An analysis of the current activities of Cherwell District Councils Environmental Services Department Essay Example for Free

An analysis of the current activities of Cherwell District Councils Environmental Services Department Essay 1.0 Background Cherwell District Councils Environmental Services Department is made up of two sections (Environmental Services and Amenity Services), which deliver a wide range of diverse services (see Table 1). Table 1. Services offered by the Environmental Services Department. Environmental Services Amenity Services Food Safety/Health and Safety in businesses Waste Collection/Recycling Animal Welfare/Dog Warden Service Street Cleaning Pollution Control/Noise Nuisance Pest Control Service Health Promotion and Disability Issues Environmental Strategy/Agenda 21 This report looks at some of the services provided by the commercial team within environmental services who are responsible for food/health and safety law enforcement, infectious disease control, food/water sampling, licensing/registration, complaint investigation and offering information and training. 2.0 Introduction The majority of the activities of the commercial team are mandatory imposed on the Council by statute such as the Food Safety Act and the Health and Safety at Work etc Act. The sections activities are also monitored through quarterly reports to the Chief Executive of the Council, the Food Standards Agency and The Health and Safety Executive. Despite the regulatory function of the section which is primarily the enforcement of the law, it none the less provides a service which is described as the combination of outcomes and experiences delivered to and received by a customer (Johnson Clark, 2001 p9). Figure 1 lists some of the aspects of the service experience, which can be used when assessing the quality of the service provided. * the extent of personalisation of the process * the responsiveness of the service organisation * the flexibility of customer-facing staff * customer intimacy * the ease of access to service personnel or information systems * the extent to which the customer feels valued by the organisation * the courtesy

Strategy And Structure in Organizations

Strategy And Structure in Organizations Strategy is an integrated and coordinated set of commitments actions designed to exploit core competencies gain a competitive advantage. Organization structure Organisation structure specifies the firms formal reporting relationships, procedures, controls and authority, decision making process. So organisation structure includes three components: Administrative structure: This structure signifies division of labour in the organization. This includes dividing work into tasks or roles such as operations, logistics and transportation, and training, and recombining them into administrative units, e.g., branches, departments or divisions according to mission, function, and/or region. The structure depicted in organization charts, including tables of organization and equipment is the administrative structure. Responsibility structure: This includes division of responsibility authority to individuals within the organisation. Control structure: This includes organisations system of measuring and evaluating performance on the basis of administrative structure responsibility structure. Relationship between Strategy and Structure There are two main views on the relationship between strategy and structure. According to Alfred Chandler structure follows strategy. Recent research has questioned the view that structure always follows strategy, and argued instead that strategy often follows structure. This second view, that strategy follows structure, is based on the idea that managers already working within a particular organisational structure will take the structure for granted and only consider strategies that will fit with the existing structure. Combining these two arguments we can say that Strategy structure have a reciprocal relationship. Organization structure is a critical component of effective strategy implementation process. Success of a firm depends on how well a firms business strategy is matched to its organizational structure. Developing an organization structure that effectively supports the firms strategy is difficult. For successful implementation of organization strategy, an organisation structure should have following characteristics: Structural stability This provides the firm a capacity to effectively manage its daily work routines. Structural flexibility This provides the firm an opportunity to explore competitive possibilities then allocate resources to activities that will shape the competitive advantages the firm will need to be successful in future. However strategy has a much more important influence on structure than reverse. But at the end organisation structure should provide adequate stability flexibility that is necessary for successful implementation of strategy. Strategy that a firm decides to follow will govern the decision about the organisation structure that will be suitable for the firm but once in place organization structure influences the choice about future strategies because of organizational inertia derived from organization structure that inhibits efforts to change. Evolutionary pattern of organizational structure strategy Pre-bureaucratic structures This is the simplest form of structure is usually based on traditional or charismatic dominance. Structure is totally centralised lacks standardisation of tasks. This is useful in managing simple tasks. Bureaucratic structures It has certain degree of standardisation is useful in managing slightly more complex large scale organizations. Functional structures Structure is more standardised centralised. Organisation is divided into separate functional divisions employees within a particular division perform specific functions. This type of structure is useful in firms that provide standardised goods services at low cost in high volume. Divisional structure This is also called as product structure. Organisation is divided into divisions each division has its own resources functions. Divisions can be based on geographies or products/services. Matrix structure This structure combines the features of both functional divisional structure. Defining the strategy strategy implementation process Strategy formulation As discussed earlier strategy has more important influence on structure than reverse. So whenever a firm starts a business it decides about what strategy it wants to follow. Broadly there are four different business strategies that firms follow: Prospector- The primary challenge that these firms face is to identify exploit new opportunities of industry their primary capability is innovation. Analyser- Analysers are fast followers. They closely monitor customer reactions competitor activities either improve upon successful competitor product offerings or offer comparable products at reduced cost. Low cost defenders- These firms usually target stable segments of market. Their main emphasis is on efficiency through standardised practices providing low cost products rather than innovation. Differentiated defenders- These firms also target stable segments of market but their emphasis is on high quality differentiated products rather than low cost. Strategy implementation Organization structure forms a critical implementation dimension. Three important features upon which