...Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Stephen Brester Ecology for Sustainable Management SMGT 310 December 15, 2012 Executive Summary Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is a vast area that is a unit of the National Park System and is also designated as a U.S. National Lakeshore. This park is located in Northwest Indiana, USA, on the southern shores of Lake Michigan. The park is comprised of over 15,000 acres of dunes, oak savannas, swamps, bogs, prairies, rivers, and forests. This park is a great example of a vast and unique environment resulting from the retreat of the last great continental glacier some 14,000 years ago. (1) This park is also located within an urban setting and is closely located to the highly populated industrialized cities of Gary, Indiana and Chicago, Illinois. Early, overharvesting of forests and farming impacted the area’s ecology and resources. Residential and industrial developments over time coupled with climate change have altered natural processes for the environment. Today the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore has a challenge associated with balancing impacts of human actions within fragile natural environments. Restoration plans by resource managers for the area have been focused on mitigating the damage done in the past. The key in restoring the area is planning for the future, limiting new developments, and considering future climate will help aid in the restoration. (1) Background Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore was established...
Words: 2457 - Pages: 10
...Betty Bates AC1300186 Introduction to Ecology Assignment 8 The Northern Spotted Owl Habitat vs. Logging Interests in the Pacific Northwest The Northern Spotted Owl (Strix Occidentalis Courina) likes to live in older forest growths. It is often thought of as the medium sized owl, but in reality, it is the largest owl in North America. Spotted owls do their hunting at night. The spotted owl’s diet consists mainly of small rodents, other birds and reptiles, but have been seen feeding on cairns, and insects. Owls are usually found in California and the Pacific North West in the United States, where they live in old forest growths. (The Defenders of Wild Life). They will not tolerate habitat “disturbance” and are very protective of their territory in which they live, and hunt. Owls prefer tall trees with broken tops where they can fly under and past these broken tops, where they like to nest and raise their young. The Northern spotted owl is a protected species. Due to extensive logging, the owls and their habitat is swiftly declining at an alarming rate; they were added to the endangered species list in the early “1990s” (The Defenders of Wildlife). Unfortunately, the habitat they prefer is a direct target for the logging industry the cutting of trees in their habitat, conversion of land, wind storms, and wildfires have decreased their numbers“( example: 100 pair in British Columbia, 1200 pair in Oregon, 560 pair in Northern California, and 500 pair...
Words: 584 - Pages: 3
...not, humans have negatively impacted the environment to the point where intervention and management is necessary to preserve or remediate these fragile ecosystems. One such ecosystem is located in the Southeast desert of California, the Algodones Dunes. Although sand dunes are not a typical or popular ecosystem, they do have structural dynamics, human affected biogeochemical cycles, a need and plans for management, and implications of species interactions in that management. Structural Dynamics The Algodones dunes is a band of sand dunes reaching as high as eighty meters that extend seventy five kilometers in length from the Colorado River in Baja California northwest toward Indio. They are eight kilometers in width at the widest point bordered by the Chocolate and Cargo Muchacho Mountain range in the east and the Coachella Canal in the west (Sweet, Nielson, Havholm, & Farrelley, 1988). The sand dunes are formed by Pacific westerlies and weather fronts which blow in a southeast direction. Because of this, the crescent dunes form with a more gradual windward face toward the northwest and a leeward face or sudden drop and slope facing the southeast (Sweet et al, 1988). Home to a highly adapted and diverse plant and animal life, the Algodones dunes are also home to some endangered species such as the Pierson’s milk vetch and Andrew’s dune scarab beetle to name two (Wilshire & Nielson, 2007). The ecosystem has been changing more drastically over the last thirty years due to...
