“200 years ago, there was around 16 million greater sage grouse; Today there may be fewer than 200,000” (Dantzker and Swartwout). The Greater Sage Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) is a magnificent bird that only lives in the Sagebrush-steppe habitat. This habitat is seen in the western part of the United States and also some area of North and South America. From the study above, it should be obvious that the greater sage grouse were considered endangered by Fish and Wildlife Organizations. However, on September 30th, 2015, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Organization removed the sage grouse from the endangered “candidates” list, and stated that they would enforce plans to help the conservation of these birds. People should be aware that this is …show more content…
Ever since Europeans moved into this habitat, they have been trying to obtain sources of energy such as coal, oil, valuable minerals, and other renewable and nonrenewable energy sources. By doing so over a long period of time, due to a increasing economic need for more energy in the world, the “impacts resulting from renewable energy development are expected to have negative and [somewhat permanent] effects on sagebrush habitats” (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of Denver). Suggesting that these areas will be in permanent use, the infrastructure and areas where they drill for energy are slowly disrupting and taking away needed lands for survival from the sage-grouse. Additionally, with the increasing population in the United States of America, people have decided to settle down in the vast lands of the High Desert. However “...the resulting urban development in the sagebrush habitats [and] vegetation treatments resulting in the alteration or removal of sagebrush...” (FWS of Denver), has caused many difficulties for the population of the greater sage grouse. This is includes increased difficulty in finding shelter, food, and safety. Also it limits the amounts of suitable “lecs” available for the mating season of the sage grouse. Due to the amount of carbon dioxide released into the air, because of …show more content…
This is how the ecosystem and habitat of the Sage-steppe should be. But with the increase of intruding species and wildfires, human destruction of wildlife, and global climate changes, it seems impossible for the sage grouse to recover from all of the damage done. Now is the time we need to get up and fight for the grouse, or they will soon no longer exist on this world.To begin with, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service should place the Greater Sage Grouse back on the list, in order to show that not much has changed in order to saving this habitat. Then, in order to solve the issues previously stated, we could slowly eradicate and plant only sage in areas where cheatgrass lie, so that the sagebrush can thrive without competition. Also, we should refrain from placing agricultural and civilized areas in places where the Greater Sage Grouse flock to and deem important. And lastly, we need to find ways to make sure that we lessen our carbon footprint and do whatever we can to prevent global warming at all costs. Doing all of these things and more with complete compliance will allow for us to enjoy to marvels and wonders that the Greater Sage Grouse still shows us, to this
In this research paper, I will address the changes that occurred within the ecosystem of Yellowstone National Park since the reintroduction of the grey wolves. The paper will consist of four sections; the first section will include the history behind the extirpation and subsequent reintroduction of the gray wolf in Northern America. The second section will explore the political controversy that surrounds the reintroduction of the gray wolf in Yellowstone. The third section will contain discuss the gray wolf and its impact on the ecosystem of Yellowstone. I will conclude my essay by explaining how the gray wolves act as climate change buffers in Yellowstone amidst global warming.
The question regarding conservation is very much alive today. The United States needs wildlife conservation. And the Federal Department responsible for conservation, the Department of the Interior, are under attack with President Trump's new budget plan. So it’s important to keep pushing for better laws and policies to protect conservation.
White-tail deer are very unique animals that live in many different climates and ecosystems. They rely on most of the natural resources in woodland and grassland environments. These different environments can be manipulated greatly by the use of fire. Since deer are very important in the people best interest economically with the sport of hunting generating billions of dollars a year in the U.S., it is up to the people to help maintain the environment in which they live. Performing prescribed burns can increase food and cover availability along with many other advantages.
White-Tailed deer are a crowd favorite for hunting in Missouri. It is important they keep the forests that the deer live in healthy so that the deer can thrive in them. There are different ways to improve the environment for deer. One of those ways is through thinning of the forest habitat. These means reducing the number of trees in the forest so that sun light can reach the bottom of the forest. This will stimulate diverse plants to grow. Diversity in plants will attract more deer to live there. Besides forest thinning there is also prescribed burning. This is a low-intensity fire that only does a little bit of damage to larger trees. This fire must be maintained and is laid out by natural resource professionals. Many forest landowners today
The characteristics of the grizzly bear as a top predator also make it highly vulnerable to threats. Although it is an omnivore, because it relies heavily on salmon to make it through the winter, it is vulnerable to anything that impacts on salmon runs. It needs wide-ranging habitat and is slow to reproduce. As such, grizzly bears are considered not just a key species but also an ‘umbrella species’ because the protection of their habitats will result in an ‘umbrella of protection’ for a wide range of other species. The protected areas that have been set aside in the Great Bear Rainforest are not enough to sustain healthy populations of grizzly bear so it requires additional habitat set aside from logging. Trophy hunting of grizzly bears also continues to place their population at
Once the gray wolf population had declined in the National Park, many ecological impacts were observed. Without a sustainable wolf population in the park, the elk population began to take over and increase in size. Due to this increase in elk, many of the deciduous woody species began to become overgrazed. With the e...