organization structure is based are formalisation, centralisation, standardisation. Formalization- This is the degree to which decisions working relations are governed by formal rules. Formal rules lower the administrative cost increase efficiency. Firms that have greater number of formal rules regulations are called mechanistic firms with fewer formal rules are called organic. Centralization- This defines the degree to which decision making authority is held by top management. In centralised organizations lines of communication responsibility are clear defined. Decisions are usually made by top management implementation path is clearly defined. This type of structure is followed in relatively stable, non-complex environments. In decentralised organizations views ideas may originate from different groups. Decision making power is dispersed in the organisation. This type of structure is effective in complex environments. Specialization- This defines degree to which tasks and activities are divided in the organization. Specialist firms direct their efforts to a well defined set of activities. Generalist firms on the other hand are more diverse in their activities. Firms following different business strategies usually differ on degree of formalization, centralization specialization of organizational structure. Relationship between Environment, Resources, Strategy and Structure Strategy and structure are dynamically related according to classical model. E= Environment, R=Resource(capabilities) S=Strategy St=Sttructure Ti= Time The nature of the environment (Et1) and the Resources (Rt1) of the organization influence the strategy (St1) chosen at time t1, and in this turn determines the organizational structure (St1). Then the evolution of the environment and/or of the organization brings about a new strategy and a new structure. The dotted lines indicate that very often firms try to meet the environmental and structural demands without realizing that they have implicitly adopted a new strategy. Strategy grows out of structure and in turn may lead to its modification. Source:http___www.emeraldinsight.com_Insight_ViewContentServlet_contentType=ArticleFilename=_published_emeraldfulltextarticle_pdf_0860100201 Burns and Stalker (1961) view structure as a process in itself a means of holding together an organization so that it is able to determine its own destiny. Organizations that operate in dynamically changing and uncertain environments tend to need organic/flexible structures and processes while more stable environments lend themselves to more familiar mechanistic bureaucratic structures. Eccles et al. (1997) list some of the main functions of organizational structure which provide: a formal allocation of work rules; channels for collaborative working; boundaries of authority and lines of communication; a means of allocating power and responsibility; prescriptive levels of formality and complexity. Strategy and Structure Alignment Source: Emerald database Strategy-Structure Alignment An important management responsibility is to design and implement the strategic organizational form best suited to the demands of its marketplace, customers, and business model. Since your competitors essentially have access to the same information and may have developed similar strategies, it is important to consider organizational design as one of your most powerful strategic weapons. Strategy-Structure Alignment follows four phases: Assessment: Data is gathered on strategy, organization and the business environment using interviews, archival research (of planning documents, performance studies, etc), and observations. Data is organized into issue categories and fed back to management in a way that supports validation and learning. Management reaches an agreement on key issues and problems, causal factors and organizational requirements. Design: The design process goes through a series of design steps including scale and leverage assessment, the design of vertical alternatives and lateral processes and structures, impact analysis, etc. Each step is geared to execute strategy and address organization and cultural issues. Alternatives Choice: Changes in organization are based on a selection from among a set of alternatives. Because any organizational structure calls for trade-offs, the alternatives are worked through discussions that focus on the advantages and disadvantages of each, their fit with requirements, and the impact of implementation, etc. Frequently the organizational design that is. The types of problems that can be addressed include: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Changes in strategy causing poor alignment with the original organization design à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Needing to restructure parts of organization due to competitive pressures, introduction of new technology, etc. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Organizational growth is causing a reexamination of the organization design à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Poor execution and organizational effectiveness The primary objective in Strategy-Structure Alignment is for management to design and decide upon an organizational structure that best supports its strategy and to develop a preliminary transition plan for next steps. The concept of co-alignment If strategy is about realizing a plan, then in implementing it, a suitable means of structuring resources and activities must be found and maintained. Olsen (1993) uses the term co- alignment to describe the best fit relationship between strategy and organizational structure. He observes that without co-alignment between structure, strategy and the environment, organizations may experience difficulty in achieving long-term success. The concept of co-alignment is depicted in Figure. Alignment is a systematic methodology for designing these capabilities in a fully rational and informed way. Strategy-Structure Alignment is strategy-driven and performance-oriented. It begins with a reaffirmation (and sometimes recalibration) of business strategy, explores the implications of that strategy for organizational structure, considers changing conditions in the environment, and through diagnosis identifies organizational problems and performance gaps. A sequential design process generates alternatives for organization design. A preliminary transition plan of a preferred alternative and its alignment then follow. Relationship between Organizational Control, Structure and Strategy There is a close relationship between organizational control, structure and strategy. The organizational control is one of the prime drivers for the organizational change whenever the organization changes its structure. As explained earlier; as organization grows the control of the organization becomes more complex and hence the structure of the organization is changed to cope with the changed environment. Organization structure itself is used as a control mechanism in implementing strategy. For e.g. large diversified firms using cost leadership strategy emphasize financial controls and usually will have some centralized financial reporting mechanism or financial department to exert more control over the cost Single business companies and business units using a differentiation strategy will be emphasizing on strategic control and the mechanisms will be developed accordingly Corporate Level Strategy and Structure Depending