As Joshua Trees (located in California) climate continues to change it is putting the species living there at risk (it is getting hotter). The habit is changing which will then affect the species living there and Joshua Tree is home to some endangered species. Joshua Tree is being a place people are building many new houses and rentals now and while doing this they are cutting down trees lowing the biodiversity while disrupting the ecosystem. They are looking to make a final discussion on if they will put Joshua Trees under the California Endangered Species Act, since Joshua Trees is going to be very impacted by climate change, this was rejected. However, they will get to make a recovery plan for this species if they are put on the threatened species list which is what they are hoping for in Joshua Tree right now.
This is just one of many areas that will be affected by climate change. As we see Joshua trees will get hotter, have droughts, fire, and more, and this impacts everyone and everything, which is why these acts will help threatened species that may disappear which is why we need to take this one now. Something else that should be done very soon is stopping new development in the area, this restriction will not only help the animal’s habits but also keep Joshua Tree pristine and beautiful for decades to come. Biodiversity is something that will be lost, if this area is just made up of a bunch of houses, we can not afford to lose biodiversity because it will lead to us losing species as well. They are still making discussing exactly what they will do to help these species in Joshua Tree.
It is interesting to see how different things in the environment intertwine. In my research with invasive species, it also talked about the loss of different trees and their many negative effects. Hopefully future development will be prevented to reduce these side effects. Do you think efforts to restore the Joshua Tree should be put in place?
It is sad to see that Joshua Tree is being destroyed, especially considering it is a national park. It is important that we preserve areas like this in order to maintain the native species within them. Hopefully joshua trees will be put under threatened in order to protect them, and hopefully housing development will be stopped, but are there any immediate actions that we can take in order to protect this species.