gabbyw89-blog

[gabbyw89-blog]

City Or Countryside?

Urbanization refers to as a country or a region of the development of social productive forces, science and technology progress and the adjustment of industrial structure. The urbanization process includes the change of population occupation, the change of industrial structure, the change of land and regional space. Different disciplines have different interpretations from different perspectives. At present, scholars at home and abroad have expounded the concept of urbanization from the perspectives of demography, geography, sociology and economics.

(Picture resource: https://www.google.com.hk/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.un.org%2Fen%2Fdevelopment%2Fdesa%2Fpopulation%2Ftheme%2Furbanization%2Findex.asp&psig=AOvVaw2R7tQ_oceKkV63qH1w8L00&ust=1585657502865000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAkQjhxqFwoTCKCQ1teYwugCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD)

With the progress and development of the times, urbanization is the human production and life style from rural to urban historical process of transformation, main show is the rural population into urban population and urban development process, urbanization has become a trend in today's social development. The transition of the government dominant function of the land to become an important dimension of urbanization, along with the urbanization of land conflict becomes one of the prominent question period. There are many reasons for the conflict, which formed a complex interest game involving parties. As how the government should play its function to actively respond to and resolve such conflicts, become one of the most important aspects of the government's work.

(Picture resource: https://www.google.com.hk/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FUrbanization&psig=AOvVaw0xFV9MPlr6ZtxVFOY7LnCC&ust=1585657585508000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAkQjhxqFwoTCKDxl_2YwugCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAO)

The process of world urbanization is divided into three stages: the initial stage, the middle stage of acceleration and the late stage of maturity. With the progress of science and technology, social productivity is increasing day by day, this social economic phenomenon of urbanization in all countries in the world have different degrees. There is no doubt that urbanization is the measure of a country's economic development level and an important indicator of social progress. However, as a dynamic process, and in the process of urbanization inevitably there will be some problems needed to resolve. In order to streamline management, we should promote the coordinated development of the economic structure, the problems of resources, adopt the strategy of "sustainable development" and attach great importance to the protection of ecological environment.

（Article resource: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/social-sciences/urbanization-process)

[gabbyw89-blog]

Waste Is Everywhere

Around the world, waste generation rates are rising. In 2016, the worlds’ cities generated 2.01 billion tonnes of solid waste, amounting to a footprint of 0.74 kilograms per person per day. With rapid population growth and urbanization, annual waste generation is expected to increase by 70% from 2016 levels to 3.40 billion tonnes in 2050.

(Picture resource: https://www.google.com.hk/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pulpandpaper-technology.com%2Farticles%2Ftypes-of-solid-waste-disposal-and-management&psig=AOvVaw0M_QkmdFNjnk5toIKvvLh6&ust=1585572085834000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAkQjhxqFwoTCPixpLzav-gCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAb)

So, under this situation, solid waste disposal plays an important role in solving this problem. Solid waste disposal refers to the process of transforming solid waste into something suitable for transportation, utilization, storage or final disposal. The methods include physical treatment, chemical treatment, biological treatment, heat treatment and curing treatment.

Firstly, garbage disposal should be divided into two purposes, namely disposal and value utilization. The fine points are recycling, value utilization and disposal. Recycling is a larger concept, such as second-hand shops, such as plastic bottle Recycling, such as mobile phone refurbishment, such as glass Recycling, such as Recycling and Recycling of waste paper. The concepts of Verwertung and Entsorgung are interesting for urban solid waste treatment. That is, the main task of solid waste treatment is disposal, and the secondary task is energy recovery and economization. In such capitalist countries as Germany, garbage incineration plants are also operated by collecting garbage fees. MVA (waste incinerator) is less efficient than a fossil-powered thermal installation, and 75% is good enough.

(Picture resource: https://www.google.com.hk/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ci.lathrop.ca.us%2Fpublicworks%2Fpage%2Fsolid-waste-recycling&psig=AOvVaw0M_QkmdFNjnk5toIKvvLh6&ust=1585572085834000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAkQjhxqFwoTCPixpLzav-gCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAh)

Solid waste disposal has always been a global concern and an important step to realize ecological civilization and environmental protection. Since 2000, the World Bank has committed over $4.7 billion to more than 340 solid waste management programs in all six regions of World Bank engagement. Recent or committed infrastructure lending and technical assistance have supported numerous initiatives. In addition, more specific solid waste treatment mode is not only the academic community, but also the industry is concerned about the topic. So there’s lots of things we can concern and help with.

