Desert Desert Environment

Luckily, humans have put in efforts to understand and sometimes reverse the damage done. Wilcove describes ecosystem restoration, where usually humans put concentrated effort into recreating original habitats to restore indigenous populations. This is, unless “a very different assemblage of species has taken hold of the land and cannot be dislodged,” also known as a new “steady state” (Wilcove, 2000, p. 12). Wilcove himself joined the effort by studying the impacts humans have caused on woodland critters. He surveyed an area in Maryland to detect predators by setting cardboard coated in masonry powder to record footprints. He concluded that there were “six predators: opossum, raccoon, striped skunk, dog, cat, and blue jay. All are animals that benefit mightily from their association with people”(Wilcove, 2000, p. 42). He also mentions how extensive data can only be collected when looking at the observations of many people over the generations. He talks about “generational blindness,” which means how observers of a current generation cannot make conclusions on populations without the help of data collected from the past (Wilcove, 2000, p. 13).

An ecosystem contain biological communities and abiotic factors that interact with each other. However, Introduced pest species in Australia have always been a major issue due to the unique ecosystems that have developed, undisturbed over millions of years, due to Australia's geographical isolation. This is especially evident in the introduction the European red fox in Australia, which has prompt negative changes to the population of the Long-nosed Bandicoot due to the predation by these foxes in the Field of mars and around Australia. The disruption the fox foxes have on the Long-nosed bandicoot can also result in sever cascading effects on the rest of the ecosystem, including abiotic factors like the soil and biotic factors like other native flora and fauna

Animal consumers have important roles in ecosystems. These roles include determining plant species composition and structure, regulating rates of plant production and nutrient, and altering soil structure and chemistry. This study was conducted to determine whether the activities of small mammals regulate plant maximum height and foliage cover area in Chihuahuan Desert shrublands and grasslands. When rabbits and rodents were given access to the plants, there was not a significant difference in plant height compared

Ronald Suny’s book They Can Live in the Desert But Nowhere Else: A History of the Armenian Genocide is a deeply researched work of the Armenian Genocide. Published the same year that marked the Centennial Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, Suny's book has created a well-informed history of the complex world that committed the Armenian Genocide. Through the examination of scholarly articles and eyewitness accounts of the persecution of the Armenians, Suny explores the political and international issues that lead to the genocide. His captivating and powerful narrative of the atrocity attempts to investigate “those moments of choice when political actors might have acted differently but decided instead to embark on a course that led to devastation and destruction” (Suny, xi). Suny is one of the authors that takes a deeper look at how the perpetrators of the genocide used human emotions of fear and resentment to commence mass killings as a way of finding a solution to the Armenian problem, showing their intent to

For example, their concept indicates that prey species will alter their foraging habits to the features of the terrain in order to avoid areas with a high risk of predation. Predation risk in a changing environment is also focused on by the authors. There are many environmental variables that may influence the degree of predation risk such as weather, wildfires, and other conditions that influence ungulates’ access to vegetation. Finally, the authors focus on ecosystem responses to trophic cascades—primarily on riparian functions and on beaver and bird populations. They also inform us that wolves may represent an indirect control on beaver populations as well as cause ungulates to avoid some riparian areas—therefore reducing herbivory on wooden browse species.

Hesperia, California is my hometown. Hesperia is part of a desert community that locals call “The High Desert”. Hesperia is a low-income, high crime, underserved area. Over Thirty percent of the population falls under the poverty line. In addition, only around sixty percent of the adult population have a high school diploma or the GED equivalent. The majority of people in Hesperia are scraping by just trying to make it to their next paycheck.

Informative Essay #2 - Australian Species By: Shadoe Lass Charles Darwin stated that life was a game of survival of the fittest and species are constantly evolving. A clear example of this phenomenon is the ecologically secluded continent of Australia. Australia is home to many bizarre species, both native and introduced, that are found nowhere else on Earth. The question arises that, in the one-of-a-kind environment they live in, how did they come to be fit as species to survive and thrive.

