Applications of Geographic Information System Essay Example for Free

Applications of Geographic Information System Essay ABSTRACT This paper discusses the application of GIS as a tool in monitoring biodiversity with special reference to Pakistan. The major advantages of satellite data are that the large and inaccessible areas can be covered using a standard approach, with a uniform level of detail and at relatively low coast. Networked information like GIS and Remote sensing not only provides speedy answers to scientific problems and issues, but also broadens planet of possible questions on the conservation and sustainable utilization of biological diversity. Simply we can say that the GIS is associated with two different functions for a geographical perspective on biodiversity data and other environmental issues. (1) It contains a powerful reference base (geographic location), i.e. maps of natural vegetation (endemic, multipurpose, and threatened), soil, land cover, topography, hydrology, bird migration, distribution of fauna and flora, etc. (2) GIS is a powerful and effective way of communicating a large variety of information. In developing countries GIS is used so as to make possible the sustainable development, conservation, management and monitoring of biodiversity. In Pakistan the application of GIS in various fields is still not very common. Talking about its usage for biodiversity conservation, management and monitoring, it is just 5-7 years back. Departments like wildlife department of Sindh, Punjab, Khyber Pakhton Khawa, Baluchistan and Gilgit-Baltistan and various NGOs like IUCN, WWF-P, SUPARCO are using this satellite based technology for conservation, management and monitoring of various ecological characteristics like distribution of flora and fauna, the population and the status of flora and fauna, the health of wetlands, national parks, game reserves and wildlife sanctuaries. In addition to this GIS is also use now a days in Pakistan for land use purposes but this work so far done is not enough to come through the circumstances face by our planet specially the tropical and sub tropical countries like Pakistan. Therefore, in Pakistan there is a need for more comprehensive approaches  that deal with new remote sensing technologies and analysis in a GIS-environment, and that integrate findings collected over longer periods with the aim of prediction. It is also imperative to collect and integrate data from different disciplines. These are essential in the spirit of sustainable development and conservation, management and monitoring of natural resources. Keywords: geographic information system (GIS); biodiversity; monitoring. INTRODUCTION Geographical Information Systems A Geographical Information System (GIS) is a system of hardware, software and procedures to facilitate the conservation, monitoring, management, etc by manipulation, analysis, modeling, representation and display of geo-referenced data to solve complex ecological and environmental problems. GIS functions in a systematic way as: data entry, data display, data management, information retrieval and analysis. The main function of an Information system is to improve one’s ability to make decisions. A geographic information system is an information system that is designed to work with data referenced to spatial or geographic coordinates. GIS is both a database system with specific capabilities for spatially referenced data, as well as a set of operation for working with any type of data as well. The three basic types of GIS applications which might also represent stages of development of a single GIS application are as under (Ramachandran, 1993, Ramachandran et.al., 1997, 1998). Inventory Application The first step in developing a GIS application is making an inventory of the features like flora and fauna for a given geographic area. The emphasis at this stage is the updating of simple data retrieval (Ramachandran, 1993, Ramachandran et.al., 1997, 1998). Analysis Application After the inventory stage, complex queries on multiple layers can be performed using spatial and aspatial analysis techniques. Management Application More advanced spatial and modeling techniques are required to support the decisions of managers and policy makers so that they can better monitor the issues. This means that the shifting of emphasis will be from basic geographic data handling to manipulation, analysis and modeling in order to solve real world problems (Ramachandran, 1993, Ramachandran et.al., 1997, 1998). There has been a revolution in the availability of information and in the development and application of tools for managing information during the past 4 to 5 years (Harison 1995). Geographic information system (GIS) is an important tool for monitoring biodiversity, which