For almost as long as humans have been on Earth, we have changed landscapes drastically to suit our needs, historically often without regard to the damage caused in the process. This has changed over time, with the passing of legislation like the Endangered Species Act and the Clean Water Act, the creation of national and state parks, and efforts being made to restore degraded ecosystems. While we may never see perfect natural systems again, especially in areas heavily populated by humans, reconciliation is possible. Reconciliation ecology takes the concepts of restoration ecology, in which managers seek to restore an ecosystem to how it used to be at a particular time, and combines them with inevitable human presence. It uses these factors …show more content…
The Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area (YBWA) is a 15,830-acre intensely managed ecosystem consisting of seasonal wetlands, ponds that can be filled or drained to suit management goals, rice fields, and grasslands. It also contains hiking trails, an auto tour route, and hunting areas. The YBWA is an example of successful reconciliation ecology, as it provides a home for numerous species of waterfowl and those that occur with them, while combining agriculture, recreation, hunting, and active management. The YBWA provides an essential home to numerous species of birds. The presence of birds was abundantly evident from the moment I pulled into the YBWA. I rolled down my windows as I drove up to the auto tour road and was flooded with the sound of birdsong. While I was …show more content…
While providing a source of money needed to accomplish management programs at the YBWA, the rice fields also provide a food source for ducks and temporary habitat for waterfowl, as the fields are re-flooded post-harvest. This is a vast improvement from the previous strategy of burning the fields post-harvest, as that was a source of air pollution. Most of the 15,000 acres of the YBWA is inaccessible to recreational hikers, though there are a few trails scattered throughout. Provided hikers are conscientious, their impact is likely to be minimal and come incidentally from car runoff. Most of the species I saw at the YBWA seemed to not mind the presence of cars or hikers much, though the blackbirds continuously flushed as I hiked along the parking lot C trail. Hunting impacts individual ducks immediately, but may be compensatory. In addition to these uses of the YBWA, the ecosystem is actively
Restoration ecologists study the ecological communities before humans had any interaction with it. The importance of this study is that if the ecosystem can’t function we are able to do something about it.
This situation requires intervention. “Migratory Bird specialist
At an early age, Yaki started to take an interest in nature. When Yaki was five, birds would meet him along the path he took to school from his family farm, in Northern Saskatchewan. He closely observed the birds to discover the name of the species at school. Yaki’s
Ecosystems can be restored by retaining and restoring the ecological sustainability of watersheds, forests, and rangelands for present and future generations.
I agree with Anderson’s idea of making use of restoration techniques used by California natives because it focuses on conservation through action rather than a “hands off” approach. The California native techniques may be useful because it can help caretakers actively participate in restoration of flora and fauna while learning about their habitat and what makes them flourish. The natives were also concerned with “a sense of respect which consequently promoted habitat heterogeneity, increased biodiversity, and a well maintained vegetation system” (Anderson 2005). If caretakers can take native management techniques and combine it with their background of sciences concerning the natural world they can come up with a whole new technique of restoration
He mentions that the Montana Yaak Valley has not been included in the “already in effect” Wilderness Act of 1964 and so far “not a single acre” (5) has been designated. The Yaak is public land and falls under the government’s passed Act, but it is thought by a good majority of the opposition as “private land.” He also explains that because his “home valley of the Yaak grows big timber and for this reason primarily was excluded from earlier Montana wilderness protection bills in the 1960’s, 70’s, and 80’s” (3). He states why the timber industry is against bills for the protection of wild lands, and that is because it needs the woods to produce labor opportunities. Bass also mentions a strategy formed, which pertained to assigning specific areas within the protected land to be used for recreational purposes, in order to please the opposition. Lastly, he insists that the Yaak, as one of the United States’ lungs, is worth protecting because “it nurtures the greatest biodiversity in the state” (2). The reality is that the Yaak Valley is a relative large area with minimum human involvement, which is perfect to maintain the existence of many fauna and
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is the primary agency that works to conserve, protect, and enhance the nation's fish and wildlife by providing sustainable healthy environments for future generations. It is through these three basic principles of ‘conserve, protect and enhance’ the USFWS is able to bring programs that both directly affect the health and well-being of migratory birds, fish and endangered species. In most cases it is through habitat protection that enables the USFWS to carry out these three principles. The Small Wetlands Program (SWP) is one such program that the USFWS utilizes to maintain the health of migratory birds in the United States.
"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 <
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 Yaak Valley of northern Montana is one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in the continental United States. It has cores of roadless wilderness that have been untouched by human activity and I believe that they should remain as such. The biodiverse ecosystem of the Yaak Valley benefits its human and non-human inhabitants and we should protect it from the detrimental effects of human activities, especially the violent changes caused by large timber companies and their practice of clear-cut logging. There are sustainable and pragmatic solutions that would address both human needs and protecting the biodiverse ecosystem.
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
Wondrous Wetlands is an article about the conservation department of Missouri finding ways to save wetlands for future generations. Those who are directly impacted by wetlands are those who enjoy things such as hunting and wildlife watching, but can affect everyone, because wetlands contribute to the clean water that we drink and even cycling nutrients in our environment. When wetlands began to diminish in the 1980’s, conservationists realized there was a problem when they saw waterfowl populations’ diminishing. The department then developed a plan to develop more wetlands to try and save the populations, which was known as the 1989 Wetland Plan. The wetland plan developed an additional 12,500 acres
The boundaries between maintenance and the expansion of humanity should be known clearly by everyone, because nature is so unpredictable yet fragile that we should not be continuing to develop and expand blindly. One individual who shares such sentiment is Michael Pollan, in his book “The Idea of a Garden” he talked about a massive tornado which devastated a familiar forest of pines in New England. In the aftermath of this natural disaster, there was a debate about how they were going to clean up such a mess. Two solutions were provided, the first was to let nature as it is and not bother to replace anything that was lost. The second solution was make a huge overhaul, and cut down everything in the forest in order to plant new trees, as a result their descendants can enjoy the radiance that once was. The common theme was that
White’s thesis in The Historical Roots of our Ecological Crisis states that in order to confront the expanding environmental crises, humans must begin to analyze and alter their treatment and attitudes towards nature. The slow destruction of the environment derives from the Western scientific and technological advancements made since the Medieval time period. “What people do about their ecology depends on what they think about themselves in relation to things around them” (RON p.7). Technology and science alone will not be able to save humans until we adjust the way of thinking and suppress the old ideas of humans power above nature. Instead, we need to learn how to think of ourselves as being
Once massive damage is done, there are cases where it is impossible to bring the ecosystem back to its "natural" state. Non-native species don't necessarily come from far away. They may come from neighboring areas, but from different ecosystems. If you have ever crossed a border between countries, you may have passed through an inspection point where inspectors ask if you are bringing any fruit, plants or animals into the country. The reason for this is to keep non-native species out of their particular ecosystems. Money and manpower should be