Causes of the Great Migration (1910-1970)

Causes of the Great Migration (1910-1970) Between 1910 and 1970, an estimated six million African-Americans migrated from southern states to northern and Midwestern cities. Attempting to escape racism and  Jim Crow  laws of the South, African-Americans found work in northern and western steel mills, tanneries, and railroad companies.   During the first wave of the Great Migration, African-Americans settled in urban areas such as New York, Pittsburgh, Chicago and Detroit. However, by the onset of World War II, African-Americans were also migrating to cities in California such as Los Angeles, Oakland and San Francisco as well as Washingtons Portland and Seattle. Harlem Renaissance leader Alain Leroy Locke  argued in his essay, â€Å"The New Negro,† that â€Å"the wash and rush of this human tide on the beach line of the Northern city centers is to be explained primarily in terms of a new vision of opportunity, of social and economic freedom, of a spirit to seize, even in the face of an extortionate and heavy toll, a chance for the improvement of conditions. With each successive wave of it, the movement of the Negro becomes more and more a mass movement toward the larger and the more democratic chance - in the Negros case a deliberate flight not only form countryside to city, but from medieval America to modern. Disenfranchisement and Jim Crow Laws African-American men were granted the right to vote through the Fifteenth Amendment. However, white Southerners passed legislation that prevented African-American men from exercising this right. By 1908, ten Southern states had rewritten their constitutions restrict voting rights through literacy tests, poll taxes and Grandfather clauses. These state laws would not be overturned until the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was established, granting all Americans the right to vote. In addition to not having the right to vote, African-Americans were relegated to segregation as well. The 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson case made it legal to enforce separate but equal public facilities including public transportation, public schools, restroom facilities and water fountains. Racial Violence African-Americans were subjected to various acts of terror by white Southerners. In particular, the Ku Klux Klan emerged, arguing that only white Christians were entitled to civil rights in the United States. As a result, this group, along with other white supremacist groups murdered African-American men and women by lynching, bombing churches, and also setting fire to homes and property. The Boll Weevil Following the end of slavery in 1865, African-Americans in the South faced an uncertain future. Although the Freedmens Bureau helped to rebuild the South during the Reconstruction period, African-Americans soon found themselves reliant on the same people who were once their owners. African-Americans became sharecroppers, a system in which small farmers rented farm space, supplies and tools to harvest a crop. However, an insect known as the boll weevil damaged crops throughout the south between 1910 and 1920. As a result of the boll weevil’s work, there was less of a demand for agricultural workers, leaving many African-Americans unemployed. World War I and the Demand for Workers When the United States decided to enter World War I, factories in northern and Midwestern cities faced extreme labor shortages for several reasons. First, more than five million men enlisted in the army. Secondly, the United States government halted immigration from European countries. Since many African-Americans in the South had been severely affected by the shortage of agricultural work, they responded to the call of employment agents from cities in the North and Midwest. Agents from various industrial sectors arrived in the South, enticing African-American men and women to migrate north by paying their travel expenses. The demand for workers, incentives from industry agents, better educational and housing options, as well as higher pay, brought many African-Americans from the South. For instance, in Chicago, a man could earn $2.50 per day in a meat packing house or $5.00 per day on an assembly line in Detroit The Black Press Northern African-American newspapers played an important role in the Great Migration. Publications such as the Chicago Defender published train schedules and employment listings to persuade Southern African-Americans to migrate north. News publications such as the Pittsburgh Courier and the Amsterdam News published editorials and cartoons showing the promise of moving from the South to the North. These promises included better education for children, the right to vote, access to various types of employment and improved housing conditions. By reading these incentives along with train schedules and job listings, African-Americans understood the importance of leaving the South.

