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May 26th, 2019

5/26/2019

DEFORESTATION AND CLIMATE CHANGE!

Science estimates the world population in 1800 was one billion people and is currently over seven and a half billion. Scientific efforts have been undertaken to determine the population carrying capacity of planet earth based upon the availability of resources earth can provide. Estimates tend to fall between nine and ten billion people being the upper limits for Earth’s capabilities. The U.S. Census Bureau predicts our world population will reach ten billion in just 30 years. Certainly, no one should find it difficult to understand the difficulties we will face in providing the resources that will be required. The food requirements alone will necessitate clearing forest covered lands for agricultural purposes. There are no new lands to be discovered on our planet so, highly populated countries like China are already looking to acquire lands on less populated continents, to deforest for agricultural reasons. Population expansion is a serious problem and will require accelerating the deforestation of our remaining forested lands and increase levels of CO2 and toxic pollution to our atmosphere!
The result will be continued significant changes to our climatic conditions therefore, we need to take a closer look at how deforestation impacts climate. First, we must understand there are three different forest types; boreal, temperate and tropical, each having somewhat different effects upon climate conditions. We also need to understand different kinds of surfaces reflect the incoming solar energy in different ways which is called, “albedo”. It is defined as the ratio of the radiation reflected from the surface to the total radiation falling on the surface. The lower the albedo the more solar energy is absorbed. Forest cover has a very low albedo thus, absorbing high levels of heat from the solar energy.
Boreal forests have a large influence on local temperatures and have the largest influence on global mean temperatures of the three forest types. This results in warmer temperatures throughout the year when compared to surrounding areas that are void of trees. Boreal forests are found in colder climates with shorter growing seasons thus, producing smaller trees. This results in only moderate intake of CO2 and a low rate of evapotranspiration. Deforestation of boreal forest cover will result in reduced evapotranspiration and cooler temperatures along with lower humidity. Deforestation of boreal regions would, overall, increase the surface albedo leading to cooler temperatures and increase in snow and ice cover, which would enhance the cooling.
Temperate forests tend to cool the air during the leaf-on period and warm the air during leaf-off periods. During warm seasons with sufficient moisture, local cooling is caused by evapotranspiration and shade. The surface roughness of forest cover, contributes to increased rainfall and surface warming. Trees in temperate forests grow larger and faster thus, absorbing increased levels of CO2 and a higher rate of evapotranspiration. Another mechanism by which forests affect local weather is by aerodynamic roughness. The rough surface of forests causes a drag on the air flow resulting in reduced wind speeds and enhances the exchange of heat and moisture from the forests into the air. This causes convection which increases cloud formation and increased rainfall. Deforestation of temperate forests will result in significant increases in surface temperatures, reduced moisture and leads to desertification. What can we expect as we approach ten billion people on planet Earth?
The tropical forests are very different from the other two zones. These forests grow in very warm moist conditions and are considered carbon sinks using over fifty percent of the CO2 available within the atmosphere. They are frequently referred to as the lungs of Earth producing almost thirty percent of the oxygen required to support life on our planet. Rainfall averages 70 to 100 inches annually with a very high evapotranspiration rate. Over 50% of the currently identified living organisms are found in these forests. Scientists believe there are millions of species yet to be identified in the tropic ecosystem. These forests are the center of bio-diversity, the single most important element in Earth’s ability to support the life systems on our planet. Forest communities in the tropical zone, can contain 400 to 500 different plant species as compared to a temperate community which seldom exceeds 15. Plants from these forests are being used for medicine, beauty produces and food, but are being threatened by deforestation for lumber and agriculture. The past 50 years has resulted in the loss of 17% of tropical forest acreage. Today, tropical forests are experiencing habitat alteration and species extinction on a large scale and more rapid rate than any other ecosystem.
Loss of tropical forest cover will have a major impact on global warming and climate change. We can expect significant reductions in transpiration resulting in reductions in rainfall, increased temperatures due to reduced transpiration and significant increases in atmospheric levels of CO2. As temperatures raise, many species will become extinct and climatic conditions will change over the entire planet.
Understanding the forest ecosystems hopefully, will create a better appreciation for the impact we humans are having on our natural world and encourage us to make the needed adjustments for the future! As our population grows, deforestation will accelerate and we will rapidly move closer to the limited carrying capacity of Mother Earth!

