Keystone Species Animals With Critical Roles

A keystone species is a species that plays a critical role in maintaining the structure of an ecological community and whose impact on the community is greater than would be expected based on its relative abundance or total biomass. Without the keystone species, the ecological community to which it belongs would be greatly altered and many other species would be negatively impacted. In many cases, a keystone species is a predator. The reason for this is that a small population of predators is able to influence the distribution and numbers of many prey species. Predators not only affect prey populations by reducing their numbers, but they also alter the behavior of prey species--where they forage, when they are active, and how they select habitats such as burrows and breeding grounds. Although predators are common keystone species, they are not the only members of an ecological community that can serve this role. Herbivores too can be keystone species. For example, in the Serengeti, elephants act as keystone species by eating young saplings such as acacia that grow in the vast grasslands. This keeps the savannas free of trees and prevents it from gradually becoming a woodland. Additionally, by managing the dominant vegetation in the community, elephants ensure that grasses thrive. In turn, a wide variety of other animals benefit such as wildebeests, zebras, and antelopes. Without grasses, populations of mice and shrews would be reduced. The concept of a keystone species was first introduced by University of Washington professor, Robert T. Paine in 1969. Paine studied a community of organisms that inhabited the intertidal zone along Washingtons Pacific coast. He found that one species, the carnivorous starfish Pisaster ochraceous, played a key role in maintaining the balance of all other species in the community. Paine observed that if Pisaster ochraceous was removed from the community, the populations of two mussel species within the community grew unchecked. Without a predator to control their numbers, the mussels soon took over the community and crowded out other species, greatly reduced the communitys diversity. When a keystone species is removed from an ecological community, there is a chain reaction throughout many parts of the community. Some species become more numerous while others suffer population declines. The plant structure of the community may be altered due to increased or decreased browsing and grazing by certain species. Similar to keystone species are umbrella species. Umbrella species are species that provide protection for many other species in some way. For example, an umbrella species might require a large amount of habitat. If the umbrella species remains healthy and protected, then that protection also protects a host of smaller species as well. Keystone species, because of their proportionately large influence on species diversity and community structure, have become a popular target for conservation efforts. The reasoning is sound: protect one, key species and in doing so stabilize an entire community. But the keystone species theory remains a young theory and the underlying concepts are still being developed. For instance, the term was originally applied to a predator species (Pisaster ochraceous), but now the term keystone has been extended to include prey species, plants, and even habitat resources.

The Roles of Portia and Shylock in The Merchant of Venice...

