Activity 2.3.2 Ranches as Grassland Conservation

 

Six-Point Critical Analysis of Current Event

 

My blog posting is available online at:

 

1. Exploratory                                    

During this interview the speaker states whenever grazing has stopped it damages the land as if it had become overgrazed. Although it will recover immediately after overgrazing, if it is left that way it will revert to being as if it was overgrazed.

 

2. Diagnostic                                       

Jim Howell wants the reader to know that natural grazing is not harmful to the grass. Natural grazing allows the grass to recover while commercial grazing does not allow plants to recover.

 

3. Cause and Effect                          

If animals do not graze on a plot of land, then the area would degrade and become as if it were overgrazed.

 

4. Priority                                             

We must change the ways commercial grazing uses the land.  It would be more efficient to move around grazing animals so it gives time for areas to recover but you cannot let an area sit idle for a while either as it would degrade over time. Though overgrazing is bad for the land the area will be able to recover over time.

 

5. Application                                     

This idea that areas need to be cut back to allow a more diverse environment and allow for growth is something I never thought of. but you can apply it to mowing grass. If you let grass grow by itself, it will eventually stop growing and lose nutrients. These nutrients help new growth and allow soil to be able to sustain life.

 

6. Critical                                              

This changes the way I view areas that need recovery. You cannot leave an area alone and expect it to sustain itself. Trimming and area allows for plants to feed the soil and animals that graze on it.

Roberson, E. (Host). (2016, May 26). Conserving and restoring the world’s grasslands [Audio podcast episode]. In Mountain & Prairie Podcast. http://mountainandprairie.com/jim-howell/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Activity 2.3.1 Ranchers, Anglers, and Beavers

  Six-Point Critical Analysis of Current Event     1. Exploratory                                      Relative to a comparable site with hot season grazing and no beaver, the study shows that streamside vegetation can be 10–40% more productive where conservation-oriented grazing approaches are applied, and beaver are at work. ( Fesenmyer ) This means there is more food for grazing animals and leads to more diverse wildlife in the area. The What’s more, the study shows to get comparable gains in vegetation at sites with hot season grazing and without beaver, you would have to move a site 800 feet up in elevation or increase annual precipitation by almost 10 inches, nearly doubling the average annual precipitation at some sites. ( Fesenmyer ) study also demonstrates that conservation-...
Read more

Activity 3.3.3 – My Plastic Use

Image
 I did not do a whole day but the first five minutes of waking up From the highest mountain to the lowest point of the ocean plastics can be found everywhere. It is impossible to go a day without feeling the impact plastics have had on the planet. One issue that we are starting to realize is what happens when these plastics start to breakdown. We have been engrained that if we do not see it then it does not exist but now we are learning that is not true. As plastics start to break down microscopic particles are being released in the environment. And since plastics are everywhere this has become a major issue. When talking about these microscopic pieces of plastic we call them microplastics. Microplastics, which are plastic particles or fibers smaller than 5 millimeters (mm) in size. (Haab) Microplastics are mostly derived from petroleum which is an additive used in a variety items. Because microplastics are derived from petroleum, they are not biodegradable, which means that they...
Read more