Notes and FAQs

The three main types of raccoons are the following species; Procyon lotor, Procyon Pygmaeus, and…

The rainforest canopy is an integral part of the rainforest ecosystem, characterized by its dense layer of vegetation.

Coastal ecosystems are important for their contributions to food security enhancement, shoreline protection, local economic benefits, carbon storage, tourism value, aquacultural practices, recreational fishing, migratory bird sustenance, aquatic biodiversity support, archeological studies; cultural symbolism, scientific research, and land-sea connectivity.

Types of coastal ecosystems are; seagrass meadows, bays, kelp forests, shallow coral reefs, estuaries, salt marshes, mangrove swamps, sandy beaches, lagoons, rocky shores, and intertidal mudflats.

Coastal ecosystem services include; nutrient cycling, erosion control, carbon sequestration, habitat provision for marine organisms, water containment and distribution, seafood habitation, tourism, cultural symbolism, scientific knowledge provision, and land-sea synchronization.

Types of phytoremediation are; phytoextraction, rhizofiltration, phytotransformation, phytovolatilization, phytohydraulics, rhizodegradation, and phytofiltration.

Examples of phytoremediation include phytostabilization using hyacinth and duckweed in wetlands, afforestation of abandoned mine sites, plant-facilitated removal of heavy metals from landfill soils, restoration of degraded industrial land using plants to remove PCBs, fern cultivation on arsenic-contaminated agricultural land, phytofiltration by mangrove plants in salt marshes, white willow tree cultivation for groundwater remediation, phytosequestration using energy crops, Indian grass planting on overgrazed and leached grasslands, and reforestation of lands affected by acid mine drainage.

Disadvantages of wind turbines are; unpredictable power generation, landscape aesthetic alteration, potential risk to wildlife, restriction to remote locations, significant capital cost, low competitive edge (against other renewables), capacity limitations, low portability and mobility, limitations due to developmental phase, and scalability challenges.

Phytoremediation advantages are; eco-friendly approach, economic feasibility, minimal energy requirement, ease of integration with other techniques, usability for multiple pollutants/sites, low maintenance and monitoring, suitability for agricultural soil restoration, less need of heavy equipment, minimal technical expertise requirement, combination with reforestation/afforestation, multi-choice plant species, continuous improvement, microbial stimulation, and insight into bioaccumulation mechanisms.

Wind turbine advantages are; relatively simple design and installation, small environmental footprint, job creation, facilitation of energy security and backup, low operating costs, usability in agriculture, potential reduction of fossil fuel burning, flexibility of integration with other energy systems, and opportunity for continuous modification/improvement.