Environmental Biology Photo Gallery

No matter where we are on Earth, we are surrounded by nature and intriguing life forms. Even in a suburban or urban environment, if we look closely and carefully, we can see nature emerging just about everywhere. On Prince Georges Community College’s Largo campus earlier this year, I saw a praying mantis insect stalking its prey, which illustrated predator and prey relationships and food chain interactions. As I walked across campus, I saw the beautiful leaves of oak trees changing colors, which relates to photosynthetic pigments and leaf decomposition. I even saw a crow eating a French fry, which could illustrate scavengers, food chains, or even humans being careless with their waste! Even indoors, we can find connections to environmental biology. A houseplant provides oxygen during the process of photosynthesis, and filters the air of pollutants. A jar of tomatoes has a lining made of BPA (bisphenol-A), an endocrine disrupting chemical. A person working from home uses printer paper made from 100% post-consumer recycled paper, which reduces tree removal and deforestation. Your photo gallery assignment is to document nature and environmental biology in the world around you through photography. You can use a camera, or your smart phone, to take photos of subjects that relate to topics we have covered in Unit 1 of Environmental Biology: Introduction to Environmental Biology Food Chains and Food Webs; Energy Transfer and Bioaccumulation Photosynthesis & Cellular Respiration The Carbon Cycle and Global Climate Change You will use the discussion board toolbar to upload 2 photos that relate to the topics above. Each photo should include a description of your photo and an explanation of how it relates to the topic(s) covered in this course. Each description/explanation should be at least 5-7 sentences. Module Learning Objective Alignment: 1.1-3.6 Guidelines Submit your initial post by the due date. Post two photos related to Unit 1 of Environmental Biology, complete with a description and explanation. Each photo should be fully and thoughtfully described and explained with a paragraph of at least 5-7 sentences. Respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts by the end of the module. Your responses should be thoughtful and add new information, not just “I agree,” or “I like that.” You can comment on the photo itself, the explanation, or even pose a question to the original poster. The photos should be original photos that you have taken. Photos and descriptions should not be generated using AI or other means (Google search).