on the type of corporate level strategy the organization is following the link between structure and strategy can be compiled as following. Strategy Structure Major features Related Constrained Strategy Co operative structure (M-form) Structural integration, centralized strategic planning, human resource and marketing,RD etc. Cultural emphasis on corporate sharing. Rewards are subjective , tend to follow overall corporate performance and divisional performance Related Linked Strategy Strategic Business Unit (M-form) Structural integration, centralized strategic planning, human resource and marketing, RD etc. Cultural emphasis on corporate sharing. Rewards are subjective , tend to follow overall corporate performance and divisional performance Unrelated Diversification Competitive form (M-form) Small corporate head quarters with Finance and auditing as the most prominent functions. headquarters to manage cash flow and ensure the accuracy of performance data coming from divisions The legal affairs function becomes important when the firm acquires or divests assets Divisions are independent and separate for financial evaluation purposes Divisions retain strategic control, but cash is managed by the corporate office Divisions compete for corporate resources Latest Empirical Studies Strategy and Structure in Context: Universalism versus Institutional Effects Jose I. Galan and Maria J. Sanchez-Bueno Tried to study the Chandlers proposition that large organization evolve in to multi divisional forms as they grow in case of Spain. Spain being a newly developing market and with slowly integrating with EU and world market was studied to test whether the cultural factors has impact on the emergence of structure as organizations globalise and evolve. Their studies corroborated that as organizations evolve its complexity rather than culture that drives the emergence of the structure. Spanish organizations too followed the global trend of emergence of multi divisional structure. The same has been corroborated in case of other countries by Researcher Country Dyas Thanheiser France Whittington Mayer U.K Whittington Mayer Germany Institutional Forms and Organizational Structures: Homology, Trust and Reputational Capital in Professional Service Firms Gerard Hanlon Explores how professional service organizations has used a set of clan and bureaucratic controls to manage the organizational changes; both set of controls being present throughout the life span of an organizations but with varying levels of importance. Previous studies by Ouchi et. al says about the clan structure of professional services ,legal practices and accounting where there is high centrality of decision making and you belonging to that particular group or profession bringing you some privileges. Socialization aspect of clan structure was central to the success of organizations in that particular setup. Clan structure induces homology and trust based partner autonomy. Reputational capital is essential in making large and complex deals . But as the services expanded the need for institutional forms also emerged and institutional controls started taking place. This need for formal interactions and following of norms undermined the clan nature of the services. There is a constant power struggle between the bureaucratic controls and clan /social and informal norms of control in professional organizations. Exploring Strategy and Board Structure in Non-profit Organizations William A Brown Joel O Inverson Applying Miles and Snow typology of strategy Brown and Inverson tries to understand the structure of the organizations of the various non-profit organizations in U.S. Their key findings are Prospectors : have broader inclusive structure Defenders : have tighter more focused structure Environmental Turbulence, Organizational Stability, and Public Service Performance George A Boyne Kenneth J Meier A turbulent external environment is widely believed to have damaging effects on public service performance. Much less consensus has been reached on whether the best response to turbulence is to retain or alter existing organizational structures. They analysed these issues by testing the links between turbulence, structural stability, and performance in a large sample of public organizations. Results show that turbulence has a negative effect on performance, and that this is compounded by internal organizational change. Thus public managers can mitigate the harmful effects of volatility in the external environment by maintaining structural stability. Emerging trends in organisation structure By the end of 20th centaury trend of large organizations was over. The environment in which firms were operating changed to great extent. The factors that are responsible in todays environment are entirely different from traditional factors. Due to change in factors responsible for success of organizations, organizations are changing their structure. Major factors that have contributed to this change are: Globalisation Due to changes in technology changes in international trade laws, more more companies are competing in more more number of markets. This has increased both the opportunities threats present in external environment. Change in Technology Technology is evolving at a very fast rate organizations have to constantly adapt to this change. Technological change has the biggest impact on organizations among all the factors. Internet as a technology has provided a new distribution marketing channel which has led to a change in the way organizations compete. Information technology has also changed the internal working process of organizations. Technologies like ERP, SAP Oracle have facilitated the information flow in the organizations which in turn has changed the way organizations work. Einsteins famous formula has been modified in modern days of technological advancement. E = MC2 M is the Mastery of each individual (human capital). C are the Connections that join individuals into a community (social capital). C is the Communication that flows through those Connections. E is the resulting Effectiveness of the team or organization According to a paper Do Org Charts Still Matter? by Thornton A May organizations are a combination of responsibilities, accountabilities, knowledge, process, interactions future. Organization charts depict only first element of organization i.e. responsibilities accountabilities. All other elements of organization are missing from the organization charts. Informal organizations that are existing because of web based interactions are not shown in these charts. Constant change As competition is increasing day by day so organisations cant depend on what they do today to be successful tomorrow. Environment in which industries are competing is also very uncertain dynamic. This uncertainty demands structural flexibility. Technological change is one of the factors that are leading to environment change. As no company is confined to geographic boundaries so this has increased exposure to different emerging markets side by side it has also increased the competition from different players entering into the market. So companies have to adapt themselves to ever changing demands of consumer markets. Mergers acquisitions In recent years many mergers acquisitions happened in global economy. When two organisations combine it is mandatory that organisation structure provided by the management should be conducive to