The Growth of the Christian Church (Chapter 2 of Expressions of Faith )

Aimed at 7th-graders in Canada, this textbook uses stories to educate about the world\u27s major religions. Chapter 2, posted here, covers the rise of Christianity

Appendix A – A Brief Introduction to the Religious Faiths and Spiritual Beliefs Included in the Primary Religious Education Program

Religions and spiritual beliefs answer the profound questions we ask ourselves: What is the meaning and purpose of my life? Who am I? What is right and wrong behaviour? Of course, in a resource like My Place in the World and in this Teacher’s Resource Guide, we can barely scratch the surface of the beliefs, traditions, and practices of the faiths and spiritual beliefs discussed. Nevertheless, in this part of the Teacher’s Resource Guide, we provide information about each of the faiths included in the student resource. We present the information in chronological order of the appearance of each major spiritual belief or religious faith. Our hope is that we have provided enough background information to allow you to teach informatively about the faiths and spiritual beliefs included in My Place in the World

Canopy Functions of R. maritima and Z. marina in the Chesapeake Bay

Shoots in seagrass beds form canopies: structurally complex habitats that provide refuge for fauna and trap sediment particles by dampening water movement. Unfortunately, seagrasses are faced with continuing negative impacts to survival, including climate change and poor water quality. In areas where several seagrass species coexist, changing conditions may influence composition of beds so one species is favored over another. Two species found worldwide, Zostera marina and Ruppia maritima, are undergoing this shift: as Z marina dies back, in some locations it is replaced by R. maritima, a smaller-form seagrass with shorter, thinner shoots. This process is occurring in Virginia, United States in the southern Chesapeake Bay, at intermediate depths where the species co-occur. Although changes in seagrass species abundance have previously been documented, few studies have measured the resulting effects on ecosystem functioning. We evaluated three sites to determine whether canopies of the two species displayed similar small epifaunal invertebrate animal assemblages and sediment properties, and found that Z. marina beds exhibited a greater amount of fine surface sediment than those of R. maritima, but found no effect of seagrass species on invertebrate assemblages. Epifaunal invertebrates were, however, more abundant and speciose with greater biomass, and more abundant with greater shoot density. This study provides baseline information from one summer for areas where the two seagrass species coexist. Although more research is needed, this study suggests in mixed beds, decline of Z. marina could result in coarsening of sediment, but dense R. maritima canopies could harbor similar small invertebrate assemblages

Impacts of Tropical Cyclone Isabel on Shallow Water Quality of the York River Estuary

Water quality impacts from Tropical Cyclone Isabel on the York River estuary were assessed based on long-term, near-continuous, shallowwater monitoring stations along the York River proper (poly- and mesohaline regimes) and its two tidal tributaries—the Mattaponi and Pamunkey rivers (oligohaline and tidal freshwater regimes). Regional rainfall from 18 to 19 September 2003 ranged from 5.8 to 11.7 cm. Peak mean daily stream flow occurred on 21 September 2003 and represented a 20- and 30-fold increase over prestorm conditions on the Mattaponi and Pamunkey rivers, respectively. Isabel produced a storm surge of 1.7 m near the mouth of the estuary and 2.0 m in the upper tidal freshwater regions. The tidal surge resulted in a short-term (12- to 36-hour) pulse of high salinity water (approximately 10 ppt greater than pre-storm conditions) within the oligohaline portion of the estuary. In comparison, salinity levels within the upper tidal fresh water and down-river poly-and mesohaline regions remained relatively unchanged. Following the storm surge, salinity levels within lower portions of the estuary declined 1.5 to 4.5 ppt for an extended period in response to freshwater runoff. Elevated turbidity—in some cases extreme—was in direct response to the storm surge and waves associated with Tropical Cyclone Isabel. With the exception of a single station, maximum storm-associated turbidity levels varied between 192 and \u3e1000 NTUs (nephelometric turbidity units). Turbidity levels returned to prestorm conditions within a 24- to 30-hour period at most stations. Perhaps the most significant environmental impact associated with the passage of Isabel was the persistent low dissolved oxygen (DO) levels (3–4 mg⋅L-1) that occurred at the tidal freshwater stations. Low DO at these stations coincided with increased freshwater inflow to the Mattaponi and Pamunkey rivers, suggesting augmented loadings of readily degradable organic material from the watershed. Mean daily DO levels took approximately two weeks to return to prestorm levels at these sites. Dissolved oxygen levels at the poly- and mesohaline stations within the York River proper remained at or above 5 mg⋅L-1 prior to, during, and after the storm’s passage.https://scholarworks.wm.edu/vimsbooks/1005/thumbnail.jp

Effects of sediment and salinity on the growth and competitive abilities of three submersed macrophytes

Submersed macrophytes are generally found in multispecies beds, with the dominance of individual species varying in both space and time. In estuarine environments, these plants can grow across a range of environmental conditions which may alter species interactions. Three species common to the Chesapeake Bay region, Vallisneria americana (wild celery), Heteranthera dubia (water stargrass), and Stuckenia pectinata (sago pondweed), were planted in a microcosm designed to test their growth and interactions (relative yielding) under a range of conditions of salinity (0, 5, or 10), sediment type (mud or sand), and species combinations. H. dubia was most sensitive to elevated salinity, while sediment type impacted only V. americana, performing better in mud compared with sand. V. americana and H. dubia were strong competitors, overyielding in many treatments when grown in mixture, while S. pectinata never overyielded and frequently underyielded. Interspecific competition was only strong between H. dubia and S. pectinata under 0 salinity, regardless of sediment type. V. americana on the other hand, showed strong interspecific competition with S. pectinata across multiple salinity and sediment types, indicating that this species is able to compete well across a wider range of environmental conditions. Our results suggest that H. dubia and V. americana are strong candidates for multi-species restoration, as positive interactions were observed when grown together. This measure of complementarity provides evidence for increased mixed bed plant performance under environmental conditions that would typically be more stressful to each growing alone. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Zostera marina (eelgrass) growth and survival along a gradient of nutrients and turbidity in the lower Chesapeake Bay

Survival of transplanted Zostera marina L. (eelgrass), Z. marina growth, and environmental conditions were studied concurrently at a number of sites in a southwestern tributary of the Chesapeake Bay to elucidate the factors limiting macrophyte distribution in this region. Consistent differences in survival of the transplants were observed, with no long-term survival at any of the sites that were formerly vegetated with this species but that currently remain unvegetated. Therefore, the current distribution of Z. marina likely represents the extent of suitable environmental conditions in the region, and the lack of recovery into historically vegetated sites is not solely due to lack of propagules. Poor long-term survival was related to seasonally high levels of water column light attenuation. Fall transplants died by the end of summer following exposure to levels of high spring turbidity (K-d \u3e 3.0) Accumulation of an epiphyte matrix during the late spring (0.36 to 1.14 g g(-1) dry wt) may also have contributed to this stress. Differences in water column nutrient levels among sites during the fall and winter (10 to 15 mu M dissolved inorganic nitrogen and 1 mu M dissolved inorganic phosphates) had no observable effect on epiphyte accumulation or macrophyte growth. Salinity effects were minor and there were no symptoms of disease. Although summertime conditions resulted in depressions in growth, they did not alone limit long-term survival. It is suggested that water quality conditions enhancing adequate seagrass growth during the spring may be key to long-term Z. marina survival and successful recolonization in this region