Marty, J. (2015, September 1). Fire Effects on Plant Biodiversity Across Multiple Sites in California Vernal Pool Grasslands. Retrieved November 22, 2015, from http://er.uwpress.org/content/33/3/266.abstract
Yet again, this article is a specific example of the effects of the drought on biodiversity in California. Wildfires have spread in larger quantities and have become harder to stop, and many species that grow in the grasslands are being threatened. California has a large amount of exotic plants that are endemic to the state, which means they are facing extinction if these problems continue. Not only are these wildfires a direct threat to humans, but an indirect threat to us as well by cutting down the amount of species in our ecosystem.
Having an example of biodiversity that will be easily recognized is important. Most people tend to ignore protests against the death of species that seem irrelevant; however, with an issue like wildfires that many people are affected by, it is easier for people to relate and want to solve these problems. The effects of biodiversity loss are not often felt immediately, which means that we must find other ways for people to understand it’s importance and incentivize them to take action.
This is very scary that our state’s endemic species could go extinct due to the drought and wildfires. Hopefully El Nino can help us at least partly with the drought. And maybe there is another way to preserve these endemic species.
This is a common topic of discussion as the California drought continues. On our field trip in Half Moon Bay, we learned about different native California plant species that are close to extinction due to climate change, forest fires, and the drought. These factors all significantly impact a species ability to survive and can destroy an ecosystem.
I didn’t realize that our growing problems of water shortages and forest fires were causing such significant impacts to our state’s species and ecosystems. It is important to think about how these issues are affecting much more than just us humans.
Drought has effects on all living organisms, even the trees and animals. While people do need to focus on their own water shortages, they should also consider how the drought affects nature and take action in both ways.
I think that the drought alone is not scaring most of the population because many people don’t realize how much of a problem the drought is becoming. I agree with your point that not many people care for biodiversity because people focus on problems that could potentially hurt them.