culture of both the organizations. Most of the failures in case of mergers acquisitions are due to cultural clash. Diversity in the workforce People from diverse backgrounds in terms of geographies cultures are working in organizations. So organization structure should be such that it increases the productivity, improve morale, heighten creativity and enhance decision-making power among the employees. Emerging organisation structure trends Because of above mentioned factors the structure of many companies has become flatter, less hierarchical, more fluid and even virtual. Increasing use of IT enabled conventional organization structures to transform into more fluid form. Few of the emerging trends in organisation structure are: Teams This is the new trend of organization structure. Entire organization may work as a team or it may be a combination of few teams which coordinate with each other. Xerox, Motorola are among the few companies that follow team organization structure. Network Network structure is also an emerging trend in organization structure. The main reason for using this type of organization structure is that firms outsource the tasks activities to other firms that can perform those tasks in a better cost effective way. Success of this type of structure depends upon the coordination control of external relations. Structural flexibility is one of the major success criteria for this type of organization structure. Partnership alliances As competition is increasing in the economy so firms realise that it is very difficult to survive in this highly competitive environment alone. So firms go for partnership alliances with other firms to diversify the risk. Virtual organizations This is the most radical form of organization structure. It is also called as boundary-less organization. This means while the core of the organization can be small but still the company can operate globally be a market leader in its niche. Because of the unlimited shelf space of the Web, the cost of reaching niche goods is falling dramatically. The success of this type of structure depends on information technology. Self organised communities The structure followed by latest web 2.0 technologies is self organised communities. In this case the job of top management is just to maintain the motivation level of employees to participate in the community. The TATA Group Introduction: Activities of the Organization The Tata Group is a multinational company with its head-quarter located in Mumbai, India. The Tata Group is one of the largest private employers in India employing more than 350000 employees. Tata companies operate in seven business sectors: communications and information technology, engineering, materials, services, energy, consumer products and chemicals. Every Tata company or enterprise operates independently. Each of these companies has its own board of directors and shareholders, to whom it is answerable. There are 28 publicly listed Tata enterprises and they have a combined market capitalization of some $60 billion, and a shareholder base of 3.5 million. The major Tata companies are Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Tata Power, Tata Chemicals, Tata Tea, Indian Hotels and Tata Communications. Tata Steel became the sixth largest steel maker in the world after it acquired Corus. Tata Motors is among the top five commercial vehicle manufacturers in the world and has recently acquired Jaguar and Land Rover. TCS is a leading global software company, with delivery centers in the US, UK, Hungary, Brazil, Uruguay and China, besides India. Tata Tea is the second largest branded tea company in the world, through its UK-based subsidiary Tetley. Tata Chemicals is the worlds second largest manufacturer of soda ash and Tata Communications is one of the worlds largest wholesale voice carriers. Rationale for selection Tata, with its long history, is synonymous with the Indian economy. Its growth has been a prime index to be watched for gauging Indias growth. With a history of over 100 years, Tata has grown leaps and bounds by diversifying into different businesses. These businesses are so diversified and different that it presents us an opportunity to draw contrast between the different kinds of structures adopted in these businesses. Tatas solid presence in major industries like Automobiles (Tata Motors), Steel Industry (Tata Steel), IT Industry (TCS), Hospitality Industry (Taj Hotels) and many others is evident of their successful strategy formulation and implementation. All these businesses are driven by a single level corporate level strategy. Also with the increasing globalisation there is an increased pressure on the Tata group companies to expand their operations beyond the nations boundaries. There has been the realization for the same and the Tatas have been proactive in sensing and capturing the internationalization opportunities. The widely known Corus acquisition by Tata Steel, the TCS foray into international markets, Tata Teas acquisition of U.K based Tetley tea have helped Tata to establish the brand Tata in the international arena. This has not been an independent event. In fact these steps have had serious implications to the structure of the organization. The study of Tata aims at obtaining insights into the impact of strategy change (diversification, internationalization) on the structure of the organization as a whole (reconstructionist approach). Also the impact of structural change on the firms strategy (structuralist approach) could effectively be studied with respect to Tata given its long history. So the Tata group presented an exciting opportunity to draw the relationship between strategy and structure of an organization. TAJ Hotels Resorts and Palaces The Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) and its subsidiaries are collectively known as Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces, which is recognized as one of Asias largest and finest hotel companies. Incorporated by the founder of the Tata group, Jamsetji Tata, the company opened its first property, the Taj Mahal Palace hotel, Bombay in 1903. Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces comprises 64 hotels in 45 locations across India with an additional 15 international hotels. Areas of Business Luxury Premium Mid-Market Value Vivanta Ginger Gateway Taj IHCL operates in the luxury, premium, mid-market and value segments of the market In addition, IHCL has Taj Exotica (resort and spa brand found in the most exotic and relaxing locales of the world ) and Taj Safari (wildlife lodges that allow travelers to experience the unparalleled beauty of the Indian jungle amidst luxurious surroundings) which provide services to different segments of the market. With its diversification strategy revolving both around products and markets, the Taj Group of Hotels follow Cooperative Form of Multidivisional Structure to implement its Related Constrained Strategy of diversification. In this Cooperative Form of Multidivisional Structure, IHCL uses Structural Integration devices to create tight links among all divisions. The Corporate Office located in Mumbai emphasizes centralized strategic planning, human resources, and marketing to foster cooperation between divisions. IHCL has a well laid out procedures for working and conduct of business. These governance mechanisms are clear and unambiguous. Everyone in the company is expected to follow the procedures followed in