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May 17th, 2019

5/17/2019

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CLIMATE CHANGE
Our Nation remains in a major debate over the environmental issue of climate change and its cause. It is apparent, that accepting the impacts humans have had on our environment and climate conditions, will necessitate significant changes for corporate American. Scientific data leaves little doubt that human greed these past 200 years has resulted in devastating impacts to our natural world, including current climate conditions. One of the leading causes of this change has been deforestation. We have destroyed over half of the forest cover that originally existed on our land base. Deforestation continues to clear the equivalent of 20 football fields every minute worldwide. Our world population is seven and a half billion people today and will reach ten billion in just 32 years. Deforestation leads to desertification and significant changes in our climate.
The facts are obvious and support the need for change, however our corporate community is unwilling to accept scientific fact because it will demand changes that will affect their financial stability and profitability. The debate is so intense, the current administration has chosen to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, that had 195 nations support. Climate change is resulting in more intense and more frequent storms including tornadoes and hurricanes, larger and more intense wildfires, gradually raising temperatures on our planet and raising ocean water levels. Our U.S. Weather organizations collaborate these changes with their detailed record keeping.
Scientific efforts to collect weather data to alert our leaders to the future problems we will encounter and identify options to reduce the predicted outcomes, are continuing as are efforts to ignore the facts before us. Our interest in the Natural World and our dependence upon Mother Earth for the sustenance of life introduced us to a new friend, James Chaves, whose ancestors came to this continent over 300 years ago from Spain. James interest in his family history resulted in a collection of documents, photographs, maps and stories, that present a compelling real-life story of climate change in the Magdalena Valley of New Mexico. This story dramatizes the impact humans have had upon the land and the resulting climatic conditions.
The Chaves family arrived in the 1600’s, to the largest land grant on the North American Continent from the King of Spain, 2.2 million acres. A land grant does not covey ownership but, gives the grantee the privilege of using the land with stewardship responsibilities. The information James has collected, paints a vivid picture of what the valley looked like over 300 years ago. The hills were covered with dense ponderosa pine forests and the prairies grew waist-high grass waving in the breeze. The rich soils provided productive forest cover as well as a bountiful supply of forage for the wildlife and domestic animals. Rainfall was distributed throughout the year and the grazing of livestock provided for the needs of the family. The vast forest cover provided shade that kept the temperatures several degrees cooler and provided hiding places for the wildlife. James ancestors raised sheep to begin with but, years later converted to cattle ranching. Things were good and the community of Magdalena was providing for the needs of the surrounding ranchers and families.
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 ceded 529,000 square miles of land to the United States, which included the Chaves land grant and the community of Magdalena, New Mexico. Almost immediately following the Treaty, several timber barons moved into the valley and setup 5 large sawmills in the community. They set out to mine the ponderosa pine trees from the surrounding hills by clear-cutting the forests. By 1930, the forests were gone and major changes in the climate were beginning.
In 2016, James took us out on the land to show current conditions and describe the changes that had occurred since the arrival of his ancestors over 300 years ago. The first thing we observed was the obvious lack of trees on the rolling hills. Hillsides once covered with large ponderosa pine trees were now barren with a few scattered pinion pine trees and juniper trees. Neither of these species grow much beyond twenty feet tall and tend to be individual trees scattered over the landscape. Occasionally, you see an old cottonwood tree clinging to live along a dry stream bed. If you search enough, you can a couple of remnant ponderosa pine trees that were seedlings back when their parent trees covered the area. The soils are dry and cracked from the direct sun beating down, and there appears to be top soil remaining. Deep gullies called arroyos are numerous and the result of heavy runoff from the rains that come in late July and early August. The top soil has obviously been washed into the creeks and streams and deposited in the Rio Grande River. Without trees, the wind has also blown volumes of rich top soil away. James told us the rains now are concentrated to a few weeks in late summer with average rainfall now at eight inches. Humidity’s run about 8% to 15%. The only forest cover was now on the step slopes of the distant mountains that lined the north and south sides of the valley.
Our next concern was where the tall prairie grass had gone? We were only observing clumps of several varieties of bunch grasses. James explained the changes in climatic conditions had caused the changes in species of grass on the prairie lands. The loss of top soil had reduced the productivity of the land and the increased temperatures and lack on moisture brought new plant species to the area. Bunch grass has long roots able to reach as much as six feet below the surface to find life sustaining moisture, grows in clumps and usually reaches only six to eight inches in height. The valley once rich in forage, now requires 40 acres to support one cow for 12 months. Other plants found, in what is today high-desert, were prickly pear cactus and several varieties of yucca.
Magdalena, New Mexico has gone through a major transformation over the past 300 years, and is a real-life example of what is happening throughout the world as our world population expands and our forest cover shrinks. Scientific data collected over the short history of our country, provides the factual knowledge of the destructive impact’s humans have had, and are having on the natural world we depend upon for life. History confirms advanced science and technology will accelerate the destruction of our natural word rather than extend life on our planet. The answers will only be found in our stewardship responsibilities for Mother Earth, which will necessitate management principles that recognize the individual forest communities and focus on preserving the diversity of natural plant species and age classes that were in the original communities. Yes, Mother Earth needs help! What we do to our forests we do to ourselves!