accommodates large varieties of spatial and aspatial (attribute) data. The information programmed in a GIS is used to target surveys, measurements and monitoring schemes. Various types of data on species and habitat distribution from different dates allow monitoring of the location and the extent of change. A GIS is actually a spatially referenced database that allows multiple layers of data to be created and displayed together as computerized maps. Data sources may includes aerial surveys, satellite data, existing maps, field surveys and expert knowledge. GIS is such an efficient technology that it enables the standard formatting of all maps used, no matter what their source is. The major advantages of satellite data are that large and inaccessible areas can be covered using a standard approach, with a uniform level of detail and at relatively low coast. Biodiversity means the variety of life in this universe and its definition as given by The Convention on Biological Diversity is: â€Å"The variability among living organisms from all sources, including terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are apart, this includes diversity within species and of ecosystems. More simply, the biodiversity is the variety of the world’s organisms, including their genetic makeup and the communities they form. Biodiversity is dynamic: the genetic composition of species changes over time in response to natural and human-induced selection  pressures; the occurrence and relative abundance of species in ecological communities changes as a result of ecological and physical factors (Box 2)†. (Elzinga et al. 2001) defined monitoring as, The collection and analysis of repeated observations or measurements to evaluate changes in condition and progress toward meeting a management objective Monitoring is actually the repeated surveys or measurements taken by means of some standardized procedure so that the predetermined objectives or values be analyzed or interpret. Thus, the biodiversity monitoring is the estimation of diversity at any location more than one time so as to draw inference about any change that has occurred or is likely to occur (Wilson et. al 1996). The attributes of biological diversity that can be assessed at each level of ecological organization were identified by (Wilson et.al 1996). The attributes that could be monitored include the identity, distribution, and proportions of each type of habitat, and the distribution of species within those habitats at landscape level and at ecosystem level, richness, evenness, and diversity of species, guilds and communities are important. Abundance, density and biomass of each population may be of interests on species level and at the genetic level, genetic diversity of individual organisms within population is important. It is very important to assess and interpret biodiversity at all these levels of organization by using various approaches at several spatial and temporal scales (Noss and Cooperrider 1994). DISCUSSION GIS plays an important role as a tool for environmental conservation, management and monitoring, with the current greater concern for sustainable use of resources, and conservation, management and monitoring of biodiversity. Simply we can say that the GIS is associated with two different functions for a geographical perspective on biodiversity data and other environmental issues. (1) It contains a powerful reference base (geographic location), i.e. maps of natural vegetation (endemic, multipurpose, and threatened), soil, land cover, topography, hydrology, bird migration, distribution of fauna and flora, etc. (2) GIS is a powerful and effective way of communicating a large variety of information. In developing countries GIS is used so as to make possible the sustainable development, conservation, management and monitoring of biodiversity. These  countries not only hold a large part of universe’s biodiversity (particularly from tropical coastal ecosystems), but they are also the most vulnerable to environmental degradation. Remote sensing studies relevant to the field of sustainable development in tropical developing countries were provided by Calzadilla P ´erez et al. (2002), Dahdouh-Guebas et al. (2002b), De La Ville et al. (2002), Jayatissa et al. (2002), Kairo et al. (2002), Sulong et al. (2002) and Verheyden et al. (2002). Records of species and other ecological characters or habitat can be stored in a database and mapped to show where they occur and this geographic information can be used to target surveys and monitoring schemes (Marqules Austin, 1991). Spatial and aspatial data from different dates allow monitoring of the location of change (where) to be identified and the extent (how much) measured. The aspatial data include tables of measurements, species and