dijous, 22 de novembre del 2012

Cave Waitomo and his worms

By Claudia Beltran

The Cave Waitomo, located in New Zeland in the region of Waitomo, is populated by a glow worm (Arachnocampa luminosa). These worms create a sticky silk thread, that traps their prey. In the end of their sticky silk thread there is a litlle lightning bubble, the mosquitoes and other flying insects get trapped on these threads.
The larva makes a nest out of silk on the ceilling of the cave and then hangs down about 70 threads of silk, called snares, from around the nest, each up to 30 or 40 centimenters long and holding droplets of mucus. Their larva stage lasts about 6 to 12 months, depending on food. The larva emerges from the egg only about 3 to 5 millimetres long, and throughout its life grow to about 3 centimeters.
The adults live only a short time. They glow intermittently, their sole purpose is to mate. The female lays a total of 130 eggs in clumps of 40 or 50 and dies soon after laying.
The larva has few predators, their greatest danger is from human interference.


external image 220px-Waitomo_Cave_Entrance_n.jpg Entrance of the Cave Waitomo.

external image glow-worm-2.jpg Ceilling of the Cave Waitomo.
external image 2345907534_c94831f110_o.jpg Glow worm.
The biodiversity of the amazon is being threatened
external image coala3.jpgexternal image jaguar_animal_en_alerta.jpg



By Islena Ferreira


Nowhere in the word are there as many trees cut down as in the amazon forest. An organisation, non governamental, WWF, shows that the medium of deforestation in Amazon is the biggest of the world, it is being 30% plus intense than Indonesia, the second situated in the Ranking of environmental devastation.
In the Amazon, the deforestation exponentially grew in the 70's and 80's, but this tax continues increasing.
The change of the land affects the regional hidrology, global cicle of the coal , the lost of the water of the surface across the evaporation of the sea and the transpiration of the plants, the lost of the biodiversity, the probability of the fire is because the regional reduction of rains.
The threats of degradation andvance in an accelerated rhythm. The offcial dates, elaborated by INPE(Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Especiais), about the deforestation in Amazon show that it is extremely high and continues growing. It has already been eliminated around of 570 thousand kilometers of forests, an amount equivalent  of the surface of France. However, the situation can be still at worst.
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564273_420899224636803_1316124789_n_large

Nowadays the big challenge is search the maximum consciousness about the different ecosistems of Amazon and show options about how this consciousness can be used for a sustainable development.

dimarts, 6 de novembre del 2012


City of the Arts and the Sciences

By Islena Ferreira
external image 220px-Ciutat_de_les_Arts_i_les_Ci%C3%A8ncies.jpg
The city of arts and sciences is placed in Valencia, Spain. It is situated at the end of the river ''Turia'', which was drained and rerouted after a catastrophic flood in 1957. The old riverbed was turned into a picturesque sunken park. The project was designed by Santiago Caladrava and Felix Candela with the engineers Alberto domingo and Carlos Lázaro. They are authors of the structural design of the roofs of ''L'oceanografic'', opened in 16th April 1998 with the opening of ''El Hemisférico''.The big last component of the city of arts and science is the ''Ágora''' situated between the shuttle of ''L'assut de l'or'' and ''L'oceanografic''. Now this construction is being finished.
CONTENTS:
  • ''L'Hemisfèric: With the shape of an eye. Screening Room IMAX film, planetarium and laser. It has very big dimension.
    external image 220px-L%27Hemisferic._Ciudad_de_las_Artes_y_las_Ciencias_de_Valencia.JPG
  • The museum of science ''Príncipe Felipe'': It is an interactive museum of science with a shape similar to a dinosaur skeleton.
    external image 220px-Sciences_museum_of_valencia.jpg
  • ''L'Umbracle'': Is a stroll though gardens with vegatables species by '' la comunidad valenciana''.
    external image 250px-Ciutat_de_les_Arts_i_les_Ci%C3%A8ncies_-_L%27Umbracle.jpg
  • ''L'Oceanográfico'': Is the largest acuarium of Europe.
    L'Oceanografic, Valencia, Spain 2 - Jan 07.jpg
    L'Oceanografic, Valencia, Spain 2 - Jan 07.jpg
  • ''Palacio de la artes Reina Sofía'': With four big rooms; pricipal room, magistral room (luxorius room), amphitheater and teatre of camera.
external image 220px-El_Palau_de_les_Arts_Reina_Sof%C3%ADa%2C_Valencia_-_Jan_2007.jpg
  • ''El puente de l'Ossut D'Or'': comunicate the south road with the street Menorca, whose pylon of 125 meters tall, is the highest point of the city.
    Puentei3.jpg
    Puentei3.jpg

  • The ''Ágora'': Covered place, itself comemorates concerts and some sporting events.
    Beginning of building
    Agora y Pont de l'Assut de l'Or.jpg
    Agora y Pont de l'Assut de l'Or.jpg
  • In May 1991, the ''Consell'' approved the session of land, four months before, the project designed by Santiago Caladrava was presented and, at the end of that year, the construction was permitted. The constructions started at the end of 1994.