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May 09th, 2019

5/9/2019

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MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

The Board of Directors for the new proposed Museum of Natural History in Waynesboro, Virginia held an evening meeting with people from the area who might be interested in supporting the proposed project. One of the board members invited me to attend with him based on my interest in the natural world. I had only recently heard of the project and being new to the area, I knew none of the people in attendance. The gathering was held on top of one of the local mountains at a magnificent mansion built back in the early 1900’s. What a beautiful structure and view!
The project being proposed would serve as a satellite facility to the main museum located in Martinsburg, Virginia. The evening involved meeting potential supporters and several presentations designed to inform everyone of the required financing and the future goals for the facility. The two major purposes of the museum are the preservation of historical objects and information related to the local natural world and the opportunity to use these collections for educational presentations. The long-range goal is to establish other satellite locations throughout the State to reach the largest population possible. One of the people in attendance was a well-known geologist that assists the main museum in the presentation and interpretation of the geological exhibits. He demonstrated how the material and information can be presented in story format by explaining how the Appalachian Mountains were formed when the North American continent collided with the African continent 600 million years ago. A very interesting story that would catch the imagination of most people.
This project would be an obvious benefit to the State of Virginia and the community of Waynesboro however, my mind immediately began imagining how a facility like this might be able to initiate a new educational process. I thought about the story the geologist presented and although very interesting, how would young folks from the urban cities react? I remembered a situation in the 1980’s, where the Forest Service was attempting to introduce young urban children to the outdoors by busing them to various sites on the National Forests and interacting with them about the importance of forests and the natural world. The project was a failure because it did not understand the everyday needs of the urban children or their parents. Not only were the children afraid but, they had very different concerns on their minds. Were their parents going to be there when they got up to provide and protect them, would there be food for breakfast, was it safe to walk to school, and could they depend on their parents being there after school? They were totally focused on everyday issues of living and safety and had no interest in things outside that world.
A co-worker and I decided we needed to introduce our forest supervisors to the children’s world so future endeavors might realize the importance of understanding the driving motivations of these urban children. We set up a meeting in the inner city of Detroit with key leaders to discuss and to understand how we might relate our interest in nature to these children. Surprise! Our supervisors were not comfortable participating in this endeavor due to their fear of the inner city conditions.
Success comes when we are able to relate science, nature and human needs so the young person visualizes how the information relates and affects them. This exciting new project could be the opportunity to revolutionize our education process by linking science, human needs and relationships, in the interpretation of stories about our natural history. The stories need to explain, why it is important to me, today, and how does it help me live a better life. The title of the children’s book I just published explains the concept, “I’m Just A Tree-Life Depends on Me “. This story does not present the uses of the wood we take from the forests or how the tree grows but, presents the relationships we share with trees that sustain life, including human beings. WHAT AN OPPORTUNITY THIS PROJECT COULD PROVIDE!

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