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Northern Arizona Climate Change Essay

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Climate Change Concerning the Forests:
Both the Hopi and Navajo use Ponderosa Pine and Piñon Pine in cultural practices. The forests of both types of pine are in Northern Arizona. In traditional settings, the Hopi as well as Navajo used ponderosa pine for medicinal, household, food, ceremonial, and constructional purposes (“The Hopi Reservation” 1). Today, the ponderosa pines are still used for traditional dwellings by both tribes. Kivas, a ceremonial Hopi dwelling as well as Hopi residential dwellings use ponderosa logs as support beams. In addition, traditional Navajo houses called Hogans, also use the ponderosa as structural beams (Wennerberg, 3). As for the Piñon, both tribes use the nuts as food. The piñon nut business is quite lucrative …show more content…

In addition, the forests attract tourists to attractions that are on or near the Hopi and Navajo reservations. Tribal economies benefit from the monetary influx that tourists bring to the regions. The Hopi and Navajo rely culturally as well as economically on both the Ponderosa and Piñon Pine forests.
Forests in Northern Arizona that the tribal communities depend upon are currently threatened by climate change. Ecosystems with high and rising temperatures, such as Northern Arizona, are susceptible to drought. In turn, the decrease in precipitation due to droughts leads to an overall reduction in growth as well as health for plants. A study concerning Northern Arizona forest found that tree mortality increased 200% from 1997-2002 to 2002-2007 in mixed-conifer forests and 74% in ponderosa pine forests. This tree mortality can be traced back to forest insects like bark beetles as well as long-term drought stress throughout the ecosystem (Ganey & Vojta, 162). Insects such as the spruce beetle (Dendroctonus rufipennis), pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae), and especially piñon ips beetle (Ips spp.) threaten forests (MacDonald & Turner, 21260). Climate change causes tree mortality as overall warming leads to greater beetle reproduction as well as greater range of beetle territory (MacDonald

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