Int 1 Task 1
The Ecosystem of Big Bend National Park
Big Bend National Park preserves a portion of the Chihuahuan Desert, an ecosystem that goes largely unprotected in Texas and Mexico. The park encompasses shrublands, grasslands, high-elevation woodlands, and riparian areas.
Big Bend National Park
Major Biotic Components
• Large mammals such as Black Bears, Mountain Lions, Coyotes, Mule Deer and Whitetail deer inhabit Big Bend National Park • Smaller mammals also inhabit the park, such as jackrabbits and approximately 20 different species of Bats to include the endangered Mexican long nosed bat (National Park Services, 2013) • Over 1,000 species of plants are found within Big Bend National Park. To include the Hidalgo ladies tresses, which hasn 't been seen in over 60 years! (National Park Services, 2013)
Abiotic Components
• The Rio Grande River which supplies the water sources to the park and its biotic components. • The weather, mostly because of wide diversity of the climates, sometimes its frigid, on occasions there are droughts and heavy rain are all very common.
Human Impact on Big Bend
• Pollution is by far one of the greatest impacts on the park. Due to number of industrial plants that have been built near Big Bend, on the Mexico side, the air and water quality are lot poorer than in past years (National Park Services, 2013) . People visiting the park contribute to the pollution problems as well by dumping their trash and/or human waste on the lands and in the river and/or creeks. • Fires caused by humans has destroyed thousands of acres of the park over the last 20 years (National Park Services, 2013) • Hunters and/or poachers killing and trapping exotic animals of the park have their impact as well.
Predicted Human Impact
• As the population grows along both sides of the Texas/Mexico border, near Big Bend, the amount of pollution into the park will only increase. These population growths will include many more industrial type plants, more
Big Bend National Park preserves a portion of the Chihuahuan Desert, an ecosystem that goes largely unprotected in Texas and Mexico. The park encompasses shrublands, grasslands, high-elevation woodlands, and riparian areas.
Big Bend National Park
Major Biotic Components
• Large mammals such as Black Bears, Mountain Lions, Coyotes, Mule Deer and Whitetail deer inhabit Big Bend National Park • Smaller mammals also inhabit the park, such as jackrabbits and approximately 20 different species of Bats to include the endangered Mexican long nosed bat (National Park Services, 2013) • Over 1,000 species of plants are found within Big Bend National Park. To include the Hidalgo ladies tresses, which hasn 't been seen in over 60 years! (National Park Services, 2013)
Abiotic Components
• The Rio Grande River which supplies the water sources to the park and its biotic components. • The weather, mostly because of wide diversity of the climates, sometimes its frigid, on occasions there are droughts and heavy rain are all very common.
Human Impact on Big Bend
• Pollution is by far one of the greatest impacts on the park. Due to number of industrial plants that have been built near Big Bend, on the Mexico side, the air and water quality are lot poorer than in past years (National Park Services, 2013) . People visiting the park contribute to the pollution problems as well by dumping their trash and/or human waste on the lands and in the river and/or creeks. • Fires caused by humans has destroyed thousands of acres of the park over the last 20 years (National Park Services, 2013) • Hunters and/or poachers killing and trapping exotic animals of the park have their impact as well.
Predicted Human Impact
• As the population grows along both sides of the Texas/Mexico border, near Big Bend, the amount of pollution into the park will only increase. These population growths will include many more industrial type plants, more
References: National Park Services. (2013, April 26). National park service big bend national park. Retrieved from http://www.nps.gov/bibe/index.htm