Hazardous waste sites Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Hazardous waste sites - Assignment Example The paper will provide an in-depth analysis of the background of incidents at Ambler Asbestos Piles site, the extent of asbestos contamination, the number of people harmed by the asbestos-related diseases, the studies conducted at the site, and what the EPA cleanup project entailed. For a long time, asbestos has been a prevalent mineral in Ambler, and its impact on human health as well as on environmental nature has raised serious health alarms such as causing asbestosis and mesothelioma; the impact of these diseases causes decline in mortality rates. In order to protect human health and conserve the environment from pollution, the Environmental Protection Agency implemented a cleanup project in Ambler, Pennsylvania through systematic remedy actions to curb the asbestos menace at the Ambler Asbestos Piles site. Burke reports that Asbestos has accumulated at Ambler Asbestos Piles site, especially the Wissahickon Creek towards the end of the 19th century. The accumulation of asbestos was as a result of disposal of asbestos-contaminated wastes by Keasbey and Mattison Co. Later on, Nicolet Inc acquired a part of Keasbey and Mattison Co and continues using the dump site to dispose of asbestos products. The company dealt in manufacturing asbestos building materials, for example, millboard and insulating boilers. Burke asserts that the federal Environmental Protection Company gave orders to the Nicolet Company to stop disposing of the wastes on the site, but the orders had little impact. The Environmental Protection Company fined the Nicolet Company with a $1.4 million lien in expenses to conduct a cleanup program. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), mesothelioma related deaths due to asbestos in Pennsylvania were high between 1999 and 2010. Asbestos.com report that there were 1996 reported deaths due to

Bipolar Disorder Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Bipolar Disorder - Research Paper Example The difference between perceptions of mental illness today and in the 19th century is between night and day (Nunes, 2002). That said we need to dramatically increase the amount of information and education out there on this issue. We need to know when such things become a problem and when they should be left alone. Mental health is an issue that affects all of us and must be taken very seriously by all of us. Among the more serious mental health problems that practitioners are starting to address are those arising from bipolar disorder. This essay will examine bipolar disorder and include an interview with an individual who suffers from the disorder. Bipolar disorder is a serious problem. It involves mood disorders. Sufferers swing from manic episodes to depressive episodes. Sometimes there are triggers, but sometimes these are very hard to detect (Behrman, 12). It is said that creative people often suffer from this disorder and produce some of their greatest work during the manic phases. But those who suffer from it have serious problems with relationships and employment. Some need need to be medicated, others hospitalized. It is a disorder with a wide prevalence. What can society do to help bring these issues to light and to try to help? A key thing to do is to encourage people suffering from mental illness or mental disorders such as bipolar disorder to seek help. No man or woman is an island and it can be very difficult to balance one’s life and to know when and if you might have a problem (Millon, 78). You might need help. Sometimes this involves asking your partner to help you out, to have a shoulder to cry on. But it might also involve asking a professional to talk to you and prescribe something. There’s no shame in that: it is important to get past the stigma of mental illness. That’s why those people exist and they know what they’re doing. Sometimes people have so much on the go that they themselves are unable to get a

Data Structures Role In Programming Languages Computer Science Essay

Data Structures Role In Programming Languages Computer Science Essay Data Structure is logical and mathematical model to store data.So there are basic benefits of data structures: The memory space is properly used.It helps in data protection and management. It is used to organize data in such a way that the insertion deletion,searhing i.e manipulation of data is done with minimal complexity , and that gives a efficiet performance of our computing. By using data structures data can be easily, and efficiently exchanged; it allows portability, comprehensibility, and adaptability of information. Data structures are used in most programming allowing efficient management of large amounts of data.Data structures are the organizing element in software design, for some programming languages, and design