habitat, attributes, images, videos, so und, etc while the spatial data include maps, satellite imagery and aerial images. The taxonomic, ecological and cultural variables required for assessment and monitoring of biological diversity and their corresponding information scales were showed by Davis et al. (1990). A GIS-based approach for the analysis of biodiversity was developed by Walker Faith (1993) and according to this approach species lists for different geographic locations with other geographic data describing the locations of nature reserves and geographic variations in environmental conditions were linked. The analysis modeling applied to environmental data are the recent developments in GIS (Aspinall, 1995), notably predicting the distribution of wildlife species under present and changed environmental conditions, understanding the interaction of habitats and other aspects of ecological infrastructure within landscapes, and interpreting and monitoring biodiversity for use in management. Networked information like GIS and Remote sensing not only provides speedy answers to scientific problems, but also broadens the planet of possible questions on the conservation and sustainable utilization of biological diversity (Canhos et al., 1998). The above examples indicates the monitoring assessment of the status and trends in biodiversity using GIS. In Pakistan the application of GIS in various fields is still not very common. Talking about its usage for biodiversity conservation, management  and monitoring, it is just 5-7 years back. Departments like wildlife department of Sindh, Punjab, Khyber Pakhton Khawa, Baluchistan and Gilgit-Baltistan and various NGOs like IUCN, WWF-P, SUPARCO are using this satellite based technology for conservation, management and monitoring of various ecological characteristics like distribution of flora and fauna, the population and the status of flora and fauna, the health of wetlands, national parks, game reserves and wildlife sanctuaries. In addition to this GIS is also use now a days in Pakistan for land use purposes. According to this GIS based studies Garstang et al. (2003) categorized Wetlands of Pakistan into four broader ecological categories i.e., Montane and Alpine region, Semi-arid region, Arid region and coastal region. The Wetlands Survey Programme Section (WSPS) of Pakistan Wetlands Programme is responsible to carryout nation-wide wetlands’ surveys on birds, mammals, fish, micro macro invertebrates, reptiles and amphibians, vegetation, and water quality, therefore, by using GIS all these biodiversity data along with their observers’ details and observation conditions are being maintained in a web-accessible database deployed at National Council for Conservation of Wildlife (NCCW), Islamabad. Pakistan Wetlands Inventory (PWI) data model integrates or collects the Wetlands Survey Programme and Wetlands GIS programme (Qamer, 2007) and the boundaries of all the protected wetlands were mapped into GIS format using government record, field data and GIS maps. CONCLUSION In Pakistan there is a need for more comprehensive approaches that deal with new satellite based programmes like remote sensing technologies and analysis in a GIS-environment, and that integrate findings collected over longer periods with the aim of prediction. It is also imperative to collect and integrate data from different disciplines of biodiversity. This is very essential in the spirit of sustainable development and conservation, management and monitoring of natural resources. In addition to this the use of GIS and other satellite based systems can save our time due to their fast actions and data taken is also considered more authentic and reliable. REFERENCES Boyd, D.S., Foody, G.M. An overview of recent remote sensing and GIS based research in ecological informatics. Ecological Informatics(2010), doi:10.1016/J.ecoinf. 2010.07.007 Qamer, F. M., Saleem, R., Hussain, N., Akram, U. Raza, S. M. (2008). 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Calzadilla P ´erez, A., Damen, M.C.J., Geneletti, D. and Hobma, T.W.: 2002, ‘Monitoring a recent delta formation in a tropical coastal wetland using remote sensing and GIS. Case study: Guapo River delta, Laguna de Tacarigua, Venezuela’, in F. Dahdouh-Guebas (ed.), Remote Sensing and GIS in the Sustainable Management of Tropical Coastal Ecosystems, Environment, Development and Sustainability 4(2), 201–219. De La Ville, N., Chumaceiro Diaz, A. and Ramirez, D.: 2002, ‘Remote sensing and GIS technologies as tools to support sustainable management of areas devastated by landslides’, in F. Dahdouh-Guebas (ed.), Remote Sensing and GIS in the Sustainable Management of Tropical Coastal Ecosystems, Environment, Development and Sustainability 4(2), 93–112. 