be sleeping to, and then he gives a signal to wake up. When the old silverback gets too old, then his eldest son usually is the one to take over. The females are usually responsible for the nursing portion in the unit. Gorillas are peaceful and tolerant by nature. Whenever two groups meet, they either ignore each other, or they give each other a grumpy grunt. Sometimes the two groups would even stay together, and then eventually separate. There are many rumors about gorillas being very violent, but there are no reports about it. There are times when they have little mock fights, but there is never any blood shed in them. Right now there are not too many mountain gorillas you will find in the Virungas. Their population is only in the hundreds. In 1960, there was an estimated 450 gorillas still remaining in two isolated habitats. In a 1981 census, it gave a figure of about 254 gorillas. Right now there is somewhere between 400-450 mountain gorillas that have survived. There are so few of these creatures for many reasons. There are many poachers who kill the gorillas for their head or hands to sell to tourists as a souvenir, or hunter that kill them to have a trophy. With so much of this going on, the rangers of the parks so not think there will be anymore of these gorillas left by the end of the century. There have been a few projects and conservation groups made to save this endangered species. The Washington-based African Wildlife Foundation, started a program in the parks on park security, to prevent as much poaching. The tourist program also developed rapidly. They went from 1,352 paid visitors in 1978 to 5,790 in 1984. With the help of the money from tourism, they were able to start some programs on the conservation of the mountain gorillas. The basic issues of the groups and programs are human population and the way land is used. The future for the gorillas look very bleak. Illegal logging, gold prospecting, and hunting has become more and more popular where the gorillas live. To assure gorillas a future will require a dedication that can not just be done through projects or even years or centuries, but it takes a commitment for the rest of eternity. BIBLIOGRAPHY Baumgartel, Walter. Up Among the Mountain Gorillas. New York: Hawthorn Books, 1976. Fossey, Dian. Gorillas in the Mist. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1983. Patterson, Francine. The Education of Koko. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1981. Schaller, George B. Gorilla: Struggle for Survival in the Virungas. New York: Aperture Book, 1989. BibliographyBaumgartel, Walter. Up Among the Mountain Gorillas. New York: Hawthorn Books, 1976. Fossey, Dian. Gorillas in the Mist. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1983. Patterson, Francine. The Education of Koko. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1981. Schaller, George B. Gorilla: Struggle for Survival in the Virungas. New York: Aperture Book, 1989.

