Neurotransmission Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Neurotransmission - Term Paper Example x support the neurons, digest the dead neurons, and manufacture the protective myelin sheath covering the neurons besides providing nutrition (â€Å"Brain Cells’’ 2001). Thus neurons along with their connections can be visualized as electric conductors insulated in a thick mass of glial cells. A typical neuron, like other cells has a main body in which resides the nucleus and is called soma (Fig. I). From this emanate the inward signal processing projections called the dendrites and the outward signal processing axons, or the conducting fibres (Case Presentation, January 27th, 2014). The point where the two neurons connect with each other is known as the synapse, the latter being the juncture where transmission of axonal information takes place (Case Presentation, January 27th, 2014). A synapse is comparable with a connecting switch which transmits current from one circuit to another. Dendrites receive the incoming signals from the preceding neuron, the signals being generated in the form of micro electric action potentials in the soma, wherein the signal processing and stabilization takes place. The axons transmit the information from the prior to the subsequent neurons. The fatty myelin sheath serves to insulate the axon thereby facilitating transmission of signals. This myelin sheath is akin to the insulation we see on electric wires. As the insulation on electric wires stops leakage of electric current thereby protecting us, similarly the myelin sheath on the neuron protects leakage of action potential to adjacent neurons so that they can send signals along the actual destined pathways for them. However, at specific intervals it exposes the neuron at junctures called ‘Nodes of Ranvier’ which are meant for increasing the speed of transmission of the onward electric signals. A typical neuron connects with 1000-1000 other neurons through synapses (â€Å"Brain Cells’’ 2001). This can be compared to a big power supply line feeding hundreds of houses for

Economic analysis to your company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Economic analysis to your company - Essay Example Due to the uniqueness in the nature of services offered to the people, medical services provided by Cleveland Clinic in Abu Dhabi will have a negative price elasticity of demand. Price elasticity of demand measures the responsiveness of demand to changes in the price of a particular good. An elastic demand occurs if a small change in the price of a service or good leads to a large change in the quantity demanded. On the other hand, inelastic demand occurs if a small change in the quantity demanded accompanies a large change in the price of a commodity. In a free market economy, prices set the quantity of goods and services demanded. As such, if there is a decrease in the price of goods or services offered by a particular company, the market responds by increasing the quantity of goods and services, while an increase in the prices of goods and services leads to a corresponding decrease in the quantity of goods and services demanded by the market. As economists measure the elasticity o f demand, they consider the level of change between price and quantity. However, not all goods and services obey the law of demand, as Veblen argued. Special commodities such as Veblen and Geffen goods, as well as medical care services do not obey this law. Subsequently, in case Cleveland Clinic increases the prices of their medical services, there is likely to be no or insignificant changes in the number of people visiting the clinic for medical attention. Additionally, even if the clinic were to lower the price of their medical services, there would be no significant increase in the number of people visiting the clinic for medical services. Only the sick require medical attention, a reason for this reality. Despite operating in an open market structure, Cleveland Clinic, Abu Dhabi does not have to conform to the rules of an open market structure. Competition least affects the number of people visiting the clinic. It operates as a special form of monopoly, due to the uniqueness of its services. Thus, its cost structure does not conform to the open market rules. 2. How global competition impacts Cleveland Clinic, Abu Dhabi Global competition would negatively affect the profitability of Cleveland Clinic, Abu Dhabi. Medical services are an essential part of people’s lives. Globally, people spend large parts of their budgets seeking medical attention. Cleveland Clinic, Abu Dhabi operates under international expertise such as physicians and medical experts from North America (â€Å"Modern Healthcare† 25). In open market economies, it is not just the price of commodities, which determine the level of competition between firms. Quality also serves a big role in determining the number of people vising a medical clinic. If Cleveland Clinic were to charge exorbitant prices against a poor service delivery system, people would opt for better hospitals charging reasonable fees for their services. Since medical attention is a special kind of service offered t o the people, its market demand does not change with reference to the prices; rather, quality of service delivery is the biggest determinant. If Cleveland clinic, Abu Dhabi, due to the special services it provides to the people were to offer low quality services to the customers, nothing would stop people from seeking medical attention from other international clinics providing better medical attention. In this scenario therefore, prices are likely to play no particular

