The prairie is facing several problems that threaten not only the wellbeing but also the existence of plant and animal species. Habitat loss, overgrazing, and pollution are ruining the prairie ecosystem. The habitats of native prairie animals are being destroys and converted into farmland. Prairie grasses are being uprooted, which are a vital food source for prey animals. When these prey animals do not have enough resources to sustain their current population, their decreasing numbers create ripples across the food web. Loss of prairie grasses is also a problem for animals that live create nests inside them to shelter them and their young. Another side effect of habitat loss is that as the amount of land decreases, the population density increases …show more content…
This project is significant in not only sustaining the prairie ecosystem, but by reducing the carbon footprint humans have on the earth. By educating farmers on how to be more sustainable, it will not only lift the burden upon the prairie plants and animals, but also help the human population in the future. If we put too much weight on the land at once, then it will produce a lot for a short amount of time. If however, farmers become sustainable, the land may produce less in in the short term, but pay off in the long run. The resources the prairie has will be maximized in the years to come, available for future generations. This approach is the most likely to be successful because by educating farmers, they will learn how to better work the land, how to protect the native species while at the same time, allow human interests to thrive in terms of agriculture. The creation of such educational programs, whether they be offered to the public online or/and students at universities, would not require as much funding compared to the amount of money that would have to be spent fixing problems that could have been prevented if such farmers were …show more content…
Before I began this assignment, I did not know that the prairie was endangered. It does not get a lot of attention in the media, nor does its threatened wildlife. A lot of attention is given to animals in different countries, outside the United States. The Amazon rainforest, the tiger, the panda, etc. all get tons of media coverage. They are popular zoo animals as well. Prairie animals often look so ordinary and uninteresting that the public does not give them the attention they deserve or need in order to get assistance. Some people do not see the value or importance in prairie animals and plants, but the biggest issue with prairie conservation is that people just aren’t aware that the prairies are in danger, and that overgrazing is a major problem. As I worked through the assignments, I realized that people in the United States should be supporting domestic ecological plights, and not only foreign causes. As Americans it is our duty to take care of problems in our own country before other countries. All conservation efforts are equally important, but we do have to care of issues in our home country and not overlook them until the situation becomes too dire to
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?
Timmons, J. B., Alldredge, B., Rogers, W. E., & Cathey, J. C. (2012). Feral hogs negatively affect native plant communities. Informally published manuscript, Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Texas A&M , College Station, TX, Retrieved from http://feralhogs.tamu.edu/files/2010/04/feral-hogs-native-plants.pdf
Prairie dogs are well known for being a “plague-ridden, land-destroying blight.” In “Denver’s Street-Smart Prairie Dogs,” Morgan Heim states, “... their tendency to chew down grass and create dusty, pock-marked landscapes in pastures, cropland and backyards.” This argues that prairie dogs disrupted ways are destroying our lands, and in order to protect our lands we need to exterminate them. Furthermore to this evidence, the text, “Prairie Dogs: A Threatened Species or Public Nuisance?” it also claims,
Endangered animals will never be seen again if citizens don't act now. Specifically the Woodland Caribou of The Great White North. The Woodland Caribou is the most endangered mammal in North America and is becoming more and more every year. Without the help of citizens and organizations from around the continent, this species will be gone forever. The absence of the Woodland Caribou in the Canadian and American ecosystems will cause tremendous effects that won't be good for any ecosystem in North America. In order to save this vital species, habitats need to be protected, illegal hunting of the Woodland Caribou needs to be enforced, and compromises need to be made to make a foundation for the Woodland Caribou.
Deforestation demolishes the habitats of many animals leaving them very little food or for many others, no choice but die. "The toll on wildlife across
In the last decade, from the Rockies to New England and the Deep South, rural and suburban areas have been beset by white-tailed deer gnawing shrubbery and crops, spreading disease and causing hundreds of thousands of auto wrecks. But the deer problem has proved even more profound, biologists say. Fast-multiplying herds are altering the ecology of forests, stripping them of native vegetation and eliminating niches for other wildlife. ' 'I don 't want to paint deer as Eastern devils, ' ' said Dr. McShea, a wildlife biologist associated with the National Zoo in Washington, ' 'but this is indicative of what happens when an ecosystem is out of whack. ' ' The damage is worse than anyone expected, he and other scientists say. Higher deer densities have affected growth, survival, and reproduction of many plant species which have aesthetic, economic or ecological value. In some cases, many species of trees have also been shown to have reduced growth as a result of high deer density (Environmental Benefits of Hunting, 1). Deer prefer certain plant species over others and frequently feed on economically valuable tree species. For example, they prefer oak and sugar maple seedlings, as well as acorns, over less palatable species like American Beech and striped maple. Thus, less marketable species are more likely to survive to maturity,
Estimates are that at the turn of the twentieth century, over two million wild horses roamed free in the western United States. However, having no protection from their primary predator, man, by the 1970’s their numbers had dwindled to less than thirty thousand. In 1971, after a massive public uproar, Congress by a unanimous vote enacted the “Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act” (Act) that characterizes wild horses and burros as national treasures and provides for their protection. “Congress finds and declares that wild free-roaming horses and burros are living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West; that they contribute to the diversity of life forms within the Nation and enrich the lives of the American people; and that these horses and burros are fast disappearing from the American scene. It is the policy of Congress that wild free-roaming horses and burros shall be protected from capture, branding, harassment, or death; and to accomplish this they are to be considered in the area where presently found, as an integral part of the natural system of the public lands.”
