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My AP Biology Thoughts  
Unit #: 8

EPISODE TITLE: Welcome to My AP Biology Thoughts podcast, our names are Ramit Dasika, Flavio D’Attilio, Samy Leroux, Landon Schafer, Colin Fahmy and we are hosting this episode called Unit 8 Ecology AND  Today we will be discussing The war between Ukraine and Russia has caused mass destruction to many ecosystems through bombings and other weaponry and how it relates to the AP Biology Curriculum. 
Segment 1: Overview of Topic
 War The war between Ukraine and Russia has caused mass destruction to many ecosystems through bombings and other weaponry
Segment 2: Evidence that supports 
It causes forest fires- SamyDuring the process of runoff, the harmful chemicals are collected in rivers nearby. This causes the  water sources contaminated due to chemical leakage from destroyed industrial plants-RamitDuring the Russia-Ukrainian War, the Russian soldiers damaged and looted fire engines, computers, and radiation monitoring equipment, while leaving mines and munitions spread across the exclusion zone.-Flavio“In the Donbas region, wrecked sewage works gush their contents into rivers and damaged pipelines fill wetlands with oil.”- Landon“Most of the exclusion zone was damaged by the invasion and may be contaminated with unexploded ordnance and mines,” according to Oleksandr Galushchenko, director of the biosphere reserve. The larger mammals that constantly move around the reserve – wolves, deer, brown bears, lynx, elk, and recently reintroduced bison – are at particular risk, he says.”-Samy“The forests in the zone remain a radioactive tinderbox that, in the event of fires, could send radioactive isotopes on the winds towards Kyiv. The risks of that happening are now much greater, says the UNCG’s forest campaigner Yehor Hrynyk. With fire-fighting equipment looted and much of the exclusion zone dangerous for firefighters to enter, some 65,000 acres has burned since the invasion, and fires continue to smolder in underground peat.”-Colin“Many industrial plants are damaged or abandoned;wrecked sewage works gush their contents into rivers; damaged pipelines are filling wetlands with oil; and toxic military scrap is spread across the land.”- Flavio“A particular concern is the many coal mines abandoned after 2014. With pumping of water halted, they have so far released some 650,000 acre-feet of polluted mine water into the environment,...

My AP Biology Thoughts  
Unit #: 8- Disruptions to Ecosystems


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EPISODE TITLE: Single Use PlasticsJaiden: Welcome to My AP Biology Thoughts podcast, our names are Jaiden, Adam, and Reena and we are your hosts for this episode called Unit 8, Human Stupidity and Single Use Plastics. Today we will be discussing how single use plastics cause disruptions to the ecosystem and how it relates to the AP Biology Curriculum. 
The Podcast will be broken up into three segments. The first segment will show the general overview of single-use plastics and the second segment will show how these plastics impact the environment and why it relates to the AP Biology Curriculum. Finally, segment three will discuss how we can contribute and reduce single use plastics.
Segment 1: Overview of Topic
Plastic pollution has become one of the most pressing environmental issuesAccording to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans generated 35.7 million tons of plastic in the United States. Single use plastics are plastics that are used for a brief period of time, before they are thrown away. These include plastic straws, spoons, bottles, and bagsMicroplastics are extremely small pieces of plastic debris. They are generally about five millimeters, or approximately the diameter  an eraser on a #2 pencils,  in length to be considered microplastics
Segment 2: Just how much harm is plastic causing 
Some plastics such as Chlorinated plastics is harmful for the soil around it along with water sources making it harder for organisms to growIt takes 1,000 years for a plastic bag to degrade in a landfill. However, the plastic does not degrade completely but instead becomes microplastics that absorb toxins and continue to pollute the environment.An estimated 13 million plastic tons are thrown into the ocean each These small plastic particles may harm our health once they have entered our bodies. Plastic products contain chemical additives. A number of these chemicals have been associated with serious health problems such as hormone-related cancers, infertility and neurodevelopmental disorders like ADHD and autism.There are now 5.25 trillion macro and micro pieces, weighing up to 269,000 tonnes. This is because every day, around 8 million pieces of plastic make their way into our oceans.Unlike some other kinds of waste, plastic doesn't decompose. That means plastic can stick around indefinitely, wreaking havoc on marine ecosystems. Some plastics float once they enter the ocean, though...