Shrek Media Essay Example for Free

Shrek Media Essay Handsome princes and beautiful princess are things you expect to see in a fairytale. Shrek is a huge exception; it is not your average traditional fairytale. The things that make it unlike any other fairytale are its unique characters, the plot, language and music. Shrek includes plenty of familiar fairy tale faces popping up along the way and even more humour. In this essay I will be discussing how the makers of Shrek use presentational devices to reverse and represent the traditional fairytale. Firstly, the main character of this fairytale is an ogre, Shrek. Shrek, however, is not the usual ugly, smelly, cruel, threatening ogre. Although he may be ugly, and even a bit smelly he is kind, sensitive and has a heart of gold. He is simply misunderstood. The makers of Shrek manage to make Shrek sympathetic and easy to warm to. We see that Shrek is actually lonely and no one will give him a chance because he is ugly and they assume he is this horrendous creature. Another example is Princess Fiona. The usual fairytale princess is beautiful, sweet, kind and gentle. This princess is strong and feisty. Shes assertive and perfectly capable of fighting her own battles. Princesses hang around and wait to be saved, and then let things be done for them. Princess Fiona makes it clear that she is perfectly manageable. Lord Farquaad is another example. A conventional Prince/King is tall, handsome, heroic and kind. This is everything Lord Farquaad isnt, he is lacking in height, scheming and not at all heroic. These characters all go against what a traditional fairy tale would. This is one type of role reversal in the film. Shrek follows a the story of an large but friendly ogre who only wants to lead a peaceful life except he cant because his swamp has been filled with fairy tale creatures that have been banished to there by the short and cruel Lord Farquaad. In order to have all the creatures back where they belong, Shrek must rescue a beautiful young princess who shall become Farquaads bride; in order for him to own the whole kingdom. Shrek agrees to do so, and pairs up with Donkey, a witty mule who talks too much, to complete the quest. All goes well until Shrek begins to fall in love with Princess Fiona. The princess herself turns out to have many hidden talents and secrets. The narrative in itself tells us that this is different from an ordinary fairy tale but also things like exaggeration, incongruity and role reversal tell us this. In the opening scene Shrek is brushing his teeth, he smiles into the mirror and it cracks, he farts in the pond and a dead fish floats up, these are examples of exaggeration.. The language used is not suitable for fairytales, modern language is used and even though there are no rude words actually said, you know they were about to before an interruption. For instance in the opening scene where Shrek flushes the toilet at the same time that he says the word. Parodies make fun of another piece of art by mocking it. The parody is an imitation of the original, but exaggerating it, showing cliches which have been used, to make the original look ridiculous. The scene where Lord Farquaad has to pick which princess he would like to marry via selections put forth by a stolen Magic Mirror is a reference to Dating Game. In one scene, Fiona sings to the birds and accidentally kills one by singing in an extremely high-pitched tone. This is a parody of Disney princesses, who are often shown singing with woodland creatures such as birds. In Shreks swamp, when all the fairytale creatures are there, Papa Bear and Baby Bear are present, and later on we see that she has been turned into a rug. Throughout Shrek, the music is modern rock/pop. The songs used are to be easily recognised by most people. All these things help make Shrek unique, but the computer animations contribute towards the freedom of the cartoons. They are able to anything, therefore imagination and creativity is used well to take advantage of this. In the scene that Shrek, Fiona and Donkey bump into Robin Hood and his men in the woods role reversal is used. Instead of Shrek fighting off the merry men it is Fiona who does all the fighting single-handed. This is also exaggeration, as she takes on all of the men alone. Fiona jumps into the air and freezes in place; the camera hovers around her, giving her time to adjust her hair, before she finishes off two attackers in normal time. This is a reference to the movie The Matrix. This is also an example of incongruity. In this scene, Friar Tuck plays the accordion. When Robin Hood attempts to rescue Princess Fiona the background music changes to a fast jig. When Friar Tuck is knocked out the background music stops immediately. The camera looks down on the merry men from above where Fiona is stood, making them seem smaller and weaker. In conclusion, I think that the makers of Shrek used presentational devises well to reverse the traditional fairytale. Shrek is like the modern day fairytale. It is made unique because the usual stereotypes are reversed; the music is modern, as is the language. Although it is very different from other fairytales it still falls in the category and ends with the familiar happily ever after.

