Habitat+Hazards


 * Habitat **** Hazards ** ﻿ ** By: Celia, Brianna, Caroline, Maria, and Heidi **
 * On this wiki you will learn all about habitat destruction and why we need to help the earth. I suppose your wondering what habitat destruction is. Habitat destruction is when humans destroy the habitats of living things. Our useless habits are affecting the food cycle, and if we don't stop them, o **** ur actions will turn on us. Here are some examples of different places where habitat destruction has occurred: **


 * Rain Forest By: Celia **
 * In this article you will be learning about what people are doing to the rain forest and how it is affecting the animals' habitats. **

= What Is Habitat Destruction? =

===** Habitat destruction is when we go into the rain forest or whatever biome and destroy trees or moss or any plant or natural thing that is a home to animals. I know you wouldn't like me to come and knock down your house, so why do we do it to our earth's animals???!!!??? **===

= Facts And My Opinions About Habitat Destruction =

===** Rain forests are the oldest ecosytems on earth, they are home to half of our plants and animals, and have been evolving for 70-100 million years! (That's a lot of animal homes!) Every second a part of the rain forest as big as a football field is destroyed! We are destroying a ton of homes! We can't just keep destroying animals habitats! **===

** ﻿Wow I did not know that at first! We need to get out there and help save habitats! Come on!! **

 * Just in case you didn't know, a habitat is an plant or animal's home. In 1950 about 15% of the earth's surface was covered in rainforest but now half of it has gone up un smoke!!! That killed a ton of animals! Come on people this is all because of us!!!! **

===** Did you hear that? That was all the animals asking for help, because we're destroying their homes!! We don't do anything now but when we want to later (if the earth depends on it) it will be too late. Do something now, that's what I think. **===

===** Another thing about it, in a way when we harm habitats and the earth we harm ourselves! The reason being: Say we cut down trees to make toothpicks. (Which by the way we can live without!) Later when we need animal meat or something from a plant we'll be sorry because we already cut down those plants or animals homes so they died without their shelter! That's how we harm ourselves when we harm the habitats and the earth! **===

** Something to think about: We haven't done our part in this until there is no more habitat destruction! I know that's what I believe. **

 * Gandhi said " Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it." You said it Gandhi! It's very important that we save habitats! **

= Organizations that are helping =


 * Good efforts are being made by organizations around the globe to slow the advance of habitat destruction, and eventually stop it. Esri, with help from GIS, is a big part of these organizations' efforts to educate local groups about habitat destruction, regulate conservation policies, and enforce environmental laws. Another organization is Conservation International and is donating money, time, effort, and is raising awareness about many issues, including habitat destruction! Be like them and help. Little by little we are making a difference, but we must stop harming before we can help! **

** money or whatever you can do to help! **
= Solutions =

===** Something I think we could do to help solve this problem is: make it against the law for one company to cut down or destroy more than 500 trees or whatever kind of habitat a year. Say you're the Lumber Mill House Company, If your company cuts down or destroys more than 500 trees than they should pay a big fine. ( I'm talking big bucks! ) **===

** Come on people GO GREEN AND HELP THE HABITATS!!!!! **
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 * [[image:otter.jpg width="300" height="401"]] **
 * Caption: "Do you really want to take away my home? I'm only a baby otter." **