methods. Data structures are based on a computers ability to store, and retrieve data from anywhere in memory; record, and array structures are based on using arithmetic operations to compute the address of the data. The storing of addresses within the structure is called linked data structures. Specific program languages offer built in support for specific data structures, (i.e. one dimensional arrays are used in C programming, and hash tables are used in Pearl). An array is a type of data structure. An array is a data structure consisting of a number of variables, having the same data type. A single variable name is given to an array to associate with the variables. Arrays are used by programmers as a means of organizing many data items into a single data structure. Elements of the array are written, and recognized by using subscript, which is parenthesis after the array name. The use of arrays simplifies the writing of a program by allowing the grouping of similar data, rather than writing each item in the program code, saving time, and money. An example of an array would be days of the week: Initialize data table day_table(1) = Sunday day_table(2) = Monday day_table(3) = Tuesday day_table(4) = Wednesday day_table(5) = Thursday day_table(6) = Friday day_table(7) = Saturday End All high level languages share a set of intercepted framework of data structure that composes the languages. These common data structures are strings, arrays, I/O, Stacks, Queues, Linked Lists, Trees, Graphs, Hash tables, and Vectors. Most programming languages feature some sort of library mechanism that allows data structure implementations to be reused by different programs. Modern languages usually come with standard libraries that implement the most common data structures. Examples are the C++ Standard Template Library, the Java Collections Framework, and Microsofts .NET Framework. Data Structures in C Language : A data item refers to a single unit of values. For example, a studentà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s information may be divided into four items/properties GRNO, name, class, and semester. But the GRNO would be treated as unique/ item. Data are also organized into more complex types of structures. There are two types of data structure are available : Linear 2. Non-Linear. Linear Structures: In this type of data structure we perform insert, delete, search,update operations sequentially or in an order (like Ascending/Descending). for example you have a list having 5 elements containing A,B,C,D,E,F values if u want to find that on which location E is store in this list, you must compare E with A,B,C,D and finally with E along this you must perform an increment to counter. After that you will find the actual location of your required/search item with the help of counter in this example the value of counter=4. Examples of Linear Data Structures are as follows: * Array * Linked List * Queue * Stack 1. Non-Linear: In this type of data structure we perform Traversing, insert, delete, search, update operation randomly. # Examples of Non-Linear Data Structures are as follows: * Tree * Graphs. Data Structure operations: The following four operations play a major role in this text. 1. Traversing: Accessing each record exactly once so that certain items in the record may be processed.( This accessing and processing is sometimes called visiting the record.) 2. Searching: Finding the location of the record with a given key value, or finding the locations of all records, which satisfy one or more conditions. 3. Inserting: adding a new record to the structure. 4. Deleting: Removing a record from the structure. 5. Sorting: Arranging the records in some logical order . Some Data Structures and their use in programming Languages: STACK: A stack is a last in, first out (LIFO) abstract data type and data structure. A stack can have any abstract data type as an element, but is characterized by only two fundamental operations: push and pop. The push operation adds to the top of the list, hiding any items already on the stack, or initializing the stack if it is empty. The pop operation removes an item from the top of the list, and returns this value to the caller. A pop either reveals previously concealed items, or results in an empty list. A stack-oriented programming language is one that relies on a stack machine model for passing parameters. Several programming languages fit this description, notably Forth, RPL, PostScript, and also many Assembly languages (but on a much lower level). Some languages, like LISP and Python, do not call for stack implementations, since push and pop functions are available for any list. All Forth-like languages (such as Adobe PostScript) are also designed around language-defined stacks that are directly visible to and manipulated by the programmer. C++s Standard Template Library provides a stack templated class which