(Article resource: https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/urbandevelopment/brief/solid-waste-management)

[gabbyw89-blog]

Problems Caused by Newborn

(Picture resource: https://www.google.com.hk/url?sa=i&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.globalwomenconnected.com%2Ffertility%2F&psig=AOvVaw2WkMYhdz7n32iOPK1_-oyW&ust=1585484572256000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAkQjhxqFwoTCMj-p7qUvegCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD)

There is a strong endogenous relationship between population change and economic and social development. Population constitutes the core resources and the basic environment for national development. Meanwhile, the employment and innovation of population and the living welfare of people are also the purposes of development. Economic and social development affects population dynamics by determining fertility, mortality and spatial variability. Reasonable economic policies and social development strategies need to adapt to the basic national conditions of population status, adapt to the change of population pattern, and transform the total population and structure into the driving force of development, so as to realize the internal unity of population dynamics, economic development mode and social life mode.

(Picture resource: https://populationeducation.org/what-demographic-transition-model/)

Fertility rate refers to the total number of children a woman of ideal childbearing age gives birth to. The fertility rate needs to be at least 2.1 to achieve generational replacement. According to the country fertility in the 2019, the top countries are mostly African and Muslim countries, while the bottom countries are mostly developed or small countries in southeast Asia and Europe. Why do fertility rates continue to fall in south-east Asia? In my opinion, most of the places with Confucianism or Chinese communities have the phenomenon of male superiority and female inferiority, and everyone wants to have boys, which leads to the shortage of women of child-bearing age. In addition, due to the improvement of social culture and education level, women gradually wake up and improve themselves, and go to the society and the workplace, leading to people are not willing to have more children. The "bitter fruit" sown before is now the fruit.

Population transition theory is a brief summary of the process of population transition. World population development is still unbalanced. The total population is growing, but the growth rate is decreasing. The fertility level in Europe and America is low, while that in Africa is always high. Developed countries mainly face the problems of low fertility and aging population, while developing countries mainly face the problems of poverty and rapid population growth. By comparing the characteristics of population development in China and the United States, it is found that both countries have already stepped into the aging society, but as an immigrant country, the aging problem of the United States is relatively less. From above, we should learn from the theory of population transition and the experience of the policies of developed countries to deal with population aging, and take appropriate measures to deal with population problems.

(Article resource: https://populationeducation.org/what-demographic-transition-model/)

[gabbyw89-blog]

Energy Waste in Our Daily Life

Now, with the improvement of living quality, there has been a universal existence of various waste of energy phenomenon, especially the waste in our daily life.  The waste of energy is a very bad phenomenon, reflects a person's moral quality. For example, in our daily life, we don't turn off the tap when shampoo, throw plastic bottle everywhere and often use disposable dish ware and so on.

(Picture resource: https://www.google.com.hk/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.booksie.com%2F600130-energy-waste&psig=AOvVaw0GhJWX0808b5qcIjHLOmjx&ust=1585402720223000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAkQjhxqFwoTCKin8MLjuugCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAJ)

There are three main types of energy by source. The fist type of energy is from the sun. It includes energy directly from the sun, such as solar photothermal radiation, and energy indirectly from the sun, such as coal, oil, natural gas, oil shale and other combustible minerals, as well as biomass, water and wind energy, such as fuelwood. The second type of energy is from the earth itself. One is the geothermal energy contained in the earth, such as underground hot water, underground steam, dry hot rock mass; The other is the nuclear energy of uranium, thorium and other nuclear fuel in the earth's crust. The third type of energy can be seen such as tidal energy, generated by the gravitational pull of bodies such as the moon and the sun on the earth.

Domestic energy waste is extremely serious, take a coal field in China for example, a Beishan coal field, every year need to consume about 500 thousand tons of coal, burned down more than 100 years, which has destroyed 60 million tons of resources. It is estimated that 2.1 billion tons of coal have been burned to the ground in the northwest coalfields and are accumulating at a rate of 100 million tons a year. It's equivalent to burning 6 billion yuan a year for nothing. Although the waste of energy is serious nowadays, it can be seen everywhere in our life.

(Picture resource: https://www.google.com.hk/url?sa=i&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftsss.ca%2Fchannels%2Fbusiness-sustainability%2Fcan-energy-recovery-from-waste-be-part-of-ontarios-circular-economy&psig=AOvVaw0GhJWX0808b5qcIjHLOmjx&ust=1585402720223000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAkQjhxqFwoTCKin8MLjuugCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAV)

To save energy, we must fight against waste, and energy waste is a universal and difficult problem to solve. Although this problem in all kinds of life is very serious, but all walks of life have paid attention to it, and hope that one day, we can have a perfect answer.

