Natural Resources Lab

   The main objective for this lab was to be able to observe and document specific effects of local and natural resource utilization. A second purpose of this lab was to appreciate firsthand, especially in Part 2, local natural resources within the surrounding areas I live in.

Part 1-Distant Natural Resources Utilization using Google Earth

   For the first part of this lab, I used the Google Earth application to observe, assess and locate areas in which natural resources are being utilized, specifically for human use. The two areas that I observed were the Powder River Basin area of Wyoming and a Mountaintop Removal area.

Powder River Basin

State the differences between the disturbed and natural areas.

   From what I observed, the differences between the disturbed and natural areas are very distinct. In the disturbed areas, the roads are crossing all over the landscape, and well sites are all over the area specified. The natural areas are just that-natural. The land has remained in its natural state, is clean and smooth, and nothing has been extracted for resources like the disturbed area has. I would agree with the ranchers and hunters that the cumulative effect on the disturbed area is severe, making farming life nearly impossible.

According to what you know from Chapter 10, what specific effects can this brine have on the fish?

    Aside from death, the brine can have several detrimental effects on the fish. The brine affects the food supply coming to the fish, and when food supply is low, it makes survival difficult. The brine also affects the water quality, oxygen supply, and important nutrients that the fish need. Reproduction rates could also be an effect of brine because the fish population will begin to dwindle, and because of lack of food, oxygen and nutrients, most fish won’t have the capacity to reproduce.

What is the origin of the methane associated with coal beds?

    The origin of the methane associated with coal beds comes from the decomposition and decay of plants, animals, swamp deposits and organic material. When oxygen is absent, organic material will begin to decay and saturation of plant debris in swamps and wetlands provides an over-accumulation, which in turn produces methane.

Mountaintop Removal

    When observing the mountaintop site, a large amount of the earth’s natural rock has been removed, leaving empty holes all over the designated area. The trouble with this is that the unnecessary rock and soil that’s removed is pushed downwards into nearby valleys that contain streams, farms, forests, and other very important sites. When this happens, those areas are usually no longer productive since the rocks from the mountain have been dropped there and it’s a lot of work to have them removed.

According to what you know from Chapter 10, what specific effects can soil and rock have on wildlife?

    Soil and rock can have several effects on wildlife besides death. First, rocks and soil can divert and damage many of the natural streams and ponds that may be present in the environment, which a lot of wildlife depend on for water and food (fish, other small aquatic animals). Rocks and soil can also block natural animals trails and disturb travel paths, which would make several of the areas they roam inaccessible. Last, and probably most importantly, rocks and soil can disrupt food supply for all wildlife living within a specific environment, which in turn will cause a huge drop in population and unfortunately cause many animals to die. 

 

Part 2-Local Natural Resources Ultilization

      The second part of this lab had me search for local sites in my area that have been disturbed and undisturbed. For my disturbed site, I found a Town Maintenance Yard with several imported materials lying on the land, and from observing it, it’s clear that this area has been greatly disturbed so that plants and small animals cannot prosper here. For my undisturbed site, I found a vast open ranching area with hundreds of acres of undisturbed, natural land where animals could roam freely here without disruption.

 

A. Disturbed Area-County Maintenance Yard

1. The disturbed area I chose was a Town Maintenance Yard where imported materials like rock, asphalt, cinders, boulders, etc. It has been disturbed because it is no longer livable for small animals and plants, and the soil of this area has also been extracted and disturbed. Because it has been disturbed, it is open to the public, but I believe only county/town workers are able to access it.

 

2. Description of Disturbed Site

a. The site is a town maintenance yard in Chino Valley where imported materials and

heavy machinery are stored. The imported materials include rock, asphalt, boulders, cinders and gravel. The landscape of this site has change because the natural state of it has been disturbed by the dumping of these materials onto the site, and what once may have been home to small animals and trees/plants is no longer livable.

     

b. The site is fenced off with a “No Trespassing” sign in front, and is located next to a wash for water runoff and any other type of runoff that might occur.

    

c. The nature of the soil on this site has clearly been disturbed primarily by the 

imported materials that have been placed on the site. It has also been disturbed by 

the digging and plowing of the heavy machinery.

   

d. There are really no distinct water features on this site except for the wash that runs on one side of the site. 

 

e. Organisms that appear present on this site are trees, weeds, shrubs, insects and small animals like rabbits, squirrels and birds. Although they are present here, it doesn’t seem as though they would survive here because of the lack of water, healthy soil, and other animals to eat.

f. The site, a County Road Maintenance Yard is definitely disturbed by all of the 

fencing, heavy equipment and imported materials spread out all over the site. It does 

appear, however, that this kind of maintenance yard is necessary for the community and population of the town. Because there is not very much water available on this site, the trees and soil that are still present on the site have begun to dry out as more material is placed on the site.

  

 

Below is a sketch of a map of the disturbed area I observed. I am not the most artistic person when it comes to creating stuff like this, so please bear with me! I think it still gives you an idea or picture in your mind of what the site looks like.

 

B. Undisturbed Area-Ranch Land

1. The undisturbed area that I chose was a 1,000+ acre ranching land in which nothing has been disturbed and it remains in its beautiful, natural state. The natural resources and soil were still intact and it was free of any human disturbance as it was a private property not accessible to the public community.   

2. Description of Undisturbed Site

 a. The undisturbed site I chose is a sprawling 1,000+ acre ranch land in Chino Valley 

 that remains untouched by human interaction and natural resources still exist here. 

 This site sometimes contains cattle or other animals that may graze here   

 occasionally and do so without any disturbance.

 

     

 b. This undisturbed site is wide open, and unobstructed with sprawling hills,grasses, 

 trees and wash areas.

      

 c. The nature of the soils on this site has been undisturbed and is sandy and covered 

 with grasses and other shrubs.

       

 d. The water features of this site include several minor washes and one major wash.

  

 e. Organisms present on this site include trees, insects, small animals, cattle and

 antelope, who graze the area every now and then.

 f. This site is a somewhat protected and prohibited area since there is no public access to disturb the natural environment. It goes on for acres and acres, and in the 

background, one can see the beautiful and serene backdrop of the mountains behind it.

 

Here is a sketch of a map of the undisturbed site that I observed. Again, sorry about the lack of creativity or artistic-ness, but drawing is not my forte! Hopefully you can gain an idea or picture of what the site looks like undisturbed, or just look at my pictures to get a better idea. 

 

In conclusion, this experiment demonstrated the visible and potentially harmful effects that resource extraction or any type of disturbance can have on the natural environment. In my experiment, I noticed how much easier it was to find a disturbed site as opposed to an undisturbed site, and see just how many resources we use on a daily basis, as well as how dependent we are on them. 

This experiment helped to better understand and see first-hand the major differences between disturbed and undisturbed environments and how they can affect plant and animal life. It helped to me to appreciate the natural environment a lot more and see the true beauty in it. There’s a reason why undisturbed sites like the one I observed should be left alone: because they were meant to be left alone and deserve to stay that way. It also made me more aware of the things I do on a daily basis and how they can affect the environment as well.