is restricted to only push/pop operations. Javas library contains a Stack class that is a specialization of Vectorthis could be considered a design flaw, since the inherited get() method from Vector ignores the LIFO constraint of the Stack. ARRAYS: An array can be defined as the finite ordered set of homogeneous elements.Finite means that yhere are specific number of elements in an array, ordered means that elements are arranged in a sequence so that the first,second,thirdà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦nth element. In pure functional programs it is common to represent arrays by association lists. Association lists have the disadvantage that the access time varies linearly both with the size of the array (counted in number of entries) and with the size of the index (counted in cons nodes). QUEUE: A queue is a particular kind of collection in which the entities in the collection are kept in order.It is based on First-In-First-Out (FIFO)principle. In a FIFO data structure, the first element added to the queue will be the first one to be removed. A queue is an example of a linear data structure. LINKED LIST: It is a method of organizing stored data in a computer memory or on a storage medium based on the logical order of the data and not the physical order. All stored data records are assigned a physical address in memory that the computer uses to locate the information. A linked list arranges the data by logic rather than by physical address. Memory Management: One of the most important functions of a programming language is to provide facilities for managing memory and the objects that are stored in memory. C provides three distinct ways to allocate memory for objects: Static memory allocation: space for the object is provided in the binary at compile-time; these objects have an extent (or lifetime) as long as the binary which contains them is loaded into memory Automatic memory allocation: temporary objects can be stored on the stack, and this space is automatically freed and reusable after the block in which they are declared is exited Dynamic memory allocation: blocks of memory of arbitrary size can be requested at run-time using library functions such as malloc from a region of memory called the heap; these blocks persist until subsequently freed for reuse by calling the library function free These three approaches are appropriate in different situations and have various tradeoffs. For example, static memory allocation has no allocation overhead, automatic allocation may involve a small amount of overhead, and dynamic memory allocation can potentially have a great deal of overhead for both allocation and deallocation. On the other hand, stack space is typically much more limited and transient than either static memory or heap space, and dynamic memory allocation allows allocation of objects whose size is known only at run-time. Most C programs make extensive use of all three. Where possible, automatic or static allocation is usually preferred because the storage is managed by the compiler, freeing the programmer of the potentially error-prone chore of manually allocating and releasing storage. However, many data structures can grow in size at runtime, and since static allocations (and automatic allocations in C89 and C90) must have a fixed size at compile-time, there are many situations in which dynamic allocation must be used. Prior to the C99 standard, variable-sized arrays were a common example of this (see malloc for an example of dynamically allocated arrays). Automatically and dynamically allocated objects are only initialized if an initial value is explicitly specified; otherwise they initially have indeterminate values (typically, whatever bit pattern happens to be present in the storage, which might not even represent a valid value for that type). If the program attempts to access an uninitialized value, the results are undefined. Many modern compilers try to detect and warn about this problem, but both false positives and false negatives occur. Another issue is that heap memory allocation has to be manually synchronized with its actual usage in any program in order for it to be reused as much as possible. For example, if the only pointer to a heap memory allocation goes out of scope or has its value overwritten before free() has been called, then that memory cannot be recovered for later reuse and is essentially lost to the program, a phenomenon known as a memory leak. Conversely, it is possible to release memory too soon and continue to access it; however, since the allocation system can re-allocate or itself use the freed memory, unpredictable behavior is likely to occur. Typically, the symptoms will appear in a portion of the program far removed from the actual error, making it difficult to track down the problem. Such issues are ameliorated in languages with automatic garbage collection.