**Marine** **By: Brianna** //__** Conservation International and MarineBio.org are 2 organizations that are trying to prevent marine habitat destruction. **__// //__** ﻿ **__//
 * In this article you will be learning about how people are destroying the marine habitat and how it is affecting the animals' lives!! Humans have a big impact on the ocean. In fact, evidence of humans can be found all over the oceans, even in the coldest places. An example is floating trash. The main areas of human impact can be divided into those related to the ocean pollution, habitat destruction, destructive fishing techniques such as: over fishing and/or shrimp nets. Destructive fishing can have techniques that can wreck coral reefs, sea grasses. Not only are people causing problems in the ocean, but storms are too! Like floods are causing danger because they cause mudslides which is destroying marine animals habitats. One example of an overfishing danger is called bottom trawling which is a huge net that sweeps across the ocean floor and catches a numeral amount of fish. Overfishing is causing the marine animals' habitats to be destroyed. Also there are dead zones in the ocean waters. a dead zone is a spot in the ocean that can kill off all life and is a spot in the ocean where there is no oxygen and is filled with carbon dioxide. have you heard of the saw fish, if not that's because they are endangered. The reason why was because people are destroying their homes (habitats). Don't forget WE CAN ALWAYS MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD!!!!!!!! How would you like if somebody was destroying our homes or in general destroying us. THAT IS HOW THE ANIMALS FEEL!Did you know that today's throw away culture is a nightmare for our oceans. Our throw away culture is not only a problem for the USA, but for the all around the WORLD !!!!! **
 * Questions and Answers: **
 * Question : How could we keep from destroying the waters with water pollution? **
 * Answer : We can reduce, reuse, recycle, we could not litter, and we could find a way to fix the oil leak in a quicker amount of time. **

> ** This disrupts the ecosystem and eliminates a valuable source of food and income. ** > ** Their removal can cause a potentially irreversible cascade of complex knock-on effects, destabilising marine ecosystems to their - and our - severe detriment. ** > ** This will create vast dead zones as plankton and corals - the primary producers for nearly all marine life - struggle to survive under increasingly inhospitable conditions. ** > ** Vast quantities of solid and chemical waste from human activities are continually dumped and leach into the oceans, including plastics, sewage, oil and toxins that accumulate in food webs. ** > ** Coastal development, trawling, and aquaculture all destroy important marine habitats vital for supporting ocean health, such estuaries and mangrove systems that function as nurseries. **
 * 1) ** [|Overfishing] depletes stocks of fish beyond their ability to recover. **
 * 1) ** [|Predator loss] releases prey populations from both the pressure and risk of predation. **
 * 1) ** [|Climate change] is warming the oceans and making them more acidic. **
 * 1) ** [|Pollution] can poison marine life and decimate entire marine environments. **
 * 1) ** [|Habitat destruction] physically limits the suitable living space available to marine life. **
 * Sources: www.marinebio.org, [|www.nationalgeographic.com], [|www.saveourseas.com], [|www.earthplatform.com] **
 * Caption: A shark is caught in a bottom trawling net, SAVE OUR SEAS AND SHARKS!!!! The oil spill affecting marine live! **


 * Desert By: Maria **
 * The majority of people living in the 21st century think of the desert as a boring dry space in the middle of nowhere. I did too, until I became aware of how many living creatures depend on this barren, rolling piece of earth. My report is on how humans are effecting the desert.You may not know it, but driving your car (I know you don't have a drivers license) over desert land kills plants that animals use as a source of food. Littering is very bad as well. Plastic takes many years to disolve, and just fills the desert with useless debris. Irrigation may sound eficient, but is really shifting the salt levels in the soil until it can no longer suport plants! No one wants nuclear waste around. People must think it's perfectly fine to dump it on the desert and use the land for nuclear testing.Potassium cyanide used for gold mining is poisoning wildlife. This toxic chemical is also used by entomologist to kill insects to use as specimens in jars. Do we really want to allow this substance near our desert? Both the toxic waste and Potassium are killing plants animals depend on for food. Oil and gas production, quote, " disrupt sensitive habitats." The human activity and machines in such an fragile area disrupts flora and fana everyday lives. Grazing animals, such as cows,are actually decreasing the amount of Vegetation.There are so many other places your cows can chew on lush grass! I found this tid bit I am about to tell you amazing. Global Warming is making the incidence of drought higher, which is simply drying watering holes! How much dryer can a desert get? A desert can be 110 F* during the day. Apparently,it can get much dryer. Here's a fact for you. A desert is an area that get less than 10 inches percipitation. That means Antartica is a desert! **


