Tutor profile: Jesse M.

How does farming affect local waterways?

One major effect of farming is the runoff of fertilizers into local waterways. When the high nitrogen levels in the fertilizer get into the waterways, it can cause massive algae blooms. This can affect the ecosystem in many ways. If the algae completely cover the surface of the water, sunlight can no longer penetrate to feed the plants below. If the plants die out then the organisms that feed on those plants will begin to die. Once you start removing key parts of the food chain, you create an unstable environment that will cause the entire food web to collapse.

Why is the periodic table designed that way?

The periodic table has many key design features. 1. The way the elements are laid out from left to right describes how many protons each element has. 2. The columns or groups on the periodic table show how many electrons are in the outermost energy level of each element.

What is natural selection?

Natural selection is the process that drives evolutionary change. It can be simply stated as survival of the fittest. However, the fittest does not necessarily mean the strongest. Biological fitness is all about how well an organism can survive and reproduce. So when we discuss fitness we are discussing much more. We are describing how one bird survives better than another bird of the same species simply because its beak is better shaped to crack open seeds. We are describing how one tree survives a little better than another because its roots stretch wider and can absorb more water in a drought. That's what natural selection is. Natural selection is the ability for an organism to overcome the harsh realities of its world and produce offspring.