Valuing Our Forests

Valuing our Forests

Figure 1 - Roger the Ranger

                

 When school lets out for the summer, kids like you often have a lot of fun time to spend with friends and family. When talking about fun trips with family and friends, one common choice of interest are outdoor vacations. However, forests are more than just a vacationing spot. So before you're ready to visit the outdoors, you should understand the many ways we as humans value the forests and rely on them for every day life.  Imagine being out with your family on a nice vacation on the Appalachian Mountains. It’s a cool windy afternoon, and everyone is ready for a campfire to cook food and keep warm. As soon as you start the fire, Roger the Park Ranger spots you and your family with his binoculars from the distance! As he walks over to meet you and your family, your mother asks Roger why he became a park ranger. "You see miss, the forests have so much to offer us as humans. Without forests, our entire way of life would never be the same! Before I go, I want to share some of the reasons we value forests and a little bit about what I do," says Roger the Ranger. 

 

The Air We Breathe

Figure 2 - Photosynthesis Diagram

"Don't you just love the fresh air out here?" says Roger. Forests work like natural air factories to give us the oxygen we breathe. Using a process called photosynthesis, trees take in the carbon dioxide that we exhale and use that to create oxygen in the air for us to live! You can see how the process works looking at Figure 2. "In fact, just one adult tree can make as much oxygen in one season that it would take 10 people to inhale in a year!", says Roger the Ranger (1). Not only to trees create air for us to breathe, they can also filter the air we already have. Trees catch a variety of air pollutants that can mix into the oxygen we breathe, making the air safer for our lungs. 

Animals and Habitat

                                                                               The animals in the forest rely on the trees for homes and protection, much like the way we rely on our houses to shelter and keep us safe from harm. "The animals that live in the forest feed on the nuts and berries that trees grow, and in turn we as humans need the animals so that we can eat and become strong," says Roger. It turns out that nearly half of all known animals live in the forests together in a habitat (1). "A habitat is when different animals and plants live together in the same area", Roger notes. If there were no forests, the animals that live there wouldn't manage and we would have a hard time getting food on the dinner table. Amazingly enough, around 300 million people live in forests around the world, about 60 million of those people are tribal and rely entirely on the habitat of the forest (1)! Without forests, people or animals just wouldn't be as 
 happy as we are today.

Figure 3 - Animal Habitat

Just look at how happy Mrs. Doe is to live in such a plentiful forest (Figure 3)! 






Clean Drinking Water

 Along with filtering our air as mentioned above, trees also clean most of the water that comes back to earth. Two-thirds of clean water in the United States comes from rain that is filtered through forests (2). "Forests are like giant sponges",

Figure 4 - Water filtering through forests

Roger says, "They catch a lot of the toxins that get added to the water naturally by drinking it using their roots". However, trees cant absorb all of it. The water that gets past their roots flow down into things called aquifers underground. An aquifer is an area in the ground that holds water in the gaps between rock, sand, or gravel (3). Without the roots of the forest to lead the extra water, it wouldn't be filtered properly in the soil. The water underneath the soil leads out to the rivers and oceans, almost like an underwater stream as you can see in Figure 5. This water provides drinking water for people all over the world! 

Figure 5 - Aquifer Diagram

The Role of a Park Ranger

 Being a park ranger such as myself can be a tough job, but its also a rewarding one, says Roger the Ranger. Part of my job is making sure all visitors are safe and happy by giving knowledge about forestry and going over park rules (4). "The other role that I play is to keep the forests in check and to make sure all the trails are cleared," says Roger. As a park ranger, Roger knows the forest like the back of his hand! Therefore, any problems you see such as a blocked trail, a forest fire, or an over flowing river should be reported to a park ranger. Doing your part and letting a park ranger know of dangers can save an entire forest, and thanks to Roger the Ranger, we now know why

Figure 6 - Roger the Ranger!

forests are so important to us! Like many other park rangers, Roger will be on the look out. He and other park rangers are constantly ready to serve the forests, and to protect and inform all of its visitors! 

References

1) McLendon, R. (2014, March 20). 21 Reasons Why Forests Are Important. Retrieved from http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/blogs/21-reasons-why-forests-are-important  

2) The Role of Forests in Water Purification. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.seesouthernforests.org/case-studies/role-forests-water-purification  

3) Southwest Florida Water Management District. Glossary. Retrieved from https://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/education/kids/glossary/aquifer/

4) Forestry Degree. Job Duties and Responsibilities of a Park Ranger. Retrieved from forestrydegree.net/job-duties-and-responsibilities-of-a-park-ranger/

5) Park Ranger Binoculars [Photograph] (2014) Retrieved from http://beatnikhiway.com/2015/07/07/highway-america-actual-questions-asked-of-national-park-rangers/

