Sky High Islands of America

How can you consider something an Island if it not surrounded by water? The Sky Islands of North America established this rare classification.

The Sky Island region covers parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Chihuahua, Mexico. The "island" consists of landlocked mountain peaks which provide a home to a wide variety of animal life.

 The animal list consists of bears and wolves to parrots and jaguars.

The ecosystem breaks down like this: the north-south line consist of temperate forests and subtropical landscapes. The east-west portion is mostly desert-like area. This unique grouping explains the jaguars and bears.

                                                 The convergence of habitats known as the Sky Island region                                                            blends together to create a rare mix of ecosystems. There are very                                                    few places on Earth with this much Bio-diversity and those rarities                                                  are being threatened by global warming.(picture courtesy                                                                of http://www.terrain.org/articles/21/skroch.htm)

The issues facing the Sky Island region are not unique. The increasing threat of global warming threatens to extend droughts longer than they already are. A prolonged drought to an ecosystem so complex can have dangerous consequences. 

There is also the issue of Homeland Security and border patrol. Because the Sky Island region spans over two US states and one Mexican city, there are geopolitical concerns, mainly immigration.

According to the Sky Island Alliance, the Department of Homeland Security has waived at least 30 environmental laws in order to speed up the construction of a 670 mile-wide fence along the US-Mexico border.

The Alliance claims the construction of the fence would damage the unique habitat of the Sky Island region.





 Sources:

http://www.livescience.com/29569-8-of-the-worlds-most-endangered-places.html

http://www.terrain.org/articles/21/skroch.htm

http://www.walden.org/About_Us/WW_Project_Awards/2014_Challenge_Awards/Sky_Island_Alliance

http://www.skyislandalliance.org/CIR%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf

http://articles.latimes.com/2008/apr/02/nation/na-fence2