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Sulong, I., Mohd-Lokman, H., Tarmizi, K. and Ismail, A.: 2002, ‘Mangrove mapping using Landsat imagery and aerial photographs: Kemaman District, Terengganu, Malaysia’, in F. Dahdouh-Guebas (ed.), Remote Sensing and GIS in the Sustainable Management of Tropical Coastal Ecosystems, Environment, Development and Sustainability 4(2), 93–112. Verheyden, A., Dahdouh-Guebas, F., Thomaes, K., De Genst, W., Hettiarachchi, S. and Koedam, N.: 2002, ‘High resolution vegetation data for mangrove research as obtained from aerial photography’, in F. Dahdouh-Guebas (ed.), Remote Sensing and GIS in the Sustainable Management of Tropical Coastal Ecosystems, Environment, Development and Sustainability 4(2), 113–133. Elzinga, C. L., D. W. Salzer, J. W. Willoughby, and J. P. Gibbs. 2001. Monitoring plant and animal populations. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Abingdon, UK. Ramachandran, S., Devasenapathy, J., Sundramoorthy, S. and Krishnamoorthy, R. (2000a). Satellite Remote Sensing Application in Coastal Zone Management, In: Marine Remote Sensing Applications. Institute for Ocean Management, Anna University, pp. 87-90. Ramachandran, S., Ramesh, S. and Krishnamoorthy, R. (2000b). Application of Remote Sensing and GIS in Coastal Lagoonal Ecosystem: A Case Study from Pulicat Lake, Southern India, In: Marine Remote Sensing Applications. Institute for Ocean Management, Anna University, pp. 333-343. Dev Bahera, M.(1999): Remote sensing and environment. Employment news : 26 th June 2nd July 1999. Hussin. Y.A, Mahfud, M. and Zuhair Michael Weir (1999). Monitoring Mangrove Forests using Remote Sensing and GIS. GIS development proceedings, ACRS. Ramachandran. S, Sundramoorthy, S., Krishnamoorthy, R., Devasenapathy , J. and Thanikachalam, M. (1998). Application of Remote Sensing and GIS to Coastal Wetland Ecology of Tamilnadu and Andaman and Nicobar group of Islands with special reference to Mangroves. Current Science, 75(3) :101-109. Ramachandran. S, Krishnamoorthy, R., Sundramoorthy, S., Parviz, Z.F., Kalyanamuthiah, A. and Dharanirajan, K. (1997). Management of Coastal Environments in Tamilnadu and Andama n Nicobar Islands based on Remote Sensing and GIS approach. MAEER’S MIT, Pune Journal, IV (15 16), Special issue on Coastal Environmental Management, pp. 129-140. Gupta, B.N. and Biswas Sas (1997) : Biodiversity characterization at land scape level using satellite remote sensing. Paper presented in a workshop, Biodiversity characterization using remote sensing project of National Remote sensing agency, Hyderabad, sponsored by department of space and biotechnology, Govt. Of India organized by NRSA at Hyderabad, India. Scott, J.M., Tear, T.H. Davis, F.W. (1996). Gap Analysis: A Landscape Approach to Biodiversity Planning. Maryland, USA, American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. Harrison, J. (1995). Finding the information Stein, B.A. (1997). Designing information systems to support biodiversity conservation. In: Hawksworth, D.L., Kirk, P.M. Clarke, S.D. (Eds), Biodiversity Information Needs and Options, pp. 5–20. Proceedings of the 1996 International Workshop on Biodiversity Information. CAB International.on. Parks, 5: 12–19. Aspinall, R.J. (1995). Geographic information systems: their use for environmental management and nature conservation. Parks, 5: 20–31. KMTNC/ACAP/BCDP (1994): Final Draft Report. King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation, Annapurna Conservation Area Project, Biodiversity Conservation Data Project. March 1994. Ramachandran. S. (1993). Coastal Zone Information System – Pilot project for Rameswaram area. Report submitted to Department of Ocean Development. Govt. of India, 40 pp. Scott, J.M., Davis, F., Csuti, B., Noss, R., Butterfield, G.C., Anderson, H. Caccio, S., D’Erchia, F., Edwards, T.C., Ulliman, J. Wright, R.G. (1993). Gap analysis: a geographic approach to conservation of biological diversity. Wildlife Monographs, 123: 1–41. Walker, P. Faith, D.P. (1993). Diversity: a software package for sampling phylogenetic and environmental diversity. Division of Wildlife and Ecology. Australia: CSIRO. Wilson, E. O. The Diversity of Life (Norton, New York, 1992). Marqules, C.R. Austin, M.P. (Eds) (1991). Nature conservation: cost effective biological surveys and data analysis. Australia: CSIRO. Davis, F.W., Stoms, D.M., Estes, J.E., Scepan, J. Scott, J.M. (1990). An information systems approach to the preservation of biological diversity. International Journal of Geographic Information Systems, 4: 55–78. Scott, DA (comp) (1989). A Directory of Asian Wetlands. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland, and Cambridge, United Kingdom. Wilson, E. O. F. M. Peter (Eds.). (1988) Biodiversity. Washington, D.C.: National Academy of Sciences Press.

