[De] Forest [Station]

Deforestation

Deforestation can be caused by a number of reasons, natural and unnatural. 

Deforestation is defined as "the action or process of clearing of forests." (Merriam-Webster.com) One of the main reasons used to clear natural forest land is for agricultural purposes. Farmers will clear forest land to expand land for farming and grazing. 

The process of deforestation can have many effects on the environment and natural habitats for the species living in the forests. It is estimated that 70 percent of all land animals and plants live in forests according to National Geographic.com. 

The process of deforestation can have a profound effect on the natural inhabitants of the area. A study done by Kenneth Feely, published for the Global Change Biology journal, states that Amazonia,  which makes up half of the total global tropical forest area, had lost 15 percent of total forest cover by 2002.The report also estimated that, "By 2050, The loss of habitat area is predicted to increase to 26 percent or 47 percent under simulated progressions of increased governance (GOV) or business-as-usual (BAU) deforestation, respectively (Soares-Filho et al., 2006). ("Global Change Biology", 2012, 18, pg. 2,637)

                                        An  off-putting example of deforestation. 

At one point during the preagricultural period, forests covered up to 50 percent of Earth's land ("World at Risk" 241).  That number was down to 30 percent in 2007 according to the "State of the World's Forest" report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 

As of 2010, the number has risen to 31 percent according to earth-policy.org.This rise can be attributed to forest preservation efforts and replanting initiatives. 

Sources

http://www.fao.org/docrep/009/a0773e/a0773e00.htm

http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/deforestation-overview/

http://www.earth-policy.org/indicators/C56

http://www.greenfacts.org/en/forests/l-2/2-extent-deforestation.htm

"World at Risk: Second Edition, CQ Press, Chapter 11, "Deforestation."

" Feely, Kenneth J., "Global change biology" journal, "The relative importance of   deforestation, precipitation change, and temperature sensitivity in determining the future distributions and diversity of Amazonian plant species."

The Dead (Dying) Sea

The Dead Sea is one of the most iconic bodies of water in human history. Predictably, it is in danger of disappearing from the earth completely.



People will remember the Dead Sea for two reasons: The Dead Sea Scrolls and the amount of salt contained in the water. It is also the lowest elevated body of water on earth. The Dead Sea lies 1300 feet below sea level.



Also referred to as the "Salt Sea," the body of water contains no forms of life except for bacteria. Often times fish get carried into the Dead Sea from the Jordan river and are killed almost immediately.

                     Thousands of people, tourists and local citizens, use the Dead Sea as a natural                                       spa.

The Dead Sea is an important part of  the middle-eastern economic and religious culture. Both Jewish and Christian religions revere the Dead Sea. It is also used as a main tourist attraction due to its high buoyancy due to the Dead Seas saline levels. Human beings are able to effortlessly float in the sea. 

But with all of its attraction, the sea is slowly draining. According to a Smithsonian.com article that chronicled the Dead Sea decline, the sea has shrunk from 50 miles long in 1950 to 30 miles long today.



Environmentalists blame Israeli and Jordanian companies that use the Dead Sea to extract Potash, a raw component used in fertilizer.  Since the Dead Sea borders both Jordan and Israel, it is used by both companies for economic purposes.



The Dead Sea is 'fed' by a number of fresh water sources. A combination of Israel, Jordan, and Syria siphon enough water from the surrounding bodies of water that feed the Dead Sea to cause it to dry up.


The rivers Jordan, Karmut, and Lake Kinneret are all sources of water for the Dead Sea. these three bodies of water are all heavily used by Jordan, Israel, and Syria. This is causing the sea to rapidly disappear, causing terrifying consequences for the ecosystem surrounding the sea.


One of these consequences is the rising number of sinkholes around the dried up areas in the Dead Sea. When fresh water combines with the salt deposits it cause the ground to dissolve and create a sinkhole.


In 1990 there were 40 sinkholes. Today there are over 3,000 sinkholes and counting. At the current rate, one sinkhole is created almost everyday.









Sources

http://www.forbes.com/pictures/emej45ldlg/dead-sea/

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-dying-of-the-dead-sea-70079351/?page=1

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/is-the-dead-sea-dying-water-loss-continues-at-record-rate-8229546.html

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/154254/Dead-Sea

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/moment/2013/09/the_dead_sea_is_dying_how_sinkholes_habitat_destruction_and_low_water_levels.html

Mortgaging our future: The Ogallala Aquifer

When we hear the song "God Bless America", and the portion involving the "Amber Waves of Grain," people in the midwest pump their chest out with pride. If the Ogallala aquifer, the secret to the success of midwest farming, dries up then chest swelling may deflate to a flat chest, devoid of pride.

