Allen+Journal

=Week One Journal= toc The world is warming up: there is no doubt about it. However, there are many questions that have yet to be answered: are humans causing it? How much does it really matter? What’s going to happen in the long run? What can it do to human civilization? Let’s consider the first question first. Currently, our world revolves around fossil fuels. Everything uses them: plastic, cars, even plain electricity. A consequence of burning these fossil fuels is their by-product: CO2. Carbon Dioxide, as a greenhouse gas, traps the sun rays, ultimately raising the temperature of the Earth. Carbon Dioxide levels have risen by about 25% over the past 50 years, and CO2 is by far the most common greenhouse gas. Other Greenhouse gases, such as CH4 (Methane) are also being mass produced by humans. Clearly, we, humans, are changing the climate. But what really is climate? When you hear climate, it has a connotation of being long-term, and that’s what it is. Weather is short term and random, but climate is the ‘average’ of weather. This lets it become very predictable, by the law of error. Statistical Analyses have shown that the average temperature will rise by 5-6 degrees over the next century. Although this may seem insignificant, due to the variance of weather from winter to summer being more than that, it is very significant in terms of the climate and weather. For comparison, the last ice age was about 5-6 degrees cooler than it is now. Clearly, the climate crisis really does matter. If we continue to pump out greenhouse gases as before, then the world will change dramatically: the opposite of the ice age. Human civilization will change: the things we grow and eat, the ways we consume and produce. = = =Week Two Journal= The weather in our world is completely bizarre. From gigantic storms to droughts, it seems that our planet has the most extreme circumstances. However, behind all this madness, there is sanity, as shown in climate trends. Let us look at two different climate researches: Tans and Emanuel. Tans decided to research on global warming: how humans are causing it and the measures of CO2 and other greenhouse gases. Emanuel on the other hand, took a branch and decided to look at the most devastating aspect of weather: hurricanes. Tans’ question is not necessarily broader, but of a higher level than Emanuel’s. He was looking at the cause of global warming, which will affect many more fields than Emanuel’s, which deals specifically with hurricanes. Of course, looking at different problems will result in different solutions. In Tans’ case, he was studying CO2 trends as a way to see how humans were affecting the environment. To do so, he directly measured the atmosphere at different places: remote places, those where CO2 were being produced, and those where it was being consumed. As a result, he was able to make a comprehensive graph of CO2 throughout the past 50 years. Emanuel, however, had a very different situation. Measuring real hurricane data is far more difficult and sparse, so he had to result to simulations. Thankfully, simulating hurricanes is far simpler than simulating air content, with just a few observations and physics equations. By comparing the simulations with real data, he found some holes in his simulations, giving him a better understanding of hurricanes.

 Although both researchers looked at similar fields dealing with climate, the slight difference in their questions called for drastic change in their methods. However, behind all this madness, there is sanity…

= = =**Week Three/Four Journal** = Clearly, Trees and plants play a large part in the environment. They photosynthesize, which not only provides oxygen needed for respiration, but also provides energy for most living things. Of course, it would be nice to know exactly how large a part do they play... How efficiently do they convert solar power, and how much oxygen is produced? Knowing the answers will tell us how environmentally friendly we should be: exactly 'how much' must we recycle to not die?

To answer this question, we will turn to technology. With two probes, we can use heat to measure the sap flow of the tree. From that, we can directly answer the question. So far, it has been determined that global warming will, in general, increase the carbon storage in plants, but some droughts may cause carbon shortages. Increased forest productivity will in turn limit the water for the ecosystem. In addition, species will have to adapt. If we increase our temperature by 2 degrees over the next 100 years, the trees will have to migrate 1-3 miles every year. Of course, one must also have to account for the increase in drought, fire, insects, and etc. In all, the environment is a very important issue, and forests play a large roll.

After this preliminary reading, it is most likely best to do some further research of plant structures to better understand respiration and photosynthesis: the two processes that 99% of life on earth depends upon. From there, more understanding will be gathered to truly understand the results.

=Research Blahblahblah=

What type of forest is the most important in relation to the environment and greenhouse gases?

1. Does the question deal with a topic or issue that interests me enough to spark my own thoughts and opinions? Well, obviously, this questions does deal with an interesting topic.