Around 65 million years ago, the climate in Australia was cooler and wetter than it is now, with great, shallow seas in central Australia due to it being joined to Antarctica allowing for sea-living creatures such as the Plesiosaurs and Iscthyosaurs. However, as Australia started to separate from Antarctica and began moving northward roughly 23 million years ago, the climate became warmer and drier with temperate rainforest started to form. These great lush forests fed and protected large numbers of animals that were dependent on it for food and shelter. Central parts of Australia that was once seas and rivers, soon gave way to sand dunes and arid conditions. As of this change, vegetation type also changed, with species that were more tolerant

Many studies have been done on the effects of wild mustangs on rangeland ecosystems. During the course of these studies, many benefits have been credited to the presence of wild mustangs, such as, an increase of native plant species, soil moisture retention, and the reduction of dry inflammable vegetation in fire prone areas (9). These benefits can be attributed to my previous statements about the wild mustang’s unique digestive system, which also aids in the buildup of absorbent, “nutrient-rich humus” characteristics of healthy soil (13). It is understandable then, that if many native plant species are benefited by the mustangs, so too are all the animals that depend on these plant species. From other herbivores that also consume the plants to the predators that hunt the plant eaters and so on up the food chain. Wild mustangs have proven to be useful to the survival of other rangeland species. This can be seen during winter months when the mustangs instinctively break through heavily crusted snow where the grass cannot be seen, and use their hooves to open up frozen springs and ponds so that smaller animals are able to drink (13). The prosperity wild mustangs offer, has led to my belief that their benefits far outweigh their adverse effects

The first article chosen to review is ‘Population dynamics of house mice in Queensland grain- growing areas, 2013, Wildlife Research, 40, 661–674 by Anthony Pople, Joe Scanlan, Peter Cremasco, and Julianne Farrell’. This article focuses on the population field mice in the Darling Downs. This region of Australia is an extremely arable district in south eastern Queensland that has lost the majority of its native vegetation cover to agriculture (Fensham and Fairfax, 1997). The theme of this ecological topic demonstrates how a population of a species can increase due to the availability of food, and the methods to reduce numbers via poison baiting.

My connection with nature that were unveiled during my observations can be summarized in four ways, the first being memories. When I was a kid my first experiences with nature where having fun playing outside and spending time with my family. I had a really vivid imagination in my youth, along with the large property my family owned, I had a vast area to have as much fun as I desired. My family has direct connections with the Mojave Desert, moreover that allowed me to spend a decent block of time in either, the National Park, or learning about our area. During my observations, just being in that similar environment brought back several memories from my youth. Furthermore, that will be something that sticks with me for the rest of my life.

Mendoza, J. E., Peery, M. Z., Gutiérrez, G. A., Herrera, G., & Pauli, J. N. (2014). Resource use by the two-toed sloth (Choloepus hoffmanni) and the three-toed sloth (Bradypus variegatus) differs in a shade-grown agro-ecosystem. Journal of Tropical Ecology,31(01), 49-55.

With little to no vegetation there is no food available for the sloths to establish a presence. For this reason both sloths select against clear cut regions. Although there are no sloths inhabiting the clear cut it is included in the selection calculation because there is no physical barrier preventing the sloths from inhabiting the area. C. hoffmanni is selecting for the agriculture region because the availability of a food. Two toed sloth consume a varied diet of leaves and fruits(Dill-McFarland et al. 2015). B. variegatus is selecting against the agriculture region because it can not consume the fruits and leaves present in the region. This is because B. variegatus has a gut biome suited for a diet of Cecropia leaves, while C. hoffmanni has a gut biome that supports consumption of a wider variety of fruits and leaves (Dill-McFarland et al. 2015). Old growth regions are undisturbed forest that have diverse tree species(White and Lloyed 1994; Zahler, Hino and Reed 2017). Both species select for old growth area because there is food available for both sloths due to the diversity of tree species. Because the variety of tree species in the old growth, C. hoffmanni is able to thrive; furthermore, the presence Cecropia trees in old growth allow B. variegatus to maintain a presence. Additionally, there is cover for both species of sloth to hide from predators further allowing both

The following lines are from Dan Buettner’s book, Thrive, the author has made his way to Mexico (rated the sixth happiest country) and is painting a vision of the desert landscape in order for the reader to get a sense of the environment.

“Communities should seek to identify and address “recreation deserts” and connect residents with under-utilized recreational spaces through bike and walking trails“(Hannan, 2012). A recreation desert typically is an area where there are no, or aren’t enough per capita of people using, opportunities for recreation. Large cities are the most common example of this. As we have built cities, freeways, and overpasses green space, recreation facilities, and parks have gone by the wayside. However, this is not an issue that can be addressed by just recreation professionals. To install recreation opportunities there must be political, financial, and community support and backing. There also needs to be input from those who will be using the facilities,