Human Trophic Level

To answer question 3, in the typical ecosystem there are usually 4-5 trophic levels, the higher the level the less energy and less organisms. The first level is made up of autotrophs, made up of plants and only organisms that create their own energy and nutrients via sunlight. The second level is made up of 1st order heterotrophs, herbivores only as they feed off of the autotrophs only. The next level is made of 2nd order heterotrophs, most commonly they are omnivores, feeding off of both autotrophs and 1st order heterotrophs. The next are 3rd order heterotrophs, most commonly carnivores choosing to prey upon 1st and 2nd order heterotrophs. These 3rd order heterotrophs usually conclude the trophic levels in one particular ecosystem but they may have a 4th order heterotroph either a carnivore or a decomposer.

A vegetarian lifestyle is known to provide the body with many health benefits. According to “Becoming a Vegetarian,” “Compared with meat eaters, vegetarians tend to consume less saturated fat and cholesterol and more vitamins C and E, dietary fiber, folic acid, potassium, magnesium, and phytochemicals (plant chemicals), such as carotenoids

Another reason a person may decide to become a vegetarian is because of the several health benefits. A vegetarian diet contains less saturated fatty acids, cholesterol, and more folate, fiber, antioxidants, phytochemicals and carotenoids (“Blackbaud NetCommunity”). A vegetarian diet is sometimes recommended for people with chronic conditions such as arthritis and kidney problems (“Blackbaud NetCommunity”). Vegetarians are more likely to have lower total and LDL

Limiting the use of our utilities is not only beneficial to our budget but also to the environment as well. Here are several useful and lesser known tips in conserving energy while you are in the kitchen. While being in the kitchen, the stove is one of the main items that will use up the most energy, so it is important to be wise with your energy consumption when cooking on it. Adjust the burners when using a gas-based cooking top so that the flames just barely touch or are a tad lower than the bottom of the pans you are cooking on. Flames that curl around a pan waste more energy. However, if you are using an electric cook top, put the pan on a coil that is similar in size. Place the pan so that its bottom lies absolutely flat on the burner. This will conserve a great deal of energy. Also, when using an electric stove, set the burners on high first and then proceed to lower it to finish the cooking. For dishes that aren't pans, turn off the burner completely at the end as the element will hold the heat for several minutes. In addition to your stoves, the oven vent on an electrical range can be very useful. If you are using an oven vent on an electrical range, you will find that the vent is under one of the burners. While the oven is in use, you will be able to feel the hot air flowing through the vent. For dishes that you would like to warm, set them on that burner. This will minimize the use of a microwave and will also optimize the use of your burners. Now, for dishes that need to cook for long periods of time, particularly over an hour, there is no need to preheat your oven (unless you are cooking a turkey that needs a crisp skin). For dishes that must be cooked just under an hour, extend the cooking time for a little bit. The only preheating that is required is for dishes that have a short baking time. Although this seems like a very obvious tip --

Meals with more fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of several different cancers among many other diseases. Vegetarians generally have lower body weight than those who eat a significant amount of meat.

A simple and cheap appliance that saves energy is a home energy audit. A home energy audit observes your appliances and lights using information that it processed and will stops appliances that aren't turned on from taking power from the power outlet. Energy audits put a stop to vampire energy and that's really helpful as vampire energy can cause a $2,000 rise in your electricity bill. Energy audits are quite cheap, considering how much they save, ranging from $50 to $320.

Each step in a food chain is a “trophic level” because of the energy transfer between them which can be shown in energy pyramids. All of the energy that passes on originally comes from the sun before moving through the order of the trophic levels, which is from producers to primary consumers to secondary consumers, then eventually to tertiary consumers. Although, as one lifeform eats another for energy, only 10% transfers to the next level because that 90% is used to “carry out the functions of living, such as producing new cells, regulating body temperature, and moving,” or for other necessary tasks. These transfers through eating are important since they help maintain ecosystems like the Everglades Hardwood Hammock. (Arms,

Antioxidants and thousands of phytochemicals that protect the body and support good health. Overall vegetarians have a longer life expectancy and lower rates of heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, cancer, obesity, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and the list goes on. But don’t just take my word for it, supports for vegetarian diets comes from numerous organizations including the American cancer society, American College of Cardiology, the Mayo Clinic, Harvard School of public and, the national institutes of Health which says, “Vegetarians may be missing out on grilled hamburgers at picnics, but they tend to also miss out on the major health problems that plagued many Americans”. Just look at the difference in heart disease the number one killer of American, which is twice its size, between those who eat meat and those who are vegetarian. The progression of some of the diseases can not only be halted but reversed in as little as just two to three weeks by switching to a plant based diet. Reducing and eliminating the consumption of meat and meat products with a greener diet rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts seed and whole grains will lead to a healthier world.

