Nature

Potatoes make beautiful indoor house plants and are easy to grow. The results are quick and maintenance is minimal as long as there is sunshine and water - you have a happy plant. A positive...

Aromatherapy has been practiced for centuries in such varied cultures as the Egyptians, the Chinese, the Bulgarians and the French. Selected flowers and plant parts are distilled to produce...

Cinder cones are one of most common types of volcanoes, according to the website Think Quest. Eruptions of cinder cones don't often make headlines because they rarely cause deaths.

Photosynthesis is the amazing process by which plants combine sunlight, carbon dioxide and water to create the energy they need to live. While most people think that photosynthesis is conducted by...

An ecosystem is an ecological unit that represents the interconnected relationships that exist between its living and non-living components. Ecosystems can be any size. They can exist permanently...

The term ecology was coined by German naturalist Ernst Haeckel in 1869. Haeckel defined ecology as "the body of knowledge concerning the economy of nature." An ecosystem consists of three primary...

Before the angiosperms, or flowering plants evolved the gymnosperms, cone bearing plants which included pine trees, dominated the plant world. In some pine species, such as the bristlecone pine,...

Nutria are large rodents that resemble a cross between a muskrat and a beaver, possessing the stocky body of the beaver but the long, almost naked tail of the muskrat. Nutria are native to South...

The Weather Hut explains that barometric pressure "measures the weight of air in the atmosphere above as a pressure." Changes in this pressure correspond to changes in weather. Electronic...

Nowadays, anemometers, or wind speed indicators, are hand-held, electronic and very accurate. Another option is to plant a windsock on your property. The more a windsock extends, the faster the...

Wind speed can be easily converted to pressure using an online converter (see Resources section). However, you can also perform the conversion yourself by using a simple formula. Note that the...

Photosynthesis occurs when the appropriate wavelengths of light strike a photosystem in a cell, which energizes electrons for the production of ATP and NAPH. These energy molecules are then used...

The term ecosystem refers to a community of organisms and they way they interact and support each other within the environment around them. In detrital ecosystems, the community is based around...

Meteorologists use two ways to measure a tornado's wind speed: Doppler radar and after-storm damage. The former is more an approach for tornado chasers who haul around a mobile radar and get...

During the Cenozoic period that began 65 million years ago the first bees, butterflies, moths and wasps started appearing, conveniently at the same time the flowering plants were diversifying....

Of the typical items we recycle (paper, aluminum, glass and plastic), plastic is the most complicated. Despite that, there are many benefits to recycling plastic and doing so helps the overall...

Bat houses are a great way to cut down on local pest insects and encourage biological diversity. However, a badly made or mounted bat house may not attract very many bats. A functional bat house...

Paper is one of the most prevalent consumer products. In fact, we each use approximately 700 pounds of paper annually. There's a huge beneficial environmental impact when paper is recycled.

Flowers are a plant's means of enticing insects and animals so that they can help in the process of pollination. The flashy petals and sweet scents are also appreciated by humans. Some species...

For centuries Fuego Volcano has been one of Central America's most active volcanos. In Spanish it is called Volcan Fuego, which means Fire Volcano. Its indigenous name is Chigag.

Ponds and streams are two types of freshwater ecosystems. Ponds with their still waters are classified as lentic systems. Streams are referred to as lotic systems as defined by their flowing...

An ecosystem is composed of both living and non-living elements. Together, these components form a network of interconnected relationships. An ecosystem defines this ecological unit. Scientists...

If you count the number of times a free-turning propeller turns in a minute in the wind, you can calculate the wind speed. Modern hand-held wind anemometers use a very lightweight internal wind...

While the word "forest" sometimes brings to mind dense walls of trees, many forests are surprisingly airy.

Hummingbird feeders are made in two basic designs. One is the saucer type, which has a flat covered saucer/bowl at the bottom where the nectar is accessed through the feeding ports. The other type...

Topography has a profound effect on climate: mountain barriers creating deserts in their rainshadow, for example. The reverse, however, is equally valid.

Soil pollution, also referred to as soil contamination or land pollution, can be caused by many things. Soil pollution can lead to health problems in people, plants and animals.

Constructing a simple rain gauge at home using a two-liter soda bottle makes a great science project for middle school or elementary school students. Anyone can make this easy and inexpensive...

Compound microscopes use a combination of lenses -- the eyepiece lens and the objective lenses -- to achieve magnification of the object being viewed. The objective lens system usually consists of...

Griffonia simplicifolia seed is produced from the beans of a native African vine. It has been used as an aphrodisiac as well as for other medical issues. Extracts of the seeds are often sold in...

A cap and trade program is a system of pollution "credits." Facilities are allotted credits for the amount of pollution they are permitted to emit. Credits can be bought and sold on the open...

Horsetail is an ancient plant and is related to the ferns. In prehistoric times these plants grew as tall as trees. The modern version usually reaches about 18 inches in height.The tiny leaves...

A land, or terrestrial, ecosystem is all the living organisms and their physical environment on a particular piece of land. Terrestrial ecosystems may interact and overlap with marine (salt-water)...

Hurricane strength is rated according to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane scale of strength. The strongest winds in a hurricane occur on the right side of the eyewall. While wind speeds usually...

The Gobi Desert is located between Mongolia and China, stretching 497 miles from north to south and 994 miles from northeast to southwest. Its plant life is very sparse, since seeds are spread...

An ecosystem is a distinct ecological unit that includes all the living and non-living components within it. Not only does an ecosystem include the plants and animals, but it comprises the soil,...

Water, one of earth's most valuable resources, is becoming a scarcity in many parts of the world as demand outweighs supply. Therefore, new ideas for conservation, recycling and reuse are needed....

The Megalodon is an extinct shark that was at least two or three times the size of the great white shark of today. The reasons for its demise, as well as whether the creature might still be hiding...

Volcanoes, like cliffs, hills and mountains, are identified on topographic maps with contour lines. These lines create a precise rendering of the elevations of features found in a particular...

It is helpful to be ability to identify the different pests that you may encounter in their kitchen. Correctly recognizing the various insects and/or rodents can help you combat their presence.

The Global Program of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from the Land-based Activities (GPA) is an intergovernmental program that works towards protection of marine life. Oil...

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has ordered certain facilities that store and use oil to submit the Facility Response Plans (FRP) to respond to worst cases of oil spills...

Water pollution is major cause of concern. There are several reasons for water pollution. Some of them include dump of wastes into water from factories and nuclear plants, nonpoint sources,...

Topographic maps are created by using contour lines. These lines mirror the landscape of a particular area, identifying the shapes, locations, and elevations of landforms that lie within it.

All life is made up of cells. Unlike the cells of animals, plants have thick, rigid cell walls that act as a sort of exoskeleton, both protecting the inner organs of the plant and giving the plant...

American desert plants have different life cycles, depending on the species. Some can live for as long as 200 years, as is the case with some cacti whereas others, such as certain wildflowers, may...