Pennsylvania is home to many native species, from wildflowers to owls and scarlet maples to redbellied turtles. Native species are defined as those that have lived in the Pennsylvania region since before the advent of European settlement. Unfortunately, nonnative species often invade an area, forcing out native plants and animals. With a knowledge of native plants, gardeners can plant these inherently adapted plants in the landscape, which in turn creates habitat for native species (http://traveltips.usatoday.com/native-plants-animals-pennsylvania-61120.html). “Prairie” is a French word for meadow, which was used by early explorers to describe any open, grassy area. The forests experienced by early explorers was extremely dark and enormous, …show more content…
Normally associated with Midwestern prairies, its occurrence in Pennsylvania is unique because it is outside of its normal range. These bright purple flowers clustering on 4 to 6 foot stalks create a spectacular show during peak bloom time in late July and early August (http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/findapark/jennings/). The late bloom time is common for prairie plants, which prefer the hot and dry weather. Wildflowers and grasses support a vast array of butterflies and moths, as well as insects that serve as food for amphibians, birds, and small mammals, in turn, are food for a special prairie resident, the massasauga rattlesnake. The Jennings Prairie is one of the few places in the state where this snake is found. Due to the loss of its wet meadow habitat, the massasauga is endangered in Pennsylvania and is strictly protected. Like all rattlesnakes, the massasauga is venomous and may bite if surprised or threatened. So for your own safety please stay on the trails Jennings staff asks …show more content…
But the fundamental condition here is the disturbance of the habitat that upsets the balance. This is not true “invasiveness” (http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/findapark/jennings/). To prevent introduction of invasive species Jennings created landscapes of Native plants that provide native wildlife with the habitat and food they need to thrive. They also help to protect watersheds and maintain an area’s unique heritage. Pennsylvania’s native plants evolved here, in the right conditions. They thrive with little maintenance and minimal watering and fertilizer requirements. The pollinators and wildlife they attract help maintain a healthy ecosystem. A native plant is generally defined as having existed in the state before Europeans arrived. More than 2,100 native plant species make up the botanical diversity of Pennsylvania. While new plants are moving into Pennsylvania, native plants are being lost to habitat destruction, invasive, and introduced pests and
Invasive species as a whole have become a nuisance to many habitats and ecosystems around the world. What defines an invasive species is the following. It must be a species that is foreign to the habitat it resides in, have no natural predators which allow it to reproduce in such a rapid manner, and out compete native animals of food and shelter (Rosenthal 2011). These characteristics are what create such high populations of these invasive species in various habitats around the globe.
They reproduced in the wild and started becoming a nuisance to both Europeans and the natives as they destroyed agricultural plants and oyster beds. livestocks put more pressure on local pastures allowing way for the growth of tougher eurpean weeds and grasses. This led to a less conducive environment for plants and finally reduced the soils ability to retain water. Before a century went by, the ecosystem of New England had permanently changed and and would never return to normal. The ecological changes mentioned throughout this book although cultural were either economical or environmental: dandelion, the fence, the arrival of pigs etc was just an eye opener to to bring to light the complex process and changes brought about due to the arrival of the Europeans to America. Meanwhile these complex changes and in general the European colonization cannot be well understood except through understanding the effects of New England Indians and Europeans on their ecosystem. The book also goes on to show the genesis of the environmental problems of New England eg erosions, deforestation, and climate changes; which are but of a few factors we still have to deal with till today. This book indeed acomplish the authors thesis. I recommend this book because it seems to really prove how what the present generation does today may affect the our
The term sovereignty is a broad topic that has many different definitions. The most common definition is a nation or groups ability or right to govern themselves. Sovereignty is a term and idea that goes hand in hand with Native Americans throughout history. Native American tribes were once considered sovereign nation until shortly after the arrival of European settlers. Native Americans lost their sovereignty due to the forceful assimilation into white culture by European settlers. The problem with this is that Native Americans have been in North American, acting as self-governing groups, since the beginning days. What sets Native Americans apart from other “minority groups” is that they have existed as self-governing peoples and are more than a group
Nonnative species can also be called alien, exotic, or nonindigenous. Their presence is due to humans dispersing them to other locations beside their native habitat, or by humans creating environmental conditions that allow their growth. When nonnative species begin to take over a new habitat and displace native species, they are then termed an invasive species. Nonnative invasive species are one of the biggest threats to ecosystems in North America (Cox, 1999) because they are able to have an impact on many levels, including ecosystems, communities, and populations (Cushman, Tierney, & Hinds, 2004).