Stereotypes for every different religion, ethnicity, culture, and gender exist among the minds of the human race. These typecasts have ruled this world for as long as there has been diversity among people. In Shakespeare’s comedic tragedy, The Merchant of Venice, one prejudice is very central to the theme. The play is dominantly set in Venice, one of the most liberal cities of the Renaissance era. In this place and time period, anti-Semitism is very much in force. The Jewish people are discriminated against and treated terribly by the Christians living in Venice. Shylock, a wealthy Jew, is mercilessly spurned many times by men like Antonio, a Venetian merchant. In contrast to this blind hatred is the longing and lust associated with†¦show more content†¦I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes?† (III.i.53-58). He is making it clear that Antonio has committed multiple acts of cruelty against Shylock merely because of his religion. Shylock goes on to portray that Jews are exactly like Christians except in their beliefs, and that there is no justified reason for their contempt for Jewish people. Although he is a usurer, which is considered an undignified position for anyone to be in, as a Jew, Shylock is the target of a great amount of derision. In Wheeler’s truthful depiction of the play, he states, â€Å"Above all, [Shylock] is a Jew. In his most famous speech he asserts the fundamental humanity of his nation, but the Christians persist in calling him ‘the Jew’ and the laws of Venice make him an alien.† Conversely, Portia is a well respected Christian woman living in the nearby city of Belmont. As a Christian, she is not discriminated against because of her religion and she enjoys many rights and privileges that Shylock and the Jewish people do not. Merely the fact that she is Christian allows her more freedom than Shylock could ever dream to achieve. She, not unlike the rest of the Christian people, believe that they have the right to judge Jews and others that they deem are beneath them. For instance, when Morocco, a player in Portia’s â€Å"marriage lottery†, leaves after picking the wrong casket, Portia says, â€Å"A gentle riddance! DrawShow MoreRelatedThe Theme Of Revenge In The Merchant Of Venice1118 Words   |  5 PagesRevenge is the central theme of The Merchant of Venice as the plot is centred around the theme of revenge, vengefulness is one of the main character traits present in a sizable number of characters and the main moral message is that revenge is a poor choice. While other themes in the play are present in the plot and moral message and the themes of love and friendship are more prevalent in the majority of the characters, revenge plays a more significant role in the play. These factors lead to a playRead MoreThe Merchant Of Venice As A Tragedy1363 Words   |  6 PagesThe Merchant of Venice is a tragedy Jean Racine, a French dramatist of the 17th century France, states, â€Å"Life is a comedy to those who think, a tragedy to those who feel† (Goodreads). In the early days of its staging, the play The Merchant of Venice written by William Shakespeare is considered to be a comedy, but as the world develops there is controversy as whether to believe that the play is actually a tragedy. The play is centered on two main plots: the bond plot and the casket plot. The bondRead More Responsibilities in William Shakespeares Merchant of Venice1212 Words   |  5 PagesResponsibilities in William Shakespeares Merchant of Venice The small and seemingly insignificant details in a story often hold together an entire theme of the work. This phenomenon is recognizable in the plays of William Shakespeare, as a speech or incident with a minor character can point the audience to a much larger truth about the work as a whole. The Merchant of Venice contains such a minor character, Lancelot, whose story gives a clue to the reader about the roles of the other characters in theRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Portia 1535 Words   |  7 Pagesof the play revolves. By this test, Portia is also the protagonist, as without her, very little in the play would have remained the same. Had Bassanio not been in love with Portia, he never would have asked Antonio for the money to woo her and Antonio would not have entered into the bond with Shylock. Similarly, had the laws in the Court of Justice been interpreted by any other lawyer, it I likely that Antonio would have lost his life. At 588 lines, Portia also has more lines than any other character;Read MoreThe Three Plots of The Merchant of Venice779 Words   |  4 Pages Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice is a simple story line with three distinct plot lines incorporated into each other intricately. These three plot lines are the bond plot, the casket plot, and the ring plot, each equally vital to the meaning and conclusion of the play. In this essay, I will discuss the roles of the characters in the plot, the symbols, images, and rhetorical figures central to each plot, and finally how the events of the three plots are intertwined. The first sign that the threeRead MoreThe Merchant of Venice938 Words   |  4 PagesHate The Merchant of Venice a play written by the famous poet and play writer, William Shakespeare, in the year 1596 - 1598. It is based on both love and hate. Shakespeare demonstrates the themes of love and hate clearly through various character. The friendship love is shown through Antonio towards Bassanio, romantic love is shown through Portia and Bassanio and self love is shown through shylock. However Shakespeare also illustrates hates during the play through the characters shylock and AntonioRead MoreThe Merchant Of Venice : Tragedy, Comedy Or Tragicomedy1363 Words   |  6 PagesProfessor Silva English 200 13 January 2017 The Merchant of Venice: Tragedy, Comedy or Tragicomedy Can time and historical events affect the categorization of a literary piece? William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice is a play that is difficult to classify in a specific genre. It is often referred to as one of his problem plays. This means that it does not easily fall into a single category. Most literary sources categorize The Merchant of Venice as a comedy because it fits the description byRead MoreThe Rings of Power: Symbolic Exchange in the Merchant of Venice1595 Words   |  7 PagesThe Rings of Power: Symbolic Exchange in The Merchant of Venice Rings are significant to the narrative of The Merchant of Venice for several reasons. Firstly, as symbols of love, wealth and power. Secondly, as a means through which Portia gives and then regains control of herself, her weath and power and finally, the theft and sale of Leahs turquoise ring acts as a source of sympathy towards Shylock and allows him to parallel the Christian husbands, Bassanio and Graziano. A ring is, in andRead MoreMerchant Of Venice Character Analysis1027 Words   |  5 PagesThe characters in The Merchant of Venice teeter between the roles of protagonist and antagonist as Antonio, Shylock, and Portia contend among the unstable lines between that of victim, villain, and hero as the characters reveal their tendencies of schadenfreude behavior which discloses on their true nature -- are they innately evil or are they justly moral? Antonio, the regarded protagonist of the play, and the merchant that is named in the title of The Merchant of Venice is shown as a characterRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s The Merchant Of Venice 1189 Words   |  5 PagesThe Merchant of Venice, is the hostile relationship between Shylock, a Jewish moneylender, and Antonio, a Christian trader. The two gentlemen have a deep history of hatred due to personal injuries and Antonio’s refusal to collect interest on loans. This hatred comes to a climax when Antonio’s friend, Bassanio wishes to borrow three thousands ducats from Antonio so he can travel to Belmont and win over the beautiful Portia. Lacking money to loan Bassanio, Antonio borrows the money from Shylock. Knowing