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Lynx

Lynx by Cody White Academic Orientation Mr. Keown period 7 December 19, 1997 With a pounce and a hop the speedy lynx chases the bleached white hare through the bushes. Poof! The hare disappears into the shiny white powder. Then the sly lynx picks up the scent of the hare and pounces toward the small hairball. The sharp elongated claws don’t dig in, and the hare’s long slender legs launch himself out of the hole and out of danger. The swift cat swings his claws around to hit the fast hare, but he hits the snow right under his back legs. The hare runs right between two willow trees and into a narrow opening which has a bunch of fallen willow trees. The hare has escaped from the lynx this one time, but the lynx will find other food. The lynx is a pale brown to brownish grey with black streaks on its neck, forehead, and on the back. It has a short tail, long tuffed ears, long slender legs, wide feet for control in the snow, and long very soft fur. The lynx will grow to be 30 to 40 inches long, and 24 to 28 inches high from feet to shoulders. They usually weight 15 to 45 pounds. When you see the lynx, at first sight, it looks gaunt and lanky, but it is really fast and muscular. The back legs are longer than the fore legs for better pouncing ability. “From the front the lynx looks royal with its hair on its face coming out to two points” (Myers 136). The lynx is closely related to the bobcat, which populates the north American region. The bobcat does not have big fluffy paws, or is not as big as the lynx in relative size. They have two different food varieties. The lynx eats hares ,and also may prey on small deer, dall sheep, grouse, mice. Rarely they feed on fish. On the other hand bobcats feed on grouse , fish, and other small rodents. Lynx chase and still hunt their prey. They chase hares or they stay up on cliffs and branches, and waiting to pounce on the animal as it goes by. The lynx ranges from Alaska, all the way across Canada. The lynx are usually found in climax forests and dense undercovers. They are usually found where hares are abundant. If there are no hares in the vicinity, they travel out into the tundra to find food. “Lynx breed during March and April. The gestation period is 60 days long” ( Myers 135) . They will have from 1- 4 kittens each year. They usually have dens, where they keep their kittens, in hollow trees or under a pile of brush. The kittens stay with the female until well into the next winter. The kittens don’t open their eyes until 10 days after birth. They also only nurse for 3 to 4 months. When the population of the hares are up the litters of 2 to 4 kittens have a lot better chance to survive in the wilderness with their parents. When food is not abundant the female lynx might not have a litter at all that year or not until the hares have come back. Lynx usually are silent, but the males make a screeching noise to find a mate during breeding season. The weird thing about the lynx is when it is in a trap. It doesn’t make a sound. It sits there calmly accepting its death. The Lynx are sly creatures that prowl at night to find their food. That is usually the reason why people don’t see the lynx out in the wilderness a lot. The lynx are sensitive to bright light, because their eyes are made to see at night. Adult males usually hunt alone, not in packs like wolves.The females usually hunt with their family if the kittens are old enough to go along. The kits hunt with their mother and learn skills from her until they leave in the fallowing winter. The huge feet of the lynx give it superb agility in the snow. The lynx has been known to chase down slow clumsy fox that has slim and slender feet that don’t give them any leverage on top of the snow. Trapping lynx is not particularly easy. Trappers use both snares and traps on the lynx. An abundant number of hares means there will be a lot of lynx that year. In the years when lynx are abundant, a good trapper may take a dozen in a month. The fine fur of the lynx is used to make fine coats, collars, coat trimmings, jackets, hats, and muffs. The average cost of a lynx pelt is $125 ( a nice large male coat with good dark colors). “Every year trappers take from $8,000 to $10,000 in money from lynx pelts” (Reader 52). My family (Jacob , Dad, and I) use cubby’s to catch our lynx. A cubby is a den made out of sticks with one trap on the ground and the bait in the back. A cubby is usually 4 feet high and 3 feet wide so the lynx has a pretty good chance of getting his foot caught in a trap. We usually use ptarmagin wings Which were shot earlier in the year. Trappers in the small villages of Alaska eat the pale lynx meat that tastes like veal (they say). When the trapper gets the fur, he usually puts it in a bag with flea killer to get rid of all the bugs on the lynx's pelt. The population of lynx vary all over the state as the population of hares move, the lynx follow. The population of lynx may vary from the climate and the water sources to the dense under cover of forests. One place in the Tanana Valley may have all the things that a lynx needs so there will be lots of kits born and the population will increase. Ten miles from that spot there may be no lynx because of the lack of resources. Most of the lynx are caught in the Upper Tanana-White River country and south to the Alaska Range. This report I found was really interesting, and even though I trap lynx there is lots that I don’t know about these sly creatures. These tricky mammals have lots of things that amaze me like they may eat big animals like dall sheep and deer. Overall I think that lynx are one of my favorite animals in Alaska. Bibliography1.“Alaska,”National Geographic, (May 1994) vol.185,p.89. 2. “Lynx,” Alaska Mammals, (December 1981) vol.8, p.52. 3. “Lynx,” Collier’s Encyclopedia, P.F. Collier & Jon LTD.,1983, vol.15, pp.135-136.


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Key Deer

The Key Deer is a small species (in population and in stature) of deer that lives in the Florida Keys. It is in the same family as the Virginia white tailed deer. The Key Deer is about 26 inches tall and weigh an average of about 55 pounds. The males have antlers, and the antlers grow in cycles. They drop their antlers at the beginning of spring, and they grow back by June. The deer feed on indigenous plants including the red mangrove, the black mangrove, and the white mangrove. The Key Deer can drink water with some salt in it, but needs fresh water to survive. Although it seems awkward, the Key Deer is a fairly good swimmer, and at times will swim from key to key. The Key Deer are endangered for two main reasons, the first and most detrimental is the loss of habitat. The Everglades has been cleared away for highways, and other commercial developments, and it has caused a huge drop in the population of Key Deer, among other animals. Another big reason why Key Deer have been disappearing are the highways in southern Florida. You have heard the expression “like a deer in headlights”, and it is used because when deer see headlights, it freezes. This, although it makes for a good simile, causes a lot of road kill accidents with Key Deer. The National Key Deer Refuge was opened to breed Key Deer, and since its opening, the population has increased by almost %600!!! Also, Ms. Riskin, please make sure that you do not feed any Key Deer, because it causes them to be comfortable around humans, which sounds nice, but it is part of the reason that they hang around near the highway. So, that just about sums it up; thanks for not feeding Key Deer, and keep your foot on those breaks. Bibliography“Key Deer” February, 2000 http://www.shadow.net/~grgreen/glades/deer.html Kirkpatrick, Charles M. “Deer” The World Book Encyclopedia. Volume D, 1986 R., Austin. “Key Deer” February, 2000 http://www.miamisci.org/ecolinks/everglades/keydeerinfo.html

