User:Gloriag05/sandbox

A Natural History of the Sonoran Desert

Discussion Board Discoveries

Component 1: Sense of Place

Many people have a misconception about what a desert is and usually characterize it as a dry landscape with diminished life. The readings directly contradict the common assumptions about the desert because, in fact, the Sonoran Desert has a great variety of species and habitats within it and on its borders. The reading implies that most people indeed have a wrong perspective of the existing human-environment relationship and makes it clear that the human and plant relationship is able to go beyond the extent in which one can feel part of nature itself.

Component 2: Biodiversity

As mentioned before, the wilderness's value remains overlooked, and for years, humans have been modifying these lands for their immediate comfort. Many of these harmful impacts are widely visible in our ecosystems, and the aimed efforts to control the land's health have not been successful.

Component 3: Geology & Climate

In contrast with the "Deep History of the Sonoran Desert" reading, "the Geologic Origin of the Sonoran Desert" story gave the reader a better understanding of the geological processes that have shaped the Sonoran Desert. The most interesting aspect of this week's reading was the Sonoran Desert fossil legacy. I always like to think that nature has its own unique way of working and reminding us that it has existed for centuries.

Component 5: Water Continued

I sometimes get upsets when I realize that the value of many rivers is still overlooked. The personification of nature is not something new to the world; rivers deserve to have laws and regulations that work to preserve and protect them from being destroyed.

Component 7: Human Ecology of the Sonoran Desert

It is human nature to seek dominance regardless of the effects that it will have on other living things. I do not think we will be able to suppress this impulse, mainly because it depends on our survival. Humans have always used nature’s resources according to their needs without really thinking about the consequences. They have done this for years and will continue to do it for a lot more.

Component 8: Conservation Practices

The purpose of conservation efforts is to protect natural resources. By conserving different species of animals and plants we are also making sure that future generations will be able to enjoy the natural world. Without any protection, the animals and plants that we love will only become a distant memory.

Component 9: Resource Use and Policy

The feds or the wildlife service have not done much to get the lake cleaned. I think that the issue here is that even though the feds and wildlife service have accepted responsibility for restoring the lake, they do not view it as a priority. If the government emphasized this problem just like they do with the rest, there would be real progress.

Component 10: History & Culture

I think that McNamee chose this specific reading to represent the deserts of North America because of the way the author describes the desert. Since McNamee is a person that shows a lot of respect and admiration towards nature, it would only make sense that he would choose a reading that can portray the beauty and history of the region. Lumholtz writing style is similar to McNamee; they both a descriptive way of writing that is able to capture the reader's attention and personify life in the desert.