the company and anyone found violating them is questioned for the breach and suitable action is taken. The TATA Code of Conduct governs all the policies, procedures and behaviors desired from its associates across all its Hotels. There is more of formalization as most of these policies and norms are written down. The customer also feels at home when he is familiar with the brand and its level of commitment and service, making it the customers first choice at any location where its available. It also helps the company control the costs as there is a high degree of standardization of products and services. The transaction costs are also lower since most of the duties are well defined and less reason for conflict within organization. The culture of the IHCL emphasizes cooperative sharing. All the divisions and subsidiaries of IHCL share the corporate strengths of IHCL. The TATA/Taj Brand provides the trust from its customers to all its subsidiary units. Also, sharing divisional competencies facilitates the IHCLs effort to develop economies of scope which is very well achieved by its multidivisional structure. Sometimes temporary teams or task forces are formed around certain projects/events which is facilitated by sharing competencies that are embedded within several divisions. So, to align its structure with its Related Linked Strategy of Diversification, the IHCL has developed a matrix kind of organization from the multidivisional structure. Here, as can be seen in the figure below there is a dual structure combining both functional specialization and business product specialization. So, measuring the organizational structure of IHCL on the dimensions of Formalization, Centralization, and Specialization we have: Tata Steel The Tata Steel division is the oldest business unit under the Tata group. Established in 1907, Tata Steel has evolved over the years to become an extremely competitive steel manufacturer. Evolution of the Strategy and Structure During the pre liberalization period (before 1991), Tata Steel faced a low levels of competition. SAIL was the only major competitor. The period was also reflective of the following: quantitative restrictions (license raj) on the levels of production, the control over the price and the selection of customers. The tight regulatory nature of the government bodies over the manufacturing units had implications over the strategy of the firm. The main aim of the unit was to meet the levels of production as set by the government and there was no motive to increase productivity/efficiency or reduce the cost. Thus the firm had a centralized structure. The various functions

Organism Adaptions over Time

Organism Adaptions over Time An adaptation is a feature that is very commonly seen in a specific population because it provides some improved functionality. Adaptations are well suited to their pertaining function and are made by natural selection. Evolution is the actual process of when some organisms change their form over a long period of time to adapt to certain environment that they live in, to be able to defend themselves against other animals like predators, to camouflage or sometimes for no scientifically explained reason. This essay will be discussing specific organisms on Earth that have evolved to be able to adapt to their living conditions and how and why their changes had happened. The first organism that is going to be discussed is the actually the Polar Bear. This is more of a basic example of what evolution is like and has a really valid and scientifically proven reason. The Polar bear had originated from the Brown bear. This happened when some Brown bears were separated from their pack when traveling and they had to adapt to the cold environment they were left in. Eventually the weaker ones had died and the stronger bears learn to adapt to their environment and eventually their fur would turn white. The whiteness in their fur would help with them camouflaging in the snow and ice that surrounded them to protect and hide them from predators and and keep them warm from the freezing temperatures. The second organism that will be discussed is actual the whole species of the whale. The whale has undergone major changes and phases of evolution. The original ancestors of whales are actually terrestrial animals. Scientists believe that whales evolved from animals like wolves which as we all know, were land animals who walked on all fours. The reason behind this change is due to changing land masses overtime. The textures and risings and fall of the lands on Earth due to earthquakes is what caused this change for wolves to develop fins and flippers and eventually turn into whales, of course taking many lifetimes for this to happen. Another organism on planet Earth that has undergone evolution is actually the cactus. I will be discussing how once leafy and normal plants became a cactus. It is known that actually the Pereskia, a genus which contained seventeen species of leafy shrubs and trees is where the first known sights of cactus development began and how plants made this change to adjust to the dry environment that some of them lived in. Since it was so dry and rain ever hardly made its way to the plants they began to change their structure to be able to contain water within them to drink off of and survive. This is a really good example of an organism evolving because it shows the cause and effect of how and why it made its change and the pricks on the outer side of the cactus to also protect it from other animals that may want to feed of the cactus such as birds, lizards and insects. The fourth example of an organism on Earth developing its evolution for adaption is the lizard known as the skink. This animal actually, within its embryo within its egg has somehow learned to give itself another layer of calcium on its body. This was done by the minerals within the sand that it was surrounded by in the beaches it used to and still thrives in. This was done so once hatched it would be able to get used to its sandy environment and be able to use this calcium to gain the vitamins and nutrients it needs as ian infant to survive. The skink still remains as a really thriving species of lizard in modern day and this is because of the calcium it hadÂÂ   absorbed when it was young. The fifth and final example of an evolution taking place for the sole purpose of adaptation of an organism that is actually currently evolving as speak and this organism is known as. As we all know climate change is currently upon us and the Tawny Owl from Finland is what I am talking about. This owl is actually varying in colors. There are three different types of colors for this owl, brown and pale grey. The pale grey owls have learned to survive within the winter time because they can easily blend in with some of the snow sides of their habitat but as for the browner owls they had a hard time with this. But thanks to climate change, survival is on their side, the species has been evolving itself and more specifically, the grey owls have been dying. The brown owls can now blend into anything brown, which is a common color of branches that are visible on hotter days. Survival of the fittest is what was called for and the brown Tawny owl is the definition of that. All five examples are provided with cause of adaption and an extra introduction which was not required was provided to provide a general and more clear idea of what will be discussed.

