LAB # 1

Air pollution in Mexico

When I was riding the both articles I identified that of course the scientific article has so much more information than the article that I just found on a website. Also I realize that the scientific article for me it is so much difficult to understand because most of them writer use so many different terms or words that are difficult to understand. Both articles are a little bit different because one of them is about the effects of air pollution in Mexico and it is the scientific article. The other article for me is more understandable because is more directly about air pollution but both of them have relation because is similar topic but in different way. (published by the Secretaria del Medio Ambiente del Gobierno del Distrito Federal). 2010. Cited 1/21/2014. Available on: http://www.mexicocityvibes.com/air-pollution-in-mexico-city/.    

 Soil erosion in Mexico

On these two articles we can see that the information is a little bit different because one is more related with the soil erosion in some parts of Mexico such as the 80% of the land is subject to erosion. The central state of Michoacán has one of the highest levels of soil erosion, with more than 2 million hectares affected, 70% of the surface area. The second article explain more about soil erosion caused by prehispanic agriculture this scientific article has more information about the why and how the prehispanic agricultures helps to accelerated the soil erosion. Something interesting I saw was that both articles are so different because maybe is a different topic I was trying to find similar articles but I couldn’t.  (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Universidad Michoacana San Nicolas de Hidalgo, Colegio de Postgraduados en Agrociencias).  (UE 2002-2006)  cited 1/27/2014. Available in: http://en.ird.fr/the-media.

The article I like 

The article I think is more important for me is the one that is about the (air pollution in Mexico). For me it is a very important article because the air in Mexico is has been polluted principality for the smock of the many cars that most of them have not catalytic converter and the CO2 that cars make is so bad for our environment. Also is because there are so many people living in the city so consumption and the burning of fossil fuels are enormous. Some of the chemicals that affect and are bad for the air such as: Sulphur Dioxide, Nitrogen Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide, those are some of the main contaminants that cause air pollution in Mexico City. (published by the Secretaria del Medio Ambiente del Gobierno del Distrito Federal). 2010. Cited 1/21/2014. Available on: http://www.mexicocityvibes.com/air-pollution-in-mexico-city/.    

1.      What are you exited about learning in your tropical ecology class?

Been honest I don’t exited about this class but I think it is a helpful and important class we have to take. I think it is going to be a really nice class and it is what I hope as well. I am interesting on many different thinks about ecology such as: learn and practice different experiments about ecology, learn about the how the different species interact each other, learn more about our ecosystem and how does the ecosystems change. Learn more about plants and trees is something that I really want to know even though the plants of Oregon are not the same as the plants we can find in my country.

2.      What is one of the environmental issues in your community?

One of the environmental issue that we have been facing in my community is that people have remove the soil from the forest and currently the vegetation start to die because the lack of soil. There are approximately 15 families that have been doing that and it started to be a big problem because the vegetation is been killed. People have been doing that because they want to growth their own crops in their home and they need the soil to do that.

3.      What things have you learned to improve the environmental conditions of your community?

I think I have learn a lot and one of the classes that I really enjoyed, and I learn a lot from the class was soils because my cap project is about composting. On soils class I learned how to identify the soils and how the soil is important for the vegetation we have. Also I learned the different types of soil and how does are structured and which soil is the more productive for the plants.

4.      Video about ecology

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYyuKz0Fd3o

5.      Information about wildlife and vegetation of my country  

http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/mexico/Aguascalientes-M-xico/M-xico.html