Solar Power Has a Future :: Solar Energy is the Future

This is NOT a paper. It is an Annotated Bibliography Plan: I want to look into solar energy and assess how likely it is to change American energy usage through the 21st century. This type of energy has worked well in Germany and should be greatly considered in the US. I think widespread usage of solar energy can prove a large step in solving our current energy crisis and assist in the current climate crisis at the same time. Outline I. Introduction A. The current energy system needs a new solution B. That solution may be solar energy C. Basics of how solar works/types of energy available D. Generally why solar is a great renewable energy resource II. The issues and solar energy A. More detailed explanation of how solar works than the brief explanation given in intro B. Photovoltaic cells C. Solar heating D. Biofuels E. How solar is the greenest energy source III. Challenges A. Technology is expensive B. The sun only shines part of the day and only on sunny days C. Batteries are needed to store energy for use at non-peak times D. Large scale production requires large amounts of land E. Current technology is very inefficient IV. Benefits A. Arguably the greenest energy source B. Technology pays for itself halfway through its lifespan C. Installing panels on your home or business allows you to sell that energy to the grid D. Rather simple for home usage E. Small scale units take up no space otherwise used V. Germany’s experience A. The government pushes solar greatly B. For a brief time on a June day 50% of the country’s energy was coming from solar energy C. Generally how they have been doing: pros and cons of their experience D. They are continuing to push for greater amounts of solar and other renewable energies VI. Governmental policies A. Pressure for utility companies to make a percentage of their energy come from solar B. Tax incentives C. Europe feels more pressure from the EU than felt in the US and they’re doing better at switching to renewables D. The US still lacks strong governmental policies to make the push toward solar and other renewables VII. Conclusions A. Solar is certainly a way to help solve the current energy crisis B. Solar alone will not become the new full scale energy provider C. It works best on a smaller scale especially for the individual Solar Power Has a Future :: Solar Energy is the Future This is NOT a paper. It is an Annotated Bibliography Plan: I want to look into solar energy and assess how likely it is to change American energy usage through the 21st century. This type of energy has worked well in Germany and should be greatly considered in the US. I think widespread usage of solar energy can prove a large step in solving our current energy crisis and assist in the current climate crisis at the same time. Outline I. Introduction A. The current energy system needs a new solution B. That solution may be solar energy C. Basics of how solar works/types of energy available D. Generally why solar is a great renewable energy resource II. The issues and solar energy A. More detailed explanation of how solar works than the brief explanation given in intro B. Photovoltaic cells C. Solar heating D. Biofuels E. How solar is the greenest energy source III. Challenges A. Technology is expensive B. The sun only shines part of the day and only on sunny days C. Batteries are needed to store energy for use at non-peak times D. Large scale production requires large amounts of land E. Current technology is very inefficient IV. Benefits A. Arguably the greenest energy source B. Technology pays for itself halfway through its lifespan C. Installing panels on your home or business allows you to sell that energy to the grid D. Rather simple for home usage E. Small scale units take up no space otherwise used V. Germany’s experience A. The government pushes solar greatly B. For a brief time on a June day 50% of the country’s energy was coming from solar energy C. Generally how they have been doing: pros and cons of their experience D. They are continuing to push for greater amounts of solar and other renewable energies VI. Governmental policies A. Pressure for utility companies to make a percentage of their energy come from solar B. Tax incentives C. Europe feels more pressure from the EU than felt in the US and they’re doing better at switching to renewables D. The US still lacks strong governmental policies to make the push toward solar and other renewables VII. Conclusions A. Solar is certainly a way to help solve the current energy crisis B. Solar alone will not become the new full scale energy provider C. It works best on a smaller scale especially for the individual

My IB chemistry research project Essay

Molecular gastronomy is often thought about in the way of cooking in terms of chemical transformations within food. The real meaning behind molecular gastronomy is a practiced cooking method used both scientists and food professionals that study the physical and chemical processes that occur while cooking. [Feast for the Eyes] Molecular gastronomy seeks to investigate and explain the chemical reasons behind the transformation of ingredients, as well as the social, artistic and technical components of culinary. [Food for Tomorrow?] By studying this topic, it can be applied to the real world, by the means of the whole process of preparing, eating, sensing, and enjoying food involves tremendously on complex chemistry, physics, and biochemistry. Within the lab, I’ll perform control experiments. To complete this experiment, I will cook several versions of the same dish with slight variations, followed by a blind tasting to see if the variations are significant. My IB chemistry IRP will be laid out in this EDD form. Introduction- Research Question: Can we devise new cooking methods that produce unusual and improved results on the