15 points
SF Evolutionary Study 1 by aaron rhodes
June 6th, 2006 11:45 AM
The some species of Eucalyptus trees are "invasive" to San Francisco's natural biome. First brought to the Americas in the 1770's for their characteristic hard straight wood and useful oils, it was then introduced to California to provide a cheaper timber in the 1800's for use on the completion of the railroad. Sadly, whomever brought them found the particular species unacceptable for timber use and left them in the wild. The Eucalyptus are fast growing and some contain toxins that leach the soil and kill neighboring plant life. One may notice in the San Bruno Mountains all of the Eucalyptus that grow there. All these trees came less than a couple hundred years ago and one may see their population is well suited to the Woodland/Shrubland of California. Also, the hillsides and shoresides of the Half-Moon Bay area were once devoid of trees and now they are thickly covered with Eucalyptus and other invasive plantlife.
So, we see how a lifeform that is better suited for this enviroment has taken over it and has made it difficult for other living things. There is great debate as to how to handle the intrusion of species on forgeign soil. What might you suggest?
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There is a family of racoons that live in my back yard. They made babies and travel in packs nodcturnally. One was smashed dead in the street in front of my house. It is my theory that Golden Gate Park is where the 'source" population is and the rest of the city is a "sink" population. Yann Martel in his book,"Life of Pi" has his main character "Pi" suggest that if you turned a city upside down and shook it that a managerie of animal life would fall out. Suggesting that lions and tigers could life unseen in an urban sprawl. (Mountain Lions have been seen in San Bruno Mtns recently, and that area is surrounded by urban sprawl.)
Racoons have adapted to the change of their habitat by finding new places int he contructs of human. Unattended back yards, or those yards with objects of shelter (i.e. deck, sheds, etc.) house wild animals.
My landlord has called the SPCA. They sent a pamphlet describing how cats can keep racoons away. If you put a tom cat tabby and any average racoon in a boxing ring I'd put my money on the racoon any day.
This is my story of how an animal has adapted to its enviroment in out urban home.
So, we see how a lifeform that is better suited for this enviroment has taken over it and has made it difficult for other living things. There is great debate as to how to handle the intrusion of species on forgeign soil. What might you suggest?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
There is a family of racoons that live in my back yard. They made babies and travel in packs nodcturnally. One was smashed dead in the street in front of my house. It is my theory that Golden Gate Park is where the 'source" population is and the rest of the city is a "sink" population. Yann Martel in his book,"Life of Pi" has his main character "Pi" suggest that if you turned a city upside down and shook it that a managerie of animal life would fall out. Suggesting that lions and tigers could life unseen in an urban sprawl. (Mountain Lions have been seen in San Bruno Mtns recently, and that area is surrounded by urban sprawl.)
Racoons have adapted to the change of their habitat by finding new places int he contructs of human. Unattended back yards, or those yards with objects of shelter (i.e. deck, sheds, etc.) house wild animals.
My landlord has called the SPCA. They sent a pamphlet describing how cats can keep racoons away. If you put a tom cat tabby and any average racoon in a boxing ring I'd put my money on the racoon any day.
This is my story of how an animal has adapted to its enviroment in out urban home.