2. Is the question easily and fully researchable given the time and resources that you will have access to during the spring semester? Yes, there are several analyses of different forests, and since there is only a limited number of forests due to different latitudes, it is full researchable

3. What type of information do I need to answer the research question?  For example: the research question, "What effect does carbon dioxide levels kept at 200 ppm above ambient have on the growth rate of a stand of loblolly pine trees over 17 years ? " will obviously require certain types of information. Be sure to list the types of information and how you will obtain them. Oxygen/CO2/Etc. levels of different areas during winter and spring. Volume of types of forests.

4. Is the scope of this information reasonable? (e.g., can I really research a hurricane model that is currently in use to estimate hurricane intensity and frequency?) Yes.

5. Given the type and scope of the information that I need, is my question too broad, too narrow, or just right? It is... just right. Almost.

6. What sources will have the type of information that I need to answer the research question. Consider whether you will need to collect data and if so what instrumentation will you need, data that has already been collected, journals, books, internet resources, government documents, other researchers)? <span style="margin-bottom: 0.1pt; margin-left: 67.5pt; margin-right: -1in; margin-top: 0.1pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Government documents will be nice for the numbers. Journals (JSTOR) will be useful, also.

<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.1pt; margin-left: 67.5pt; margin-right: -1in; margin-top: 0.1pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">7. Can I access these sources? <span style="margin-bottom: 0.1pt; margin-left: 67.5pt; margin-right: -1in; margin-top: 0.1pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Internet - My school gives acsess to JSTOR

<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.1pt; margin-left: 67.5pt; margin-right: -1in; margin-top: 0.1pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">8. Given my answers to the above questions, do I have a good quality research question that I actually will be able to answer by doing research? <span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.1pt; margin-left: 67.5pt; margin-right: -1in; margin-top: 0.1pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Yes, but i feel like it needs rewording.

=<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.1pt; margin-left: 67.5pt; margin-right: -1in; margin-top: 0.1pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">MOAR RESEARCH =

<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.1pt; margin-left: 67.5pt; margin-right: -1in; margin-top: 0.1pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> What type of land biome is the most important in relation to the environment and greenhouse gases? Currently, the dependence of trees – such as for paper – dictates that consumption is mandatory, and therefore it is important to know which trees are more ‘expendable’. Rainforests are known to house a majority of all species of the planet – an estimate of 40% to 75%. On the other hand, the boreal forest attribute to 27% of the world’s forest cover. First, we must define each different type of forest. Although it is possible to classify the forests extensively, it will be best for the scope of this experiment to analyze large chunks: the Boreal forests, temperate forests, subtropical forests, tropical rainforests, and tropical non-rainforests. In order to find their comparative ecological values, it is necessary to analyze all parts of said forests: the flora, fauna, surrounding atmospheric content, land cover, and levels of photosynthetic activity. There have been already extensive studies on data from several forests. The world’s forest area is estimated at 3952 million hectares. [FAO] According to the FRA, Tropical rainforests account for 28% of all forests, tropical non-rainforests 21%, subtropical forests 9%, temperate forests 11%, and boreal forests 33%. [FRA] On a global scale, tropical forests account for the vast majority of deforestation. In fact, non-tropical forests actually gained area. [FRA] By land area, it seems that boreal forests are much more expendable. However, tropical forests only had 428 of global carbon stocks for17.6 million km2, whereas the boreal forests had 559 for 13.7 million km2. Carbon stocks are important as they are ‘sponges’ for atmospheric carbon dioxide. Having more carbon stocks gives an acre of a type of forest a significant advantage. Temperate forests, however, only hold 159 for 10.4 million km2. [FRA] Studies have shown that wherever it might be, trees have an enormous impact on the surrounding ecosystems. Rainforests account for 28% of all oxygen production in the world, and the taiga is no slacker either, causing worldwide shifts of oxygen levels between spring and summer. Sources: www.ogm.gov.tr/yukle/FRA2000main_report.pdf, @ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/003/Y1997E/FRA%202000%20Main%20report.pdf http://trendsupdates.com/killer-inhabitants-of-the-rainforests