texture and flavor of food? * Application Statement: The purpose of this experiment is to determine new culinary technique to create a new and uncommon and enhanced outcome to food. The whole process of preparing, eating, sensing, and enjoying food involves tremendously complex chemistry, physics, and biochemistry. For years, a new culinary trend called ‘molecular cooking’ has been touted as the most exciting development in haute cuisine. [Culinate – Eat to Your Ideal] Molecular Gastronomy will be the change to how we perceive food to our taste buds, and how it will affect the mood we’re in. [Kitchen Chemistry] * Hypothesis: If we are trying to change a main ingredient and the way we cook the dish in a very appetizing dish by adding a new or odd element and new culinary catering skill, then I think that the flavor and texture of the dish made with the new cooking ingredient/cooking method will taste better then the original and have a positive effect on the mood of the taste tester. * Independent Variable (I.V.): The main ingredient of a dish and food preparation process * Dependent Variable (D.V.): The effect of the finished cuisine has on the tester, and how the texture/flavor have changed from the original dish. * Constants (C.V.): * * Same cooking Pan * Same Food products * All the same utensils * For the olives: * 1/2 cup oil-cured black olives, pitted and finely chopped * 1 tablespoon agave nectar, or light maple syrup * 1 teaspoon sugar * Salt * For the fennel: * 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil * 2 tablespoons butter * Blind Fold * 1 large bulb fennel, trimmed and cut lengthwise into 8 pieces with the core intact * Salt and freshly ground black pepper * Cup dry white wine * 2 to 3 cups chicken broth * 1 teaspoons honey * 20 raisins * For the snapper: 4 (6-ounce) skin-on red snapper fillets, deboned * Salt * 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil * Passion-fruit vinegar (optional). * Beef * Variety of veggies * Procedure: 1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. On a parchment-lined baking sheet, stir together the olives, agave nectar, sugar and a pinch of salt. Cook for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. (They will be sticky.) Let cool. They can be stored in a cool, dry place for several days. 2. Place the oil and butter in a medium-size heavy saucepan set over medium-high heat. Once the butter starts to brown, add the fennel. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the fennel begins to color around the edges, 2 to 3 minutes. 3. Add the wine, bring to a boil and let reduce by half. Pour in at least 2 cups chicken broth to almost cover the fennel. Stir in the honey and raisins. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the tip of a paring knife easily pierces the core of the fennel, 20 to 25 minutes. Season the broth and fennel with salt to taste. 4. When ready to serve, generously season the fish on all sides with salt. Pour the oil in a large nonstick skillet set over high heat. When the oil is hot, add a piece of fish, skin-side down, pressing on the flesh with a fish spatula for the first few seconds to keep it from curling. Repeat with the remaining pieces. Cook until the edges of the skin are golden and three-fourths of the flesh turns opaque, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip and cook for an additional 1 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel. 5. To serve, place two pieces of fennel, 2 to 3 tablespoons of the braising liquid and a few raisins in the center of a shallow bowl. Lay the fish, skin-side up, against the fennel and place about 1 tablespoon of the candied olives on top. If desired, drizzle the edge of the plate with a few drops of passion-fruit vinegar. 6. Repeat steps two through nine as trial two and three, but with the ingredient of beef and veggies, instead of red snapper. 7. Have tester be blindfolded and have them taste the variety of food after each trial, and record data. 8. Once done clean up area and dispose of dirty ingredients/ package up non-used food. Data Collecting & Processing- Data Table: Flavor of the dish before and after cooking on scale of Bad (1) to excellent (10). Testers Trial 1 (Fish) Before After Trial 2 (Beef) Before After Trial 3 (Veggies) Before After Texture Test Before and after the cooking on scale of soft (1)- rough (10). Testers Trial 1 Before After Trial 2 Before After Trial 3 Before After Qualitative Data: Quantitative Data: Conclusion & Evaluation: Since I will complete this experiment, I hopefully will be able to conclude and make a distinct correlation on how ingredients are changed by different cooking methods, how all the senses play their own roles in our appreciation of food, how cooking methods affect the eventual flavor and texture of food ingredients, how new cooking methods might produce improved results of texture and flavor, how our enjoyment of food is affected by other influences, our environment, our mood, how it is presented, who prepares it. Work Cited Barham, Peter. â€Å"Kitchen Chemistry: Taste and Flavour Facts – Feature – Discovery Channel.† Discovery Channel International. Web. 13 Oct. 2010. . Crain, Liz. â€Å"Edible Experiments – A Norwegian Blogger Goes Molecular :: by Liz Crain :: Culinate.† Culinate – Eat to Your Ideal. 9 Aug. 2007. Web. 14 Nov. 2010. . Goldberg, Elyssa. â€Å"Feast for the Eyes: Molecular Gastronomy Puts Chemistry to Work in the Kitchen.† Columbia Daily Spectator | News, Sports, and Entertainment Coverage for Morningside Heights. Web. 14 Dec. 2010. . MUHLKE, CHRISTINE. â€Å"Too Cool for School.† New York Times. 30 Sept. 2007. Web. 12 Sept. 2010. . This, Hervà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½. â€Å"Food for Tomorrow? : Article : EMBO Reports.† Nature Publishing Group : Science Journals, Jobs, and Information. July-Aug. 1999. Web. 10 Oct. 2010. .

