Human Interest Reference Libraries
Three Sisters crop is a technique of gardening used primarily by Native Americans, but gardeners of any kind may also use this technique. These crops use three types of plants; in the Tewa tribe, they use four. The traditional seeds used are corn, beans, and squash. There are many benefits from this method, the first being the use of the corn stalks for the beans to grow on. The beans...
The Mediterranean feather star is a filter feeder that obtains food by straining suspended matter and food particles from water. The star has a stalk that has up to forty tendrils, (threadlike organs) which help the star cling to hard surfaces. The “body” of the star is called a calyx and is shaped like a small cup. This calyx is surrounded by feathery pinnules bearing arms. These arms are...
The soybean cyst nematode (Heterodera glycines) is a parasitic worm that infects soybean plants, and other legumes, across the world. It is thought to be native to Asia, but was found in the United States in 1954 and in Colombia in the 1980’s. It can be found in Italy and Iran and its most recent sightings have occurred in Brazil and Argentina, two major areas where soybeans are grown. These...
Channel Islands National park is located in off the coast of California in the United States. The park holds 249,561 acres and is comprised of five of the eight Channel Islands. The area was designated as a national monument in 1938 and as a National Biosphere Reserve in 1976, but was not designated as a national park until 1980. The park extends from San Pedro to Point Conception, located near...
Hair is found on most skin surfaces and its main purpose is to protect the body in several ways. This organ extends from the visible tip of the hair strand to the outside of the dermis (skin) then beneath the top layer of skin to the hair follicle’s root. Formation and Orientation There are three phases in the growth of human hair. Anagen phase; this takes place as the hair’s roots...
The dog tapeworm (Echinococcus granulosus), also known as the hyper tapeworm or the hydatid worm, is classified within the Platyhelminthes phylum. This species can reach an average length between .07 and .2 inches and its body is comprised of three segments, called proglottids, if it has not been damaged. These segments are known as gravid proglottids, mature proglottid, and immature...
The Transvaal lion or the Southeast African lion (Panthera leo krugeri) is subspecies of the lion. It can be found in southern Africa, with a range that includes the Kalahari Region and Kruger National Park. This species was named after the Transvaal region of southern Africa, where it is thought that the closely related and extinct Cape lion represented the southern population of the species....
The striped polecat (Ictonyx striatus), also known as the zoril, zorilla, zorille, or the African polecat, is a member of the weasel family. It can be found in sub-Saharan Africa, West Africa, and the Congo Basin. It prefers a habitat within open areas and savannahs. This species resembles a skunk, and even releases a foul odor when threatened by predators. It is black in color with four white...
The bay cat (Pardofelis badia) is a species that is native to Borneo. Its other common names include the Bornean marbled cat, the Bornean cat, and the Bornean bay cat. Although the bay cat is extensively distributed across many habitats on the island, it is rarely seen. Some of its preferred habitats include tropical and lowland forests, and possibly rocky areas with limestone near the coast of...
The ring-tailed cat (Bassariscus astutus), also known as the ringtail cat or the marv cat, is a species within the raccoon family, Procyonidae, and is native to North America. Its range includes California, Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, Utah, eastern Kansas, and central and northern Mexico. Its range includes the Great Basin Desert, and it intersects with the range of B. sumichrasti in Veracruz,...