Words: 1208 - Pages: 5
...technological and global. The environment within which a company operates is directly influenced by what is going on in each segment. Weyerhaeuser must constantly analyze the surrounding environment through scanning, monitoring, forecasting and assessing, to determine the environments changes and its subsequent effect on the company. Over the past decades the timber industry has had minimal demographic diversification. However, within the last decade they have recognized a demographic change within the U.S workforce and have mounted an aggressive campaign to recruit and develop job opportunities for women and minority groups. Weyerhaeuser, knowing that their current workforce is ageing has made it a priority to update their recruitment plans for new employees. Having seen class action lawsuits against other large companies for alleged gender and racial discrimination2, Weyerhaeuser is determined to change the internal culture of the company to incorporate women and minority groups into its workforce. Another issue for bringing in a diverse workforce for Weyerhaeuser has been its consumer market. In many states Weyerhaeuser’s markets are made up of a significant portion of an ethnic group. This has urged Weyerhaeuser to hiring a workforce that is supportive and reflects its consumer market.2 The economic segment of the timber industry has taken a huge hit within the last few years. The timber industry ships out $10 billion dollars of wood products annually and helps create other...
Words: 1113 - Pages: 5
...EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The interest by consumers in the coffee house industry is sweeping the country. Coffee Circus is positioned to bring this to the Northwest Santa Fe area. To date it has been confined to the Central and East areas. Coffee Circus will provide a friendly, comfortable atmosphere where the customer can receive quality food, service and entertainment at a reasonable price. The coffee house will offer a variety of choices to the customers. Coffee and tea of all sorts will be offered. Juice, soda, and non-alcoholic beverages also will be available. Both wine and beer will be on sale. Coffee Circus will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. The interior design of the building will focus on projecting a relaxed atmosphere. Coffee Circus will be divided into different areas. Some will have tables and chairs, another will have large antique stuffed couches and chairs, end tables, coffee tables, book shelves filled with books and magazines, tiffany style lamps and braided rugs. A PA system will be installed so that the music and entertainment can be heard throughout. A large selection of table games will be provided. There will be nightly entertainment featuring acoustic jazz, blues and folk music. On selected nights there will be poetry readings and an open microphone. The walls will be used as an art gallery and from time to time there will be an artist in residence. The site contains a 3,525 square foot building which was used as a sports bar and restaurant...
Words: 1539 - Pages: 7
...Biomes Tropical rainforest: * What: Hot and wet areas with broadleaved evergreen forest * Where: Within 5°N and S of the equator * Climate, limiting factors: High rainfall(2000-5000 mm yr-1), high temperatures( 26-28°) and high insolation, P>E rain washes nutrients out of the soil, so nutrients may limit plant growth * Structure: amazingly high levels of biodiversity: plants compete for light thus growing tall to absorb it, so there is a multi-storey profile to the forests called stratification. Many niches and habitat for animals and large mammals can get enough food * Net productivity: produce 40% of NPP of terrestrial ecosystems. Fast rates of decomposition, respiration and photosynthesis. Biomass gain very high, rapid recycling of nutrients * Human activity: more than 50% of world’s human population live in the tropics/subtropics forests exploited e.g. nutrients quickly exhausted by agriculture, commercial logging of timber * Issues: logging, conversion to grazing and to plantations forests exploited for economic development * Examples: Amazon rainforest, Borneo rainforest Desert: * What: dry areas usually hot in the day and cold at night as skies are clear and there is little vegetation to insulate the ground. Tropical, temperate, cold deserts * Where: cover 20-30% of the Earth’s land surface, about 30°N and S of the equator where dry air descends. Most are in the middle of continents * Climate, limiting factors: water...
Words: 1016 - Pages: 5
...biggest blow during this battle. I selected this battle because I found it to be very interesting. The Germans had a lot of planning that went into this battle. More importantly I chose this because it was the largest battle the United States Army fought in during this time and has gone down in history. A little bit of background to this battle is that again it was fought in December of 1944. As stated by Citin0 “ Saturday morning it was Americans turn to be living a nightmare as 8,000 artillery rounds, from nimble 81mm mortars to 16 inch railway guns brought the Ghost Front to horrifying life with the first shots of what would be called the Battle of the Bulge.” (Cintrino, 2014) Adolf Hitler was trying to split allied forces in the Northwest. As you may know the Americans were caught off guard with this push so they fought desperately not to lose any ground. As the Germans pushed forward this caused a large bulge, which gives you the name of this battle. This battle at first caught everyone for surprise. However Hitler had done the same thing on three other occasions. The Americans were able to notice this and react accordingly. Not to much planning went into this battle just because it was spearheaded from the Germans in such a short amount of time. Even though this was the biggest and bloodiest battle in US history we still won the battle, which ultimately ended the war. This battle was fought in December...
