A dispersal vector refers to any agent or mechanism that promotes the movement and distribution of organisms from one location to another. This concept is commonly used in ecology, biology, and conservation to understand how species spread and establish new populations. Dispersal vectors can include various forms of movement, such as: 1. **Natural agents**: Animals (e.g.
Brown bears (Ursus arctos) have a wide distribution across various regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Their range primarily includes: 1. **North America**: Brown bears are found in Alaska, western Canada, and parts of the contiguous United States, particularly in states like Wyoming (particularly in Yellowstone National Park), Montana, and Washington. The coastal areas of British Columbia also have significant populations.
The decline in insect populations refers to the observed reduction in the number and diversity of insect species globally. This phenomenon, often termed the "insect apocalypse," has been highlighted in various studies and reports over the past few decades, signaling a worrying trend with significant implications for ecosystems, agriculture, and human life. Several factors contribute to the decline in insect populations: 1. **Habitat Loss**: Urbanization, deforestation, and agricultural expansion have led to significant loss of habitats where insects thrive.
The "Enemy Release Hypothesis" (ERH) is a theoretical framework in ecology and biogeography that explains why certain species, particularly invasive species, can thrive in new environments where they have been introduced. The hypothesis posits that when a species is introduced to a new habitat, it often leaves behind its natural enemies, such as predators, parasites, and diseases, which can suppress its population in its native range.
Immigration reduction in the United States refers to policies and measures aimed at decreasing the number of immigrants entering or residing in the country. Advocates of immigration reduction argue that limiting immigration can help protect jobs for native-born Americans, reduce strain on public services, enhance national security, and preserve cultural identity. Key aspects of immigration reduction include: 1. **Policy Changes**: This may involve changing visa availability, imposing stricter eligibility criteria for immigration, or enhancing border enforcement measures.
Orcas, also known as killer whales (scientific name: Orcinus orca), are marine mammals belonging to the dolphin family, Delphinidae. They are highly intelligent, socially complex, and widespread, inhabiting oceans and seas around the globe. Orcas are categorized into different ecotypes or types based on various behavioral, dietary, and morphological traits. This classification helps scientists understand the diverse roles that orcas play in marine ecosystems. ### Types of Orcas 1.
The Generalized Lotka–Volterra equations are a set of nonlinear differential equations used to describe the dynamics of biological systems in which multiple species interact, particularly in the context of predator-prey interactions and competition models. These equations extend the traditional Lotka-Volterra model by allowing for more complex interactions and dependencies among species. The classic Lotka-Volterra equations typically involve two species: one representing a predator and the other its prey.
In biology, a growth curve is a graphical representation that shows the increase in the number of cells, organisms, or biological mass over time. Growth curves can be used to analyze the growth patterns of populations, microorganisms, plants, or even different stages in the life of an individual organism. They typically depict how a biological entity grows and can include various phases, often classified into distinct stages.
Irruptive growth refers to a rapid and often temporary increase in the population size of a species, typically in response to favorable environmental conditions, such as an abundance of resources, decreased predation, or a lack of competition. This pattern of growth is characterized by swift increases in numbers that can lead to a population exceeding the normal carrying capacity of its environment.
Human overpopulation refers to a situation where the number of people exceeds the carrying capacity of a specific environment or planet. This can lead to a variety of environmental, social, and economic challenges. Overpopulation can result in resource depletion, environmental degradation, and increased competition for limited resources such as food, water, and energy.
Hyperbolic growth refers to a specific type of growth in which a quantity increases rapidly and disproportionately over time, following a hyperbolic function. In mathematical terms, it typically represents growth that can be modeled by a hyperbola, resulting in a curve that approaches asymptotes but never actually meets them. In practical terms, hyperbolic growth is often characterized by: 1. **Rapid Increase**: The rate of growth accelerates quickly.
Relative species abundance refers to the proportion of different species in a given ecological community or environment. It measures how common or rare a species is relative to other species within the same community. This concept helps ecologists and biologists understand the structure and dynamics of ecosystems, as it provides insight into the diversity and health of a specific habitat. Relative species abundance can be expressed in various ways, often as a percentage or ratio.
Popular democracy is a political concept that emphasizes the direct participation of citizens in decision-making processes, rather than relying solely on elected representatives. It is often associated with grassroots movements and collective involvement in governance, aiming to empower individuals and communities in shaping policies and practices that affect their lives. Key features of popular democracy include: 1. **Direct Participation**: Citizens have opportunities to engage directly in political processes, such as through referendums, initiatives, and public assemblies.