Analysis of Battle Royal free essay sample

Tao Hengsheng Professor Dawson English 184 11 October 2012 Everfight By depicting his grandfathers words and his experience in the battle royal that accompanied with bewilderment and gradual maturity, the narrator presented us a story that stimulates deep thought for not only the social status, but also the mental status of blacks. There are about specific points, which are the significance of grandfathers words and extended symbolism of blindfold, I would like to draw attention to and discuss, in order to provide a profound inquiry of Battle Royal. Evidently, grandfather had been practicing for the common good for his whole life, yet he called himself a traitor. His words seemed more powerful than his death in that my folks were more alarmed over his last words than over his dying. The narrator was confused. On one hand, the narrator was warned emphatically to forget what he had said, raising more curiosity; on the other, the narrator could never be sure of what he meant, and all he could do was having a feeling of an anonymous guilt, whenever things went well. We will write a custom essay sample on Analysis of Battle Royal or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Never knowing whom the grandfather betrayed, he was being praised among the whites for having such attitude, further leading to a moral ambiguity. It should be concluded, its himself, his family, or his race as a whole, grandfather had betrayed. At ease he was; he felt comfortable being satisfied with the current condition, forgetting to fight. Eventually, however, he answered to the call of guts that people who do give up arms are doomed to death and ruin, leaving his words and warns, hoping his future generations would not act like him. Blindfold played an important role in the battle royal, where apparently it’s used to block peoples’ sight, in order to increase the interest of such watching such contest. It became a huge barrier for the narrator in that without sight he felt blow from everywhere, yet the blindfold blocked not nly the narrator’s eyes. Blindfold made the narrator blind, mentally. He believed he could achieve success and win respect by genuine meekness; he cannot see the injustice in the battle royal; he dare not to fight when he is being questioned if he pronounced incorrectly; he cannot unmask what is being praised was just deliberately disguised racism; he played up to the whites, whereas what he got was venom—the electric rug, the battle field and the fake prize.