(Article resource: https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/biomass/waste-to-energy.php)

[gabbyw89-blog]

Modern Agriculture VS Traditional Agriculture

Agriculture is an industry that depends on the weather for food. It is one of the oldest industries in history. With the changes of The Times, agriculture has been changing, can be said to be improved, let human beings gradually free from manual agriculture. But no matter how to change, agriculture is the industry that follows natural law, can supplement with natural law only, cannot depart from natural law. But really following the laws of nature in agriculture is something that all countries, even those agricultural powers, struggle to do now.

As its name implies, traditional agriculture is a kind of agriculture that USES manual labor mainly such as manpower, animal power, hand tools and iron implements, develops with the traditional experience accumulated from generation to generation, and takes the dominant position in the self-sufficient natural economy. But its biggest characteristic is to depend on the day to have a meal, want to have a good harvest every year, that is to fight the day to fight the ground, such as digging well repair canal irrigation, artificial compost, leveling the land and building terraces, sowing cash crops. However, with the population explosion, land shortage and the development of productivity, traditional agriculture has been unable to adapt to the rapid development of productivity. Into the modern emphasis on market analysis, product quality, marketing means of characteristic agricultural management. So modern agriculture came into being.

(Picture resource: https://www.google.com.hk/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fccafs.cgiar.org%2Ffr%2Fblog%2Ffarmers-and-genebanks-saving-traditional-crops-strong-alliance&psig=AOvVaw1EqPWfFr0MV0z7wyoKXq9G&ust=1585205685307000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAkQjhxqFwoTCPCCjsKFtegCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD) 

Modern agriculture widely uses modern science and technology, modern industry to provide the means of production and scientific management methods of socialized agriculture. According to the nature and condition of agricultural productivity in the agricultural development history, is the latest development stage of agriculture.

(Picture resource: https://www.google.com.hk/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fgeneticliteracyproject.org%2F2018%2F11%2F13%2Fforget-old-mcdonald-farmers-must-communicate-consumer-benefits-of-modern-agriculture%2F&psig=AOvVaw1ACDtizy0et5Y3aDp5qbmi&ust=1585205733011000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAkQjhxqFwoTCPiQ5t-FtegCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAO)

Therefore, it is not difficult for us to find that both traditional agriculture and modern agriculture have their unique advantages that cannot be replaced, and in a certain stage, their development results are the most appropriate results.

(Article resource: https://prezi.com/ujpwa6k6wfgy/traditional-vs-modern-agriculture/)

[gabbyw89-blog]

Famine Around the World

     Ever since Malthus famously predicted that population growth would outstrip the growth in food production, mankind has been haunted by the specter of hunger and war, a prediction that, fortunately, has so far not been borne out by empirical evidence. Over the past two hundred years, the world's population has increased 6 times, and thanks to technology, especially the mechanization technology and biological technology, the world food grain production is increasing faster, thus basically denies the famous British minister forecast, but even in the material civilization highly developed today, although the human overall has shrugged off the malthusian trap, but the hunger, and even widespread hunger, it is not a far away from the worldly phenomena.

(picture resource: https://www.google.com.hk/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.britannica.com%2Fscience%2Ffamine&psig=AOvVaw0bnf9VNXULTpU0kc9xTekR&ust=1585136277108000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAkQjhxqFwoTCODTnJqDs-gCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD)

In fact, studies of food access rights theory has already been pointed out that the focus on point of view to understand the famine food supply fluctuations actually misleading, or famine, hunger is not only directly related to food production and agricultural development, also to the entire social and economic system arrangement and operation efficiency, which not only determines the grain and the long-term performance of agricultural production, thus decided to production, also decided to individuals and families in the rights to obtain food and maintain the nutritional status and "substantive freedom" and hide behind the bad weather the factor that causes famine, All are marked by prejudice to these rights and to "substantial freedom".

So, for those who struggle in the hunger and famine on the edge of the developing countries, an effective government is the premise condition of out of trouble, which includes two main contents: one is the government itself must be responsible, honest government, therefore it must accept supervision from all sides, and take responsibility for their own policy mistakes, thus has the political incentives in place to ensure that even ordinary people can enjoy the basic rights of their own, including the right to equal access to food and nutrition; Second, the government's functions must be shifted from the regulation on economic life to provide public goods and the protection of property rights, to ensure that people can make full use of various rights, through the market to do business, to improve agricultural productivity, promote economic development and growth, increase their income, the purpose of from the material to thoroughly get rid of hunger and famine lay the foundation.

