I boarded the Amtrak the early morning of November 5th, 2016 from Davis, California to the Peytonia Slough Ecological Reserve (Peytonia Reserve) in Suisun, California. The trip to this brackish and saltwater reserve was to help me analyze the relationship between humans and wildlife in urban settings. Urban environments depend on the rehabilitation and protection of small natural areas like the Peytonia Reserve. At the Peytonia Reserve, both humans and native/non-native species live in cohabitation, which paints an accurate representation of reconciliation ecology. Humans use these natural areas, the Peytonia Reserve in this case, for recreational activities like hunting and fishing. This, in turn, benefits the wildlife that lives in the area because hunters and fishers want the environment to be well maintained in order to support their activities. I came up with the conclusion that even though humans have more to benefit from wildlife, wildlife also depends on humans to help protect and conserve their habitats. …show more content…
Already, I was able to analyze that there was a big boating community. Another thing I noticed was that even before entering the path to the Peytonia Reserve trail, there were already people fishing outside of the reserve. It gave me a clear indicator that many people, whether in Suisun or a nearby town, depend on the reserve to satisfy their recreational needs through either boating or fishing. This is a great example of how humans benefit more from the ecosystem, but in turn, the interest that humans have in the area protects the area from things like habitat destruction. The relationship between humans and wildlife is unfortunate for wildlife to have to depend on humans but this is how humans and wildlife have cohabited the
The effects of deforestation around my home and throughout my state are becoming more evident every day. When a deer or other wild game loses its home, they move into cities, urban areas, and parks; thus causing issues with the human population. Most people living in Illinois have hit or nearly killed a deer driving on Southern Illinois roadways. This common occurrence could be kept at bay or maybe even avoided if the deer and wild game had more space to reside. There are many points that coincide with this reality but the main issues are the small subtle ones that affect everyday life and are often overlooked. Picture the Illinois we will leave for our children. Do you see a lush green forest or miles and miles of concrete and steel?
The conquering and development of natural land has in the past, been seen as a mark of human civilization. In the United States, our progress is often measured by growth and development, but should this be re-examined? There are many opinions on the subject of urban sprawl and its effects on wildlife, but one thing is for certain, we are expanding. From 1955 to 2005, urban and suburban areas grew by 300%, however, the population only increased by 75% over the same period (Ewing, Kostyack and Chen). According to NatureServe, a non-profit conservation organization, urban sprawl threatens one of every three endangered species in the United States. NatureServe’s analysis states, “rare and endangered species data shows that three-fifths (60
The United States is full of amazing habitats for numerous animal species. There are many examples of species that have been eliminated from the American landscape for economic benefit of a few individuals. There are many examples of species hunted and in some cases eradicated, but I believe there is no example that has had as many species affected in a single area as the Florida everglades. The number of available bird species in the everglades made it an ideal location for the mass slaughter of birds for their feathers. Now, and in the future, if people wish to preserve natural spaces, we need to understand how we interact with the environment and how our actions can impact these delicate ecosystems.
National parks play an essential role in this country. Not only do they preserve land areas, but they also preserve bodies of water that need to be protected. The amount of drinkable water left in the world is dwindling at an alarming rate, and with the help of The National Parks Service, that rate can be slowed down. Protecting these lands and bodies of water also protects the habitats of animals living in these areas. One article, “A Monumental Fight”, written by Katy Steinmetz, discusses the fight that former President Obama made to increase these areas and protect the wildlife living in them, “In waters around Hawaii, Obama quadrupled the size of Papahanaumokuakea...
"ARTIC NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE PART OF THE SOLUTION. " US Fed News Service, Including US State News [Washington, D.C.] 30 May 2006, Research Library. ProQuest. 15 Nov. 2007 <
We capture, contain, and control the very wildness of these animals, we so admire them for. We decorate a large bucket of water, or a box of bars to resemble a shallow shadow of the wilderness they should be in. These animals held captive in collective groups as a means to entertain us. We are trading the wonder of nature, seen in it’s own wilderness area for animal showmanship and entertainment. Losing the remarkable sensations of hope and renewal we experience, as we stand in a wilderness land, quietly observing animals and nature in the wildly beautiful and raw lands. The absence of our own lack of realization that nature and the wild places we call the wilderness are under attack. They are in danger of being beyond repair. It overwhelms the senses, and is not to be tolerated.