The Ogallala Aquifer is a natural water deposit that helps farmers grow their crops in an area that covers eight states. The aquifer is responsible for the success of Americas rich and plentiful farmlands across the midwest.

According to the Water Encyclopedia, The Ogallala Aquifer covers 174,000 square miles across eight states. It also provides the High Plains region with nearly all of the water for agriculture, industrial, and residential use.

The aquifer is the key system used in a vast region of America's heartland. Recently, efforts have been made to cut back the usage of this aquifer in order to prevent it from drying up and/or becoming polluted.

According to the USDA, The aquifer accounts for 30 percent of all water used in the country.

                   One of the main concern regarding the aquifer is the current over usage by the                              agriculture, industrial, and residential sectors.

According to a U.S. Geological Survey study from 2000-2008, the aquifer was over drafted by an average of 10.2 Kilometers, or roughly 2 percent of the volume of water in Lake Eerie.

The Ogallala Aquifer recharges itself by collecting rainfall and snowmelt. As you can imagine, this is a relatively slow and natural process. Due to the rapid rise in agriculture since 1940, we have been over drafting from the 10 million year-old system for decades.

Other Links:

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detailfull/national/programs/initiatives/?cid=stelprdb1048809


http://web.mit.edu/12.000/www/m2012/finalwebsite/problem/groundwater.shtml

http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/Oc-Po/Ogallala-Aquifer.html

http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=3595#.VDteASldXZg

Indiana('s) Bat

The Bat

The Indiana Bats population has been cut in half since its placement on the endangered species list in 1967.

The Indiana Bat is a species of bat that is scattered across the eastern United States. The name "Indiana Bat" was given to the species not because they are exclusive to Indiana (which they are not), but because they were discovered and first observed in a cave in southern Indiana.

Although, Indiana does play a significant role in the species origin and survival. According to fws.gov, about half of the species (207,000 in 2005) hibernate in caves in southern Indiana.

The Indiana Bat, or Myotis Sodolis, prefers the damp, cool, environment of southern Indiana's caves. The Myotis Sodolis is a very social species of bat. They tend to gather in large groups to hibernate.

The fact that the Indiana Bat gathers in large groups combined with a devastating fungus and human interruption have caused a massive decrease in the population.

                                          A gathering of Indiana Bats. The bats gather in these groups during                                                       hibernation in abandoned mines or caves. 

White Nose Syndrome

White-nose syndrome, or WNS, is a fungus that affects hibernating bats. The fungus' scientific name is Pseudogymnoascus destructans. According to fws.gov, the syndrome has killed over a million bats since its discovery in 2006. 

Bats that are affected by WNS develop a white ring around the its nose, hence the name 'White-nose syndrome.' Because the bats gather in such large groups, they are more susceptible to the disease by rapid spreading. 

                                          A brown bat with White-nose syndrome (WNS). 

                                          The fungus is found in caves where the bats hibernates. 

Another issue affecting the bats is human interruption of the bats hibernation process. When the bat is prematurely awakened from their hibernation, they use precious energy needed to survive during the winter. 

Possible Solutions

When a species is listed under the Endangered Species Act, a, "Action Plan" is required to help move the species out of the endangered category. The plan is reviewed every five years to mark the progress of the species. 

Within those plans, we discover the bats 'critical habitat.' A critical habitat is designated as any area that is vital for the bats survival. Some caves and mines have been designated as critical to the Indiana Bat. 

For more information visit: http://www.fws.gov/Midwest/Endangered/mammals/inba/index.html

                                            https://www.whitenosesyndrome.org/about/bats-affected-wns

Invasive Species (Not just humans).

The threat to a delicate ecosystem can include many things. One of the main threats often are invasive species. This term is very broad and can refer to many different species of animals and plants.

Invasive species can "invade" any area and immediately threaten the balance of the ecosystem. Below is the brown tree snake, an invasive species to the pacific island of Guam. 

The brown tree snake began to show up in Guam sometime between the 40s and 50s. No one knows exactly how the snake invaded Guam, although speculation is that it traveled here accidentally on imported human cargo. 