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Horses And How They Grow

Horses and How They Grow Horses are fun to ride, but they can be a lot of hard work. The first horse was the Eohippus. It was about the size of a fox. It can be traced over a period of 60 million years. From America they spread across the world. Then 8-10,000 years ago the horse be-came extinct in America. It was reintroduced by the Spanish Conquistadors in the 16th century. The herds of mustangs in north America is descended from horses introduced by the Spanish in the 16th century. Baby horses are born from a mare horse. The mare holds the baby for 11 or 12 months. Most mares will have 5 or 6 foals during their lives. Normally a foal is born with its front feet first. Foals are born with their eyes open and with a full coat of hair. When the newborn foal is born, it drinks its mother's milk for the first 6 Months. Foals can stand up shortly after birth. It also begins to Supplement its diet by nibbling on grass and it's mother's oats. The best place to feed your horse is in a bucket. A horse must have fresh water and eat oats. A healthy treat for horses is carrots and apples. A horse's age can be told by looking at its teeth. Up to the age of five a horse still has its milk teeth. A foal can be weaned from 4-6 months. Most horses reach their full size by the time they are five years old. The bones from a baby foal are very soft for the first three years. You shouldn't ride a horse until it is three years old because you can sway its back. When the owner weans the foal he separates it from the mother, and puts it out to the pasture with other foals. A baby girl horse is a filly, and when she is mature she is called a mare. A baby boy horse is a colt. When he is mature, he is called a stallion. A yearling is a one-year-old horse. Training horses requires great skill and patience. It begins almost immediately after it is born. You should put a halter on it, and teach it to lead and to tie up to fences and to stand. Horses grow up with help from their mothers and lots of help are grown up you can have fun riding them and they can be a friend to you.

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Horses And How They Grow

Horses and How They Grow Horses are fun to ride, but they can be a lot of hard work. The first horse was the Eohippus. It was about the size of a fox. It can be traced over a period of 60 million years. From America they spread across the world. Then 8-10,000 years ago the horse be-came extinct in America. It was reintroduced by the Spanish Conquistadors in the 16th century. The herds of mustangs in north America is descended from horses introduced by the Spanish in the 16th century. Baby horses are born from a mare horse. The mare holds the baby for 11 or 12 months. Most mares will have 5 or 6 foals during their lives. Normally a foal is born with its front feet first. Foals are born with their eyes open and with a full coat of hair. When the newborn foal is born, it drinks its mother's milk for the first 6 Months. Foals can stand up shortly after birth. It also begins to Supplement its diet by nibbling on grass and it's mother's oats. The best place to feed your horse is in a bucket. A horse must have fresh water and eat oats. A healthy treat for horses is carrots and apples. A horse's age can be told by looking at its teeth. Up to the age of five a horse still has its milk teeth. A foal can be weaned from 4-6 months. Most horses reach their full size by the time they are five years old. The bones from a baby foal are very soft for the first three years. You shouldn't ride a horse until it is three years old because you can sway its back. When the owner weans the foal he separates it from the mother, and puts it out to the pasture with other foals. A baby girl horse is a filly, and when she is mature she is called a mare. A baby boy horse is a colt. When he is mature, he is called a stallion. A yearling is a one-year-old horse. Training horses requires great skill and patience. It begins almost immediately after it is born. You should put a halter on it, and teach it to lead and to tie up to fences and to stand. Horses grow up with help from their mothers and lots of help are grown up you can have fun riding them and they can be a friend to you.

