Vascular Epiphytes of Far North Queensland
There are several definitions of epiphytic plants, each with a subtle difference. Heywood (1993) states that an epiphyte is, "A plant that grows on the surface of another, without deriving food from its host". Raven (1992) states that an epiphyte is, "a plant that grows on another plant, but is not parasitic on it." Basically, a plant that derives its physical support from another plant (host = phorophyte (Luttge 1989)) is an epiphyte.
Epiphytes fill important ecological niches in variety of habitats. Epiphytic species can exist as 50% of the tree leaf mass and make up 30% to 50% of vascular plant diversity in tropical forests (Benzing 1990). It is thought that the epiphytic diversity in tropical forests allows an increased fauna diversity. Epiphytic species, while not agronomically important, play intricate roles in ecology.
HISTORY
Columbus wrote the first known documentation of an epiphytic species. Martinus de la Cruz, an Aztec Indian physician, illustrated the first epiphyte (an orchid) in the Badianus Manuscript in 1552. Trade around the world by the 1770's included many exotic and tropical plants with epiphytic species among them. Orchids, ferns and others were valued by decorators and collectors (Benzing 1990). Scientific interest did not keep pace with trade interest. The scientific study of epiphytes has not been extensive when compared to the study of plants with other specializations, ie. carnivory. Within recent years, due to increased interest in rainforest preservation, an increase in epiphytic study and resulting literature has occurred.
EVOLUTION
Epiphytes have evolved to take advantage of resources not widely available to other plants. Epiphytes have evolved a variety of morphological and physiological differences to deal with difficulty in mineral absorption, photosynthesis, propagation, water acquisition and water retention.
There are two basic theories on the evolution of epiphytes. The first theory indicates that epiphytes may have been shade adapted plants, struggling for light that moved into the canopy. The second theory suggests that plants preadapted to high sun exposure moved from dry savannahs and steppes into the canopy (Luttge 1989).
The fossil record does not provide any support for either theory mentioned above. Plant and pollen fossils thought to belong to current day plant families containing epiphytes, can't be labeled epiphytic because the ancient habitats of the plants can't be readily observed. Other research has proposed that epiphytic diversity arose from the Pleistocene / Pliocene ages (roughly 1.
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Scott, Elizabeth, M.S. “Music and Your Body: How Music Affects Us and Why Music Therapy
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ADHD, or Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is one of the most common childhood disorders and can continue through adolescence and adulthood. There are many symptoms associated with ADHD but the most common include difficulty staying focused and paying attention, difficulty controlling behavior, and hyperactivity. Scientists are not exactly sure of what causes ADHD but they are more comfortable with the idea that a lot of different factors play a role in its development, such as, genes, environment, brain injuries, sugar, and food additives. The most widely used treatment is the drugs but this is not the only way to treat ADHD.
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Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder, otherwise known as ADHD, is the most common psychiatric condition effecting 9.5% of school-aged children in the United States (intuniv, 2013). If the disorder goes untreated, it will cause more long-term side effects and difficulties for the individual as an adult. Adults who have this condition face several adversities in every day life, such as impulsive behavior, low self-esteem and poor work performance. People are not aware of the complications that come with ADHD in adults. Not knowing the symptoms of the disease can cause people to not be sympathetic when they are interacting with someone with disorder.
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I’m writing my paper on Music Therapy, and how music affects the mind and body, to treat various illnesses. Music therapy is the prescribed use of music under the direction of specially trained therapists to influence changes in negative conditions and behavior. It accomplishes this by maintaining and restoring mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health .One type of theory is the idea that music, movement, and speech are inseparable. Music evokes unconscious thoughts and feelings, which in turn expand self-awareness. Music therapy is a powerful and non-invasive form of sensory stimulation which provokes responses due to the familiarity, predictability, and feelings of security associated with it. In some medical settings such as mental health services, it has been used to decrease patient’s perception of pain, anxiety and depression. ICU patients listening to music showed a significant decrease in blood pressure. It has been shown to calm the patient and to relax their mind and body. Music eases the burden on the arteries and nerves through relaxation. Du...
Living things like vertebrates and invertebrates were appeared on earth. The multi cellular organism start to evolve from that. The plants could only live in the sea at first but as the time passes they evolve and start to appear on the shore side of the sea and lakes. After that they start to appear on the land. Slowly the animals on sea were evolved like fish and other. All the animals first evolved on sea and then later on land. The evolution started in both land and water. Big sharks and fishes ruled the sea and the land was covered by vegetation. The tall trees and other fungi covered the land. Soon after that the animals on earth start to evolve too. animals and insects ruled the
own roots (not just the plant kind), this meant they needed a structure that was different than
In order to understand why the use of music therapy is growing, one must know what exactly music therapy is. Music Therapy is an established health profession in which music is used within a therapeutic relationship to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of individuals. Music therapy also provides avenues for communicati...