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UST 259 The Natural History of Cleveland

UST 259 The Natural History of Cleveland. Instructor: Jim Wyles. The Natural History of Cleveland. Early Settlement – what Ohio used to look like Formation – rocks, soils, landforms, fauna/flora Changes Over Time – what impacts changed the above Bring to Modern Time – human impacts.

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UST 259 The Natural History of Cleveland

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  1. UST 259The Natural History of Cleveland Instructor: Jim Wyles

  2. The Natural History of Cleveland Early Settlement – what Ohio used to look like Formation – rocks, soils, landforms, fauna/flora Changes Over Time – what impacts changed the above Bring to Modern Time – human impacts

  3. Ohio Settlement • 1700’s: • Primarily Forest • Some open prairies • Bogs • Marshes • Attractive to Early Settlers: • Great soils • Abundant resources • Clean water supply

  4. Original Vegetation of Ohio(at the time of the earliest land surveys)

  5. Ohio Settlement • Between Lake Erie, Ohio River, and abundant river system created a strong trade market • Forest system was vast, stretching from the Ohio river to Lake Erie • Prairies were described as being miles wide and long

  6. Ohio Settlement • Fear of forests • Useless • Destroy • Burn • Agriculture difficult, at first

  7. Original Vegetation • Prairies • Great Black Swamp • Original Oak Forest • “Muck Farmers”

  8. Early Agriculture • “Muck Farmers” • Learned how to work the land • Found the swamp to be fertile • Still very dangerous

  9. Early Agriculture • Settlers destroyed the forests partly out of fear • Also realized how valuable the soils were for crop production • By the time the timber industry had come along they had already destroyed some of the most valuable timber around

  10. Original Wildlife • Forest Species

  11. Original Wildlife • Forest Species • Many Large Mammals

  12. Original Wildlife • Forest Species • Many Large Mammals • Prairie Species

  13. Original Wildlife • Forest Species • Many Large Mammals • Prairie Species • Species That Added to the Fear of the Territory

  14. Original Wildlife • Forest Species • Many Large Mammals • Prairie Species • Species That Added to the Fear of the Territory • Game Species

  15. Original Wildlife • Forest Species • Many Large Mammals • Prairie Species • Species That Added to the Fear of the Territory • Game Species • Fur Trade

  16. We Should Have Learned From These

  17. We Should Have Learned From TheseThe Passenger Pigeon • Bird similar to our present Mourning Dove • Valuable game bird • Once considered the most abundant bird in the WORLD

  18. We Should Have Learned From TheseThe Passenger Pigeon • Recordings of huge flocks • 1-mile wide and 240 miles long (about the distance to Cincinnati) • 2 Billion birds in that flock

  19. We Should Have Learned From TheseThe Passenger Pigeon • Lost of forest habitat was one reason • Over-hunting was the primary reason • Hunts take place at nesting site, destroying both adult birds and the breading stock / eggs

  20. We Should Have Learned From TheseThe Passenger Pigeon • March 24, 1900 last kill • No luck breading in captivity • Martha died Sept. 1, 1914 • Once most abundant went to extinction in one human generation

  21. We Should Have Learned From TheseThe Great Hinckley Hunt of 1818 “The depredations and annoyances by the wolves and bears whose haunts were in Hinckley caused the farmers and settlers of Medina, Summit and Cuyahoga Counties to resolve on a war of extermination against these beasts.”

  22. We Should Have Learned From TheseThe Great Hinckley Hunt of 1818 Late in the Fall of 1818, a number of meetings were held by settlers surrounding the Hinckley Forests, to arrange for a "war of extermination" upon wolves and bears, to take place not later than December 24

  23. We Should Have Learned From TheseThe Great Hinckley Hunt of 1818 The game collected or killed within the circle totaled 17 wolves, 21 bears, and 300 deer.

  24. Fisheries • Abundant in lakes and streams • Prosperous commercial fishery industry • Healthy food supply and trade value http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/tabid/4260/default.aspx

  25. Fisheries • Species: • Pike • White perch • Salmon • Sturgeon • Walleye • Buffalo fish • Black bass • Catfish

  26. Fisheries Again, poor management / conservation practices nearly destroyed the industry: • Dammed Rivers – cut off spawning & migration • Pollution – destroyed habitat & clean water • Invasive Species – out competed natives for food and space

  27. Future Lectures – More on Settlement • Flora (plants) • Fauna (animals) • Physiographic Regions • Water / Fish

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