 * Our actions are effecting the earth in so many ways. We are forcing animals to fight for survival.The only way to cease the maddening amount of harassment on the one beautiful earth is to start at home. One orginization that is helping make a difference is the Coalition for Sonaran desert protection program. They are trying to preserve wildlife in the Sonoran desert. When you donate, they use the money to have enviornmental campaigns to inform people around them. One of their many achievements is setting up national monument in the Ironwood forest of Pima country. Basiclly, they protected an area for wildlife to thive. Some of the species are Redwoods and the last remaining desert bighorn sheep there. Another helpful orginization is the Arizona Wilderness coalition. They are trying to permatly restore the Arizona wilderness. You can adopt a wilderness. It is when you can pick your favorite area ( HINT,HINT) to be responsible of keeping clean. You do such task as constucting road bariers, preforming trail maintnence, and etc. **
 * As you can see, alot of human disruption efects animals in the end. Humans are animals,too. If we don't stop, our foodchain will snap and soon make it difucult for us to survive. One animal that is endangered is the addax. This animal is a mammal that resemble antalope with curved horns and hooves. It has brisly brown fur with black at its forhead and white around the muzzle and underneath the eyes. They range up to 42 inches and live in Mauritania, Mali, Chad, Algeria, and Sudan. The addax weights 279 pounds because it eats grasses. They get some water supply from the moisture from the plants.The Egyptians used to sacrifice them to the Gods during religeous cerimonies. They also ate the meat and used the Addaxe's leather. By the 1900s, the Addax had died out of Egypt. Large machine guns during world war two killed large herds of Addax. Human settlements are forcing them to find other places to live, and they have to face the stugleof adapting to the new area. There are fewer than 500 addaxes today. Deserts aren't just in africa. In most of the southern US, ocelots in the 1960's were killed to make blotched, spotted coats.( see picture below) Protesters and government legestlation stopped this hectic, drimatic Fashion frenzy. The bad news is that the Ocelots' hunting/ survival areas are being limited due to roads being built through the magestic desert... **
 * To save this only beautiful planet, start now. Don't drive vehicles in restricted areas. What if you are standed out there? Wait, you could probably live off the pottato chip crumbs in bags people throw out the window. Decrease global warming, by carpooling (ride the bus) or riding your bike if the destination is close. Orginize a group to clean up litter on the sides of the road, parks, or other places litter lurks. This is one beautiful planet, and we have one chance. Make the earth count!! ** [[image:desert-2[1].jpg width="408" height="316"]] [[image:up-JH9DII081N16CRIR.jpg width="323" height="369"]]
 * Caption:Walking in a garbage wonder land.. Caption: Thats the 100th sign I've seen out hear! Can you see them?! **

__** Causes of Forest and Animal Destruction: **__
 * BABY OCELOTS!!!!!! Are you going to make mittens out of a living creature??!!**
 * Forest By: Caroline **
 * Without tress and the forests, there would be NO LIFE! In this article you will be learning about what people are doing to the forests and how it is affecting the animals' lives. Homes to animals are being destroyed every day. Every day, people are putting parking lots, houses,barns...etc in animals' homes. How would you feel if someone came to your house,started knocking it down to build their house or parking lot? According to the World Conservation Union, 80% of the forests that covered the earth 8000 years ago has been cleared or ruined by man. Each year, over 9 million acres of forest lands are lost throughout the world. Trees give us life. They give off oxygen (O2) and take in carbon dioxide (CO2). They allow our planet to "breathe." Trees help to decrease pollution and soil erosion. **


 * Another cause of forest destruction is long droughts, which can cause forest fires. Sometimes careless humans, accidentally abandon campfires untended. Soon the fire starts to run out of combustible objects, and start to move to the forest itself causing forest fires. Also, people driving in their cars, can be very irresponsible when they throw their cigarettes out their window. The cigarettes can still be hot, and the burning ashes start fires on dry grass. Because of the droughts, forest fires can usually wipe out a whole forest causing many animals to die!!! Did you know symbiotic relationships are being torn apart too? Symbiotic means that animals depend on each other for survival. Animals can pollinate vegetation, because it sticks to their fur and is carried to other plants. Without animals, a large amount of plants are not capable of being fertilized. **