(Article resource: https://ourworldindata.org/famines)

[gabbyw89-blog]

Sand, A Deadly Killer

Deserts in the world are mainly distributed in subtropical to temperate regions on both sides of the equator, mainly between 10 ° - 50 ° north and south latitudes. From the Sahara in north Africa, through the Arabian peninsula in southwest Asia, Iran, northern India, central Asia to northwest China and Mongolia, a vast arid desert zone stretching from east to west for nearly 13,000 kilometers has been formed, accounting for 67 percent of the world's desert area.

（Picture resource: https://www.sohu.com/a/241798664_658395)

The main reasons for this are soil erosion, climate change, soil acidification, increasing population density and over-farming. Due to poor grazing and pasture management, large areas of pasture, grassland and shrub land have become barren desert land. More than 50% of the area that used to be free to graze has started desertification, vegetation coverage has decreased, and wind erosion and water erosion are serious. In addition, large-scale mining, also accelerated land desertification.

There are three types of successful international models for combating desertification. The first type is government-led. Desertification control is a macroscopic problem, which cannot be solved by some individuals, enterprises and organizations. Typical countries are the United States, Canada, Germany and Romania. The second type is technology oriented. The combination of advanced and applicable science and technology and desertification control measures can promote and accelerate the speed of control and gain benefits in many aspects. The third part is industry oriented. Desertification control is not only to improve the survival and ecological environment, but also to develop production and promote economic development. Typical countries are Australia, Egypt and Iran.

(Picture resource: https://www.google.com.hk/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nationalgeographic.com%2Fenvironment%2Fhabitats%2Fdesertification%2F&psig=AOvVaw0FLNr8cc7K4UiRVG7azppz&ust=1585045119512000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAkQjhxqFwoTCJDVw62vsOgCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD)

Desertification, desertification is due to the lack of rain erosion, vegetation destruction, overgrazing, winds, water erosion, soil salinization factors such as large area of soil productivity decline or loss of the nature phenomenon. Human activities such as production, life and war have long affected the natural process of desertification. The ultimate result of desertification is mostly desertification. The control of desertification requires extensive international cooperation and the participation of all countries in the world.

(Article resource: https://www.greenfacts.org/en/desertification/)

[gabbyw89-blog]

Water Pollution in the World

Currently, more than 420 billion m3(3 cubic meters) of sewage is discharged into rivers, lakes and seas worldwide each year, polluting 5.5 trillion m3 of fresh water, equivalent to more than 14 percent of global runoff.

(Picture resource: https://www.sohu.com/a/207796768_100039638)

The United Nations world assessment of water resources, presented at the fourth world water forum, shows that millions of tons of garbage are dumped into rivers, lakes and streams every day. All rivers flowing through Asian cities are polluted; 40% of America's water basins are polluted by processed food waste, metals, fertilizers and pesticides; Only five of Europe's 55 rivers are barely usable.

The severity of water pollution around the world depends largely on population density, the type and amount of industrial and agricultural development, and the number and efficiency of the three waste disposal systems used. On world water day, which falls on March 21, the United Nations announced that 1.1 billion people lack safe drinking water and that more than five million people die each year from water-related diseases. The UN environment program estimates that 12 million people around the world will die today from water pollution and water shortages. If people change their current consumption patterns, by 2025, 5 billion people will live in areas where water is not fully available, and 2.5 billion of them will face water shortages. Because people drink contaminated water, this is one of the main causes of human illness, even infection.

To solve this serious question, we can take some measurements on some parts. First, financial support is essential. Obviously, financial support is one of the important conditions for pollution control, without which all control measures cannot be implemented. Second, Pollution control requires law and order Laws and regulations are the yardstick for people to follow. Local laws should be made to protect the urban water environment, and the water system administrative departments should have laws to follow and be administrated according to law. It will be easier to do some things like this. Third, we can do some public education. Public education on the protection of water quality should be strengthened, and warning signs should be erected along the river to call attention to the protection of water quality. In addition, the news media continue to educate the public about environmental protection.

(Picture resource: https://www.google.com.hk/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nrdc.org%2Fstories%2Fwater-pollution-everything-you-need-know&psig=AOvVaw3BOw0EhdQAjypr9uAsKCLm&ust=1585043939378000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAkQjhxqFwoTCNjG7oCrsOgCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD)

(Article resource: https://wwf.panda.org/knowledge_hub/teacher_resources/webfieldtrips/water_pollution/)

[gabbyw89-blog]

Air Pollution Is Everywhere

     There has a situation in China, China's sulfur dioxide emissions of 19.95 million tons in 2000, has taken the first place in the world. According to expert estimates, to meet the requirements of the environmental capacity of the weather, sulfur dioxide emissions should be on the basis of existing cuts of at least 40%. In addition, China soot emissions of 11.65 million tons in 2000, industrial dust emissions of 10.92 million tons. Air pollution is China's first big environment problems at the moment.

