Gaworecki, Mike. “Yosemite as a Case Study in Protected Area Downsizing and Habitat Fragmentation.” Mongabay, 26 Aug. 2016. Web. 28 Aug. 2016. <file://localhost/Users/tatetussing/Desktop/Yosemite%20as%20a%20case%20study%20in%20protected%20area%20downsizing%20and%20habitat%20fragmentation.html>.

This article explores the history of Yosemite national park and uses it as an example of how changes to a protected area can impact habitat and therefore biodiversity. protected area downgrading, downsizing, and degazettement (PADDD) is the term used to describe the changes made to protected areas over time. Even though Yosemite and other preserves are protected they still can be changed for many reason.

It is unjustifiable to change protected areas that have become safe havens for wildlife and overall biodiversity. Although there is an increasing demand for agriculture and infrastructure the value of Yosemite is not quantifiable but it is very noticeable when it is gone.

Brennan, Deborah Sullivan. “Expedition Documents Sea Life, Habitat around Channel Islands.” Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2016. Web. 28 Aug. 2016. <http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-oceana-california-coast-20160818-snap-story.html>.

The marine non-profit Oceana are exploring the ocean floor off the coast of California in an effort to map the biodiversity of the area. Only a small fraction of this sea floor is mapped, and scientists have just begun to notice the amount of biodiversity that live in this deep-water habitat. Efforts to understand it have shown far more life on the sea bottom than scientists expected. The goal of this exploration is to lobby policy makers to take steps to protect the delicate life there.

This article shows how little we know about the life in the ocean especially on the ocean flour. The biodiversity of the oceans are largely unexplored and we are unknowing decreasing that biodiversity threw pollution. It is necessary that policy makers understand the large amounts of biodiversity and how connected and fragile they are.

Brennan, Deborah Sullivan. “Mosquitoes Winning under Climate Change, Salmon Losing.” The San Diego Union Tribune, 19 Aug. 2016. Web. 28 Aug. 2016. <ile://localhost/Users/tatetussing/Desktop/Mosquitoes%20winning%20under%20climate%20change,%20salmon%20losing%20_%20SanDiegoUnionTribune.com.html>.

California has 87 million acres of natural land and nearly 50 percent it from forests to wetlands is being stressed by climate change. As temperatures rise, species migrate northward toward cooler climes. This forces plants and animals into less hospitable habitats that have a lower carrying capacity or force them into competition with other species. In addition Salmon fisheries have become increasingly profitable. In the Sacramento River alone, salmon fishing is valued at more than $100 million annually. The depletion of salmon has caused an increase in mosquitos.

This Article shows how climate change has depleted California’s biodiversity in many ways. Climate change forces species to migrate to colder climates where they are most confortable, which is causing increased competition for resources the only way to solve this issue is to take steps to limit our dependency on green house causing fossil fuels. In addition salmon have been being feverously fished from the rivers of California leading to a massive amount of mosquitos the solution to this would be to stop fishing in rivers and allow the salmon to make a comeback so there can be a sustainable supply and maintain the biodiversity of there region.

Armstrong, Dave. “California Butterflies and Neonicotinoids!” Earth Times. Earth Times, 17 Aug. 2016. Web. 28 Aug. 2016. <http://www.earthtimes.org/pollution/california-butterflies-neonicotinoids/2960/>.

Northern California was rich with the population of butterflies, which provided food for bats, birds as well as other insects in their caterpillar form. However since the introduction of neonicotinoids, an insecticide, in 1995 farms across California the once rich population of butterflies have drastically dropped. The author exclaimed that silent spring could come from this because of the birds that rely on the butterflies as food. The author continued to look at the runoff from these farms using neonicotinoids and found that most make it into the water killing fish and marine life destroying the once flourishing biodiversity hot spot of northern California.

This article highlights the importance of being aware of how new innovations can effect the environment. Because farmers are rewarded by the amount of yield they produce there is no caution to protect the biodiversity of a region if it will lessen that yield. The butterflies that have been affected by theses neonicotinoids have lead to a deacreese in the bird population and have made what the author phrases as a quiet spring. Farmers who uses neonicotinoids also need to be made aware of how those neonicotinoids are creating barren waters miles away from there farms.

Novick, Lisa. “Forage in the Garden, Not in What’s Left of the Wild.” The Huffington Post. The Huffington Post, 31 May 2016. Web. 28 May 2016. <file://localhost/Users/tatetussing/Desktop/Forage%20in%20the%20Garden,%20Not%20in%20What’s%20Left%20of%20the%20Wild.html>.

Southern California is a biodiversity hot spot and one third of the native plants are found nowhere else. The already shrinking populations of plants from the colonial incursions of the last 500 years are also being foraged and removed from their habitats. This foraging has removed the homes of the vast majority of the native insects and animals who require these plants for food, water, and shelter. The solution to this is threw gardens designed to grow these native plants and to

This article shows that how we forage has a much larger impact on the surrounding ecosystem and that we cant remove these native species from the native animals and insect that rely on them. The way we combat this is allowing these species to comeback by stopping the foraging and creating gardens this would allow the animals and insect who depend on these plants to also comeback. The author also highlights that this is happening all over the world and claims that we are causing the sixth mass extinction event.