In the 1950’s, a large number of the plants and animals that live underneath the powerlines today were not there. Back then New England’s “electric wasteland” was just that -- a barren, bleak and mostly unused landscape. From 1950 to around the 1980’s, the area was often subjected to a practice referred to as “brush spraying,” the indiscriminate spraying of herbicides over large areas using a mist/ brush sprayer. Unloved and largely forgotten, it remained that way until 2 scientists sought to change that. In the 1960’s, Dr. Frank E. Egler and Dr. William A. Niering decided to take on the utilities, chemical companies, and use of brush sprayers by developing the concept of “arrested succession” to reduce the amount of herbicide that was …show more content…
As a result, after the work Dr. Egler and Dr. Niering helped to “give birth” to New England’s “electric wasteland”, it became the only game in town for various plants and animals. As different plants, animals, and even fungi began to pile in, a number of which who were faced with extinction, a unique natural community began to develop. But for the species that were faced with extinction, they could one of two things go extinct or evolve. Unsurprisingly many of these species chose to evolve adapting to the unique natural communities of New England’s “electric wasteland”. Unfortunately, for the species that chose to evolve, it did not come without a cost who, thanks to the wasteland’s unique natural community, ended becoming refugees. There are two kinds of refugees found in New England’s “electric wasteland” regional and endemic. The lion's share of them are regional but a few of them, mainly animals, did become endemic refugees. (Note there are plants that are endemic to the wasteland but they are new to science, not refugees) Nevertheless, even today the electric powerline corridor continues to come under threat from the utilities that manage …show more content…
Moreover, the “electric wasteland” (a powerline corridor habitat) is fundamentally not all that wide and short on space. Ironically, Another threat the wasteland faces is the belief of the general public that herbicides, regardless of how they are utilized, have an overwhelmingly negative impact on the wasteland and surrounding environment. However, past research has shown that targeted herbicide use can have less of an effect on wetlands adjacent to the powerline corridor than area managed by mechanical means alone. The caveat is that herbicides are applied using spot treatment techniques such as low volume foliar application, cut stump, and basal spraying techniques. The trouble today comes from utilities using high volume foliar and aerial herbicide applications techniques (mainly high volume foliar). Nevertheless, the last major threat to New England’s “electric wasteland” has to deal with is the public’s own poor perception of the habitat area itself. As a result, there is a negative backlash against tree removal even when its done to help maintain the quality of habitat area underneath the powerlines. Moreover, this poor perception also results in powerline corridors becoming the victim of vandalism, often from
In William Cronon’s book Changes in the Land: Indians, Colonists, and the Ecology of New England, he discuses the ecological history of New England from the late sixteenth century to the early nineteenth century. He demonstrates how the New Englanders changed the land by illustrating the process of the change in the landscape and the environment. In the Preface Cronon states, “My thesis is simple: the shift from Indian to European dominance in New England entailed important changes—well known to historians—in the ways these people organized their lives, but it also involved fundamental reorganizations—less well-known to historians—in the region's plant
Policies regarding the handling of wildland fires continue to change and evolve as new information is learned each fire season. Attitudes have changed between complete wildland fire suppression to no suppression at all. We now seem to have reached a balance between the two schools of thought and fall somewhere in the middle.
According to our recent research and analysis, pelletizing our fly ash waste and selling it to the public as low-grade fertilizer would rid us of approximately 500 tons a year. However, we do have the capacity to dump this harmless fly ash on our back 40 acres, an area of land that was classified as a Type III landfill in 1979. Due to a crackdown on the general public and their free dumping on our lot, our forty acres were not approved for fly ash, but now 35 years later the 40 acre landfill is safe and ready for use with no liability to be seen by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
In the document entitled “Overgrown or Unsightly Premises” by Gladstone Regional Council, the land can become a breeding ground or a place of rest for vermin such as rats, mosquitoes, especially in wet seasons, which would nest in these tall grasses. This, therefore, would result in mosquito borne diseases such as leptospirosis, malaria, dengue among others and also become a problem for surrounding residents as they are now prone to these diseases. In the dry season, these trees and bushes are the perfect fire hazards that can assist in the spreading of the fire even quicker than fire fighters could possible put it out due to them been
First, it felt slightly odd to read about a city other than New York City in a Macaulay Seminar class because most, if not all, readings I have read in such a class discuss a topic in the context of New York City; nevertheless, reading about Chicago, another major American city, and its comparison with St. Louis, were refreshing. Second, this is the first time that I was exposed to the “first nature vs. second nature” concept, which I found insightful and somewhat surprising. I began to ruminate on the aspects of New York City people assume natural that are in fact artificial. Immediately, the salt marshes near the John F. Kennedy airport in Queens came to mind. According to NYC Parks, the marshes serve to “absorb fertilizer, improve water quality, and reduce erosion,” which can be considered as, using Cronon’s phrase, “natural advantages.” However, they have clearly been positioned and altered in a way that is aesthetically pleasing. In this instance, the presence of human intervention exists, yet many people would be inclined to consider the park “natural.” Perhaps this is how people in the 19th century viewed the railroads. Lastly, the following questions might be worth discussing: in today’s world, given the prolific human activity, what is considered first nature and second nature? Can there even be a third nature or
