Comparing Natural vs artifical Environments

Sam Mohammed

Overview
To compare a natural environment with an artificial one, this visual display contrasts the four environments of water, sustainability, environmental management and pest termperature between the amazon rainforest and the blooming Koomens rose farm.

Water in the Amazon Rainforest

The water level in the Amazon River can change by as much as 40 feet (12 m). The lowest levels occur during August and September and the highest levels occur in April and May. When the water is at its highest point, the River can be as wide as 300 miles (560 km), and at this time up to 500 billion cubic feet (14 billion m3) of water surged out to sea per day. This his is enough to sustain New York Citys fresh water supply for nine years!

Temperature in the Amazon Rainforest

The climate in the Amazon during the daytime can range from temperatures of mid to upper 80s and falling to the low 70s in the night with Rain falls approximately 250 days of the year. While many areas have distinct rainy and dry seasons, others do not.

Environmental Management in the Amazon Rainforest

During the past 40 years, close to 20 percent of the Amazon rain forest has been cut down. The percentage could well be far higher. The figure fails to account for slogging, which causes significant damage but is less easily observable than clear-cuts. Scientists fear that an additional 20 percent of the trees will be lost over the next two decades. The Amazon produces half its own rainfall through the moisture it releases into the atmosphere. Eliminating enough of that rain through clearing would make remaining trees dry out and die. When desiccation is worsened by global warming, severe droughts raise the risks of wildfires that could ravage the forest. Because trees are now burned to create open land in the frontier states of Par, Mato Grosso, Acre, and Rondnia, Brazil has become one of the world's largest emitters of greenhouse gases. 3m Hectares in Amazon Rainforest Open to Big Oil
Ecuador plans to auction off more than 3 million hectares of Amazonian rainforest to Chinese and other global oil companies, capping a four-nation tour last week to publicize the bidding contracts, The Guardian reports. The announcement from the Hydrocarbons Secretariat of Ecuador puts forward 13 largely unexplored oil blocks for lease in the countrys south-eastern region, near the border with Peru, where proven reserves in and near some of the blocks are estimated at more than 100 million barrels.

http://www.environm entalleader.com/201 3/04/02/3mhectares-in-amazonrainforest-open-tobig-oil/

Sustainability in the Amazon Rainforest

Brazil needs to exploit the Amazon's resources to develop, so leaving it untouched is not an option. Uncontrolled and unchecked exploitation can cause irreversible damage such as loss of biodiversity, soil erosion, flooding and climate change. So, sustainable use of the forest is essential. Sustainable development will meet the needs of Brazil's population without compromising the needs of future generations. Possible strategies include: Agro-forestry - growing trees and crops at the same time. This lets farmers take advantage of shelter from the canopy of trees. It prevents soil erosion and the crops benefit from the nutrients from the dead organic matter. Selective logging - trees are only felled when they reach a particular height. This allows young trees a guaranteed life span and the forest will regain full maturity after around 30-50 years. Education - ensuring those involved in exploitation and management of the forest understand the consequences behind their actions. Afforestation - the opposite of deforestation. If trees are cut down, they are replaced to maintain the canopy. Forest reserves - areas protected from exploitation. Monitoring - use of satellite technology and photography to check that any activities taking place are legal and follow guidelines for sustainability.

Water in the Bloomin Koomen Rose Farm

When it rains at the farm, the water runs down from the roofs and into the water tanks. The workers or somebody adds chemicals called Ph. Then they use it so the roses can grow.

Temperature in the Bloomin Koomen Rose Farm

The temperature is given from an LPG tank outside. Then it creates warmth and heat for the roses to grow. The average humidity of the glasshouse ranges from 65%-70%.

Environmental Management in the Bloomin Koomen Rose Farm

The environmental management of the roses is all technical unlike the rainforest which is all natural. During night in the forest, there is a constant temperature of 70 degrees Celsius while a boiler keeps all the roses warm at night. Light has to be controlled in the glasshouse so the roses dont burn and water is feed straight to the roses unlike the amazon where plants that are not next to the rivers catch rain water in order to grow.

Sustainability in the Bloomin Koomen Rose Farm

Sustainability is basically sustained by the workers. They check on the flowers and sometimes manage them when machines cant do the work like disbudding or bending. The rain forest is probably more sustainable than the farm but still investors and oil companies are striping away the life of the rain forest.

Summary
Natural
500 billion cubic feet (14 billion m3) of water surged out to sea per day. This his is enough to sustain New York Citys fresh water supply for nine years! During the past 40 years, close to 20 percent of the Amazon rain forest has been cut down. Uncontrolled and unchecked exploitation can cause irreversible damage such as loss of biodiversity, soil erosion, flooding and climate change.

Artifical

The temperature is given from an LPG tank outside. The average humidity of the glasshouse ranges from 65%-70%. The environmental management of the roses is all technical A boiler keeps all the roses warm at night Light has to be controlled in the glasshouse Workers check on the flowers and sometimes manage them when machines cant do the work like disbudding or bending