1 / 28

What do you think is the single most effective means of resolving environmental problems

Preserving Habitat. What it helps:Biodiversity- supports ecosystemsGlobal warming- Carbon Sinks- forest, wetlands,Air pollution- Plant filter pollutants from the atmosphereWater pollution- Wetlands absorb a wide variety of pollutantsFloods- Wetlands, riparian forests retard floodPathogens- curb spread minimizes human encroachment, reduces stressAgriculture- Erosion, pest control .

etienne
Download Presentation

What do you think is the single most effective means of resolving environmental problems

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

    1. What do you think is the single most effective means of resolving environmental problems?

    2. Preserving Habitat

    6. National Park System �To conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for enjoyment for future generations�

    7. The United States is a leader in natural habitat protection (108,000 sq mi.). But, Incomplete ecosystems Are becoming islands Under-protected: human abuses Over-protected: lost natural disturbance. National Park System

    8. President Clinton- placed more area under protection than any other president in history. One of the first actions Bush took in office was to revoke protection from many of these areas (p 332).

    9. Key Problems with Preserves Under funding- Lack of federal support (public opinion?). Money goes to visitor accommodations and not parks wildlife management. Politics: Golden Gate Nat. Rec. Area (1,500 acres) gets more $$ than all the Alaska preserves (55 million acres).

    11. Key Problems with Preserves Over visitation trail erosion, trampled vegetation and cryptobiotic soils campfire wood, trash, wildlife harassment, auto pollution, gateway towns. 270 million in 1993; 95% never venture far from cars. 350 M in 2000

    12. Key Problems with Preserves Pollution Air pollution is higher in several parks than EPA standards Acid rain; erosion Too many automobiles Off-road vehicles (noise) Roads- act as barriers to animals #1 complaint by visitors

    14. Key Problems with Preserves Invasive Species Spruce bug infestation, gypsy moth/ tent caterpillar, purple loosestrife, Sudden Oak Death: affecting redwood forests of the pacific coast. (Dutch Elm disease)����� woolly adelgid- consumes Fraser firs or Hemlocks in Smokies. Source non-native pines (Christmas trees?). Vulnerable as a result of pollution stress.

    15. Key Problems with Preserves Mining- Oil and other minerals. Also Dams. Drilling in ANWR seems eminent. Do you support this? Does it set precedence for future mining in other preserves? Increasing fuel efficiency in autos by 5% would save 10-20X more oil (ACEEE)

    16. Key Problems with Preserves Migrating animals- Island-like nature of parks cannot accommodate the movement patterns of many animals. Elk and Bison in Yellowstone vs. cattle ranchers.

    17. Too much protection?? Disturbance regimes- Too little disturbance can be just as harmful as too much:

    18. Forest Fire Suppression Without fire, forest stands become very dense. Hotter more intense fires reach the canopy and are uncontrollable. The result is ecological destruction of the entire forest. Normal density fires show little negative effect and can be managed to protect residences.

    19. Forest fires In 1998, U.S. spent $1 billion and lost 33 lives in forest fire control. Congress responded by allocating more money to fire suppression. Fire fighting techniques may be more damaging than the fires. Chemical retardants, bulldozing fire breaks; most are ineffective: Fire suppression is disrupting ecological succession.

    21. Forest fires Recent catastrophic fires have force the U.S. government to re-evaluate the issue. The Bush administration has proposed a forest thinning plan: Administration wants to contract the work to timber industry. Some feel this is a ploy by commercial industry to regain access to protect forests, citing that many large desirable tree are tagged for thinning. The policy makes little head way in solving the ultimate problem of fire suppression. Efforts to make smaller trees more economically viable through timber technology like particleboard may offer compromises.

    25. The SLOSS debate Single Large Or Several Small reserves? What is the optimal preserve size/shape? Must consider migration patterns, metapopulation dynamics, core vs. edge habitat (also shape). Future changes (climate shifts, Disease spread?). Cost and availability.

    26. Large habitats can hold more species. Small habitats are more easily attained/ maintained; could contain spread of disease. A network of areas of variable size linked by corridors seems optimal. The SLOSS debate Single Large Or Several Small reserves?

    27. Corridors Narrow strips of land that permit wildlife movement from one preserve to another Expands functional size of preserves; aids in migration; promotes genetic exchange.

    29. Economic Value of preservation In Oregon- 150,000 people employed by timber industry. $7 B/yr; 1/5 of State GNP. But, Only 10% of virgin forests remain; Natural recreation may provide 16 times more jobs (retraining?). Costa Rica- Has most protected land in tropics. Ecotourism is leading revenue source for country. The wealthiest nation in Central America.

More Related