Words: 2047 - Pages: 9
...Native American Environmental Issues Traditionally Native Americans have had an immediate and reciprocal relationship with their natural environments. At contact, they lived in relatively small groups close to the earth. They defined themselves by the land and sacred places, and recognized a unity in their physical and spiritual universe. Their cosmologies connected them with all animate and inanimate beings. Indians moved in a sentient world, managing its bounty and diversity carefully lest they upset the spirit "bosses," who balanced and endowed that world. They acknowledged the power of Mother Earth and the mutual obligation between hunter and hunted as coequals. Indians celebrated the earth's annual rebirth and offered thanks for her first fruits. They ritually addressed and prepared the animals they killed, the agricultural fields they tended, and the vegetal and mineral materials they processed. They used song and ritual speech to modify their world, while physically transforming that landscape with fire and water, brawn and brain. They did not passively adapt, but responded in diverse ways to adjust environments to meet their cultural as well as material desires. The pace of change in Indian environments increased dramatically with Euroamerican contact. Old World pathogens and epidemic diseases, domesticated plants and livestock, the disappearance of native flora and fauna, and changing resource use patterns altered the physical and cultural landscape of the New World...
Words: 2359 - Pages: 10
...commitment to the sustainability of the environment has been unwavering. Weyerhaeuser has always been concerned with the sustainability of the forests that they log and as environmental concerns have arisen and technological advances have been made, they have adapted their sustainability goals to include such things as a 10 percent reduction of waste water discharge, a 40 percent reduction of emissions, a 20 percent energy efficiency improvements in their facilities, a 10 percent reduction in solid waste, and a supplier code of ethics (Progress towards sustainability, 2011). Weyerhaeuser’s efforts to improve their social responsibility commitments has helped them to increase their net sales, revenues, and net earnings despite the housing market slump over the past 5 years (Financial results, 2011). Weyerhaeuser’s vision and mission statement is “to release the potential in trees to solve important problems for people and the planet. We do this through strong leadership, unwavering values, and a talented employee base. We invite you to enjoy our company's rich history of environmental stewardship, customer commitment, and community involvement” (Company, 2011, para. 2). Their vision statement clearly states their commitment to the environment, their employees and to society and it is reinforced by their strategic goals and their business plan. Weyerhaeuser believes it is not...
Words: 1016 - Pages: 5
...remaining acres, approximately 200 acres (81 ha) are occupied by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; other facilities above the main campus include the Lawrence Hall of Science and several research units, notably the Space Sciences Laboratory, the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute, an undeveloped 800-acre (320 ha) ecological preserve, the University of California Botanical Garden and a recreation center in Strawberry Canyon. Portions of the mostly undeveloped, eastern area of the campus are actually within the City of Oakland; these portions extend from the Claremont Resort north through the Panoramic Hillneighborhood to Tilden Park.[85] To the west of the central campus is the downtown business district of Berkeley; to the northwest is the...
Words: 1196 - Pages: 5
...Essay on Native American Environmental Issues by David R. Lewis This essay is taken from Native America in the Twentieth Century: An Encyclopedia, edited by Mary B. Davis and published in 1994 by Garland Publishers of New York. The encyclopedia includes additional essays on mining, natural resource management, hunting and fishing rights, and economic development. It's a highly recommended resource. Reprinted without permission for educational purposes. Traditionally Native Americans have had an immediate and reciprocal relationship with their natural environments. At contact, they lived in relatively small groups close to the earth. They defined themselves by the land and sacred places, and recognized a unity in their physical and spiritual universe. Their cosmologies connected them with all animate and inanimate beings. Indians moved in a sentient world, managing its bounty and diversity carefully lest they upset the spirit "bosses," who balanced and endowed that world. They acknowledged the power of Mother Earth and the mutual obligation between hunter and hunted as coequals. Indians celebrated the earth's annual rebirth and offered thanks for her first fruits. They ritually addressed and prepared the animals they killed, the agricultural fields they tended, and the vegetal and mineral materials they processed. They used song and ritual speech to modify their world, while physically transforming that landscape with fire and water, brawn and brain. They did not passively...