(Picture resource: https://www.google.com.hk/url?sa=i&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.cleartheair.org.hk%2F%3Fp%3D9330&psig=AOvVaw3rXXwg2A_09M4gpZRdsbhg&ust=1585041398075000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAMQjB1qFwoTCPDR0sGhsOgCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD)

     Air pollution is caused by human activities and natural process certain substances into the atmosphere, present an enough concentration, achieve enough time and harm the human body comfort, health and welfare, or harm the environment. Human activities including two aspects of human life activities and production activities, the activities of production is the main cause of air pollution. Natural process involves the volcanic activity, forest fires a tsunami of soil and rock weathering and atmosphere air operation, etc. The global atmospheric pollution is across national borders and bail on the earth's atmosphere pollution, such as the greenhouse effect enhancement ozone depletion, etc.

     Green countermeasures make full use of the absorption effect of forests and green plants on 0O2 and the regulation effect on greenhouse effect. To this end, not only the existing tropical forests should be protected, but also the forest area of the world should be expanded. There are also some strategies to control the depletion of the ozone layer. Like the depletion of the ozone layer in the atmosphere is mainly caused by the chemicals that deplete the ozone layer.

(picture resource: https://www.google.com.hk/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.greenqueen.com.hk%2Ffossil-fuel-air-pollution-costs-the-world-us8-billion-every-day%2F&psig=AOvVaw03purK_O3sDiJ-_6Ug9y7Y&ust=1585041484887000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAkQjhxqFwoTCJCcneqhsOgCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAN)

     Global atmospheric pollution directly affects the global environment. To solve these problems, therefore, needs international cooperation, on this issue, no matter in developed countries or developing countries, have reached a consensus at present, accelerate the pace of cooperation, and has set up more than general principle understanding stage, and entered a substantive stage of policies and measures.

(Article resources: https://medlineplus.gov/airpollution.html)

[gabbyw89-blog]

Sustainable Development on Campus

     Protecting the environment, building a fresh, clean, beautiful and comfortable campus and realizing the sustainable development of the school are the arduous and urgent tasks faced by all teachers and students. 

(Picture resource: https://bangkok.unesco.org/content/asian-universities-promote-learning-through-environmental-and-sustainability-assessment)

     In fact, the sustainable development education involves all aspects of the school construction, only in the classroom education for sustainable development is not enough, the outside of the classroom, the use of materials, the construction of the environment, in the campus culture atmosphere build, and so on are related to the sustainable development education, and become an organic part of the sustainable development education. It not only makes the contents taught by teachers in the classroom coincide with the surrounding environment of students, but also provides practice opportunities for students' learning and behavior, so that students can gain a deeper understanding of sustainable development through direct contact with the environment.

     Creating green schools is one way to achieve sustainable development. Sustainable development education pays attention to the behavior of individual participation and action, and create green school is reflected the request green schools create offers education for sustainable development, provides the students to participate in the practice of sustainable development education opportunities, and become an important means of sustainable development education to the student, is one of the important position to implement sustainable development education and the main carrier. At the same time, it is the important content of sustainable development education, is the concrete performance of sustainable development in schools.

(Picture resource: https://www.google.com.hk/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fgreen.harvard.edu%2Fcampaign%2Four-plan&psig=AOvVaw1aU8sdL9qRENYzkNRSSrYK&ust=1585022207303000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAMQjB1qFwoTCODL_Ibar-gCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAJ)

     By means of permeating teaching method, the contents of environmental education are infiltrated into the teaching of various subjects, and the contents of environmental education in current teaching materials are excavated. The actions of individuals are trivial, but as long as our forces are combined, we can support a civilization co-existing with nature, a civilization of sustainable development.

(Article resource: https://green.harvard.edu/campaign/our-plan)

[gabbyw89-blog]

A Flower Represents Romantic

(Picture resource: https://www.almanac.com/plant/roses)

    When it comes to rose, the first thing comes into my mind is about the history or its symbolic meaning. With the changes of times, the types and appearances may have changed a lot, but its original meaning was still not change.

    Rose, with the origin in China, have petals obovate. The color is also a great variety, has purple-red, white, its fruiting is during August to September. The branches of it is softer and drooping and densely spiny, flowering only once a year, so it is less used in breeding, recently its main characteristics are disease resistance and cold resistance.