The Heros Journey Formula

The Heros Journey Formula The Heros Journey is a formula theorised by Joseph Campbell appears in several stories throughout the history of films. The twelve steps within the Heros Journey hasnt aged with time as it has continued to exist within genres of Hollywood films. The two movies whose concepts will be discussed are Star Trek (2009) directed J.J. Abrams and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) directed by Peter Jackson. These two movies follow the twelve concepts closely therefore making them perfect subjects to talk about. Most films that follow the Heros Journey contains the concept of The Ordinary World. This is the first stage of the of the Heros Journey and is where the hero usually lives. The Ordinary World reflects the environment, background, and ordinary life of the hero. Without this convention the audience would not be able to relate to the character and therefore struggle to understand the importance of the challenge that the Hero faces throughout the story. In the Sci-fi Adventure film Star Trek our hero James T. Kirk lives a life of wasted potential in Iowa, consistently getting into trouble, shown through a scene at the beginning of the film. The scene shows the younger James who has stolen his step-fathers antique car racing down an empty road with barren landscapes on either side. The scenery reflects his inner boredom, which is then interrupted by a police chase. From this scene we can already see the thrill and adventure seeking side of James who seems to be stuck in the dull environment of Iowa. All though this Ordinary World is located in a time period 200 years from now the audience is able to understand James T. Kirks wish to escape this barren lifestyle. Another scene from the Star Trek movie that shows Jamess delinquent behaviour is in the bar near the beginning of the film. Jamess introduces himself to a future companion Uhura before being interupted by four Star Fleet officers who believe he is bothering her, trying to shr ug them of James ends up getting into a fist fight with all four of them. Similarly, to the first scene the audience can see the the adrenaline fueled side of the main character. With this the audience can once again see the boredom with Jamess life as he seems to be a regular at the bar and drinks his wasting potential away. J.J. Abrams shows us this world to show us that James T. Kirk is tired of this Ordinary World so we can tell that he is longing for adventure, in particular filling his fathers shoes who was captain of the U.S.S Kelvin for 12 minutes and saved 800 lives. Evidently, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring directed by Peter Jackson also follows the Heros Journey formula. At the beginning of the film we are introduced to Frodo Baggins, a hobbit who lives in Hobbiton, a peaceful and pleasant settlement located in the Shire. The audience is introduced to the Ordinary World of Frodo to show how comfortable life is there and reinforce the idea of a warm, welcoming environment that doesnt wish to be disturbed. Both of Frodos parents drowned in a boat accident when he was 12 and therefore he grew up with his uncle Bilbo Baggins whose history is abundant with adventure. Film techniques are extremely essential in order for the audience to recognize this cheerful environment. The first shot of the Shire we see is Frodo reading under a tree, other film techniques include the bright lighting as well as the sound where we hear birds chirping, these techniques make the audience recognize the peacefulness and harmony of this region. General ly, whilst following the Heros Journey formula there is some sort of stress involved in the main characters Ordinary World to further push them to begin their journey but in Frodos case there seems to be none as he seems to be comfortable and happy with the life he lives. We arent fully aware of Frodos desires to leave but we can see he has a curiosity for the wider world as shown through the scene where he asks Gandalf, a wise wizard What news of the outside world? Tell me everything. However, Frodo Baggins burden lies with the ring his uncle found in the caves of the Misty Mountains which contains a very dangerous and powerful force. Joseph Campbells theory plays a huge part in this opening scene as we see the Ordinary World through Frodos eyes and we see how difficult it will be for him to leave when he crosses the threshold and agrees to take the ring to the Elvish city of Rivendell. We can relate both films, Star Trek and Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring through several points which describe the Joseph Campbells Ordinary World. Although the era of the films is completely different with one being set in the near future in 2233 and the other acting more as a myth from a mystical world thousands of years ago. First of all, James T. Kirk, our hero in Star Trek has had a parent die through the death of his father George Kirk. Similarly, in The Lord of the Rings both of Frodos parents died due to a boating accident. Also, we see in both films that both our heroes are comfortable with the world the live in. Of course both characters have different reasons why with James enjoying the routine of an intelligent young adult whilst being drunk, minor repeat offender and Frodo cherishing the peacefulness and harmony of his Shire. Another key convention from Joseph Campbells Heros Journey which appears in Star Trek and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is Crossing the Threshold. This is where the hero commits to leaving the Ordinary World and entering a new region or condition with different rules that they must oblige to. This convention tests the hero as they are leaving behind their Ordinary World which which in Star Trek and The Lord of the Rings is the main characters homes. Without this convention, the audience cannot understand that the hero is leaving the comfortable surroundings and entering an unfamiliar