Elizabethan Theater :: essays research papers

Elizabethan Theater Elizabethan times in the 1600s was a progression for the world of the theater. A period named after Queen Elizabeth I of England, it is from this period that modern day society has its foundation for the entertainment industry. From the violence that was prevalent because of the Black Death, people turned to the theater for its poetry and romance. During this time period, there were two types of theatrical performances that were available for the people’s viewing, comedies or tragedies. These two genres were never really intertwined until the time of William Shakespeare. His play, Romeo and Juliet, is an example of both a comedy and a tragedy. It starts off as a comedy with Romeo weeping like a baby because of his love Rosaline, who did not love him back and ends as a tragedy when Romeo and Juliet, a pair of star crossed lovers, commit suicide because the lost of each other. It was also during Shakespeare’s time that writer were finally acknowledged by the people. Befor e this time, writers were not considered upper classman. Another group of people that began to rise into a higher social class were the actors. Actresses were not present back then because women were not allowed on stage. It was considered unladylike to have a female actor. Men played all the parts. Theater owners were dependent on actors to make them a profit. Rehearsals for the plays were fairly short, only lasting for about a week. The performances themselves would only show for three to four days. Actors were expected to memorize hundreds of lines at a time. While one play could be performing, actors would be practicing lines for their next show. Play writers also began to make roles for the actors in the theatrical pieces. The theaters that actors performed in were roofless so that the sun could be used as lighting. Theatrical shows were held in the afternoon because it provided the best amount of light for the show. When the people gathered into the theater, the different clas ses of people were separated by where they could afford to sit and watch the show. The lower classmen were situated on the bare earth where it was dirty and smelly because it was never cleaned. The owners’ of the theaters found it less expensive if they did not keep high maintenance of their establishments. Higher classmen sat under a roof and for a penny more, they could buy cushions for their seats. Elizabethan Theater :: essays research papers Elizabethan Theater Elizabethan times in the 1600s was a progression for the world of the theater. A period named after Queen Elizabeth I of England, it is from this period that modern day society has its foundation for the entertainment industry. From the violence that was prevalent because of the Black Death, people turned to the theater for its poetry and romance. During this time period, there were two types of theatrical performances that were available for the people’s viewing, comedies or tragedies. These two genres were never really intertwined until the time of William Shakespeare. His play, Romeo and Juliet, is an example of both a comedy and a tragedy. It starts off as a comedy with Romeo weeping like a baby because of his love Rosaline, who did not love him back and ends as a tragedy when Romeo and Juliet, a pair of star crossed lovers, commit suicide because the lost of each other. It was also during Shakespeare’s time that writer were finally acknowledged by the people. Befor e this time, writers were not considered upper classman. Another group of people that began to rise into a higher social class were the actors. Actresses were not present back then because women were not allowed on stage. It was considered unladylike to have a female actor. Men played all the parts. Theater owners were dependent on actors to make them a profit. Rehearsals for the plays were fairly short, only lasting for about a week. The performances themselves would only show for three to four days. Actors were expected to memorize hundreds of lines at a time. While one play could be performing, actors would be practicing lines for their next show. Play writers also began to make roles for the actors in the theatrical pieces. The theaters that actors performed in were roofless so that the sun could be used as lighting. Theatrical shows were held in the afternoon because it provided the best amount of light for the show. When the people gathered into the theater, the different clas ses of people were separated by where they could afford to sit and watch the show. The lower classmen were situated on the bare earth where it was dirty and smelly because it was never cleaned. The owners’ of the theaters found it less expensive if they did not keep high maintenance of their establishments. Higher classmen sat under a roof and for a penny more, they could buy cushions for their seats.