6) Photosynthesis Graph [Photograph] Retrieved from
http://www.microbiologyonline.org.uk/about-microbiology/microbes-and-the-outdoors/carbon-cycle

7) Deer in Forest [Photograph] Retrieved from http://giphy.com/gifs/forest-deer-ys8zByv0Muaxa

8) Forest with flowing water [Photograph] Retrieved from http://giphy.com/gifs/jerology-green-waterfall-rain-forest-aTdynm9cfgWwE

9) Aquifer [Photograph] (2014) Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTmioUWYMuQ

10) Park Ranger Lookout [Photograph] (2014) Retrieved from http://beatnikhiway.com/2015/07/07/highway-america-actual-questions-asked-of-national-park-rangers/

Dolly The Sheep

Dolly the Sheep

Figure 1: Dolly [Web Image]. (2006, July 4).

Hello, my name is Dolly the Sheep and I am the first ever-cloned animal. Figure 1 shows how big I have grown since I was created inside the laboratory. Before I tell you about how I was created first let me explain to you what a clone is. (1) A clone is a cell, cell product, or organism that is genetically identical to the unit or individual from which it is derived. A scientist named Ian Wilmut created me; thankfully for this guy I was created and cloned from another sheep’s DNA. As awesome as that sounds my creation has caused tremendous debate throughout the world. Many people believe that clones like me are not ready for society, but I beg to differ.

My Creation

         Since I was the first animal to be cloned from the cell of an adult, I am the most famous clone. Ian Wilmut and his team at Roslin Ins

Figure 2: How Cloning Works. (n.d.).

titute were successful with me after 277 attempts. Figure 2 shows how cloning works, but I will explain it more thoroughly. (3) To start, scientists used an udder cell from a six-year-old Finn Dorset white sheep. (2) A cell is a microscopic structure containing nuclear and cytoplasmic material enclosed by a membrane and it is the basic structural unit of all organisms. They took the udder cell and injected it into an unfertilized egg that had its nucleus removed. The nucleus is like the brain of the cell and it holds the entire DNA. The scientists then used electronic pulses that helped fuse the udder cell and egg together. After successfully creating the embryo (an unborn offspring in the process of development) the scientists implanted me into a surrogate mother so I could grow. A surrogate mother is a female that carries the baby in place of the biological parent. The sheep that was my surrogate mother carried me for 148 days until she gave birth to me. After 277 attempts I was the first successfully cloned animal from an adult cell. Thankfully for Ian Wilmut and his team at Roslin Institute I lived a pampered life.

Benefits

         Cloning has many benefits for the world and my creation has helped prove that. (3) Since my success, not only sheep are being cloned from adult cells. Cats, rabbits, horses, pigs, goats, and cattle all have been created because of my breakthrough. Many animals can be created through cloning, which not only helps animals it helps humans. (4) Cloning can lead to more successful organ transplants because of a shortage of suitable organ donors. Many patients die waiting for organs because there are no suitable donors. For example, if you are in need of a kidney scientists can create what you need in a lab using cloning technology instead of waiting for someone that is suitable. (4) The “green movement” an area of interest in the world will benefit from cloning. Cloning technology would allow scientists to preserve endangered species such as pandas and cheetahs. The technology that is used can allow many endangered species to live on without the need of natural reproduction. The need for organs in transplants and the need for the preservation of endangered species allows cloning to be acceptable among a broad range of people. Making cloning an acceptable practice can be tricky, but the benefits that cloning brings allows many people to accept it.

Life Cut Short

Figure 3: Dolly and her Lamb, Bonnie [Web Image]. (n.d.).

       Some could say I lived a pretty good life while being at the Roslin Institute. (3) I was able to mate and produce babies of my own the normal way. You can see in figure 3 an image of my lamb, and I at the Roslin Institute. It is now February 14^th 2003 and I am six and a half. (3) I have been suffering from arthritis in my hind leg joint and a lung tumor that is common among sheep raised indoors. I am not sure how much longer I am going to live, so I wanted to explain my story to the world. I overheard the scientists talking about putting me to sleep because of the pain I have been experiencing. My creation has helped break scientific grounds and produced evidence that cloning can be used; therefore I have lived a successful and meaningful life.

References

(1) Buratovich, Michael A. (2014). Salem Press Encyclopedia of Science.

(2) Cell - Dictionary Definition. (n.d.). Retrieved November 30, 2015.

(3) Animal Research. (2015). Cloning Dolly the Sheep. Retrieved from Animal Research website: http://www.animalresearch.info/en/medical-advances/timeline/cloning-dolly-the-sheep/

(4) Stonecypher, L., & Zaykoski, L. (2015, March 16). Remembering Dolly: Future Benefits of Cloning. Retrieved from Bright Hub website: http://www.brighthub.com/science/genetics/articles/13038.aspx