environment. In Star Trek, this convention stands out. Not only is James T. Kirk leaving his Ordinary World in Iowa and cross the threshold by joining Starfleet. First of all, we see several different shots of him riding his motor bike across the barren Iowa landscape before a huge Starfleet station appears in the background of these shots. Not only does this show audience the transition of what James is comfortable around to something that he is unfamiliar shown by the low angle close up shot on his face showing the expression of awe as he admires the sheer size of the Starfleet station. We still see him wear his black leather jacket and jeans, an appearance for trouble makers, a trait which continues exists throughout the film with his cheekiness. This tells the audience he is not giving up Iowa lightly for the opportunity to join Starfleet because if he had he would have most likely already been wearing a Starfleet uniform. Another crucial moment which shows his uneasiness at Crossing the Thre shold is when he boards the pod and bangs his head on a low clearance bar giving him pain. This moment clearly shows his unfamiliarity with this new journey he had just agreed to partake on and clearly shows the audience he is already uncomfortable with this new surrounding. This change further impacts the rest of the film as it is the beginning of the adventure he undergoes. Without this convention the audience would not be able to understand the change that further develops our hero James T. Kirk to become a reasonably responsible captain from a farm boy drunkard growing up in Iowa. Evidently, In The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring this convention stands out as well as it shows the beginning of the adventure that Frodo and his companions undertake. At first Frodo and Gandalf discover the danger and darkness of the ring the Bilbo Baggins found long ago in a Misty Mountain cave. They both agree that it must bee taken to Bree, a rather large settlement located between the outskirts of the Shire and the Elvish capital, Rivendell. Samwise Gamgee, a close friend of Frodo overhears Gandalfs and Frodos discussion about the evil powers of the ring and as soon as he blows his cover he is reluctantly forced into coming with Frodo. Crossing the Threshold at first doesnt seem to affect Frodo but more Sam as they walk through the peaceful landscape of the Shire where he stops all of a sudden in a wheat field and says This is it, if I take one more stepà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Itll be the farthest away from home Ive ever been. For Sam this is a very important scene as it indicates the change that he undertakes leaving his peaceful and happy Ordinary World that he instantly cherishes at the particular moment. Frodo on the other hand, growing up listening to Bilbos stories about adventure is completely comfortable with this transition from leaving the Shire. Peter Jackson shows the audience this key scene as it allows them to relate to the discomfort of Sam as most of the audience have been in similar circumstances and have to leave their comfort zone behind them. This trick instantly draws the audience to furthermore like the sweet and happy hobbits who play throughout the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

The Many Benefits of Hunting Essay -- Hunting Debate

When a Minnesota dentist killed a prized African lion named "Cecil" he received an onslaught of criticism and reignited the debate concerning hunting. Those who oppose hunting often have no understanding of the many benefits provided by hunting. Hunting provides free census animal data, as well as money to sustain clean rivers and forests and to manage wildlife populations. Animals are treated more humanely by a hunter’s bullet than by a slaughterhouse’s blade. There are two categories of hunters, the poachers and the traditionalists. However, people seem to classify hunters only by the practices of poachers. At first, I use to be one of them (people with no knowledge about the positive effects of hunting). I thought hunting was a merciless sport. Killing an animal for its antlers, fur, or their body parts. I saw hunters as unethical humans and so did most of the people I ran into. Then again this was before I did my research on hunting. After my research, I found some facts that were compelling. Hunting after all was not what I had perceived it to be. Nevertheless, there are still people that have the wrong impression about hunting because they don’t fully understand its meaning. Hunting has been around as long as humanity has existed. Hunting has played a key role in humanities fight for survival. Without hunting our ancestors may not have been able to survive. In his article, â€Å"Hunting and Human Values† author Paul Shepard states, that hunting may be a behavior that is inherent and about 95 percent of the time humanity has existed we have been hunters. Hunting has formed humanity and to take it away would take away a significant part of history and heritage. Hunting should be protected by laws such as Bill 273 s... ...nd a way for one to connect with nature in this modern world. Hunting has a positive impact on the wildlife and economy helping sustain animal populations while maintaining clean forests and rivers. It also helps the economy by generating revenue through hunting tags and permits. Works Cited "Division of Wildlife Resources Financial Overview." Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. 5 Oct. 2014. Web. 08 Mar. 2015. Paul Shepard. â€Å"Hunting and Human Values.† Rhetorical Choices. Charles I. Schuster, Deborah H. Holdstein, Keith Gilyard. Second Edition. New York: Penguin Acdamics, 2013. 568. "What's Mad Cow Disease?" KidsHealth Kids Health. Web. 06 Mar. 2015. Van de Pitte, Margaret. "The Moral Basis for Public Policy Encouraging Sport Hunting." Journal of Social Philosophy 34.2 (2003): 256-266. Religion and Philosophy Collection. EBSCO. Web. 9 Mar. 2015.