The deer population has seen a dramatic increase since the late 1800s. Before that time, the deer census had been threatened. In the 1900s the deer population rebounded from about 20,000 to more than 1 million. This drastic increase can be attributed to changes in habitat, including reverting abandoned farm fields to forests, and migrations in human population to rural and suburban areas. Both of these progressions created open and forested habitats preferred by deer. In addition, landowners have excluded hunters out of many areas, subsequently, deer populations have increased. “Although the recovery of deer populations from only about 500,000 nationwide in the early 1900s to more than 15 million today is considered a wildlife management
Traditional agriculture requires massive forest and grassland removal to obtain land necessary to farm on. Deforestation and overgrazing has caused erosion flooding, and enabled the expansion of deserts. But with drainage systems, leveling, and irrigation provided by the Green Rev, all this terra deforming will unlikely happen again. We can retain clean air and lessen the global warming effect caused by deforestation.Many people argue that a revamp in agriculture will be way too expensive and unrealistic especially for those poor farmers in third world countries. However many times, they exaggerate the price.
There are 542 refuges in the U.S. comprising 95 million acres of protected land. Individual refuges serve as a multitude of purposes, including protecting endangered plants and animals and their habitats, preserving wilderness areas, providing outdoor recreational and educational opportunities, and providing lands and waters for traditional uses such as hunting and fishing. One would think that from the overall ownership of land and wonderful activities that the refuges provide, animals that are threatened or endangered would be totally protected. However, it takes a lot more than one would think to keep these refuges up and running. The biggest problems that our government is facing are lack of funds and trained personnel. These two problems have led to a diverse number of complications among the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) and the Department of the Interior.
For my service learning this semester I worked on Prairie Roots Farms alongside Abby and occasionally one of her two sons. It was an eye opening experience to say the least, working on an organic farm. It was surprising how much I learned about the world by never even leaving the county and I learned even in seemingly developed areas, there are corners of it that operate by farming more than just corn. When I thought of organic farming, I thought of normal industrial farming on a scale that was much smaller and without the use of pesticides. Although I was right about the smaller scales, there was a lot more work to it than I had initially expected. Since I worked there later in the fall, most of what we did was preparing for the next season, but we still had to remove tomato vines, remove and
In this new age of technology and advances in every possible field of study, many people forget about the environment. Some will just throw their trash all over the place with no concern for the possible consequences. Of course, there are many consequences, but only one comes to my mind. That is the demolition of species’ homes or habitat destruction. Habitat destruction or habitat loss is the altering or elimination of the conditions that plants and animals need to survive. “The primary threat to the world’s biodiversity is habitat destruction” (Okey p.1). Prairies have been greatly affected. The “loss of prairie habitat ranges from 20 to >99 percent depending on the region” (Benedict, Freeman, & Genoways, p.161). Habitat destruction can be caused by many things. These include:
The topic that I chose to discuss is one that every state has adopted due to the acts that have been taken to preserve and protect our environment, so I chose the Endangered Species Act. The Endangered Species Act prohibits activities affecting threatened and endangered species. There are many organizations in place to enforce the authorities of this act and a couple of the main groups are the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The National Oceans and Atmospheric National Marine Fisheries Services. In this assignment I will elaborate on the Parks and Wildlife efforts and policies on the Endangered Species Act. To put this Act or Law into order, there were strong actions that were threatening the environment for those that research and treat the animals. Since the 1960’s there have been motions to protect animals and in 1966 Congress passed the Endangered Species Preservation Act and bought its first endangered species habitat in Florida. Once again it was revised in 1969 and 1970, but in 1972, President Nixon declared that conservation efforts in the United States aim to prevent the extinction of species that brought together the 93rd Congress to develop comprehensive endangered species legislation. Congress responded and on December 28th the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973 was signed and put into order.
One of the big causes of extinction or the endangerment of species is foreign species entering a habitat. This species that are not native to the land can disrupt the food web in that community. These species take control of the food web and endanger some of the other species. The native species become endangered and over the course of many years they either adapt to their new way or life, the foreign predator leaves or is killed off due to the different environment, or the species is killed off and becomes extinct. Organizations like the “World Wild Li...
...t too expensive for the farmers. The second step is that broader awareness is required. According to Sarah Alexander, “different farmers trust different sources, such as vendors, crop consultants, and university extension services.” Farmers are going to need to be open minded to new things, in order to feed the human race. The last step is farmers need the right incentives. Farmers want to know about the good that they are doing. Farmer’s want to know how they are saving the environment, and how they are producing more food, and feeding more people than they were before.