Words: 2425 - Pages: 10
...Spend a few minutes reading about Costa Rica and you'll quickly find that it's a country of extraordinary natural beauty. Verdant rainforests, misty cloud forests and bucolic hills and pastures cover much of the country. A tremendous diversity of birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals can be found throughout the region. However, it's the volcanoes and other geologic features that truly make Costa Rica one of the most popular and beloved travel destinations in the world. Famous peaks like Arenal, Irazu and Rincon de la Vieja attract travelers and adventure-seekers from around the world, but there are other hidden gems to be found as well. The Miravalles volcano is a perfect illustration. (-- removed HTML --) A Paradise in Plain Sight (--...
Words: 1687 - Pages: 7
...Laos Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south, and Thailand to the west. Capital: Vientiane Currency: Lao kip Population: 6.77 million (2013) Government: Communist state, Socialist state Official language: Lao ------------------------------------------------- Etymology ------------------------------------------------- In the Lao language, the country's name is "Muang Lao" or "Pathet Lao" both literally mean "Lao Country".[17]The French, who united the three Lao kingdoms in French Indochina in 1893, named the country as the plural of the dominant and most common ethnic group (in French, the final "s" at the end of a word is usually silent, thus it would be pronounced "Lao"). ------------------------------------------------- Early history ------------------------------------------------- In 2009 an ancient human skull was recovered from the Tam Pa Ling cave in the Annamite Mountains in northern Laos; the skull is at least 46,000 years old, making it the oldest modern human fossil found to date in Southeast Asia.[19] Archaeological evidence suggests agriculturist society developed during the 4th millennium BC. Burial jars and other kinds of sepulchers suggest a complex society in which bronze objects appeared around 1500 BC, and iron tools were known from 700 BC. The proto-historic period is...
Words: 1480 - Pages: 6
...while in 2003 only 33 million arrived. Further, between 2012 and 2013, there was a 43.7 percent decrease in the area occupied by the butterflies in the winter sanctuaries, the decline has numerous reasons: climate change, deforestation, and habitat loss, agricultural use of pesticides and herbicides Monarch butterflies are known for the incredible mass migration that brings millions of them to California and Mexico each winter. North American monarchs are the only butterflies that make such a massive journey, the insects must begin this journey each fall ahead of cold weather, which will kill them if they tarry too long. Monarch butterflies reflect ecosystem health and biodiversity, they are pollinators which make them very important for plan reproduction, and ecosystem sustainability. During the journey north, monarchs produce four generations, and share habitat with small birds and animals which feed larger birds and animals. Monarch butterflies begin life as eggs and hatch as larvae that eat their eggshells and, subsequently, the milkweed plants on which they were placed, short after that the larvae become juicy, colorful caterpillars, then create a hard protective case around themselves as they enter the pupa stage. Although Monarch butterflies may well qualify as one of the most beautiful and majestic of butterflies in the planet today, entomologists, students and enthusiasts diligently persist with their studies to bring out several more interesting facts about them to...
Words: 1543 - Pages: 7
...largest after the United States and is projected to become the world's largest economy by 2025. Natural Resources Land Resources - China has 9.6 million square kilometres land area, accounting for 22.1% of the land area of the Asian continent, and accounting for 6.4% of the world's land area, it is one of the countries which have a vast area of land. China's abundant land resources has two significant geographical features. The share of mountains which have higher elevations and greater volatility (including hill, mountainous and tableland) over the plains (plains and the high plains), as the ratio of two-thirds and one-third. In complex and diverse ecological environment, formed the features of more grassland, limited arable land, low forest percentage and the percentage of land which difficult to use is high. At present, grassland accounts for 37.4% of the total land area of China, farmland accounts for...
Words: 2510 - Pages: 11