    As for the cultivation method, there has two options to deal with that. The first one is pruning. This method has characteristic with high requirement of pruning technology, slow flower formation, high yield and low proportion of commodity flower. The second is the pressure method. The requirement on prune is not high, quick flower formation but the yield is low, the flower quality is good.

    Rose as a cash crop, its flowers are mainly used for food and refining fragrance rose oil, rose oil is used in cosmetics, food, fine chemical industry and other industries. As a medicine, different parts have different values. The flower that rose opens at first and root can be used as medicine. The flesh of the rose hip, which can be made into jam, has a special flavor and the fruit is rich in vitamin C and vitamin P, which can prevent acute and chronic infectious diseases, coronary heart disease and liver disease, and prevent the generation of carcinogens. Rose essential oil extracted by distillation of rose petals can activate male hormones and sperm. Rose dew can also improve skin texture, promote blood circulation and metabolism.

(Picture resource: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/219550550562395584/)

    In a word, rose has many ways to represent itself but during the changes of time, it still remains its own symbol with such a big popularity, which is one character I admire most. With so many different ways on using it, it has become a flower with both ornamental and commercial values.

(Article resource: ① https://www.britannica.com/plant/rose-plant

② https://www.almanac.com/plant/roses）

[gabbyw89-blog]

Reflection on Chapter 18

After learned the chapter 18, I understood that the life cycle of representatives of principle phyla are including the Chlorophyta, the Chromophyta, the Euglenophyta, which are also explored having association with many details. Then it showed me the differences between the phyla of algae in a table which is very clear to see and followed with a digest of the human and ecological relevance of the algae. From my perspective, the similarities and differences among algal, fungal, and protozoan groups have led scientists to propose major taxonomic changes, and those changes are continuing. For me, the most interesting part is human and ecological relevance of the algae, slime molds and water molds. For algae, many parts of it have different functions. As microscopic forms that live suspended in the water column, provide the food base for most marine food chains. In my daily life, I can always see some edible algae, like kelp, wakame, seaweed, ulva and Enteromorpha, they are all from different color of algae. I remembered when I was a little kid, I saw some people just standing around the edge of the pond, then my father told me they were judging the water quality based on watercolor which is determined by the dominant species of algae and its reproductive. In the industry, it can also be used to provide a variety of algal gum, which are the raw material for medicine and chemical industry and culture for microbiology research. For slime molds and water molds, both of them with function as ecological decomposers. Slime molds can be found on bark mulch after a rain and can produce a pseudoplasmodium that crawls like a slug which is really disgusting to me since I’ve seen slug many times in my dormitory in China. Water molds can be harmful to the French wine and caused an important oomycete called late blight of potato. Otherwise, both of them are of little economic significance which are really interesting. The difficult part for me is to figure out the reproduction in diatoms and life cycle of oedogonium. The definitions of oogonia and thallus are hard to understand, and the functions of holdfast and stipe are complicated, which takes me a lot of time searching the Internet to figure out. In a word, we all live in a world which contains the Kingdom Protista. Algae, as an original and important member of this kingdom, have making movements 400 million year ago, which is a really ancient creature but with so many functions and connections with our daily life.

Reference: https://www.toppr.com/guides/evs/a-treat-for-mosquito/algae/

[gabbyw89-blog]

A Sensitive Plant

(Picture resource: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fl-3lpYXnYg)

    Mimosas are leguminous perennial herbs or subshrubs, because the leaves will respond to heat and light, touched by external forces will immediately close, so it is named mimosas. The compound leaves fold inward and droop when touched or shaken, defending itself from harm, and reopen a few minutes later. In the UK it has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. Like a number of other plant species, it undergoes changes in leaf orientation termed "sleep" or nyctinasty movement. The foliage closes during darkness and reopens in light.        This special ability of mimosa has its certain historical origin. It is native to Brazil in tropical South America, where there are often strong winds and heavy rain. Whenever the first drop of rain hits the leaf, it immediately leaves closed, the petiole droop, to avoid the wind and rain on it. It is an adaptation to changes in environmental conditions. In addition, the movement of mimosas can be seen as a form of self-defense, the animal touched it, it closed the leaves and animals don’t dare to eat it.        In cultivation, this plant is most often grown as an indoor annual but is also grown for groundcover. Propagation is generally by seed. Mimosa pudica grows most effectively in nutrient poor soil that allows for substantial water drainage. Mimosa pudica has several natural predators, such as the Spider mite and Mimosa webworm. Both of these insects wrap the leaflets in webs that hinder the responsive closing. Webbed leaves are noticeable as they become brown fossilized remnants after an attack.        Mimosa pudica can form root nodules that are habitable by nitrogen-fixing bacteria. The bacteria are able to convert atmospheric nitrogen, which plants cannot use, into a form that plants can use. As much as 60% of the nitrogen found in Mimosa pudica can be attributed to the fixation of N2 by bacteria. Mimosa pudica contains the toxic alkaloid mimosine, which has been found to also have antiproliferative and apoptotic effects.