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Honeybees As A Resource

Honeybees as a Resource Honeybees are very useful to humans. As their name suggests, they make the sweet, delicious treat known as honey that we enjoy. They also make beeswax from which we make many useful items. But the most important thing bees do for us is to pollinate the plants. The honeybee visits flowers which secrete a sweet liquid called nectar. This water-like nectar is sipped from the blossoms by the bee and carried to the beehive. The raw nectar goes into the cells in almost the same condition as it was when the bee sipped it from the flowers. It is inside the hive that house bees evaporate the nectar down to the thick consistency which is what we know as commercial honey. We usually think of the main use of honey as a spread on bread, pancakes or biscuits. However, honey has a large use in cooking; such as pastries, canned foods, milk drinks, desserts, frostings, syrups, and salad dressings. Honey contains simple sugars and does not require digestion like regular sugar, so it is useful for quick energy pick up and even for diabetic people. Most honey is sold as extracted honey but it is also sold on the honeycomb which is the wax chambers the bees make in the hive in which to store the honey. The wax comes from a worker bee's belly when she is fourteen to twenty-one days old. The wax chambers are just big enough for a bee to crawl inside. Sometimes people like to eat honeycomb. It can be eaten on toast or as is; then the wax becomes like a chewing gum, but like chewing gum it should not be swallowed. In recent years a new process called the Dyce process has made it possible to make a very nice granulated honey called creamed honey which is gaining in popularity. However, granulated honey is not used much commercially because it is still an almost unknown honey product. Beeswax is the second most important product produced by the honeybees. Beeswax, the earliest of waxes, has been used in the form of candles for lighting. This is today the second largest use of beeswax. The Roman Catholic Church used to require that pure beeswax candles be used in church but as the numbers of churches grew there wasn't enough beeswax available so that now the Catholic Church requires that candles are at least 51 percent beeswax. The reason the church requires beeswax candles is because the candles do not smoke. Probably the largest user of beeswax today is the cosmetic industry. Beeswax is used as the emulsifying agent in face creams, lipsticks, lotions and rouges. It is also used in shoe polish, sporting goods and military hardware. The beekeeper himself is the third largest user of beeswax which he gives to the bees as the base of their new comb. There are 70 or more commercial uses of beeswax today. Each year in the United States some 200 million pounds of honey and four to six million pounds of beeswax are produced. Honeybees are not the only insect that pollinates plants, but they are the best. A lot of our food, such as corn, tomatoes, peas, squash, strawberries, apples, pears, and watermelon would not continue without this pollination. During the last three weeks of a worker bee's life, they fly out of the hives as a forager. The bees take pollen and nectar to the hive and deposit it into cells. During a foraging trip each individual bee will collect pollen from just one kind of plant. By doing this, each bee helps pollinate the blossoms. When the bee crawls around on the blossom, the pollen (containing male plant reproductive cells) clings to fine hairs located on the bee's legs. The pollen is carried from one blossom to another blossom of the same kind of plant, where it sticks to the female part of the flower. Without pollination plants would not produce fruit or seeds. Without seeds now new plants could grow. Pollen is carried in small pollen baskets on the outer sides of the bees legs. In order to fill the baskets with pollen, the bee uses her mouth parts and scrapes the pollen from the blossoms and hairs on her leg to secure it in the basket. The pollen is also known as bee bread. This is because the bee eats the pollen. When bees find a good supply of food they use sign language. They return to the hive and perform a dance to show other bees where to find food. There are two kinds of dances. The round dance tells the other bees that food is about 100 yards away or less. The wagging dance tells bees that food is at such an angle to the sun and how far away the food lies. Tests have been made and even if the food is miles away, this dance is still extremely accurate. For some people bee venom is deadly, but for some people bee venom is good medicine. Some people who have arthritis (a swelling and pain in joints) pick up a bee by her head and hold her tail to the sore joint until the bee stings. The venom makes the joint swell up and this flushes out the arthritis. So as you can see, honeybees give us honey, wax, and comb. They also pollinate our flowers. Therefore they are a very important resource. BibliographyFirst Lessons in BEEKEEPING by C.P. Dadant

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