The piece I chose to do my literary analysis on was the article, The Truth About Invasive Species, written by Alan Burdick. The article states that invasive species are all around us, but the area with the most prominent amount is the suburbs of Miami. It goes into detail about how abundant invasive species are in this area. Most people who would see a strange animal in their lawn or area would be bemused, however for the people of Southern Florida, this is a recurring scene. Burdick states that “virtually everyone in the South Florida, including Hardwick, has a neighbor with a backyard menagerie of lucrative critters on hold for resale”. Burdick describes both how an invasive species is introduced into an ecosystem, and the impact the have on other species upon their arrival.
The climate of the Pennsylvanian period is very different from that of ours today. The climate can best be described as being similar to a rainforest. “The Pennsylvanian was the time of the great ‘Coal Swamp Forests’ which dominated the equatorial regions of the planet.” (Kazlev) There were extensive swampy regions that stretched across countries. Much of the world was underwater and is what allowed some of the species that emerged to be so successful. Even though ...
Purple loosestrifes reduce biodiversity by degrading natural habitats such as wetlands and replaces native vegetation rapidly. They blocks native plants to grow by forming dense mats with their roots. If native vegetation being replaced with purple loosestrifes, it will impact animals, too. In wetlands, hundreds of species rely on native vegetation for their shelter, food source, and breeding to survive. They will lose their habitat by purple loosestrifes’ invasion since none of them solely depends on purple loosestrifes as their food source or shelter. Since they change many factors of the invaded ecosystem, most of flora and fauna will be affected and it will lead to the reduction of the b...
Privet plant and different species of the Asian carp fish depict two instances when non-native species which were introduced in Tennessee causing problems. Privet is a flowering plant native to Europe, Asia and North Africa (“Non-native Invasive Plants”). It has been introduced to grow as a hedge [boundary]. But, this plant once planted can take over the native plants and grow in dense groups. Currently, the Great Smoky National Park crews work up to “550 work hours each year” to remove privet plants (“Non-native Invasive Plants”). Different species of Asian carp were introduced in the United States in “1970” for aquaculture purposes, but were unintentionally introduced into the rivers when some escaped from the original ponds (“Asian carp
Slobodchikoff, C. N., Perla, B. S. & Verdolin, J. L. (2009). Prairie dogs: communication and
Invasive species only started to show up in the United States when the Europeans started to arrive. Beforehand, very limited contact was made in this particular region of the world, so very few invasive species came into North America. When the Europeans arrived in 1492, after Columbus discovered North America, they brought their own culture and essential food and animals with them. At first, it was just the basics of maize, wheat, pumpkins, and squash, but later on it also included cows, chickens, and horses . As more Europeans flocked into the country, non-native species began to appear in the area. Often, as non-native species appeared it led to unintended consequences of destroying gra...
Hi! Do you know what a prairie dog is? I bet you don't. If you want to be an expert in prairie dogs then keep reading on!
Invasive species are organism such as fungus, insect, plants, etc., that have been called as Alien. Alien species have been on earth since dinosaur still existed. Everyday, scientist and others searcher are out there searching for new alien species all around us. Normally, the invasive species occur when a new species from another country get transfer to a new environment. They can cause a huge impact on us; such as diseases and harming our environment when they are getting loose and/or not well handle.
Invasive species, (also known as invasive alien species or simply alien species) are defined as any organism (plant, animal, pathogen, or other living thing) that is alien (non-native) to an ecosystem, which can cause adverse economical, ecological, or health effects to native species and/or humans. The roots of these problems all stem from the massive negative ecological impact these organisms are having on the environment (CBD, 2009). For all animal extinctions where the cause is known since the 1600’s, invasive alien species have been a contributing factor 40% of the time (CBD, 2006); the second most contributing factor to extinctions after loss of habitat (GC, 2013). By eliminating native species through competition for resources, predation, and transmittal of disease, invasive species continue to reduce biodiversity in almost all ecosystems around the world (CBD, 2009). In the future, this problem may worsen, and if no action is taken, could lead to a cascading ecological problem so large that whole communities or even ecosystems could collapse.
Invasive species are species non-native to the ecosystem and its introduction causes or is likely to cause economic harm, environmental harm, or harm to human health. Most invasive species can be animals, plants, or other organisms. Invasive species are more likely to be introduced to a new ecosystem by humans. There are three specific invasive species that are causing huge harm in the United States: Asian carp, quagga and zebra mussels, and earthworms. Invasive species can be native in one place and can be pests in other places.
National Parks have hazardous materials, even though they are thought to be clean and pure areas. An example is the Padre Island National Seashore on Texas’ Gulf Coast. They spend $325,000-$500,000 removing hazardous waste annually due to illegal dumping into the sea. There are many other national parks suffering from hazardous materials. The National Park Service (NPS) has insufficient resources to clean up existing environmental hazards. The problem is escalating. Many environmentalists suggest that the NPS should lead education efforts in waste reduction and conservation but is low on funds and resources to wage the campaign due to cost of cleaning up hazardous waste. Park Services must undergo change in attitude to become a leader in waste