The Nearly Fatal Snow Caving Trip Essay -- Reflection Memoir Essays

The Nearly Fatal Snow Caving Trip Sharp pains shooting through muscles, trying to avoid sleep, hypothermia set in on an Antarctic ice crevasse researcher. I had the opportunity to go snow caving with my brother, Josh. I was confident in my winter backcountry skills and anticipated a memorable trip. I did not know what I was getting into. Growing colder day-by-day, winter became more dominant. Deep snow made travel difficult. To navigate through this terrain, I would have to wear special equipment. There are a few ways to travel over snow: snowmobiles, cross-country skis, and snowshoes. The uneven terrain and fresh powder called for snowshoes. Along with shoes, winter camping requires many other types of gear. To cope with the cold, I had to pack bulky warm clothing, and sleeping gear. The Campin' Gaz lantern and stove, both blue and oddly shaped, were necessary for a cold night without a fire. Large, stiff, blue tarps were needed to repel the wet snow while heavy, green foldable shovels comprised the majority of the weight in my pack. The down filled, sleeping bag received much of the attention of my pack's available space. A Kelty 5400 cubic inch Red Cloud swelled with these items, impatient to be worn. With our gear ready, we boarded our transportation, a brown, earth-colored Subaru wagon, was the car of choice. The packs filled the little space of the hatchback. Through the neighboring towns, we made our way to the top of the mesa. After we reached our chosen parking area, we stepped out of the brown machine quickly realizing that we needed to put the rest of our clothes on. After only a moment to acclimate, we prepared our gear. Hurling Kelty over my back, I balanced to put on my orange, plastic, snowshoes. Al... ... to be inside this precarious place, I was careful with every movement. As we both lay in our bags, the cave's darkness soon soothed our eyes and sleep came to our tired bodies. Striking camp early in the morning we traversed over the white, moon lit landscape. We arrived at the car for a late lunch, which ended our camping trip. Thanks to my knowledge of winter backcountry, and my brother, I made it back alive. Now I realize more possibilities and consequences before I am doing dangerous things. Even with all the knowledge and experience, nature can still prevail. Luckily, this was not the case this time. I am extremely thankful for my brother, and he is thankful to still have a brother. I am continually learning new knowledge and skills and am still humbled by this experience. I hoped that this would be a memorable trip, but it turned out to be life changing.

How the Bill of Rights Affects My Life

In 1791, the first ten amendments to the Constitution of the United States, also known as the Bill of Rights, become ratified. The Bill of Rights contained freedoms that Americans held to be their inalienable rights, and were so important that before ratifying the Constitution many states insisted on a promise of amendments guaranteeing individual rights. It was created to set limitations on the power of the United States government, protecting the natural rights of liberty and property. The Bill of Rights affects every Americans life, in many different ways: it sets standards for people to live by, it gives us the right to be citizens, and it also gives us freedom of speech. The Bill of Rights gives citizens freedom, but it also crosses the line between right and wrong. It punishes those that have done wrong, and rewards those that deserve it. It basically sets boundaries, not just for the lower or middle class, but for everyone. It reminds me of the Ten Commandments; rules are set for the people of the land, and when those rules are broken, justice is served. The Bill of Rights also gives us the right to be citizens of the United States. Not just anyone can become an actual citizens, most aliens in the U. S. are illegal. Why? Because the Bill of Rights put a stop to them becoming legal; and while that has its positives and negatives, I believe that it’s a good thing that not everyone can become a citizen of our great nation. The culture, the history, the population, all of it would be different if just anyone was allowed in. I wouldn’t be the person that I am today. Lastly, the Bill of Rights grants us the freedom of speech. The liberty to speak our minds and say what we need to say. In so many countries freedom of speech is banned, and here, sometimes even I take it for granted. Freedom of Speech is saying what you believe needs to be said, whether good or bad, without being punished for it. So, as one can see the Bill of Rights not only affects my life, but it also affects the lives of others around me. We the people are so blessed to be citizens of this nation, and to think that our ancestors (somewhere way down the line) were the great minds that created the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights sets standards for people to abide by, it grants select people to become citizens, and it gives us the freedom of speech; but, those are just the highlights and there’s more to that book than just its cover.