 * People are also a major problem of forest destruction. Deforestation is the term that describes cutting down trees for urban and commercial development. People are cutting down trees for toothpicks. Isn't it silly that people are using God's creations to pick gunk out of our teeth?!!! Bulldozers and heavy machinery are destroying the forests and endangering the delicate balance of life. **


 * Poachers are also doing terrible things to animals!!! Poachers are people who take animals out of their natural habitats for profit and furs. They are also using exotic animals and trading and selling them illegally. A lot of money can be made in this illegal act. That's why a lot of animals in the forest are becoming endangered. Types of endangered species are the rhinoceros, gorilla, African elephant, and tiger. There are many more. **

__** Good News! **__
 * But there is some good news!!! Did you know that there is a program called "Adopt an Endangered Animal"? This helps animals survive when you donate money. The good thing is that 82 cents of EVERY dollar goes to conservation! You also get a cuddly toy of your species and updated pictures of it! Lets make the world better by helping endangered animals in the forest and all over the world. **

__** Let's learn about WWF: **__


 * There is a very important organization that can help. WWF (World Wildlife Fund) is the world's LEADING conservation organization. It works in 100 countries and has almost 5 MILLION members worldwide! **

__** How can we help forest animals and the forest itself? **__

 * 1. PLEASE!!! make sure you put out your camp fires when you are finished with them. Don't leave them unsupervised. **
 * 2. Send money to organizations such as "Adopt an Endangered Animal" and WWF. Who knows? You just might save an animal that is in the forest. They need our help!!! **
 * 3. Join the group, "Partners in Conservation." This national group protects the future of nature. **
 * 4. I think that we should make and distribute fliers! We could design fliers that inform people in our neighborhood about the problem of forest and animal destruction. The fliers should include the phone number: 1-800-CALL-WWF. **
 * 5. Buy those CANDY BARS!!! Ten percent of the profits goes to saving endangered animals and tree replanting. The candy bars cost $3.19 each. IF you buy one candy bar, almost 32 cent goes to help support habitats and animals! **




 * Caption: On the left side of the picture, it shows all of the trees that have been cut down. Caption: A forest fire destroying trees.**

__**Sources:**__

 * www.change-the-world-Adopt-an-endangered-animal5083123**
 * www.worldwildlife.org/home-full.htm**
 * www.green-organic-world.com/forest-conservation.html**