Giving Language Back:An Argument Against Isolated Grammar Instruction :: Argumentative

Giving Language Back:An Argument Against Isolated Grammar Instruction Who knew that kids liked to read? I certainly didn’t. Let me qualify that. I have known a few kids that liked reading. My daughter likes to read, but I assumed she would, being the daughter of an obsessive reader and all. I have known other child-readers through the years, but since they were nerds like me, I never guessed that â€Å"normal,† MTV-watching, note-writing, gum-popping, 20/20-visioned kids would like to read as well. Fortunately, during my student teaching experience, my classes of seventh-graders proved me wrong. Before delving further into my experience at Freedom Middle School, it is important to understand the significance of my students’ reactions to good literature and to an isolated, grammar-based unit. In this paper, I will not only relate my personal experiences with the two types of curriculum, but what educators and researchers have said about them. Throughout this exploration of time-tested opinion and heavily researched facts, however, the underlying concern will always be our goal in teaching children. Should we try to force them to be who we think we should be – whether our intentions are based on an allegiance to the superiority of traditional methods or on an assumption of the inferiority of our students? Or should we try our hardest to help the students become their own individuals, only better? The first few weeks of students teaching went very well. I had few discipline problems, and the students were very engaged during class time. In fact, they seemed eager to come to class! While I could have credited my wondrous teaching style for their interest, I knew that that was not the reason. In reality, their usual Language Arts angst disappeared because they thoroughly enjoyed the novel we were reading in class, The Watsons Go To Birmingham – 1963. While I had to wake a few dozers and intercept a few notes here and there, all of the students followed along as I read aloud or we listened to a recording of Lavar Burton reading the novel. I saw at least twelve students that were actually reading ahead of their classmates. And while they probably would have preferred discussing music videos or cars, they eagerly summarized chapters when asked and often told me what they would have done if they had a brother like Byron or visited Birmingham in the 1960s.

