Diminishing Wilderness

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that, while some animals are resilient enough to cope with major habitat destruction, others, particularly those animals who have evolved to live in very specific types of habitat, cannot. The author points out that the ecological problem for the pygmy-possum was that the mountain on which the females live became a popular ski resort area with a road cutting across the path the males used to get to the females; ecologists solved the problem by constructing a corridor --a man-made tunnel under the road--for the males to use to get to the females. The paper stresses that biologists need detailed information about the ways endangered animals live, feed and reproduce in order to find a solution to diminishing wildernesses.

From the Paper:

"There are numerous examples of habitat destruction and its effects on wildlife. For instance, the Richmond birdwing butterfly is a beautiful butterfly found in subtropical rainforests in Australia. This butterfly feeds almost exclusively on one plant -- the Richmond birdwing vine. As habitat shrank, a second problem developed: a vine called Dutchman's pipe pushed out the Rhichmond birdwing vine. The butterflies laid their eggs on the Dutchman pipe, which made a good environment for the eggs but was poisonous to the caterpillars. The result was that the butterfly lost nearly 70% of its habitat, and a further decline because of the intruding vine, which was not native to the area."

More papers on Diminishing Wilderness:

• Analytical Essay # 112420 : "The Wilderness Act of 1964"
• Analytical Essay # 83548 : "William Cronon's "The Trouble with Wilderness..." (1996)"
• Analytical Essay # 139493 : "The Idea of Wilderness" - A Book Review"

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