The snake is native to Indonesia, Australia, and Papua New Guinea. It has become highly invasive since arriving to the island. 

It has completely wiped out species of birds in Guam. One of its most famous victims is the Guam Rail pictured below. 

The Guam rail is important because it is only found in Guam. The brown tree snake has effectively wiped out any trace of the Guam Rail in the wild. Any trace of the Guam Rail now lies in specially managed habitats by Guam's government. 

The brown tree snake multiplies fast. According to National Geographic's Dan Stone, who wrote an article on the invasive species, the brown tree snake population in Guam is estimated to be around one million. 

The threat of the snake to Guam is real and nationally recognized. In 2013, The U.S. government dropped 2,000 dead mice on the island. The mice were filled with acetaminophen, commonly found in Tylenol, and is poison to the snake. Many native Guamanian are skeptical that the project will truly rid the island of the snake.  

The problem which most concerns the U.S. government is the eventual spread of the snake to Hawaii, which rely on its natural plants and species as a tourist attraction. So far there is no trace of the snake in other islands, but it is only a matter of time until the snake accidentally makes it on a piece of cargo or a humans suitcase. 

Even if the snake is eradicated, there are still many other invasive species of plants and animals that threaten the ecosystem of Guam. According to the Global Invasive Species Database, there are currently 129 invasive species in Guam. 

http://www.cepf.net/Documents/CEPF_PolyMicro_factsheet.pdf

http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/150628/

http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/animals/bts.shtml

Glacier Park

I'm going to ask each reader to follow me here, Google Glacier Park. What do you see? ok, I'll go first...

I see four lodging websites, one rafting website and the parks official government page. I can tell you what I don't see...a link to a story, any story, that describes the danger that Glacier Park is in.

I vaguely understand the business model behind Google and the obvious reasons why a website describing the endangered aspect to the park is not front and center. I can help you out on that subject.

According to the Guardian, 96-97 percent of climate experts believe that humans are largely responsible for the stark increase in global warming since the 1950s. Global warming can claim many victims and Glacier National Park is becoming a part of the grim list.

Glacier National Park is located in West Glacier, Montana. It is home 1,200 species of native plants, more than 240 species of birds and more than 65 species of native mammals. The park boosts hundreds of miles of trails.

Unfortunately the glaciers in this park are rapidly disappearing due to climate change. Ken Burns, noted author and historian, said, "The great sadness of Glacier National Park is that it's probably going to be true that fairly soon, we're going to call it 'The national park formerly known as glacier.'"


The park is under increasing stress from global warming and economic pressure. The good news is that the park does have protectors.  According to The National Parks Conservation Association, On February 19, 2010, Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer and British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell signed an agreement that promises to protect the Flathead River Valley from types of mining and oil and gas extraction.

If you have a second, stroll through some images of Glacier National Park. See natural pictures that cannot be duplicated or enhanced by technology.

The park may be facing an inevitable demise at the hands of humankind, but we need not speed up the process. For more information on how to help conserve the Glacier Park, please visit glacierconservancy.org or visit the NPCA.org for information on other conservation efforts around the world.

Other sources include:
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2014/sep/15/97-vs-3-how-much-global-warming-are-humans-causing

http://www.usatoday.com/search/Ken%20Burns%20Glacier%20National%20Partk/

http://glacierconservancy.org/

http://www.npca.org/protecting-our-parks/air-land-water/mining-and-fracking/victory_for_glacier.html

http://www.nps.gov/index.htm

Attack/Introduction.

The fault in our rapid growth is the toll it takes on our land. Beautiful and rare spots on our earth are disappearing right before our eyes. From the rapid decline of Glacier Park in Montana or the imminent threat to Mounds State Park in east central Indiana, the natural rarities of our hometowns are being threatened for the sake of economic  and population growth.

This blog will introduce the audience to the different places around the world that are rapidly disappearing due to rising populations and economic opportunities. I will cover different initiatives that are fighting to save these rare land gems. 

I want to paint a landscape of natural parks, nature preserves, and rare spots around the world while alerting the public to the dangers that we pose to these areas. Once they are gone, they can never come back. 

I will also post a weekly quote from different activists in an effort to pump up the crowd. 

Rosewood trees- In danger of extinction from illegal logging. 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100527141957.htm