Thursday, 28 July 2011

4.Dragonfly

A dragonfly is an insect belonging to the order Odonata, the suborder Epiprocta or, in the strict sense, the infraorder Anisoptera. It is characterized by large multifaceted eyes, two pairs of strong transparent wings, and an elongated body. Dragonflies are similar to damselflies, but the adults can be differentiated by the fact that the wings of most dragonflies are held away from, and perpendicular to, the body when at rest. Dragonflies possess six legs (like any other insect), but most of them cannot walk well. Dragonflies are some of the fastest insects in the world.
Dragonflies are valuable predators that eat mosquitoes, and other small insects like flies, bees, ants, and very rarely butterflies. They are usually found around lakes, ponds, streams and wetlands because their larvae, known as "nymphs", are aquatic.
~zhi shien(17)

3.Coconut

The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae (palm family). It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word. Early Spanish explorers called coconuts/cocos nucifera "coco" (meaning "monkey face").
Found across much of the tropics, the coconut is known for its great versatility as seen in the many domestic, commercial, and industrial uses of its different parts. Coconuts are part of the daily diet of many people. Its endosperm is known as the edible "flesh" of the coconut; when dried it is called copra. The oil and milk derived from it are commonly used in cooking and frying; coconut oil is also widely used in soaps and cosmetics. The clear liquid coconut water within is a refreshing drink and can be processed to create alcohol. The husks and leaves can be used as material to make a variety of products for furnishing and decorating. It also has cultural and religious significance in many societies that use it.
~zhi shien(17)

Appreciation

Park users who are fishing in the park should not be just simply fishing for fun and leaving the fish half dead there on the ground waiting for it to die. Instead, they should have had taken it up to either cook it at home,sell it or put it back into the sea instead of leaving it to die.

Part C:Impact of man on Jurong Lake Park

Many of us enjoy strolling in JLP,exercising using the fitness corner in the park,playing in the playground specially designed for kids and teenagers,and also doing recreational activities in the lake.Schools near the lake such as Yuan Ching Secondary School and Jurong Secondary School use the lake for activities,example dragonboat.they train in the lake and park their dragonboats in the park.
Many of them pack food and have a picnic along the lake.However,many of them leave behind rubbish after having their picnic.litter such as plastic bottles,food wrappers and aluminium cans.These pollute the environment and affect the biodiversity of the lake.The litter dirties the lake and cause harm to the animals living in the lake.


Why is throwing a piece of litter into the bin so difficult?There are many bins along the walkway of Jurong Lake Park and they are easily spotted.Let us all imagine.Would you want to go into a park to enjoy and relax,but the park is dirty because of inconsiderate people who dirty the park with rubbish?We would not be able to enjoy ourself in peace.Hence,it is important to keep the park clean.If everyone does their part and throw all their rubbish into  the respective bins,Jurong Lake Park would definitely be a clean and green park for people from all walks of life to enjoy.

~Zhi Shien(17)

Conclusion

In conclusion, the park is an important place for residents as it is a place for them to stroll at to enjoy nature's reserves, to relax or whatever other reasons.We should be appreciating biodiversity and protecting the natural environment instead of taking it for granted. It might be here this moment and disappear the next moment when we do not appreciate it. Rapid environmental changes typically cause mass extinctions. Consequences would result to animals becoming extinct. One of the extinct animals called the dodo bird had its extinction during recorded human history and was directly attributable to human activity. We did not appreciate the surroundings and this had cause massive amounts of extinctions since life began on earth. Hence , park visitors visiting the park should not disturb the organisms there and should instead just go and visit it to see the beautiful scenery. By doing this, they are not only protecting the environment but in return, they are just simply making their visit more meaningful for themselves and also other park visitors.

2. plantain squirrel

Plantain Squirrel (Callosciurus notatus)

The Plantain Squirrel (Callosciurus notatus) is a species of rodent in the Sciuridae family. It is also called Oriental or Tricoloured Squirrel. It is found in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapre and Thailand. They are found in a wide range of habitats: forests, mangroves, parks, gardens, agricultural areas. Fruit farmers consider them to be pests.
The body is about 20–30 cm long with a similar sized tail. It is greyish/brown with a chestnut belly and a black and white stripe between the two.

Interesting fact:  The genus name Callosciurus means Beautiful Squirrels.

1. flying lizards

Flying Lizards (Draco sp.)
 The Common Flying Lizard , Draco sumatranus,  has a yellow throat skin and a few rufous patterns on the back.They are more correctly known as Gliding Lizards because they do not really fly but they glide. They do so by opening the flaps of skin between the legs and jumping off a high vantage point. They also have a flap of throat skin, which is used for communication and courtship. It is also know as the Sumatran Gliding Lizard.