Bromus tectorum ( cheatgrass or downy brome)

Researching on Bromus tectorum lead me to a vast collection of literature about the plant species. An almost complete reference on it is provided by the Nature Conservancy, Wildland Weed Program. For my essay/report, I used its â€Å"Element Stewardship Abstract for Bromus tectorum† written by Allan Carpenter and Thomas Murray as my main reference. The plant species Bromus tectorum is an alien grass or an invader that usually takes over â€Å"disturbed ground in shrub-steppe ecosystems of the Western United States and Canada† (Link et al. ). The scientific name is of Greek and Latin origins.According to the work of Upadhyaya et al. , the genus name Bromus is said to have originated from the archaic Greek word bromos, which refers to a particular kind of oat. The ancient Greek word broma, in addition, means food. The specific epithet, on the other hand, was believed to have been derived from the Latin words tector and tectum, which mean ‘one who overlays’ an d roof, respectiviely. Bromus tectorum is more commonly known as cheatgrass to local inhabitants. Other parts of North America call it downy brome because of its noticeably hairy leaves. There are many other names associated to this species.The documented ones include drooping brome, downy cheat, cheat grass brome, slender chess, Mormon oats, and broncograss (Upadhyaya et al. ). Cheatgrass is erect and can rise up to 24 inches high. Its leaves and stems shape into tufts or clumps as seen in Figure 1. The grass has tiny, pappy hair like structures that cover its leaves. Bromus tectorum is an annual grass and is usually dense during winter or spring. This annual plant germinates in fall or spring. However, it has been observed that vast numbers of â€Å"cheatgrass seedlings usually germinate after the first fall rain in infested areas† (West).Cheatgrass only replicates through seeds. However, it is exceptionally efficient; that is, an individual cheatgrass may reproduce hundred s to thousands of seeds (Mosely et al. 1987 cited in Pyron). Its root system then proceeds to develop for the entire duration of the winter season. By spring, the grass has an already wide-ranging root system, enabling the plant to draw out higher levels of moisture and soil nutrients. Cheatgrass has a compact phenology and usually desiccates and spreads its seeds by mid-June (West 1983). Naturally, it undergoes senescence in summer.Once dried, these plants can catalyze wildfires in its regions. The frequent occurrence of fires in an area displaces perennials and even other annuals that initially dominate a particular community (West 1983). Cheatgrass has a Eurasian native range (Novak, Mack, and Soltis). However, it is now found in diverse forms of habitats all over the United States; but, it is most distinguished on the â€Å"Columbia-Snake River Plateau, Wyoming Basin, and the northern portion of the Great Basin in disturbed sagebrush steppe communities† (Rice and Mack ; W est).In the mid 1800s, it was accidentally brought into the United States of America. The invasion of North America by B. tectorum occurred through multiple introductions (Bartlett et al. ). In regions where the soil has especially high levels of potassium in it, cheatgrass is found to grow and proliferate well in the area (Belnap pers. comm. cited in Carpenter et al. ). Research has shown that the measured potassium levels in communities can be used to determine and probabilistically predict how susceptible and vulnerable the area may be to cheatgrass takeover.The amount of potassium in the soil may also be altered to alter the abundance of cheatgrass. By lowering the levels of potassium in the soil, the density of cheatgrass may also be lowered. (Belnap pers. comm. cited in Carpenter et al. ). The control of growth and proliferation of cheatgrass in a particular area has shown great significance. Since cheatgrass exhibits both advantage and disadvantages, it is important to be abl e to moderate its invasion. Cheatgrass has a twofold role; one, as an annoying and pestering weed, and two, a significant â€Å"early season forage for cattle and sheep† (Emmerich et al.; Upadhyaya et al. ). Bromus tectorum takes over â€Å"rangelands, pastures, prairies, and other open areas,† as seen in Figure 2 (www. invasive. org). Consequently, it has the capacity to thoroughly modify the ecosystems it invades. It poses many ecological and environmental problems because of its propensity to completely wipe out all native foliage and vegetation in a particular area and even modify certain fire patterns. The alterations caused by cheatgrass in the frequency of fire cycles is said to be â€Å"the species’ greatest competitive advantage.