For+an+endangered+Animal,+a+Fire+or+Hurricane+can+mean+the+End

__Title:__ __For an Endangered Animal, a Fire or Hurricane can mean the End:__ New York Times. 25 October 2017. ( [|__https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/25/climate/fires-hurricanes-endangered-animals.html?rref=climate&module=Ribbon&version=context&region=Header&action=click&contentCollection=Climate&pgtype=Multimedia__] )

__A Summary:__ This article starts off by telling us how scientists had used trackers to track endangered species and when a Fire wipes through the area it kills the animal as well as the receptors on the animals. Even though there were survivers from each drastic event there was no way that they could survive because many sources of food were wiped out. Animals such as red squirrel, the mexican spotted owl, amargosa vole, praire chickens and more were all affected by a specifc natural disaster that now causes them to be close to extinction Some animals have a very vulnerable threat to wildfires as they live in the open and grasslands where fires primarily occur this can also be applied to hurricanes. In florida’s keys also referred to as the “biological hotspot. “ the storm was bad news for butterflies like the Miami blue, Schaus swallowtail and Bartram’s hairstreak; as well as green and loggerhead sea turtles and Key deer.” All these species were greatly affected as the heavy rainfall and flooding destroyed their habitats which meant there their homes were gone. In some cases by having preserved some number of the endangered animals we were able to help them survive, such as in the case of the grasshopper sparrows. “Hurricane Irma also cut off power to a Florida grasshopper sparrow aviary where the species, teetering on the edge of extinction, was successfully bred in captivity for the first time last year. Hours away from their backup generator shutting down, a service truck delivered 100 gallons of fuel to the facility. The grasshopper sparrow chicks survived” In conclusion a species that is already in trouble can have its fate determined by a single natural event.

__How the article related to the course:__ This relates to the course as Fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, droughts, and floods are all types of natural disturbances. A disturbance “is a discrete event in time that disrupts an ecosystem or community”. The above listed events are all classified as natrual disasters because they are not human caused. (Miller 227). A Natural disturbance has an immediate effect of a change in conditions and many resources are released. Typically if a fire is normal to the ecosystem the organisms know how to react and vegetation can be grown. (Miller 228).This relates to succesion and in secondary succsession a new species comes to being after the old species is wiped out totally usually by a fire, but in this case the fire is completely wiping out the last of the species and then they will never be seen again. (Miller 227).

__Your opinion:__ I think it is very unfortunate that we have not done more knowing that we have so many species in trouble. We should use the species approach, ecosystem approach, and wildlife management approach. In the species approach we are able to identify the species and give them protection; which in my opinion is the most important of the 3. The ecosystem approach is valid however a problem that the species face is not having a habitat so this way would be least affective, plus having natural predators would possibly cause the decline of the remaining species. Lastly the wildlife management approach is something that we very much need in our society to keep regulation of the bond between humans and nature. However it is known that there are very few people who follow these rules and there is a lot of benefit for the illegal poachers money-wise so they would most-likely not stop what they are doing.

__Enviromental Law:__ Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (p. 616) - Gave the Bureau of Land Management its first real authority to manage the public land under its control. If they have control of the land they can do what is needed to help the species and give them protection and aid as needed.

 Picture of the endangered Mexican spotted owl [|__https://www.nps.gov/articles/mexican-spotted-owl.htm__]