Coffee, Tea And Chocolate In The Renaissance - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1925 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2019/05/28 Category Art Essay Level High school Tags: Renaissance Essay Did you like this example? Today Europe is a hub of coffee, tea, and chocolate culture and production. Thus, many believe that coffee, tea, and chocolate has been in Europe since or before the Renaissance and that the popularity of these caffeinated commodities aided in the surge of great minds within the Italian Renaissance. However, is that really true, while working from 1300 to 1600 A.D? The aim, then of this general survey will be to find if there is a correlation between tea, coffee, and chocolate with the coming of the Renaissance The direct origin of coffee is fraught with legend and speculation but it is important in the story of how coffee ended up a global commodity.. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Coffee, Tea And Chocolate In The Renaissance" essay for you Create order Abu al-Tayyib al-Ghazzi of the Arab tradition tells one of the oldest origins of coffee during the reign of Solomon. The story goes that Solomon was said to have come in his travels to a town whose inhabitants were afflicted with some unspecified disease. On the command of the angel Gabriel, he roasted coffee beans from the Yemen, from which he brewed the drink, which when given to the sufferers, cured them of their illness. It is then latter alluded that the origins of coffee were then immediately forgotten until the 16th century. Other tales involve outcasted priest doctors who forage on the beans to survive or a shepherd who noticed the vigor of his sheep and decides to try the odd fruit they had recently eaten. Regardless of the factual correctness that the myths no doubtingly lack, it is clear that coffee has an Arabic origin and was probably first cultivated in modern-day Yemen and Ethiopia. There is also strong evidence that coffee has a distinct connection to the Sufi Mystic Religion, prominent west of the Red Sea. The Sufi religion had relatively unique ceremonies that may have lead to their adaptation of coffee as a means of staying awake longer. The Sufi religion was and still stands as Islamic in base. It holds firm roots in not only Islam but philosophy, music, medicine, and most importantly alchemy. Alchemy was not just around to turn rocks into gold it was used by the Sufi sect to try and understand the spiritual quest for the transmutation of the human soul. Coffee was then first adopted, in the late 15th century, as a drinking substance by this sect, not only to help stay awake during lengthy night rituals but because the process of roasting these beans demonstrated their faith in alchemy. Coffee then became not only a physical substance but a religious affair. From here coffee quickly began to spread. From the mountains of Yemen, coffee went to Mecca, no doubt due to its religious influence. From there, coffee spread throughout the entire Islamic world even entering into Cairo within the 15th century. It would be easy to assume coffee made its way across the Mediterranean similar to the hop over the Red Sea into Mecca. Surly, coffee had the ability to directly influence Europe with its invigorating properties, now that it could flow out of the ports of Cairo and straight to Venice. However, there is a different story. Coffee probably did make its way back in small private collections but there was yet to be an international trade of co ffee like we see today. The issue of immediate trade was a religious one. Its common knowledge that Islam and Catholicism did not fare well together. Coffee was until the turn of the 16th century in Europe confined to the avant-garde, such as the students, faculty, and visitors at the University of Padua. Coffee was under attack during the reign of Pope Clement VIII as it was just recently brought into the realm by Venetian merchants. The claim was that the black substance was of the infidel and thus of the devil. Many urged its ban immediately, but Pope Clement VIII decided upon tasting the drink decided, itrs flavor and effect were so delightful that he declared it would be a shameful waste to leave it to the heathen. It was then in the year 1600 that coffee had made its official debut in Europe just after the accepted end date of the Renaissance being 1300 1600 A.D. Down with the idea of Renaissance Coffee; it simply did not exist in Europe with a large enough quantity to make a plausible impact. But what of the caffeinated bean known as chocolate? Many know its origins began in the new world alongside the Aztec Empire. It is even more commonly know that the new world was discovered in 1492 when Columbus sailed the ocean blue. Although 1492 is nearly 200 years old it seems it is a better contender than coffee. The origins of chocolate are then needed to understand its effects and circulation within society. Chocolate goes by another name still used today; coco is the current word but cacao can be traced as the roots and even more excitingly the word kakawa can be linked and traced to the word as late as 1000 B.C. This recent discovery is is thanks to the linkage of the word Cacao dating back to the native roots of the Mixe-Zoquean language group but most importantly to the Olmec Civilization. It was in the Olmec site of San Lorenzo that linguists could place the earliest record of the word, kakawa, within the Olmec period inferring that these people are the first to ever cultivate the cocoa bean. From here the story of chocolate in the Americas follows the path of most commodities. Chocolate is traded and the Mayans soon begin cultivating the Cacao plant. The Mayans while in the height of their power traded cocoa with the Toltecs in the 9th century and soon the drink was widespread and was even