(Picture resource: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimosa_pudica)

      In a word, mimosa is a wonderful plant that foretells changes in weather. If you touch it with your hand, the leaves close up quickly, but open slowly, which means that the weather will clear up. Mimosa plant shapes scattered, feather leaves slender beautifully. Mimosa flower more and elegant, give us with delicate impression. It can be planted in the courtyard corner or potted in the window table.

(Article resource: ①https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3459453/ 

② https://www.botany.one/2019/08/what-a-plant-learns-the-curious-case-of-mimosa-pudica/）

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Purple Waterfall

    Lavandula angustifolia is native to the Mediterranean coast, Europe and the islands of Oceania, it was widely planted in the United Kingdom and Yugoslavia. The design of its leaf shape is graceful, and color is elegant, the inflorescence of blue purple is tall and beautiful, it is a new kind of perennial and hardy flower in the courtyard, suitable for flower path cluster plant or strip plant, also can be potted ornamental. After 10 years of careful cultivation of people in China, lavender has formatted in scale in the foot of the Tianshan Yili river. Lavender is a kind of rare and important natural fragrant plant and its fragrance is very pleasant. Xinjiang Yili Kazakh autonomous prefecture, in the hinterland of Tianshan mountains, is the main base of lavender cultivation and processing in China and the largest perfume production base in Asia.

（Picture resource: https://www.cowellsgc.co.uk/lavandula-angustifolia-felice-purple-17cm)        One of the noteworthy characteristics of Lavandula is its aromatic. The spikes of fragrant flowers can attract bees and butterflies. Since lavender has functions on inhibition of bacteria, balance oil secretion, soothing muscles, so it be used for cleansing products. Lavender extract is added into the soap and cleansing milk, after cold sterilization and fresh-keeping treatment and the application of issofree advanced technology, the high-end cleansing products such as lavender soap and cleansing milk are made in this way.        As for its edible value, it is also famous for the tea made from it. After dry the flowers in the sun, people like to put them in the boiling water as tea. This kind of tea has no side effects, and has the function for sedation, relaxation of digestive tract spasm, cool and refreshing, elimination of flatulence, digestion, prevention of nausea and dizziness, ease anxiety and nerve migraine, prevention of colds and many other benefits, hoarse drinking is also conducive to recovery, so it has the  "best partner of office workers" reputation.

(Picture resource: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavandula#/media/File:Lavender_Field_Sutton.jpg)        In a word, there are many kinds of lavender plants, which have high ecological ornamental value. They can be used to build lavender special aromatic botanical garden to achieve greening, beautification, color, incense integration. It can not only be viewed, but also purify the air, treat diseases and play a role in medical care.

(Article resource: ①https://www.finegardening.com/genus/lavandula

② https://hvp.osu.edu/pocketgardener/source/description/la_folia.html ）

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Wisteria, the Purple Sea of Flowers

(Picture resource: https://www.almanac.com/plant/wisteria)

    The first time I saw the wisteria was on the picture from my Chinese book in the primary school. It caught my eyes at the first time I saw the picture. It is an excellent vine plant with twining stems, feathery compound leaves and oval lobules. 

    Racemes of spring flowers with lilac flowers, graceful and charming demeanor. The branch leaves of it are dense, inflorescences are big and drooping, designs and colors are quietly elegant, it is bluish violet or lilac more. The rattan of them are long and natural curve, very easy to model, they are attached to flower shelf, green corridor, mountain stone, adorn effect is very good. Late spring is the time when the vines are blooming, you can see the grey-brown branches winding like dragons and snakes, and a string of huge flower heads hanging down the branches, purple and blue, glittering and rosy clouds. They always grow on hillsides, bushes and roadsides. Mainly distributed in central and southern China, such as Hebei, Shandong, Henan, Jiangsu, Anhui and other places. Korea, Japan are also distributed. So, it is quite worldwide and popular in Asia.     According to Legumes of the World Online, it can be used as ornamentals (with many cultivars), bark fibers for textiles, essential oils and fragrances. With so many functions, wisteria is kind of fragile and need pay more attention to cultivate.     Wisteria always consume lots of water, but still need dry condition instead of wet. If the pot soil is only wet without dry, it will conducive to its flowering. Especially in the flower bud differentiation stage in August, appropriate water should be added which is really important. Thin fertilizer is an important measure to make them flourish. The wisteria always has long bud in spring, during this time, you should pick off dense bud appropriately.

