Research a biodiversity hotspot location and summarize in 150-250 words the biodiversity and sustainability situation in the chosen area.
Consider and describe the biodiversity and sustainability situation in your hometown in 150-250 words.
Compare and contrast the biodiversity and sustainability in the two locations in 150-250 words.
Using the following website I located a biodiversity hotspot in the Horn of Africa, http://www.cepf.net/resources/hotspots/africa/Pages/Horn-of-Africa.aspx. The hotspot is located on the Horn of Africa, and is one of the most depleted hotspots in the world. The Horn of Africa was used extensively for its natural resources for thousands of years and been consumed to the point that only 5% of its original habitat remains intact. The two contributing factors to the destruction of the ecosystem in the Horn of Africa are overgrazing by animals and charcoal harvesting. The Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans all used the region as a source of natural resources. The lack of strong government protection also contributed to the region becoming a biodiversity hot spot. The area contains the threatened species including the antelope, baboon, gazelle, and many reptiles. The Horn of Africa is one of two arid hotspots. This is clear from the 2,750 endemic plant species in the region. The area now has 145,322 square kilometers of protected land.
My hometown is Peters Township in western Pennsylvania. In my hometown we have a variety of nonnative species that have infested the region. The three main insects that have infested the area are Japanese Beetles, Lady Bugs, and Stink Bugs. These insects lack natural predators therefore enabling the species to flourish. One summer, the Japanese beetle infestation was so extreme that they nearly ate our patio peach tree to death. In my hometown, we also face an overpopulation of deer. Since 2000, the population of Peters Township has increased 29.2%. The increase in population leads to an increase in demand for housing. Unfortunately the overpopulation of deer issue continues to get worse seeing as more forestland is cleared and turned into neighborhoods each year. This leads to a large amount of automobile accidents with deer. The remaining deer struggle to survive the winter months due to a lack of low level shrubbery. The deer population is unsustainable and is largely a result of the clearing of woodlands for human housing.
Both the Horn of Africa and my hometown, Peters Township, are currently faced with decreasing biodiversity and sustainability issues. Both region’s issues are partially if not fully a result of human interaction in the environment. While the regions are both facing biodiversity issues, the regions issues are manifesting in different ways. The depletion of the Horn of Africa led to the region becoming an arid environment and thereby threatening grazing species like antelope and gazelle. Peters Township should learn from the Horn of Africa’s experience and realize a similar situation is occurring with the deer in the township. In Peters Township, a decrease in land led to a depletion of food resources for deer. While the current deer population is not threatened, with continued human development, the deer population may become threatened. Similarly, the Japanese beetle infestation in Peters Township may threaten plant species in the region. The Japanese beetles disrupted the ecosystem in western Pennsylvania because they do not have a natural predator in the region.
2 thoughts on “Module 10-Maura McGonigal”
Hello Maura,
Name is Justin, and i really enjoyed your post. The learning activity that i made was to research a threat to Biodiversity in a different region of the world, then compare that threat to one in your home town. Then draw a systems diagram linking the causes of threats to the solutions. Ironically, the first part of our activity are nearly identical. We must have interpreted the module in a similar manner. I found it interesting how from different factors, the biodiversity in your town is getting hit.
Name is Justin, and i really enjoyed your post. The learning activity that i made was to research a threat to Biodiversity in a different region of the world, then compare that threat to one in your home town. Then draw a systems diagram linking the causes of threats to the solutions. Ironically, the first part of our activity are nearly identical. We must have interpreted the module in a similar manner.
Hello Maura,
Name is Justin, and i really enjoyed your post. The learning activity that i made was to research a threat to Biodiversity in a different region of the world, then compare that threat to one in your home town. Then draw a systems diagram linking the causes of threats to the solutions. Ironically, the first part of our activity are nearly identical. We must have interpreted the module in a similar manner. I found it interesting how from different factors, the biodiversity in your town is getting hit.
check out my post: http://sites.psu.edu/geog30/2016/04/13/biodiversity-depletion-felt-across-the-world/
Hello Maura,
Name is Justin, and i really enjoyed your post. The learning activity that i made was to research a threat to Biodiversity in a different region of the world, then compare that threat to one in your home town. Then draw a systems diagram linking the causes of threats to the solutions. Ironically, the first part of our activity are nearly identical. We must have interpreted the module in a similar manner.
check out my post: http://sites.psu.edu/geog30/2016/04/13/biodiversity-depletion-felt-across-the-world/