Restoration of the Bison is something that has been going on for the past two decades. As a matter of fact, several Native American tribes have come together to form the Inter Tribal Bison Cooperative (ITBC) which has been set out to bring bison back onto the American plains in the midwest. Bison have an intimate relationship in the traditions and rituals of Native Americans. The importance of bison within the culture has made bringing back the bison an important issue in the preservation of wildlife. However, some of the arguments made by the ITBC show that the bison's economic value should be the main factor why they should be brought back. Yet others involved in this cause suggest that buffalo restoration could be an alternative to failing rural areas in the prairies. Opposition to this proposal comes mainly from those who reside in the affected areas. This topic does involve parties that have different interests in buffalo restoration.
White-tailed deer, also known as the whitetail, is native to the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru and Bolivia. What are the things called antlers and what are they made of? Deer antlers are made of bone. They grow from pedicles, bony bumps found on the heads of all deer, and they drop off after the mating season ends.
In the last decade, from the Rockies to New England and the Deep South, rural and suburban areas have been beset by white-tailed deer gnawing shrubbery and crops, spreading disease and causing hundreds of thousands of auto wrecks. But the deer problem has proved even more profound, biologists say. Fast-multiplying herds are altering the ecology of forests, stripping them of native vegetation and eliminating niches for other wildlife. ' 'I don 't want to paint deer as Eastern devils, ' ' said Dr. McShea, a wildlife biologist associated with the National Zoo in Washington, ' 'but this is indicative of what happens when an ecosystem is out of whack. ' ' The damage is worse than anyone expected, he and other scientists say. Higher deer densities have affected growth, survival, and reproduction of many plant species which have aesthetic, economic or ecological value. In some cases, many species of trees have also been shown to have reduced growth as a result of high deer density (Environmental Benefits of Hunting, 1). Deer prefer certain plant species over others and frequently feed on economically valuable tree species. For example, they prefer oak and sugar maple seedlings, as well as acorns, over less palatable species like American Beech and striped maple. Thus, less marketable species are more likely to survive to maturity,
Hey, I didn’t see you there, how are you?I'm just wondering whether or not a big ol' grizzly bear is going to come charging at me at any point in my life, but seeing as grizzly bears are endangered that probably won't happen. In the past, there were thought to be around 50,000 grizzly bears in North America, nowadays they are growing sparse there are estimated to be only around 1800, now not even a 20th of the population in the past. Most of these grizzlies are located in Yellowstone National Park and Alaska, but they can also be found in Wyoming, Colorado, Idaho and Montana. Some are thought to be in Washington.
Thirteen years ago, wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park. Of two potential locations considered (Snowflake Springs and Butte Rock) they were placed in the low-risk prey Butte Rock for the purpose of encouraging the wolves to spread out and create packs. Before and during the reintroduction project, Oregon State University researchers measured the rate of willow growth along 2.6 miles of the Gallatin River, which ran through Butte Rock and Snowflake Springs. During their study from 1998 to 2002, the researchers discovered that Snowflake Springs, where the elk were and no wolves lived, the willow growth dropped from 92% to nothing (“How Wolves Help Willows,” 4).
The grizzly bear, a kind of omnivorous animals who consume moose, fishes, “leaves, nuts, and seasonal fruits,” (Grizzly Bear) are “the largest of all bears in the world” (Grizzly Bear), particularly in Canada which primitively has “approximately 25,000” (Grizzly Bears) grizzly bears in British Columbia. Nonetheless, as a result of the hunting rush, the amount of grizzly bears as “majestic symbols of the wild” (Basic Facts About Grizzly Bears) plummeted by up to “15,075” (Grizzly Bears) in British Columbia in 2012. Meanwhile, in other ranges and countries, the number of grizzly bears had diverse degree of decrease so that grizzly bears were “designated, or listed, as threatened with extinction in 1975” (Grizzly Bears & the Endangered Species
Estimates are that at the turn of the twentieth century, over two million wild horses roamed free in the western United States. However, having no protection from their primary predator, man, by the 1970’s their numbers had dwindled to less than thirty thousand. In 1971, after a massive public uproar, Congress by a unanimous vote enacted the “Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act” (Act) that characterizes wild horses and burros as national treasures and provides for their protection. “Congress finds and declares that wild free-roaming horses and burros are living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West; that they contribute to the diversity of life forms within the Nation and enrich the lives of the American people; and that these horses and burros are fast disappearing from the American scene. It is the policy of Congress that wild free-roaming horses and burros shall be protected from capture, branding, harassment, or death; and to accomplish this they are to be considered in the area where presently found, as an integral part of the natural system of the public lands.”
The deer population has seen a dramatic increase since the late 1800s. Before that time, the deer census had been threatened. In the 1900s the deer population rebounded from about 20,000 to more than 1 million. This drastic increase can be attributed to changes in habitat, including reverting abandoned farm fields to forests, and migrations in human population to rural and suburban areas. Both of these progressions created open and forested habitats preferred by deer. In addition, landowners have excluded hunters out of many areas, subsequently, deer populations have increased. “Although the recovery of deer populations from only about 500,000 nationwide in the early 1900s to more than 15 million today is considered a wildlife management
Studies show that polar bears have been listed as a threatened species in the United States. With the survival and preservation of polar bears being considered an urgent and serious issue. Polar bears symbolize the Endangered Species Act. This act is designed to defend certain species from future extinction, “consequence of economic growth and development untempered by adequate concern and conservation”. Given the current status of environmental issues and oil and gas businesses steadily moving towards the homes of polar bears. There is plentiful reason to stabilize the environment, not only the environment but regulating which type of businesses should be allowed. “On the bases of projected loses of their essential sea-ice habitats, a United States Geological Survey research team concluded in 20...