(Picture resource: http://byricardomarcenaroi.blogspot.com/2010/05/botany-botanica-wisteria-glicina-part-1.html)     In a word, wisteria can be a decorative plant by making a purple sea of flowers while be useful being oil, fragrances and many other functions. 

(Article resource: ①http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:332065-2#source-LOWO

②https://hvp.osu.edu/pocketgardener/source/description/wisteria.html）

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Flowers or Garlic Bolt

(Picture resource: http://news.c-yl.com/20140521/2411413.html)    

    When first time look at the narcissus, you must get confused between it and garlic bolt, which really share some same characteristics as similar height, similar leaves and similar root. But after some research, you may find some differences between them.

    China have cultivated narcissus in the tang dynasty for more than 1300 years. It is loved by many people and is one of the top ten famous flowers in China. Wild narcissus are distributed in the southeast coastal areas of China. They are most famous in Chongming district of Shanghai and Zhangzhou of Fujian. Hundreds of years ago, narcissus were also produced in Suzhou, Jiading and other places. Its aliases are Chinese narcissus, Ling Bo fairy and so on. In addition to the common white narcissus, there is a yellow species called trumpet narcissus. Narcissus have a long history of cultivation in Europe. Since the 1830s, the Netherlands, Belgium, the United Kingdom and other countries on the narcissus breeding and variety improvement has done a lot of work, the current cultivated varieties have reached 26,000, there are new varieties born every year. The cultivation of narcissus in China began in the late 19th century.

(Picture resource: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Yellow-Fever.-Hort-Edin/0eddfd6f5a2cf2ec843220d73e5eeddbedb79b19/figure/0)

    The differences are also intuitive. Narcissuses have small, white flowers and yellow flower core, the fragrance of them are faint scent of quietly elegant. Their root is shaped like an onion but is white. The leaves of them are flat. Garlic is a clove and is used as an accessory in food. Narcissuses are always grown in the water with blooming while garlic are always cultivated in the soil, which cannot see the flower but with garlic flavor, the leaves of them are cylinder.     Narcissuses can also be made as medicine. Its bulb can be collected in spring and autumn, after washing away the sediment and with boiling water, it can be dried by sun which with small poison. But it has clear heat detoxification, loose knot detumescence and other effect. It can be used for mumps and other pains. (Article resource: ①https://web.archive.org/web/20140531003709/http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2013/cook_dani/index.html

②https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=7602&context=gradschool_disstheses）

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A Plant Stands for Pure

(Picture resource: https://www.shutterstock.com/zh/video/clip-1013668166-flowers-lotus---nelumbo-nucifera-start-bloom)

    There are many kinds of lotus, divided into ornamental and edible these two kinds of categories. It is native to the tropical and temperate regions of Asia. China even had cultivated records as early as during the Zhou dynasty. Lotus has treasures from head to foot. Its root and seed are eatable. The seeds, root stems, root section, leaves, flowers and seed germs can be used as medicine. Its untainted character is always praised by the world. Lotus is "straight from the middle to the outside, neither spreading nor spreading, out of the silt without staining, clean and ripple without being evil". With this noble character, it has become one of the subjects of songs and paintings by poets.     Lotus is an aquatic plant, love relatively stable calm shallow water, lakes, marshes, ponds, which is its suitable place. The water requirement of lotus depends on its species. The water level of the large plant like ancient lotus is a little deeper, but it cannot exceed 1.7 meters. Small plant shape only suitable for 20-60 cm water depth. At the same time, the lotus is very sensitive to water loss, as long as the summer 3 hours do not irrigate, the tank planted lotus leaves will be listless, if the water off for a day, then the lotus edge coke, buds back dry. It is also very fond of light and the growth period needs full light environment. Lotus is very difficult to bear shade, growing in half shade will show a strong phototaxis.

(Picture resource: https://www.slideshare.net/gnsk143/flower-structure-and-pollination-mechanisms)      There has another species which we always get confused with lotus, is water lily. The appearances of those two are super similar, but with the main difference being where the leaf grows and the shape of the leaf, we can distinguish them easier. Leaves of water lily lying on water surface with deep cracks while lotus leaves protruding above water, rounded and uncracked.     Now, we can always see lotus in the parks as ornamental plant in a pool, but actually, it can also be as medicine and raw material in porridge or meals, which has lot of functions you may even notice.

(Article resource: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1369702115000024?via%3Dihub)