Second, the reading states that park wildlife was affected as well. In contrast, the professor in the lecture averts that the small plants that grow create ideal
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. (n.d.). U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service :: Fire Management - Wildland Urban Interface. Retrieved May 29, 2016, from https://www.fws.gov/fire/living_with_fire/wildland_urban_interface.shtml
Then in the early 1970’s, a large seed reservoir was present and effectively cultivated a crop of spotted knapweed where the soil had once been disturbed (SCWD, n.d.). This infestation had remained unattended to until 1983, when the Stillwater Mining Company began operations. The Stillwater Mining Company began aggressive measures to control the spotted knapweed, but the weed had established itself and began spreading to adjoining private and public properties. Since then, the efforts of the Stillwater Mining Company, local land owners, Untied States Forest Service (USFS), the Stillwater Valley Watershed Council, and Stillwater County have effectively controlled the spotted knapweed in all areas except for along the river corridor (SCWD.
Population growth, urban and native species, can have negative impacts on the environment (Chiras, D.D., 2013). An increase of urbanization without proper land management allows for the ecosystem to be thrown out of balance, as well as over use of natural resources (Chiras, D.D., 2013). As with the prairie dogs, predators were scared off by the increased population and fled. As a result, the prairie dog’s natural selection ceased to exist and over population by the prairie dog began. As the prairie dog population began to out grow the nature preserve, they began to infringe upon the population of Sparksville causing illness and becoming a nuisance. This is where urbanization and nature conflict.
This suggests that the roadsides was once beautiful and bloomed with healthy and lively vegetation; however, they are now destroyed due to the use of pesticides. From these examples, it can be shown that even though pesticide is beneficial, its deadly effects outweigh its benefits; in addition, it is a dangerous substances to the environment, organisms, and even human.
In the book Silent Spring, Rachel Carson’s main concern is the widespread use of synthetic pesticides and their impact on the environment. Carson concentrates on a commonly used pesticide in the 1950s called DDT. She opposes the indiscriminate spraying of DDT because it has profound consequences on the environment, humans and animals. Carson collected information about how the DDT can cause cancer in humans, harm animals such as birds and remained in the environment for long periods of time. Subsequently, the chemicals in the pesticides are extremely harmful so she tries to raise awareness and convince others that there are better alternatives.
The chemicals that are sprayed on the ground, even household weed killers, have a tendency to wash into local streams and rivers with the first rain. This has caused many incidents of fish, numerous miles down a river, to be found dead due to the toxins in the water. Carson states that the best way to eliminate a pest problem is to use natural predators, which are non-toxic, and a better long-term solution then pesticides, since many pests will become immune to most chemicals.
It shows how not knowing of one thing leads to extinction of a particular type of specie that is beneficial to the environment. Every specie balances the ecosystem in a way and by disappearing of one, our nature and environment would be unbalanced. Based on the two stories reviewed, there is a connection between the extinction of curlews, Bison buffalos, First Nations due to colonization that came with its own violence and ignorance. Colonialism in many ways has transformed the society and nature. However, what is inevitable is the destruction of First Nations culture, tradition, and even their race to the disappearance of some species such as curlews and bisons. Overhunting, habitat destruction, and eugenicism are what at most cases colonialism has brought to North America and some other parts of the world. However, what colonization has taught humans is that there is a limit to every source, whether water, trees, plants, or a particular type of specie which could be a particular tradition or culture that could be forgotten. In order to survive leaving, it is important to protect environment, prevent destroying it. and it is because humans are the keystone species that have an impact to the
Currently, herbicides are the cheapest and most efficient method, only if applied twice every season. According to Washington State’s Department of Transportation, “if managed properly, roadside vegetation can become self-sustaining over time and require less maintenance, which would help reduce both the cost and herbicide use.” However, herbicides are unhealthy for humans and the environment. When the application process occurs, those applying the herbicides are required to wear suits to be protected from the dangerous chemicals. While the herbicides treat the weeds, it also “increases the risk of erosion, resulting in an uneven line between bare ground and living vegetation.” Herbicides can be a temporary solution, but if used for years, will result in a limited number of species that will be able to grow. Of the surviving
called “weeds” and why they should not be destroyed by chemicals. Carson tells of a way that