Acting Locally Part 1 Bio 280 Essays

Since the settlement of the American West, rivers have experienced changes in the natural flows and movements. Among these processes flooding has become controlled as dams have been built. Esselman et al. (2011) tracked numerous categories of anthropocentric activities through geographical informational systems. The team found that upstream fish habitats were exponentially impacted by human activities downstream. In addition to the upstream movement of impacts human impacts also travel downstream. Different human impacts on the Yellowstone River versus the Platte River have greatly affected the river ecosystems.

In 1935 the Hoover Dam was completed forming Lake Mead, providing flood control, reservoir storage, power generation and regulates the downstream flow to the Lower Basin States. [footnoteRef:20] In 1963, the Glen Canyon Dam was completed forming Lake Powell, providing the Upper Basin States with enough reserve capacity to allow them to meet their annual obligation of 7.5 Million Acre Feet (MAF) to the Lower Basin States, allowing the Lower Basin States to use the allocation.[footnoteRef:21] As a consequence of the construction of the Hoover Dam and the Glen Canyon Dam, the Colorado?s flow often evaporated in Mexican sands close to the Delta.[footnoteRef:22] Around the 1970s, the Cienega de Santa Clara had shrunken by 500 acres. Nevertheless, due to the following wet decades, the Cienega was resuscitated to about 10% of its original acreage in the 80?s and 90?s.[footnoteRef:23] Currently, the Cienega is a 40,000 acre wetland that exists due to the return flows from the Mohawk Irrigation and Drainage District near Yuma, Arizona.[footnoteRef:24] This Cienega is the home of less than 100 members of the Cucapa tribe and is the habitat of several endangered fish and birds, including Desert Pupfish and Yuma Clapper Rail.[footnoteRef:25] [19: D.F.

One of the largest geographic physical structures in the United States is the Colorado River. Human activity and its interaction with this great river have an interesting history. The resources provided by the river have been used by humans, and caused conflict for human populations as well. One of these conflicts is water distribution, and the effects drought conditions have played in this distribution throughout the southwestern region. Major cities such as Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Diego, and other communities in the southwest depend on the river. It provides water for over 20 million people, irrigation for 2 million acres of land, four thousand megawatts of hydroelectric energy, and over twenty million annual visitors for

The Rio Grande is the fifth longest river to run through the United States and the 20th longest in the world. It flows 1,900 miles from the San Juan Mountains of Southwestern Colorado to the Gulf of Mexico. Along its way, it travels 175 miles through Colorado, 470 miles through New Mexico, and the remaining 1,240 miles through Texas. Currently, the river is used as a border from Texas (United States), to Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas (Mexico).

There are many different species of snakes that inhabit Arizona, but the Sonoran Coral Snake, the Sonoran Mountain Kingsnake, the Milk Snake, and the Sonoran Shovel-Nosed Snake are particularly interesting because despite being different species they all look like one another. The red, black, and yellow stripes they share can be attributed to evolution and environment. The four species of snakes have different diets, habitats, and distribution, but they do share one environmental element: primary predators. All four snakes have raptors, long tailed weasels, and badgers as predators. These snakes have evolved to have stripes because raptors, long tailed weasels, and badgers are less likely to eat snakes with red, black, and yellow stripes

“Annals of the Former World” puts four of John McPhee’s books on the geology and geological history of North America together. They bring up the scientists who found the information that explains the history of North America. McPhee had joined some of them on expeditions, and described the work they did, as well as recorded the ideas they had.