My AP Biology Thoughts  Unit 8 Ecology EPISODE TITLE: The Isle of WolvesWelcome to My AP Biology Thoughts podcast, our names are Olivia, Anushka, Mea, and Hana and we are your hosts for the Unit 8 Ecology-the Isle Royale Study podcast. Today we will be discussing the Isle Royale Study and how it relates to the AP Biology Curriculum. 
Segment 1: Overview of the Isle Royale StudyCamping —> DOCTAH guise —-> isle royale —-> us listening to him talk :)
Segment 2: Evidence that supports the Isle Royale StudyWinter controls the ticks (kills them all if cold temperature) Provide ex of trophic cascading Predator prey talk abt itHuman interaction/interference (trails, being on/off) Coloring of the wolves Talk abt winter study (break island into quadrants and take populations #’s) 
Segment 3: Connection to the CoursePredator-prey relationship:  Trophic structure: a flow of energy between organisms in an ecosystem Energy flow Parasitic Importance of genetic diversity
Thank you for listening to this episode of My AP Biology Thoughts. For more student-ran podcasts and digital content, make sure that you visit www.hvspn.com. 
Music Credits:"Ice Flow" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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My AP Biology Thoughts  Unit 8 Ecology EPISODE TITLE: Conservation of BeesWelcome to My AP Biology Thoughts podcast, my name is Alex, here with Raelynn and Samiyah and we are your hosts for today’s episode, coming from Unit 8 - our Ecology unit. Today we will be discussing bee conservation.
Why are bees important to the environment?According to the US Department of Agriculture: “One out of every three bites of food in the United States depends on honey bees and other pollinators. Honey bees pollinate $15 billion worth of crops each year, including more than 130 fruits and vegetables. Managed honey bees are important to American agriculture because they pollinate a wide variety of crops, contributing to food diversity, security and profitability.”Pollinators - support plant populationsFood crops as well as wild plants
Why are bee populations declining? “Declines in bumble bee species in the past 60 years are well documented in Europe, where they are driven primarily by habitat loss and declines in floral abundance and diversity resulting from agricultural intensification.” (According to researchers from the University of Stirling)loss of habitats because of farming + urbanizationHabitat fragmentation can impact surviving populations through genetic isolation (which causes inbreeding and makes population less genetically diverse, making them more susceptible to diseases)University of London (an issue of Apidologie): habitat loss is the “most universal and high impact factor driving bee declines.”
https://www.ehn.org/monoculture-farming-is-not-good-for-the-bees-study-2639154525.html 
https://abcnews.go.com/International/monoculture-farming-modern-day-agriculture-killing-bees-scientists/story?id=80536659 
Climate ChangeUniversity of London (an issue of Apidologie): Change in temperature and weather patterns due to climate change can significantly impact bee populationsAdditionally, loss of habitat due to rising sea levels can also cause negative impacts statsUniversity of Maryland: October 2018 - April 2019:

My AP Biology Thoughts  Unit 8 Ecology EPISODE TITLE: Birds of Paradise Mating RitualsWelcome to My AP Biology Thoughts podcast, my name is Xavier and I am with Celine and Sofie and we are your hosts for Unit 8 Ecology-Birds of Paradise Mating Rituals. Today we will be discussing Birds of Paradise Mating Rituals and how it relates to the AP Biology Curriculum. 
We want to thank our sources for the information presented in this podcast episode today which include National geographic and BBC Earth. You can find the citations and links to these sources in the show notes.
Segment 1: Overview of Bird  The birds of paradise are some of the most fascinating birds in the world, from their wide range of behaviors and striking coloration of the males, I would love to ask you some specific questions about them. I have looked over many different species and their behavior, but I am particularly interested in the elaborate mating displays performed by male birds of paradise.Of course, let me begin with a bit of background on the species. Birds of paradise are members of the family Paradisaeidae (Para-dice-see-a-die), which researchers think evolved on the island of New Guinea. The family is comprised of 43 species, most found on the island of New Guinea. Two species are found only in the Moluccan Islands to the west of New Guinea, and four others are found mainly in northeastern Australia. The family of birds includes astrapias, manucodes, paradisaeas, parotias, riflebirds, and sicklebills.
Segment 2: Evidence that supports Animal Behavior within the Birds of ParadiseI know many species of birds are sexually dimorphic but what does this mean for the bird-of-paradise Yes, this means the males and females have different appearances. So the males have elaborate feather patterns that they use in their mating displays while the females of these species have a more dull and camouflaged appearance So while the females are watching the Males perform these displays what is their key concern when choosing which male to mate with? The female choice appears to be based on the vigor of the males’ display meaning their physical strength and health. Which can be seen in the condition and color of his feathers. So the female chooses a vigorous mate, ensuring that her offspring will also be relatively healthy. Exactly, the strongest, most brightly-feathered males have a better chance of attracting the females, while less attractive males may be overlooked. I was most interested in a species of male Superb bird-of-paradise with their dark black cape feathers and almost like a “psychedelic smiley face.” The way he snaps his tail rhythmically slowly, flashing a breastplate of iridescent like feathers. I’m sure the female’s prefer their beautiful feathers.Like I had mentioned it really depends on what the female wants to pass on to her children. This is their key concern...

My AP Biology Thoughts  Unit 8 Ecology EPISODE TITLE: Chimps in Uganda Welcome to My AP Biology Thoughts podcast, my name is kyle along with my handsome cohosts Shrithik, saahtih and gabe and we are your hosts for this episode , Unit 8 Ecology-Chimps in Uganda. Today we will be discussing Chimps and how they relate to the AP Biology Curriculum. 
Segment 1: Overview of CHIMPS  Chimps in Uganda98% share dna with humans They move around and live in communities of individuals similar to humansDon't travel in groups like gorillas or other monkeysAround 1500 chimps in uganda live in 13 different communities inside the khabale forest with 5000 total in the country Type 1 survivorship rate K-selected species 
Segment 2: Evidence that supports CHIMPS“You can also track chimps in Kyambura Gorge, Kalinzu Forest, Budongo Forest and in the Semliki Valley. Most of our Uganda holidays focus on Kibale, which has a very high success rate for sightings, and the atmospheric Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park, where sightings are less certain but the scenery is spectacular.” 
People have the hobby of following the chimps Watching these communities shows the similarities of our survivorship and how they are K selected -K selected mean long term babies taking care of infants  Type 1 species Population growth (exponential vs logarithmic)Natural limiting factors of population - Habitat loss, leopardsHow human activity affects chimp population - Hunting for bushmeat, pet trade and poaching and deforestation
Segment 3: Connection to the Course These chimps relate to topic 8.3, population ecology in the AP biology curriculum.The chimps provide an example of organisms changing in order to respond to their environment as they have opposable thumbs like humans in order to help grasp and climb trees which indirectly helps them obtain energyThe fact that the chimps have large group sizes, small body sizes and dietary flexibility increases their adaptive capacity to contribute to the success of their population in their habitat.The chimps eat figs, fruits, nuts, insects and even bark
Thank you for listening to this episode of My AP Biology Thoughts. And another thanks to our sources, lonely plant.com, responsible travel, and worldwildlife.com.  For more student-ran podcasts and digital content, make sure that you visit a href="http://www.hvspn.com" target="_blank" style="background-color:...