DDT in Borneo Reading/Activity
1: How does the story of Borneo exemplify the idea of ecosystems and the interaction of organisms (specifically the importance of all organisms in that ecosystem)?
This shows that each ecosystem is connected like a chain. When you affect something like mosquitoes then other things like rats will be affected like a chain effect.
2: How does the story exemplify how humans (in our attempt to fix one thing), cause unforeseeable problems in ecosystems?
It shows this by first spraying the DDT and by spraying that, mosquitoes moved around spreading the poison to other animals.
3: Explain how a toxin in a food web will harm some while killing others- why did the mosquitos and cats die while other things lived? (hint: research bioaccumulation & biomagnification)
The toxin in the food web will harm some while killing others because as the toxins succeed, it becomes more lethal which is why the cats died. The mosquitoes died because they were the first in the food web.
4: Explain why you think DDT has been banned in the U.S. but is still in production and used in countries all over the world.
DDT has been banned in the U.S due to the large populations in an area. It is used in other places because less food chains and people will be affects.
5: If DDT is still being used around the world, but not in the U.S.- are we still exposed to it? (Discuss).
I think that we are due to the fact that a lot of farm products come shipped from all around the world.
6: Do you think scientists should have sprayed the island with DDT? If not, what should they have done about the Malaria issue?
I think that they shouldn't have sprayed the island with DDT as they should've known that animals have something that will eventually consume them or be affected by them.
This shows that each ecosystem is connected like a chain. When you affect something like mosquitoes then other things like rats will be affected like a chain effect.
2: How does the story exemplify how humans (in our attempt to fix one thing), cause unforeseeable problems in ecosystems?
It shows this by first spraying the DDT and by spraying that, mosquitoes moved around spreading the poison to other animals.
3: Explain how a toxin in a food web will harm some while killing others- why did the mosquitos and cats die while other things lived? (hint: research bioaccumulation & biomagnification)
The toxin in the food web will harm some while killing others because as the toxins succeed, it becomes more lethal which is why the cats died. The mosquitoes died because they were the first in the food web.
4: Explain why you think DDT has been banned in the U.S. but is still in production and used in countries all over the world.
DDT has been banned in the U.S due to the large populations in an area. It is used in other places because less food chains and people will be affects.
5: If DDT is still being used around the world, but not in the U.S.- are we still exposed to it? (Discuss).
I think that we are due to the fact that a lot of farm products come shipped from all around the world.
6: Do you think scientists should have sprayed the island with DDT? If not, what should they have done about the Malaria issue?
I think that they shouldn't have sprayed the island with DDT as they should've known that animals have something that will eventually consume them or be affected by them.