Learning+journey+entry

Tan Pei Bing (24) 315 __Task 1__
 * 1) Source of the sound : From insects, gentle waves


 * 1) Long tailed macaque – They are social animals just like human beings. In the forest, they live in groups of 15 – 30 monkeys. Their social structure and behavior are almost as complex as ours. Each troop is made up of a dominant male monkey, which is known as the leader, and his harem of female monkeys. They spend a lot of time grooming each other. To them, this is an important social activity for developing friendships and strengthening social bonds. When they interact with each other, male monkeys may fight, play or do other things with each other. When they fight, they usually open their mouths wide and try to bite each other. They will also try to please their ‘leader’ by scratching their backs and getting rid of flies and insects for them. When they grab their food, they will make use of all their ten fingers to clutch their food (apple) and they make use of their long limbs and hands to swing around the trees. Their tail is used to maintain their balance. From what I have observed, I noticed slight expressions on their faces which were not very distinct. However, I could tell that the young monkeys felt threatened as we walked towards them as they looked fearful and hid in the trees from time to time.

__Task 2__ Impacts of Man’s activities:
 * 1) If they feed the long tail macaques, the monkeys’ health will deteriorate and it will kill them in the long term. Also, it will cause pollution and visitors may be attacked or scratched by the monkeys.
 * 2) Also, bringing pet dogs to the reservoir can cause damages to the environment because dogs urinate and expel faeces everywhere and it will confuse the other animals smelling the scent, causing havoc and upsetting ecology.
 * 3) Fishing is not allowed because the dead sea creatures will die and decompose, thus polluting the water and it will take a much longer time and effort to purify the water.
 * 4) The same goes with littering. The litter will pollute the water and the government has to spend huge sums of money to hire cleaners and a lot of effort is needed too.
 * 5) Camping is not allowed because there will be higher chances of people littering and the forest may catch fire easily.
 * 6) Vehicles like cars and motorcycles are not supposed to drive into the forest because they may cause oil spills and the environment and the creatures there will be affected.
 * 7) Men are also not allowed to damage any public properties like road signs and any living thing in the forest such as trees, insects or animals.
 * 8) In addition, they are not allowed to play any music in the forest as they will disrupt the silence in the forest, causing the animals to be frightened.

__Freshwater issues__ (1)

(2)Golf courses are not allowed to use fertilizers, insecticides or fogging because the chemicals are toxic and it will harm the creatures. Fertilizer runoff is partly to be blame for the proliferation of lake weeds and algae. One pound of phosphorus in a lake can result in 300 – 500 pounds of algae. Algae growth smells bad and creates oxygen-deprived environment for fish. I strongly disapprove of them doing so because the reservoir is a very important place in Singapore as we need water to survive. (3)Eutrophication is a process in which water bodies receives excess nutrients that stimulate excessive growth of algae that reduces dissolved oxygen in the water when dead plants decompose;this causes other organisms to die.Sources of nutrient are fertilizers from agricultural field;nitrogen from the atmosphere,erosion of soil containing nutrients and sewage effluents. An algal bloom is a rapid increase or accumulation in the population of [|algae] in an aquatic system. Algal blooms may occur in freshwater as well as marine environments. Typically, only one or a small number of [|phytoplankton] species are involved, and some blooms may be recognized by discoloration of the water resulting from the high density of pigmented cells. Although there is no officially recognized threshold level, algae can be considered to be blooming at concentrations of hundreds to thousands of cells per milliliter, depending on the severity. Algal bloom concentrations may reach millions of cells per milliliter. Algal blooms are often green, but they can also be other colors such as yellow-brown or red, depending on the species of algae. In [|agriculture], leaching refers to (1) the loss of water-soluble plant [|nutrients] from the [|soil] , due to [|rain] and [|irrigation]. [|Soil structure], crop planting, type and application rates of [|fertilizers] , and other factors are taken into account to avoid excessive nutrient loss. Leaching may also refer to (2) the practice of applying a small amount of excess [|irrigation] where the water has a high salt content to avoid [|salts from building up in the soil] ( [|salinity control] ). Where this is practiced, [|drainage] must also usually be employed, to carry away the excess water. Leaching is an [|environmental] concern when it contributes to [|groundwater] [|contamination]. As water from rain, [|flooding], or other sources seeps into the ground, it can dissolve chemicals and carry them into the underground water supply. Of particular concern are [|hazardous waste] dumps and [|landfills], and, in agriculture, [|excess fertilizer] , improperly stored animal manure, and biocides (e.g. [|pesticides] , [|fungicides] , [|insecticides] and [|herbicides] ). (4)

(5)

__Station 2__ Brazil nut tree (not native) last tree in Lower Pierce Reservoir, Oil Palm. They were cash crops and and were planted to make money. Lichens are organisms that grow on rocks, tree branches, or bare ground. They do not have roots, stems, flowers, or leaves. Lichens are composed of a green alga (singular form of algae) and a colorless fungus which co-exist for their mutual benefit. The alga, which has chlorophyll, manufactures its own food through photosynthesis (the process that uses sunlight as an energy source to convert water, carbon dioxide, and inorganic salts into oxygen and carbohydrates). The fungus, which has no chlorophyll, absorbs food from the alga. The fungus helps the alga by covering it and preventing it from drying out. An indicator species is any [|biological species] that defines a trait or [|characteristic] of the environment. For example, a species may delineate an [|ecoregion] or indicate an [|environmental condition] such as a [|disease] outbreak, [|pollution], species competition or [|climate] change. Indicator species can be among the most sensitive species in a region, and sometimes act as an early warning to monitoring biologists.
 * 1) What are characteristics of forest plants?
 * 2) What are some of the plants that were introduced by man? What were they introduced for?
 * 1) What is a lichen? What is an indicator species?

They prevent the mud to get into the water, protects bank.
 * 1) Can you see a line a tree stumps along the boardwalk in the water? Why are they there?


 * 1) Can you see any sign of erosion? Can you see any evidence of how trees can reduce erosion or where this is being used?