Mexico is a famous country which is located in the southern part of North America. I went to Cancun in spring 2012. It was an amazing trip. I really enjoyed the nature there. Most of Mexico 's land is covered by mountains, with only about a third of the land being flat. Moreover, there are five main areas in Mexico. The first one is The Central Plateau which is located just south of The United States. It increases in altitude from the north to south from more than 910 m and 2,440 m near the border of United States. Furthermore, approximately half of Mexico 's population live in this area. The second area is Sierra Madres which consists of three mountains ending with V shape near the Plateau edge. These mountains are the Sierra Madre del Sur on the south, the Sierra Madre Occidental on the west, and the Sierra Madre Oriental on the east. The third area is Chiapas Highlands. The land in this area is high and rough, especially near the Pacific Coast. The fourth area is Gulf Coastal Plain. The land in this area is low along with the eastern coast. Near Texas boarder in south, it narrows and almost disappears. The last main area in Mexico is Lower California-Sonoran Desert. This area consists of the peninsula of Lower California and the Sonoran Desert. Another physical feature in Mexico is Water. Most of the rivers in Mexico are short and too shallow for navigation. The third physical feature in Mexico is climate and temperature. The differences

The Jennings prairie is one of the few places in Pennsylvania where the Massasauga Rattlesnake is found. The massasauga is endangered in Pennsylvania and is strictly protected. The massasauga is venomous and may bite if surprised or threatened. The staff at Jennings ask you to please stay on the trails for your own safety and the snake’s protection. Over three quarters of the park is covered by forest (www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/findapark/jennings/). Stream valleys, upland forests, and wetlands, provide diverse habitats for wildlife at Jennings. The massasauga rattle snake isn’t like most rattle snakes. It has 9 enlarged scales on top of the head. Stocky with a well-developed rattle, the massasauga s brownish gray with rounded dark

The Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) is a mammal that lives throughout the eastern parts of Texas, according to The Mammals of Texas. The Desert Cottontail (Sylvilagus audubonii) is also a rabbit native to Texas. The Desert Cottontail lives in the uplands of Texas on the western half of the state, says The Mammals of Texas. Of the two, the Eastern Cottontail is the most common. A close relative of these cottontails is the New England Cottontail. The Desert Cottontail and the Eastern Cottontail have both evolved from the New England Cottontail to survive in their environments. Although the Desert Cottontail and the Eastern Cottontail are very similar, they also have differences.

The northern Yucatán Peninsula is hot and semiarid. Annual rainfall ranges between 500 and 1,000 mm (20 and 40 in). The extreme southern part of Mexico, including the Chiapas Highlands and the southern regions of the Yucatán

From its headwaters northwest of Denver in the Rocky Mountains, the 1,450-mile long river and its tributaries pass through parts of seven states: Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming and is also used by the Republic of Mexico. Along the way, almost every drop of the Colorado River is allocated for use.

The Saguaro Cactus truly is a remarkable plant. Without it, the many animals that thrive in the desert would die. The next time you see a picture of one online or in a brochure, remember how valuable it is to desert

3.1 Observation statement: In the Japura river (Brazilian

There is another well-known cactus is the Sonoran Desert, the barrel cactus, which is also the most commonly found cactus in the desert. This kind of cactus can normally grow to a height of 5 to 11 feet. It has a cylinder-shaped body, sometimes it is even bigger than a man. From April through June, the flowers bloom at the top of the plant. Normally, the flower is yellow-green or red, but the color may vary depending on different species. The barrel cactus has numerous ridges going down the sides. These ridges are covered with long sharp spines, which prevent, on one hand, the water loss in the dry heat weather, on the other hand, the thirsty animals in the desert as well as mankind. Like the Saguaro cactus, the barrel cactus is also a source

Prior to settlement of the western United States, the Colorado River roamed free. Starting from cool mountain streams, the river eventually became a thunderous, silty force of nature as it entered the canyons along its path. The river nourished wetlands and other riparian habitats from the headwaters in the Rocky Mountains to the delta at the Sea of Cortez in Northwest Mexico. Settlers along the river harnessed these waters mainly for agriculture via irrigation canals, but flooding from spring runoff wreaked havoc on agricultural land, prevented development in the floodplain and full utilization of the water, a waste in the eyes of western farmers. In order to meet current and future water demands in the west, the Federal Government