I = PAT is an equation that represents the relationship between environmental impact (I), population (P), affluence (A), and technology (T). This formula is often used in environmental science and sustainability discussions to analyze how various factors contribute to environmental degradation and resource use. - **I (Impact)**: This refers to the environmental impact, which includes factors such as ecological footprint, carbon emissions, and resource depletion. - **P (Population)**: This represents the total number of people.
Ideal Free Distribution (IFD) is a concept in ecology that describes how individuals distribute themselves among different habitats or patches of resources in a way that maximizes their fitness. The theory is based on the assumptions that individuals are free to move between patches and will do so based on the availability of resources, such as food or breeding sites. Key principles of the Ideal Free Distribution include: 1. **Resource Availability:** Individuals will preferentially exploit patches that offer more resources because these patches can support more individuals.
Physiological density, also known as real population density, refers to the number of people per unit area of arable land. It is a measure used in demography and geography to provide insight into the relationship between a population and the land that is suitable for agriculture.
Bertrand's postulate, also known as Bertrand's conjecture, states that for any integer \( n > 1 \), there exists at least one prime number \( p \) such that \( n < p < 2n \). In other words, there is always at least one prime number between any integer \( n \) and its double \( 2n \). This conjecture was first proposed by the Russian mathematician Joseph Bertrand in 1845.
The logistic function is a common sigmoid curve often used in statistics, biology, and machine learning to model growth processes, probabilities, and binary outcomes. It is defined mathematically by the formula: \[ f(x) = \frac{L}{1 + e^{-k(x - x_0)}} \] where: - \(f(x)\) is the output of the logistic function.
The Lotka–Volterra equations, also known as the predator-prey equations, are a pair of first-order, nonlinear differential equations that describe the dynamics of biological systems in which two species interact: one as a predator and the other as prey. They were formulated independently by the Italian mathematician Vito Volterra and the American ecologist Alfred James Lotka in the early 20th century.
Pinned article: ourbigbook/introduction-to-the-ourbigbook-project
Welcome to the OurBigBook Project! Our goal is to create the perfect publishing platform for STEM subjects, and get university-level students to write the best free STEM tutorials ever.
Everyone is welcome to create an account and play with the site: ourbigbook.com/go/register. We belive that students themselves can write amazing tutorials, but teachers are welcome too. You can write about anything you want, it doesn't have to be STEM or even educational. Silly test content is very welcome and you won't be penalized in any way. Just keep it legal!
Intro to OurBigBook
. Source. We have two killer features:
- topics: topics group articles by different users with the same title, e.g. here is the topic for the "Fundamental Theorem of Calculus" ourbigbook.com/go/topic/fundamental-theorem-of-calculusArticles of different users are sorted by upvote within each article page. This feature is a bit like:
- a Wikipedia where each user can have their own version of each article
- a Q&A website like Stack Overflow, where multiple people can give their views on a given topic, and the best ones are sorted by upvote. Except you don't need to wait for someone to ask first, and any topic goes, no matter how narrow or broad
This feature makes it possible for readers to find better explanations of any topic created by other writers. And it allows writers to create an explanation in a place that readers might actually find it.Figure 1. Screenshot of the "Derivative" topic page. View it live at: ourbigbook.com/go/topic/derivativeVideo 2. OurBigBook Web topics demo. Source. - local editing: you can store all your personal knowledge base content locally in a plaintext markup format that can be edited locally and published either:This way you can be sure that even if OurBigBook.com were to go down one day (which we have no plans to do as it is quite cheap to host!), your content will still be perfectly readable as a static site.
- to OurBigBook.com to get awesome multi-user features like topics and likes
- as HTML files to a static website, which you can host yourself for free on many external providers like GitHub Pages, and remain in full control
Figure 2. You can publish local OurBigBook lightweight markup files to either OurBigBook.com or as a static website.Figure 3. Visual Studio Code extension installation.Figure 5. . You can also edit articles on the Web editor without installing anything locally. Video 3. Edit locally and publish demo. Source. This shows editing OurBigBook Markup and publishing it using the Visual Studio Code extension. - Infinitely deep tables of contents:
All our software is open source and hosted at: github.com/ourbigbook/ourbigbook
Further documentation can be found at: docs.ourbigbook.com
Feel free to reach our to us for any help or suggestions: docs.ourbigbook.com/#contact