Pablo Picasso A Political Life Essay Example

Pablo Picasso: A Political Life Paper Pablo Picasso is one of the pre-eminent artists of the twentieth century, having mastered various art forms such as painting, sculpting, print-making, ceramic-making and stage designing. Alongside Henri Matisse and Marcel Duchamp, Picasso is considered to have revolutionized plastic arts in the early part of the twentieth century. He is also credited with co-founding the Cubist movement and constructed sculpture. The invention of collage is also attributed to him. Although Picasso is a house-hold name across the world, his political views and affiliations are not as well-known as his artistic accomplishments. His political commitments have been one of the most underexplored areas of his life and work. (Kiaer, 2003, p.395) But new scholarship and evidence from exhibitions identify the political facet of Pablo Picasso. This essay will argue that though not much publicized or documented Picasso held strong political beliefs. This is evident from the events of his personal life and the c ontent of his artistic works. Although art critics often suggest that art should transcend politics, this assertion does not always holds true. The most important event in Picasso’s life, which betrays his strong political sympathies, is his joining the French Communist Party in 1944. Picasso’s contribution to the party came via his three drawings of Maurice Thorez in 1945. He also gifted to the Communist town of Vallauris, his sculpture L’homme au mouton. The painting ‘The Peace Dove’, produced in the aftermath of the the Second World War is further evidence for the link between the aesthetics and politics of the great painter. Picasso’s deep involvement with Leftist politics is made obvious through his 1953 portrait of Stalin. But Picasso was far from stereotypical in his representation of Stalin, for he showcased a â€Å"youthful Stalin: joyous, naive, with a thick head of hair and an equally impressive moustache!† (Gavronsky, 2001, p.47) It should also be noted that Picasso was never shy of expressing his independent views even if it crossed party doctrine. In what he called ‘Free and Revolutionary Art’, â€Å"he maintained an aesthetic distance from the views of the party though he repeatedly expressed his horror of war as one can see in his Guernica, Guerre et Paix, and Massacres en Coree. Thus a Picasso of peace rather than a Communist painter, who, nevertheless, never forgot his â€Å"Stalin† as he demonstrated in a sketch in November 1949: â€Å"A ta sante, Staline.† (Gavronsky, 2001, p.47) We will write a custom essay sample on Pablo Picasso: A Political Life specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Pablo Picasso: A Political Life specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Pablo Picasso: A Political Life specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Hence, what we see is a complex development of Picasso’s politics, that does not lend itself to convenient stereotypes and categorization. In the exhibition Musee National Picasso held in Paris recently, more evidence of Picasso’s political engagement has emerged. In an obscure little file labeled ‘Political Correspondence sent to Picasso’, many erstwhile unknown facts about the great artist are revealed. We learn that Picasso sent â€Å"generous donations to African, Muslim and Jewish causes, as well as his support for the refugees of the 1956 Hungarian uprising, striking miners in northern France, and Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, executed in the US for passing on atomic secrets to the USSR.† (Gavronsky, 2001, p.47) But what politicized Picasso the most was his involvement in the Spanish Civil War. At the Tate Liverpool exhibition, one is reacquainted with the political side of Picasso through paintings such as Guernica (1937) and The Charnel House (1945), the latter based upon a short documentary film about a Spanish Republican family slaughtered in their kitchen. â€Å"The austere use of grisaille (monochromatic tones of grey, black and white) emulates the grainy newsreel and newspaper photographs of the period. Still lives executed during the last years of the Second World War are filled with animal skulls and that harbinger of death, the owl, to evoke traditional forms of vanitas and memento mori paintings†¦Other series, such as the War and Peace murals, reflect Picasso’s attitude to the cold war. His Las Meninas series (1957) viciously satirises–in the tradition of Goya–the Spanish monarchy and Franco’s bid to install the young exiled prince Don Juan as his puppet.† (Hubbard, 2010, p.47) In one of the interviews Picasso gave, he’s admitted to his Socialist leanings as â€Å"the logical outcome of my whole life†. (Davis, 2010, p.3) It is appropriate, then, that the recently held art exhibition at Tate Liverpool was titled Picasso: Peace and Freedom. The painting Monument to the Spaniards who Died for France (1947) is a homage to the Republicans who escaped interment by joining the French Resistance. Its â€Å"ruddy blood reds and greys contrast dramatically with the more optimistic works in the same room – The Cockerel of the Liberation (1944) showing France’s emblematic bird in cheerful greens and yellows†¦Symbols of war and peace appear in works throughout his life, as emphasized in the exhibition.† (Davis, 2010, p.3) Hence, in conclusion, as much as Picasso is an artist with bohemian tendencies, he is also a political activist. Not only is the evidence amply available in his works of art, but they are to be found in other artifacts related to him. For example, there are photographs of him speaking at peace conferences, newspaper clippings of the sketches he drew for publication in Les Lettres Francaises, pamphlets he made for Daily Worker, etc. What comes across most strongly â€Å"is the impression of a man who used his art to express his convictions, but who would not be swayed by the opinions of others without a fight.† (Davis, 2010, p.3) Works Cited Daix, Pierre. Picasso: Life and Art. Trans. Olivia Emmet. New York: Icon Editions, 1993. Gavronsky, Serge. â€Å"Aragon: Politics and Picasso.† The Romanic Review (2001): 47+. Hubbard, Sue. â€Å"War Paint: Sue Hubbard Explores the Politics of the 20th Century’s Greatest Artist.† New Statesman 28 June 2010: 47. Kiaer, Christina. â€Å"Dreamworld and Catastrophe: the Passing of Mass Utopia in East and West / Picasso the Communist Years / French Modernisms: Perspectives on Art Before, during and after Vichy / Mario Sironi and Italian Modernisms Art and Politics under Fascism.† The Art Bulletin 85.2 (2003): 395+. Davis, Laura, â€Å"Symbols of War and Peace Strike a Chord in Landmark Picasso Show.† Daily Post (Liverpool, England) 21 May 2010: 3.