† (Whisenant) In sagebrush grassland ecosystem, fire is a natural occurrence (see Figure 3). Those fires usually happened at intervals within the range of 60-100 years. However, in areas where the presence of cheatgrass d ominates, areas burn at a much greater and increased frequency, every 3-5 years (Whisenant). With this frequency range, native plants, shrubs, and other perennial grasses cannot keep up and fail to recover. This results to the development of cheatgrass monoculture; other species tend to be completely wiped-out.The vegetation of a pristine (undisturbed) shrub-steppe ecosystem is populated by â€Å"perennial bunchgrasses and widely spaced shrubs† (Whisenant). According to the work of Whisenant, the species that are commonly replaced by cheatgrass include the following: â€Å"big sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, crested wheatgrass western wheatgrass, Sandberg bluegrass, needle-and-thread grass, and Thurber’s needlegrass. † Sagebrush steppe cannot simply persist with this shortened fire interval.As how Devine put it, â€Å"fire begets cheatgrass and cheatgrass begets fire† (Devine). What are the advantages of Bromus tectorum or cheatgras s? For ranchers, it is especially useful since it provides a large volume of early spring forage for different types of livestock and animals on grazing lands especially in the Intermountain and Pacific Northwest regions (Upadhyaya et al. ). In terms of its density and the quality of herbage grown including the wideness of the area covered by cheatgrass, it is â€Å"undoubtedly the most important spring forage in the region† (Upadhyaya et al.; Emmerich et al. ). On the other hand, while ranchers in the Intermountain and Pacific Northwest regions take advantage of cheatgrass, the United States and Canada winter wheat growers consider it as pest—their worst problem (Upadhyaya et al. 1986). According to literature, cheatgrass is a problematic weed in winter wheat. Cheatgrass has many ecological and competitive advantages in contrast with other perennial and annual plants. It has the ability to adapt well and evolve to its native environment and to other environments it in vades.Although this has shown to have certain advantages especially to ranchers for foraging, this characteristic of cheatgrass has posed many problems in the ecology and can be very damaging. In my opinion, it is only proper that human intervention be exercised to control its dominance and invasions. Cheatgrass is a sinister. As discussed, it raises both agricultural and environmental problems. The references that I have read reveal that regulation of cheatgrass invasion will demand â€Å"a combination of chemical control, physical control, vegetative suppression, and proper livestock management where land is grazed† (Carpenter and Murray).It is obvious that the problem is quite a complex one as it involves many other variables. Moreover, human intervention could possibly worsen the ecological balance. Thus, the U. S. government and other ecological and environmental agencies should seriously and carefully address the problems and implement effective management programs to m inimize its infestations yet still making sure that ecological equilibrium is still achieved. Main Reference Carpenter, Allan and Thomas Murray. 1998. â€Å"Element Stewardship Abstract for Bromus tectorum.† The Nature Conservancy, Wildland Weed Program. Downloaded from: http://tncweeds. ucdavis. edu Works Cited Bartlett Elizabeth, Stephen Novak, and Richard Mack. â€Å"Genetic Variation in Bromus Tectorum (Poaceae): differentiation in the eastern United States,† American Journal of Botany, 89. 4 (2002): 602-612. Belnap, Jayne. Personal communication with Jayne Belnap. Ecologist, National Biological Service. Canyonlands National Park, Moab, Utah (10/19/98). Devine, Robert. â€Å"That cheatin’ heartland. † 51-71. In: Alien invasion: America’s battle with non-native animals and plants.National Geographic Society. Washington D. C. 1998. Emmerich, Fay, Frosty Tipton, and James Young. â€Å"Cheatgrass: Changing perspectives and management strategies. à ¢â‚¬  Rangelands 15 (1993): 37-39. Link, Steven. , Harvey Bolton, Jr. , Michael Thiede, and William Rickard. â€Å"Responses of downy brome to nitrogen and water. † Journal of Range Management 48 (1995): 290-297. Novak, Stephen, Richard Mack, and Pamela Soltis. â€Å"Genetic variation in Bromus tectorum (Poaceae): introduction dynamics in North America. † Canadian Journal of Botany 71 (1993): 1441–1448.Mosely, Jeffrey, Stephen Bunting and Mark Manoukian. â€Å"Cheatgrass. † 175-188. In: Sheley, Roger L. ; Petroff, Janet K. , eds. Biology and management of noxious rangeland weeds. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University Press. 1999. Pyron, Jayson. â€Å"Cheatgrass (Bromus Tectorum). † Rice, Kevin, and Richard Mack. â€Å"Ecological genetics of Bromus tectorum: intraspecific variation in phenotypic plasticity. † Oecologia 88 (1991): 84-90.Upadhyaya, Mahesh, Roy Turkington and Douglas McIlvride. â€Å"The biology of Canadian weeds. 75. Bromus tectorum L. † Canadian Journal of Plant Science 66 (1986): 689-709. West, Niel. Western intermountain sagebrush steppe: Temperate Deserts and Semi-Deserts. 351-373. Elsevier Scientific Publishing Company, Amsterdam, 1993. Whisenant, Steven â€Å"Changing fire frequencies on Idaho’s Snake River Plains: Ecological and management implications. † Proceedings-Symposium on Cheatgrass Invasion, Shrub Die-off, and Other Aspects of Shrub Biology and Management, 1990.