Vegetarianism has been around since as early as the seventh century B.C.E.. The civilization was the Indus Valley Civilization, they practiced tolerance towards all living things. Several Indian cultures and various religions (such as a ahimsā) also practice non-violence towards animals (“Vegetarianism”, Wikipedia.com). This used to be the sole purpose for being vegetarian, but nowadays people are becoming vegetarian for several more reasons. The ethical aspect is still a big reason in the decision. Health benefits and environmental aspects have now also become big reasons for the controversy over vegetarianism. People say that killing animals for food is not morally wrong and, is in fact, a crucial part of our lives. Another aspect is that, while in some ways vegetarianism is beneficial to the environment, it can also hurts the environment. Also, despite all of the health benefits involved with vegetarianism, there are also several health concerns connected with it.

Going vegetarian can help preserve the limited land and water system that us humans take for granted sometimes. Factory farming along with free range farming are destroying the earth and its biodiversity. When people think of pollution like unnecessary CO2 emissions and deforestation of rainforests, they do not think about the animals being raised for consumption. In an article, “Concentrated animal Agriculture Is The Biggest

First, becoming a vegetarian would prevent air pollution. Millions of cows are raised to be eaten, and those cows breathe, burp, and fart producing tons of methane. Methane is one of the worst greenhouse gasses which directly causes global warming. So by becoming a vegetarian, a person would be eliminating a lot of air pollution.

For me, my biggest benefit has been my energy and weight loss. Since becoming vegetarian, I have lost twenty pounds and I do not feel out of breath from walking up a couple flights of stairs. There is a large portion of research based on the effects that meatless diets have on our bodies. In her book, The Vegetable Passion, Jan Yager mentions some of the main benefits. She elaborates on how plants provide vital nutrients, fibers, and vitamins needed in our daily diet. She also discusses how our bodies’ need for protein. Without these proteins, it would be impossible for our bodies to create new tissues, or even function normally. She goes on to talk about the misconception that the only source of protein is meat. Spinach, nuts, and, most cereals give almost as much protein per serving as a serving of meat (Barkas 168). And what most people do not know, a lot of tofu contains protein and if I know vegetarians, we all love

Being vegan or vegetarian can actually have you live longer. One reason why being vegan is better is because most of the time you are more health caucus. For example most people when they are vegan will not smoke because they're concerned it is a health issue. Another thing most people will exercise being more health cautious. After all being vegan or vegetarian can be a good thing after

A trophic level is a group of organisms that are on the same level of the food chain and therefore share in some distinctive characteristics. The first, or bottom level, is composed of autotrophs, which include plants that produce their own food using the energy they obtain from the sun. The second level up on the pyramid includes herbivores. The third trophic level from the bottom is the group of secondary consumers, which include carnivores. The pyramid can continue to tertiary consumers, which would be a higher level of carnivores, however not every ecosystem may reach this level. It all depends on the complexity of the ecosystem and each ecosystem is different. These levels tie into the concept of a food web. The secondary consumers eat the primary consumers, who then eat the primary producers. A trophic level could then be considered as a guild, which consists of a collection of species that all eat the

Growing a crop of corn can be very rewarding. With some hard work and a little bit of luck, it can be very profitable. Planting corn doesn’t sound too complicated, but knowing how to do it right can be the difference between losing money and making a profit. To get started planting your field of corn, you will need access to a tractor, a field cultivator, a planter, fertilizer, seed corn and a lot of farm diesel. Of course, you will need to own some farmland or be leasing the farming rights from the landowner. If you are fortunate enough to have farmland with irrigation, it can diminish one of the biggest risks associated with farming. Droughts or dry spells are unforgiving, and no matter how well you prepare the soil, you will need rain or irrigation water. Using good farming practices will ensure greater corn yields and a higher profit margin!