Causes of the Flu Essay -- Biology Essays Research Papers

Why We Still Get the Flu This winter, media reports of early influenza (flu) deaths in American and British children sparked a panic that is spreading throughout the United States and the world. People are currently rushing to get flu shots to try to prevent this virus, which can be temporarily debilitating and even lead to death (1). With readily available flu vaccination and medication, it is a wonder that the flu is still an extant disease. In fact, in any given year, the flu kills about 15 million people world wide, more people than are killed by AIDS, lung cancer, and heart disease combined (2). With so much modern medical technology, why is it that we are still getting the flu? Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is a virus that infects the trachea (windpipe) or bronchi (breathing tubes) (1). Strains of the flu may belong to one of three different influenza virus families, A, B, or C (3). Symptoms include high fever, chills, severe muscle aches, headache, runny nose, and cough. Complications can lead to pneumonia. Those most at risk of dying from the flu or contracting complications include asthmatics, people with sickle cell disease, people with long-term diseases of the heart, kidney, or lungs, people with diabetes, those who have weakened immunity from cancer or HIV/AIDS, children on long-term aspirin therapy, women who are on their second or third trimester of pregnancy, children under the age of nine, and adults over the age of 50 (1). Flu shots may be a miracle of modern technology, but they are not received by everyone. The flu is a world-wide problem. While Americans spend $2 billion treating and preventing the flu every year, those countries known as the Third or Developing World simply cannot afford su... ... VA – Flu Vaccine http://www.fin.org/n_flu.html 9)Fujian flu vaccine ready by next year; news article on the Star Online, a Malaysian Newspaper. http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file= 10)ScienceDaily New Release: Australian National University Scientists Find Genetic Trigger For The 1918 Spanish Flu http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/09/010907081636.htm 11)WHO 50th – Smallpox Eradication, Site Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the World Health Organization. http://www.who.int/governance/en/smallpox.htm 12)FluMist: No More Flu Shots? , On the Mayo Clinic website. http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?objectid=591BCB8D-4339-4653-86B9311B648BF021 13)ScienceDaily News Release: A Better FLU Vaccine? Nasal Spray Vaccine May Give More Protection Against 'Drifted' Strains http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/12/031209081457.htm

An Article of an Earthquake in China

This article that I have chosen is a earthquake that happened in China. It was said that this earthquake had the largest measuring magnitude of 5. 7. After the earthquake, at least 80 were killed and 700 were injured. This earthquake was the heaviest in the rural area in Yiliang country. One of the elementary school collapsed in the earthquake. Authorities are not sure if the children are killed. In 2008, there was an earthquake in Yunnan’s neighbouring Sichuan province, which killed 80 000 people. Thousands of children were killed after shoddily built schools collapsed. In Luozehe, rescue workers strained to move rocks out of the road. They had to clear the road to avoid chaos in traffic. Civil affair departments said that the earthquakes destroyed 6650 houses and damaged 430 000. More than 100 000residents evacuated and 100 000 others are in need of relocation. Officials in Guizhou province said nearly 28,000 people were affected by the quakes, with 18 houses toppled and more than 10,000 houses damaged. The first earthquake which reached a magnitude of 5. 7 struck at 11. 19am on Friday. There were 16 aftershocks, the strongest of which reached measured a magnitude of 5. 6. Roads to the area had been damaged very badly and the police, fire fighters and volunteers were working to repair them. Landslides and rock falls had also caused significant damage and were hampering the workers effortto reach the affected villages. The Chinese government was under heightened pressure to respond quickly to potential resources like food and water. One person lamented on Sina Corp. ’s popular Weibo micro blogging service said that a sub-6 magnitude earthquake and again, schools collapsed. This idea presented is not relevant to what I have learnt in Geography, but I have learnt new things from this article like the effects of the earthquake in China.

The Tropical Rainforest

The tropical rainforest is the biggest and most complexed ecosystem in the world. It holds more than half of the world's animals and plantlife, Including a huge majority that haven't even been discovered yet. The rainforest compared to Britain is 30 times larger, covering around 8 million km. Some of the forest is destroyed everyday, including animal and plantlife. The forest from above is a vast green quilt of trees, giving off several different shades. From air you can see the emergents, which grow up to around 50m in height, these are accompanied by the canopy, which are 15m lower down. The under canopy's are 10m in height and the lowest of all are the shrubs and bushes. The ground of the forest is dark and damp, smelling of decaying matter. Long creepers or lianas trail to the ground, entangling themselves in the branches. The forest canopy is described to as the ‘engine' of the rainforest. This is because, it's where most of the photosynthesis takes place, and you will also be able to discover all of the forests fruits and animals. The average rainfall of the forest is 2,000mm. All of this rain is called classic convectional rainfall, it falls regularly every day at the same time (throughout the year). 80% of this rain is recycled back up into the atmosphere. The rest of the rain is collected in the rivers and streams which flow back out to the sea. The soils of the rainforest are of a poor quality, this is due to all the leaching that takes place. The soil is very thick, about 20m (60feet). This is because it has been weathered for a long time, with all the heat and wetness. The roots in the trees are found close to the surface of the ground, this is where all of the nutrients are found, from falling leaves. There are two cycles in the tropical rainforest, a nutrient cycle, where the leaves fall and hit the ground to be fed on by the decomposers, and a water cycle, where the rain falls, some of it collecting in the leaves and some of it making it's way down to the forests floor, and rivers, 80% of it is recycled. In this essay I will be writing about the tropical rainforest. It will consist of 7 different parts including the introduction, the other parts are the location of the forest, the structure and diversity of the forest, forest processes, about slash and burn, other human use of the rainforest, opinions on the forest and the future. The location of the tropical rainforests is the following; inside the tropics, 23.5 degrees north and south equator. South America, Africa and South East Asia. Most of it locating in south America. In Asia it is 0.7% a year, Africa it is 0.3% a year and in Latin America it is 0.5% a year. The