regarded as a form of currency amongst the Mayan dominion and later the Aztecs in the 12th ce ntury. Then the conquistadors arrived late on the onset of the 16th century and find the drink and product within their New-Spain. The diffusion of chocolate culture from Latin America to Europe is important. Not only because the old world had no cocoa plant to cultivate but because the old world was fiercely in competition with itself. Similarly to Islam and Catholicism, trade and secrets ran deep, especially between Portugal and Spain. This minute detail is actually the reason why coffee had a delayed and profound start through Europe. Christopher Columbus did indeed make the first contact with natives and from there the first shipment of cocoa reached Seville Spain in 1585. However, the important note here is that chocolate did not flourish throughout Europe instantly and with a great deal of certainty, due to Charles the V, chocolate remained almost completely isolated within Spain. Unfortunately for the hypothesis of chocolate aiding the renaissance during most of the 16th century, chocolate and the stimulating effects of its caffeine it holds remained a cherished Spanish secret. It was not until 1606 that Italy became the second country to enjoy chocolate that all of Europe began to enjoy its benefits. Thus, just like coffee, chocolate comes just too late to have aided in the plethora of thought throughout the Italian Renaissance. Next there is tea. Did tea have any correlation to the coming of the Italian Renaissance? Well, to start the origins of tea is in Southeast Asia, specifically China. No one is exactly sure when the Chinese started using plant leaves for beverage purposes. However, in Chinese legends they date the origin of tea back to 2737 B.C. under the reign of Emperor Shen Nung the Divine Healer. In reality, the first reliable mention of tea comes in the 317 A.D. by a general of the Chin dynasty, writing to his nephew Liu Yen, the governor of Yenchow in the province of Shantung, that he felt aged and depressed and wanted some real tu [tea]. Then in 350 A.D. the Chinese scholar Kuo Po gives the first definition of tea in his work, the Erh Ya. In Erh Ya, under the name of kia or ku tu the definition is a beverage is made from the leaves by boiling. For a long time tea was used solely as a medical beverage, eventually in the late sixth century A.D. the Chinese started to use tea as a regular drink. T ea became a very popular beverage to the Chinese for both medical and recreational purposes, to the point that tea leaves were an average trading item and people were developing different methods of preparing tea. Through trade, tea spread to the rest of the provinces in China, to Japan, and to India. According to William Uker in All About Tea, the knowledge of tea was probably introduced into the Island Empire along with Chinese Civilization, the fine arts, and Buddhism, about A.D. 593, in the reign of Prince Shotoku. Later on tea cultivation was introduced to Japan, which the Japanese ran with and began their own styles of cultivation and preparation. Japan is very important to how tea reached Europe. Tea was first mentioned in Europe during the mid 16th century, by a few merchants and multiple Jesuits on missions in Japan. In 1546, the merchant Jorge Alvares in a report writes about how the both Japanese nobles and ordinary people drank hot water mixed with herbs, which is the first European reference to tea. Tea continued to be referred to as hot water by the European merchants and the Jesuit missionaries in their reports and letters back to Europe. It is through Japan that tea is introduced into Europe. Dutch traders were the first to bring tea, mostly green teas, into Europe in the year 1610. With the first introduction of tea into Europe being after the end of the Renaissance period, it is therefore absurd for tea to have any correlation with the coming of the Renaissance. Nor did tea have any major influence during the Renaissance. Rather tea was popular after the end of the Renaissance and by the Enlightenment period, tea was one of the most sought after drinks, especially in England. In conclusion, coffee, chocolate, and tea does not yield a correlation with the Italian Renaissance. Although, all beverages were in existence before the Italian Renaissance, they were not in Europe until right at the end or after the end of the Renaissance. Anyone who says coffee, chocolate, or tea was a key feature of the Renaissance is mistaken and all they need to do is a little bit of research into the subject. Bibliography Coe, Sophie D., and Michael D. Coe. The True History of Chocolate. New York: Thames and Hudson, 2013. Hattox, Ralph S. Coffee and Coffeehouses: The Origins of a Social Beverage in the Medieval Near East. Seattle: Univ. of Washington Press, 2002. Preedy, Victor R. Caffeine: Chemistry, Analysis, Function and Effects. Cambridge: Royal Society of Chemistry, 2015. Stella, Alain. The Little Book of Coffee. Paris: Flammarion, 2001. Ukers, William H. All About Tea. Vol. 1. 2 vols. New York: Tea and Coffee Trade Journal Company, 1935. https://archive.org/details/AllAboutTeaV1/page/n0. Varley, Paul and Isao, Kumakura. (1989). Tea in Japan. Honolulu, Hawaii: University of Hawaii Press. Wild, Antony. Coffee: A Dark History. New York: Norton, 2005.  Secondary Bibliography Grivetti, Louis, and Howard-Yana Shapiro. Chocolate: History, Culture, and Heritage. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2009. Lach, Donald F. Asia in the Making of Europe. Vol 1. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, 1965. Massey, John L. Coffee: Production, Consumption and Health Benefits. New York: Nova Publishers, 2016. Weinberg, Bennett Alan., and Bonnie K. Bealer. The World of Caffeine: The Science and Culture of the Worlds Most Popular Drug. New York: Routledge, 2001.