In our Change Project, we collected a sufficient amount of data and learned information on a endangered species, the Ridgway’s Rail. This environmental issue is not very well-known, which explains the lack of help and volunteering. In this service project, our Change group went to Don Edward and help improved the habit of Ridgway’s Rail. Throughout this project, we tried to spread awareness about endangered species and find ways we can enhance their surroundings. My Change group used this opportunity to not only help prevent the extinction of Ridgway’s Rails, but also to help other species that are living in the same habitat. In order to help the Rails, we tried to figure out the reason behind the destruction of the marsh. Through an experienced volunteer, June Smith, we learned that invasive plants are the culprit of the extinction of the Ridgway’s Rails.
Duerksen, C. & Snyder, C., (2005). Nature-friendly communities: habitat protection and land use. Case Study for Austin, TX; Washington, DC: Island Press Retrieved from http://site.ebrary.com.ezproxy.apus.edu/lib/apus/Doc?id=10149942
The utilization of nature has increased due to human amendments of trails and parks. Mackinac Island, a charming tourist island in Michigan, boasts a system of trails and amenities that have attracted many people to get out in nature. Visitors enjoy the beauty of the area, bicycling alongside the shore, hiking around historic sites, and riding horses through the woods. Because
Chirp! That is a sound often heard in the wilderness, while camping. This outdoor activity is enjoyable for many reasons.
From the beginning of human civilization to the present wild animals have caused issues in ecotones. An ecotone is the place where two different types of communities meet. In this paper, I will be talking about the ecotones of human civilization and wildlife. People that hike and bike trails in Durango, Colorado often run into animals that are not afraid of people. In this essay the topics that will be discussed that relate to human and wildlife relationships in an ecotone are, the history of human-wild animal interaction, problems associated with this interaction, and issues with wild animals in ecotones.
Environmentalism has always been two sided. Nature versus urban. locals versus national. Frequently, large tracts of public and federal land are bought and developed by industry. Pristine wilderness turned to bustling epicenters of human activity, all in the name of progress and economic growth. This tale of preserving natural wilderness is one that begins with John Muir, an advocate against the taming of Yosemite national park and the Hetch-Hetchy reservoir, while the head of the US Forest Service, Gifford Pinchot, insisted on the reservoir to supply the city of San Francisco with water. This timeless epic of conservation or preservation brings us to the Jumbo Valley, a vast expanse of uninhabited, pristine wilderness home to diverse
It is early in the morning; the majestic Elk bugles in the distance. The sun is kissing the tops of the peaks with the most beautiful gold, and painting the clouds rose red. The men and women who enjoy the outdoors whether it is hunting or just hiking help make these types of moments possible. Hunting and the ecosystem is tied closely to conservation of land and animals. The articles of “Hunting and the ecosystem” written by the South Dakota Game Fish and Parks Department (SDGFP), and “Facts and statistics on wildlife conservation” written by Roger Holmes, director of the Fish and Wildlife, touch on how hunting is important in the environment to keep a good balance in the ecosystem. They also point out how hunters do more than any other
Beavers, as ecosystem engineers, can reshape the geomorphology, hydrology, and biotic composition of a channel through their activities. By doing so, beavers increase habitat heterogeneity plus species diversity at the landscape scale. Sometimes a beaver’s activity will disturb humans and cause them to question the benefits of beavers. The question of whether beaver activity is a public nuisance or beneficial ecological restoration has much to do with people’s understanding of beavers. The abundant geomorphic and ecologic literature on beaver processes seem to have been generally overlooked in the debate of public policy. Since there is very little scientific literature showing the benefits or consequences of beavers on urban environments, our study seeks to fill those gaps so that communities can make more informed decision about their beavers. We found that natural and beaver-dammed streams did not have a higher biodiversity when compared to urban and non-dammed channels. We recorded great similarity across all sites for bird diversity but not as much for the plant communities. While this experiment did not display that any one group was more diverse than the others, it may indicate that many of these identified species can now live in urban environments and support other organisms that would usually steer clear from human settlements.
The number of people living in urban areas is dramatically increasing across the world. Currently, 75 % of people live in cities in the developed world, (Bernhardt E.S. and Palmer M.A, 2007) despite such high percentage many do not get access to the green and blue spaces available, in other words cannot interact with nature. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency green spaces are ‘land that is partly or completely covered with grass, trees, shrubs or other vegetation’ (Environmental Protection Agency, 2014) This includes community gardens, parks as well as cemeteries. (Environmental Protection Agency, 2014) On the other hand, blue spaces include rivers, canals and lakes. (Sally, M, 2010) As urbanisation increases, it will pose a greater threat to nature such as pollution, habitat destruction, erosion and colonisation of native species. There are various ways to engage with nature. However, one reason for green and blue spaces not being utilised effectively by people may be due to people being unaware of the values that these have and the crucial functions they undertake in the ecosystem such as recycling nutrients and controlling the hydrological cycle.