Introduction It looks like we have an unhealthy relationship with biodiversity. There are the elements of codependency, manipulation and negligence between the two of us. Let me explain…. Our biodiversity is a garden that we are responsible for tending to and what we put in is what we will get out. The human population… Read more »
Month: December 2021
Nature’s Impact on Student Health and Well-Being: Green Spaces on the Indiana University Bloomington Campus
A green space is land which is covered, at least partially, with vegetation such as grass and trees in an environment which is otherwise urbanized. They are often found in the form of parks, gardens, woods, meadows, etc. These spaces serve to incorporate a more natural environment into urban areas and are often used to… Read more »
How the Foraging Patterns of White-tailed Deer Relate to Vehicle Accidents Involving White-tailed Deer
Introduction and Background White-tailed deer are severely abundant in North America. It is estimated that the population of white-tailed deer has increased from 500,000 animals to 20 million animals from 1900 to 1995 (Cook and Daggett, 1995). As the population of white-tailed deer has increased, so have transportation networks and volumes of traffic (Hubbard et… Read more »
Two Birds, One Stone: Community Gardens Provide Healthy Options and Promote Biodiversity, An Analysis of Food Products in Convenience Stores Accepting SNAP Benefits in Bloomington, IN and the Advantages of Implementing Community Gardens
Introduction Have you ever thought about the quality of food access in your area? Monroe County, according to the United Way of Monroe County, has a food insecurity rate of 16%.1 This puts Monroe County at a higher food insecurity rate than the state or national averages. In addition to this, it has been found… Read more »
IU From Within: An Evaluation of the Places We Spend Our Time
Biodiversity loss is one of the most pressing issues living species face today. Ecosystems all around the world are being destroyed in favor of industrialism and consumerism, displacing countless numbers of native species, and posing a huge risk to human health. Not only does protecting biodiversity ensure the web of species interactions on earth is… Read more »
Worlds Apart: A Comparison of Living Environments and Public Health Outcomes in Indianapolis and Carmel
An Analysis by Carly Waite, Senior Human Biology B.S. Candidate at Indiana University Bloomington Figure I: An Infographic Utilized in “Worlds Apart: Gaps in Life Expectancy in the Indianapolis Metro Area” demonstrating the maldistribution of life expectancies between Indianapolis and the surrounding suburbs Introduction For my Senior Capstone Research Project, I researched whether gaps… Read more »
Exploring the Indoor Air Quality Index at Indiana University to see the Impact on the Productivity and Well-being of Students
Exploring the Indoor Air Quality Index at Indiana University to see the Impact on the Productivity and Well-being of Students Introduction One of the biggest challenges on Earth faces today is that of air pollution due to the impact it has on the climate and the health and wellness of humans. (Manisalidis 2020). Air… Read more »
Differences in Sustainability between IU Health Bloomington Hospital and the Regional Academic Health Center
Introduction: Hospitals are some of the biggest waste producers in the world, and with 6,090 hospitals in the United States alone, the amount of hospital waste generated quickly becomes overwhelming (AHA, 2021). In fact, hospitals in the United States alone produce more than 3.5 million tonnes of waste per year with an average cost… Read more »
Our Campus and Its Quality of Air
Background The quality of the air we breathe has been an ongoing concern for hundreds, even thousands, of years now and it will only continue to be talked about for years to come. This is an extremely important conversation to have as almost the entire world’s population (92%) does not experience pure air quality and… Read more »
Ever-changing Diversity of the Microbiome of the Mouth
Ever-changing Diversity of the Microbiome of the Mouth Hailey Ragan – HUBI-B400 Dr. Micheal Wasserman 13 December 2021 Introduction: As humans, everything in our body works together synchronously to produce energetically favourable functionality, especially microbes. The microbes in our body and on our body work together to form an important organ, or superorganism, that functions as… Read more »
Recycling Availability in Bloomington, IN
Introduction The proper disposal and recycling of certain materials, especially various plastics, is especially important with the growing consumption and everyday use for them. In an article published by IN Context titled “Plastics are Big Business in Indiana,” plastic production has grown by over twenty-two percent from 1996 to 2006, with a continuing demand for… Read more »
