Assignment: Local HabitatsUse the template below to write a description of a natural habitat in your area. You may select a nature reserve, a wildlife refuge, or a park. If possible, you may want to go and visit the place you are reporting on, to verify what you are writing; this is called "ground truthing." The Ecology and/or the Conservation sections (see template, below) should be the most detailed; the combined word count of both these sections must be at least 400-words (excluding headings, and words in quotations). Use at least five sources of information. At least two of your sources should be scientific, peer-reviewed journals.
You may find these websites to be helpful:
USGS GAP Analysis Program
GAP Land Cover Viewer – can view ecosystems and habitats on a map of the U.S.
GAP Species Viewer – can view species distributions on a map of the U.S. Allows search for species of conservation status.
Natural Features and Ecosystems – use as an example of how to describe an ecosystem.
EPA Ecosystem Webpage
Here is a sample template:
Sample Template: Duck Creek Allotment ( format to fit your own)
Habitat[Name the type of biome, ecosystem, and habitat type of the local area. Explain where this habitat is found on a map, by describing map features that surround it.]
The Duck Creek area is a 23,591-acre allotment of federal, state and private lands in northeastern Utah. Historically, this area had tremendous watershed and wildlife values (including Sage Grouse, Pygmy Rabbits, wintering Mule Deer, and other sagebrush obligate species). Duck Creek is located in shrub steppe habitat, and is part of the Great Basin shrub steppe ecosystem, in the grassland biome of North America.Shrub-steppe is a type of low rainfall natural
grassland. Shrub-steppes are distinguishable from deserts, which are too dry to support a noticeable cover of perennial grasses or other shrubs, while the shrub-steppe has sufficient moisture levels to support a cover of perennial grasses and/or shrubs.The shrub steppes of North America occur in the western United States and Canada, between the Pacific Coast Ranges and Sierra Nevada on the west and the Rocky Mountains on the east. They extend from south-central British Columbia into southeastern Washington eastern Oregon, and eastern California, through Idaho, Nevada, and Utah, and into western Wyoming and Colorado.Climate[Describe the climate of the local area.]
Temperature: warm to hot season (often with a cold to freezing season in winter)Animals[Name five animals a visitor to this habitat is likely to see. You may also include any other species that are of interest you.]
Greater sage-grouse, are specially adapted to shrubsteppe habitats. Other species found in the shrubsteppe include pygmy rabbits, sage thrasher, sage sparrow and the olive-backed pocket mouse. Mule deer also are closely connected to shrubsteppe habitats, especially in winter.Plants[Name five plants a visitor to this habitat is likely to see. You may also include any other species that are of interest you.]
Sagebrush is the most common plant in shrubsteppe habitats, and there are many species of sagebrush in Utah, including: big, black, low, and silver sagebrush. Other plants in this habitat include: bluebunch wheatgrass, needle grass, rabbit brush, juniper, pinyon and mountain mahogany.Human uses[List human uses of this local area.]
The Duck Creek Allotment is used primarily for grazing and hunting.Ecology[Describe ecological features that are distinctive about the habitat in the area. Name some adaptations that organisms there have evolved.]
The shrub-steppe habitat, such as found in the Duck Creek Allotment, is one of limited water, hot summers, cold winters, and gusty winds. Most of the precipitation comes during the winter as snow. Growth is primarily low-lying shrubs, such as sagebrush. Although local plants don't benefit while the snow is falling, in spring when the snow melts, the water saturates the ground, making it easier for perennial plants to break their winter dormancy and for seeds of annuals and perennials to germinate. Spring is the best time for wildflower viewing, as most plants grow, flower, and set seed before the heat and dryness of summer begin. Plant survival strategies involve methods of escaping drought, conserving water, avoiding predation, and spreading their seed. Some feast off a host plant to survive.Conservation[Write about any conservation issues in the local habitat you selected. You may give an overview of species that have protected status (e.g. Federal Endangered or Threatened, or a state listing); and/or you may focus on a particular species of conservation concern in the area.]
Virtually the entire Great Basin Shrub Steppe has been grazed and browsed, and less than 10 percent remains as intact habitat. Exotic species have become established across the ecoregion. Irrigation for alfalfa has increased salinization in the region while mining has led to pollution by heavy metals. Urban areas in the region are growing rapidly.
Throughout Utah, various natural and man-made factors have significantly altered the distribution and conditions of sagebrush communities. These communities are now characterized by dense stands of old, decadent shrubs and significant amounts of bare ground, and they no longer adequately support native wildlife species. Changes to shrubsteppe habitats have also influenced local economies by reducing livestock forage quality and availability. Due to these environmental and economic issues, shrubsteppe (i.e., rangeland) management in the west is changing rapidly. Land managers, both private and public, are interested in treating shrubsteppe habitats in order to improve forage production, water quality, and wildlife abundance on public and private lands. The Rich County Coordinated Resource Management Partnership was initiated as a voluntary effort by Rich County to join federal and state agencies, private landowners, and non-governmental organizations in supporting sustainable agriculture, improving wildlife habitat and maintaining healthy shrubsteppe and riparian areas.
The greater sage-grouse is a large, rounded-winged, ground-dwelling bird, found in this area. Greater sage-grouse range in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, eastern California, Nevada, Utah, western Colorado, South Dakota and Wyoming and the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. After a thorough analysis of the best available scientific information, the Fish and Wildlife Service has concluded that the greater sage-grouse warrants protection under the Endangered Species Act. Evidence suggests that habitat fragmentation and destruction across much of the species’ range has contributed to significant population declines over the past century. If current trends persist, many local populations may disappear in the next several decades, with the remaining fragmented population vulnerable to extinction. This species currently occupies only ~56 percent of the historical range. However, the sage-grouse population as a whole remains large enough and is distributed across such a large portion of the western United States that the needs of other species facing more immediate and severe threat of extinction must take priority.