tropical rainforest has an incredible amount of diversity about it. The forests cover around 6% of the earth's land surface. What is diverse about this? Well it's diverse in lots of ways, not only does it contain no less than half of all the worlds species of plants, animals and insects, but it also has had hundreds of them destroyed (extinct). Because of mans choice to cut down parts of the forest. The forest can be known as a treasure house of resources. The bird life of the forests is unbelievingly profuse, brilliant and melodious. The trees and the forest floor teem with animals that few people have ever seen or even heard of. Many hundreds of fish have been evolved in the forests rivers and streams. The most diverse of all the living things in the tropical rainforest though is the insects, there are many hundreds of thousands, and maybe even about this amount not even discovered. The diversity is also shown by the Indians of Amazonia, with their ability to use more than 1600 pharmaceutical plant extracts. This vast medical potential has only been scratched. Each year 100,000-140,000 square kilometres of forest is destroyed. In a few decades a quarter of the entire world's store of biological species could vanish into oblivion. This deforestation brings local ruin, flooding, soil erosion and land infertility. World-wide it threatens to change climates, to accelerate global warming. And large areas of former rainforest end up as tough, virtually inedible grass, of no use to man or beast-natures ecological revenge! The loss of new drugs could prove disastrous, because many of the drugs that have not been discovered could well be cures to diseases such as cancer and the common cold. The forest processes are the soil system, rainforest ecosystem and the water cycle. The soil system, where the forests trees shed their leaves and branches. There is a layer of decomposing litter on the surface of the ground. Which is followed by a thin layer of nutrient rich soil. This is where the trees roots take back up all the nutrients. If trees are removed, then the whole nutrient cycle is broken, and all of the existing nutrients are washed away, this is called leaching. Leaving the soil infertile. The next process is the rainforest ecosystem. This is when the precipitation (rain) falls onto the trees leaves, and the suns energy also shines down onto the leaves, this causes evaporation in water vapour. Some of the water seeps through into ground water and surface run-off. The ecosystem is also when the nutrients are recycled, as stated in the soil system. The water cycle is when all the heavy rainstorms fall down on the forests layer of trees, and is evaporated or transpirated. A lot of this is recycled through the rivers, as they carry a lot of it back to the sea. The slash and burn process is a long one. It begins with human activities, as they cut down an area of the forest by hand. Some trees are left standing to protect the soil and if they have fruit and crops growing on them, then they will be left to. The wood is then burnt, destroying the natural seeds which reduces weeding. Ash from the burnt trees is then dug into the soil to provide fertiliser. New crops are the planted (e.g. yams, manioc, cassava). There is less vegetation to cover the ground, which exposes the soil, causing leaching and erosion. The yields then get less each year, mainly after 2-3 years. The farmers move on to clear a plot somewhere else, and start the whole process again. The plot in which the farmers have demolished is now abandoned. And will soon start to re-grow again, but less luxuriant, with fewer and lower species. This is called secondary growth. The ecological balance is restored after about 20 years. There are mainly 4 different other ways in which humans use the forest. (1), there is clearcutting, in which an area of the forest is completely cleared. Only valuable species are taken out and the rest are left and burned. This is a useful source of income. (2), Agroforestry, this is a farming technique that imitates the canopy and ‘layer' structure of the natural forest by planting trees as well as shorter- lived farm crops. This idea is similar to that of the Indian forest ‘gardens', but the area does not need to be abandoned for a fallow period. (3), this is biosphere reserve, this is a way of protecting part of the forest by leaving it ‘untouched' except for research and the collection of materials for plant breeding etc. The protected ‘core' area is surrounded by a ‘buffer zone' in which only certain human activities are allowed. The activities permitted will cause little damage to the ecosystem and will stop more demanding activities invading the area. (4), trees for annual crops and timber. The forest is cleared and replaced by stands of tree crops or quick-maturing timber trees. Once the trees grow, they again provide a protective canopy. Humans also use the forest for things such as mining, drugs and research for new drugs, fruits and other forms of food. There's lots of opinions on the rainforests. ‘Not to exploit and populate an area, is a luxury that people in Brazil cannot afford'. A question is, ‘what is more important man or tree?† This was taken from a former commander of the amazon region. An African farmer said, ‘If you pay me, I'll happily keep the forest standing. Otherwise I'll cut it down to make a living.† This is a very true remark, in which I have no arguments about. The farmer has to cut down forest, so he can continue living his life. The Observer and WWF (World Wildlife Federation) ‘not World Wrestling Federation! Wrote a section on the rainforest, which talks about how the forests are so good, yet humans are constantly at war with it. It says, ‘Trees bind the soil to the ground, regulate the waters of life, and manage the climate. They stand at the heart of the world's religions, and pervade our literature and culture. This is the good news, but the bad news is, ‘Yet we seem to be permanently at war with them. Barely a quarter of the world's primaeval forests still remain, and they are usually in remote places. Even these are now falling so fast that little of our natural heritage will be left for the next generation. In LEDC's such as Malaysia, where it has to use the forests resources. The only way to save the forests in the future is to help out the LEDC's and help them develop, therefore we will be saving the forest. 232,000 kilometres squared of tropical rainforest. The tropical rainforest in central areas and inaccessible areas, this is where urbanisation is destroying the forests. Conclusion; I have discovered some fascinating facts and opinions on the tropical rainforests. I have discovered all about the rainfall, soils, humans use of the forests, the extreme diversity, where the rainforests are to be located, the whole slash and burn process, and what to do in the future. I can now understand why the rainforests are so vital and important to us now and in the future, whether it is to do with drugs and cures, or the research of animals and other living creatures. My opinion is that everyone should try and do something to help in preserving the tropical rainforests. As it is for their own good, and something that has been created in the rainforests could help us in a big way in our futures e.g. a cure for a horrible disease.