Habits and Traits of Mites and Ticks

Not much love is lost on the mites and ticks of this world. Most people know little about them, other than the fact that some transmit diseases. The order name, Acari, derives from the Greek word Akari, meaning a small thing. They may be small, but mites and ticks have a big impact on our world. Characteristics Many mites and ticks are ectoparasites of other organisms, while some prey on other arthropods. Still, others feed on plants or decomposed organic matter like leaf litter. There are even gall-making mites. Take just a scoop of forest soil and examine it under a microscope, and you may find several hundred species of mites. Some are vectors of bacteria or other disease-causing organisms, making them a significant public health concern. Members of the order Acari are diverse, abundant, and sometimes economically important, though we know relatively little about them. Most mites and ticks have oval-shaped bodies, with two body regions (prosoma and opisthosoma) that may appear fused together. The Acari are indeed small, many measuring a mere millimeter long, even as adults. Ticks and mites go through four life cycle stages: egg, larva, nymph, and adult. Like all arachnids, they have 8 legs at maturity, but in the larval stage, most have just 6 legs. These tiny organisms often disperse by hitching rides on other, more mobile animals, a behavior known as phoresy. Habitat and Distribution Mites and ticks live just about everywhere on Earth, in both terrestrial and aquatic habitats. They live virtually everywhere that other animals live, including in nests and burrows, and are abundant in soil and leaf litter. Though over 48,000 species of mites and ticks have been described, the actual number of species in the order Acari may be many times that. Well over 5,000 species inhabit the U.S. and Canada alone. Groups and Suborders The order Acari is somewhat unusual, in that it is subdivided first into groups, and then again into suborders. Group Opilioacariformes - These mites look somewhat like small harvestmen in form, with long legs and leathery bodies. They live under debris or rocks and may be predaceous or omnivorous feeders. Group Parasitiformes - These are medium to large mites that lack abdominal segmentation. They breathe by virtue of paired ventrolateral spiracles. Most members of this group are parasitic. Suborders of the Parasitiformes:Suborder HolothryinaSuborder MesostigmataSuborder Ixodida - Ticks Group Acariformes - These small mites also lack abdominal segmentation. When spiracles are present, theyre located near the mouthparts. Suborders of the Acariformes:Suborder ProstigmataSuborder AstigmataSuborder Oribatida Sources Borror and DeLongs Introduction to the Study of Insects, 7th edition, by Charles A. Triplehorn and Norman F. Johnson.NWF Field Guide to Insects and Spiders of North America, by Arthur V. EvansLatin American Insects and Entomology, by Charles Leonard HogueIntroduction to the Acari, University of California Museum of Paleontology. Accessed February 26, 2013.Arachnida: Acari, class handouts from University of Minnesota Entomology Department. Accessed online February 26, 2013.Soil Arthropods, National Resources Conservation Service. Accessed February 26, 2013.