__** Habitat Destruction **__ __** Pollution **__ __** Global Warming **__ __** Facts **__ __** Opinions **__ __** Solutions **__ **always make a difference!** __** Organizations Going Green **__
 * Antarctica By: Heidi **
 * In this article you will learn about what people are doing to the Antarctica, and how it is affecting animals' lives. **
 * Habitat destruction is happing in Antarctica, because of **** pollution, and global warming. If we don't stop these things, Antarctica will be destroyed. **** Animals in Antarctica are being injured, and even dying from pollution and global warming. Ice is also melting from global warming. If all the ice in Antarctica melts, it will be completely ruined. **
 * Habitat destruction has occurred in Antarctica because of oil spill leaks from passing ships **** . Habitat destruction has also occurred in Antarctica because of trash and debris cast out by ships. Some examples of debris are fishing nets, fishing line, boxes, and strapping bands. Animals get caught in the debris, are injured, and after a period of time die. Antarctica is also being destroyed by air pollution. Some kinds of air pollution are airplane and tractor exhaust. As I was searching different websites, I saw a really sad picture of a baby seal with a piece of rope tangled around its neck! If a piece of rope doesn't get untangled from the seal, it can die from suffocating. Do we really want this to happen to the animals in Antarctica? I know I don't! **
 * Not only is there pollution in Antarctica, there is also global warming going on. The Larsen B ice shelf almost collapsed because of global warming. In 2002 it **** lost 1,250 square miles in a little over a month! **** Animals are also being affected by global warming. The Emperor penguin is now in danger of becoming extinct because of global warming. The problem is, the Emperor penguin's main breeding spot is sea ice, and now that the ice is melting, the penguins have nowhere else to breed. Another reason why Emperor penguins are suffering, is that global warming affects the life of krill which the Emperor penguins eat. Since this is happening, it is having trouble finding prey to catch and eat. **
 * __ About Antarctica __**
 * Animals that live in Antarctica are few since it's the coldest place in the world. The animals that do live there are fish, seals, penguins, whales, sharks, and the Arctic Tern. Antarctica contains 70% of the worlds freshwater, and 90% of the worlds ice. Isn't that amazing!!!!!! Antarctica is an extremely cold, dry, windy dessert. It is surrounded by 3 oceans. The Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, and the Arctic Ocean. **** Antarctica also has a live 12,447 foot high volcano called Mt. Erebus. **** The lowest temperature ever recorded in Antarctica was -128.6 degrees Fahrenheit .  **
 * Scroll down to read these cool facts about Antarctica! **
 * * Antarctica covers about 10% of the earth's land surface. **
 * * Since 2002, Antarctica has lost 24 cubic miles of ice. WOW!!! **
 * * **** If all the ice in Antarctica melted, the oceans in the world would rise about 200 feet. **
 * * **** Antarctica contains 90% of the world's ice. **
 * * In 2002, the Larson B ice shelf lost 1,250 square miles. **
 * * Over the past 100 years, sea level has risen 4-8 inches. **
 * * 98% of Antarctica is made of ice. **
 * * Antarctica lost 126 __//billion//__ tons of ice in 2006!!!!! **
 * I think it's so sad to think that animals are suffering and dying in Antarctica! I think we need to take action, and quick! Global warming and pollution are killing animals and melting ice, and if we don't do something about it Antarctica will be destroyed. Scroll down below to read about how you can help save the earth and help Antarctica! **
 * I think it's really sad that we are destroying Antarctica. I think we should help Antarctica by donating money to different organizations, by recycling plastic, and by using solar panels to power our homes. Another way that I think we can help Antarctica is by looking at this website. __ stopglobalwarming.org/ __ When you get to the website, click on "Take Action". Then, when you see **** a white car, click on "Click Here" and look at the list for ideas to help stop global warming. Remember! You can **
 * An organization helping the earth is IUCN. IUNC is influencing the government to change it's laws and go green! Another organization that is helping the earth is Crayola. I know right now your thinking " How can a crayon company help the environment?", but it can! Now Crayola is making markers out of recycled plastic, and their factorys are solar powered. Good job IUCN and Crayola! Now it's time for you to take action and help Antarctica! Read all the ideas below to help the environment. Who know **** s **** ! Y **** OU **** j **** u **** st might **** sav **** e Antarc **** tica. **
 * (Sources at the bottom.) **

** Caption: The Arctic tern and the Larsen B shelf. **

**How yo** ** u can ma **** ke a differe **** nce **
 * If you've read this wiki and you want to make a difference, then read these cool ideas of how you can help: **
 * * Get a recycling bucket! You would be surprised at how much paper we waste. **
 * * Use the shower! A bath uses almost twice the water. **
 * * Use both sides of the paper to save trees! **
 * * Turn off your computers at night! You'll save a lot of electricity. **
 * * You can also turn off lights to save electricity! **
 * These are all ways that YOU can make a difference! **


 * Sources: PhysicalGeography.net, **** Answers.com, IUCN, Crayola, Grinning Planet, ****[], **** www.change-the-world--Adopt-an-endangered-animal5083123, **
 * Conservation International, ersi.com, www.youtube.com, www.antarctica.gov.au/science/.../emperor-penguins/what-do-they-eat, [Desert|http://www.gma.org/surfing/antarctica/antarctica.html,StopGlobalWarming.org] Desert sources: "Endangered desert animals" by Dave Taylor the crabtree publishing company published 1993,wickipedia, national geografic, advarage tempurature.net, **** vlex.com. [], Cherry Creek News, earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/.../larsenb.php, www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1441637320080114, **
 * [] **