Green Thumbs and Blue Moods: The Effect of Indoor Plants on Mental Health
Background It is well established that mental wellbeing plays a crucial role in overall health. This includes not only diagnosable mental illness, but also everyday stress and mood that everyone experiences. The absence of positive mental health – not just the presence of a specific mental illness or symptoms – has been shown to increase… Read more »
Plants and Particulate Matter: Air quality around construction sites and the impact on vegetation health
Introduction The effect of air pollution on the metabolic processes of vegetation is becoming a well-documented and researched part of the ongoing combating of climate change. The research and studies surrounding air pollution is a key element in determining how areas of the world are being affected by the presence of toxic airborne particles. This… Read more »
How do Beliefs Inform and Impact our Pandemic World: An Exploration in Infection, Death and Society – A Blog By Wyatt Reed
For a long (too long) time, we have been in a novel pandemic due to the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2, SARS-CoV-2, virus. This virus has caused millions of deaths and hundreds of millions of cases around the world, with m any varying responses. This has caused a unique and complex outcome of cases… Read more »
The Cicadian Rhythm: The Effects of Cicada Sounds on Cognitive Functioning
Introduction Although often unnoticed, insects make a considerable amount of noise. In different locations and times of the year, the presence of noise-producing insects varies, but one of the most notorious loud insects is the cicada (Figure 1). Brood X, the most recent periodical cicada, returned after 17 years and has been documented in almost… Read more »
Saving the Soil: How Agriculture Effects Soil Biodiversity
Introduction Agriculture is an extremely valuable and common practice around the entire world. Without agriculture, we would not have the convenience of selecting the foods we want or producing said foods at a quantity that is feasible for the current population. Its importance is reflected in the United States 2019 GDP of 1.109 trillion dollars… Read more »
Temporal Changes in Aquatic Biodiversity of Gilboa Quarry, SCUBA Diving, and Human Health Repercussions
Research Objective The goal of this project is to see how SCUBA diving can be beneficial for human health, and how the biodiversity and health of aquatic ecosystems can impact this activity. Scientists warn of an aquatic biodiversity crisis, so it is imperative that research be done to see how these ecosystems are changing (Albert… Read more »
Medical Waste Matters! Have You Littered Your Masks?
Introduction The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the need for both healthcare workers and the general population to rely on personal protective equipment or PPE to protect themselves and others from catching and spreading this Coronavirus. According to Sangkham, the increased rate of PPE use is generating large amounts of medical waste… Read more »
Ongoing Lawsuit Will Determine the Future Quality of Monroe County’s Drinking Water
The Monroe County Board of Commissioners, Monroe County Environmental Commission, Dr. Paul Simcox, the Hoosier Environmental Council, and Indiana Forest Alliance have joined forces in a lawsuit against the U.S. Forest Service, Hoosier National Forest park supervisor Michael Chaves, and district ranger Michelle Paduani. The U.S. Forest Service developed the Houston South Vegetation Management and… Read more »
Food Insecurity and Loss of Biodiversity: Can Community Gardens Help?
Introduction Moving from California to Bloomington has shown me differing levels of available healthy food options. While Bloomington is unique to the surrounding areas in regards to population and food availability, the greater area of Monroe County had a food insecurity rate of 16.8%, with 24,000 individuals experiencing food insecurity as of 2017 (Gunderson 2019)…. Read more »
Invasive and Noxious Plant Species as Potential Allergens for Young Adults in Monroe County, IN
Introduction Invasive plant species are defined as plant species that are non-native to the ecosystem whose introduction has the ability to cause harm to the environment, economy, or human health. More often than not, invasive plant species will experience interspecific competition with native plant species in an area, lowering the fitness, abundance and diversity of… Read more »
Maximizing the Miles: Effects of Outdoor vs. Indoor Exercise on Physiological Responses to Stress
Maximizing the Miles: Effects of Outdoor vs. Indoor Exercise on Physiological Responses to Stress Introduction With the busyness and chaos of everyday life, psychological stress seems to be inevitable, and people are adamant in the pursuit of reducing stress. Many people turn to journaling, tea and meditation to find relief. Additionally, research has found that… Read more »