As shown by this graph, there has been about a ten percent increase in population in Marin County since 1980. This is hugely less than the increase in California's population as a whole, which as increased by almost 50 percent since 1980. The Bay Area has seen an almost complete loss of it's tidal wetlands, which can be seen in Marin County. There is one network of wetlands that is only a mile or so from my house which is now very dried out, and has been surrounded by houses over time. The nearby park, hospital, football field, houses and schools have scarred the small wetland network. As the population has grown in Marin County, invasive species have made their way into our ecosystem. One example is the ice plant, which is from South Africa. It was seen in our field trip to Mill Valley, where the Ice plant had taken over a large part of the wetland. Invasive plants make their way into ecosystems and can destroy the natural order of life.
While there isn't a whole lot of farming in Marin County, there is a lot of urban development that is harming the land. Hillsides that used to be bare of human development are now full of houses upon houses. As land is destroyed for human use, the environment of Marin County has been greatly destroyed over time. One obvious example is the salmon species, which have been all but wiped out. Economically, Marin County is flourishing, and is one of the richest counties in the United States. As more and more people flocked to the county, businesses were created to satisfy their needs.
A number of species have been effected by the human growth in Marin. Animals like deer and raccoons have been pushed out of their natural habitat. The trash created by humans has negatively effected the local streams and waterways. In the Corte Madera Creek (where I row) there has been more and more eutrophication over the last few years. This eutrophication makes it more difficult for any type of life to survive in the creek due to a lack of oxygen. On a personal level, I have seen the negative effects of Corte Madera creek pollution. I can no longer swim in the creek after practice without getting sick, and this year there were a few weeks where we couldn't row due to sewage spills from San Quentin and the Marin County Municipal Service. Besides termites and other animals that thrive of human waste, no organisms have benefited from human growth in Marin.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAs shown by this graph, there has been about a ten percent increase in population in Marin County since 1980. This is hugely less than the increase in California's population as a whole, which as increased by almost 50 percent since 1980. The Bay Area has seen an almost complete loss of it's tidal wetlands, which can be seen in Marin County. There is one network of wetlands that is only a mile or so from my house which is now very dried out, and has been surrounded by houses over time. The nearby park, hospital, football field, houses and schools have scarred the small wetland network. As the population has grown in Marin County, invasive species have made their way into our ecosystem. One example is the ice plant, which is from South Africa. It was seen in our field trip to Mill Valley, where the Ice plant had taken over a large part of the wetland. Invasive plants make their way into ecosystems and can destroy the natural order of life.
ReplyDeleteWhile there isn't a whole lot of farming in Marin County, there is a lot of urban development that is harming the land. Hillsides that used to be bare of human development are now full of houses upon houses. As land is destroyed for human use, the environment of Marin County has been greatly destroyed over time. One obvious example is the salmon species, which have been all but wiped out. Economically, Marin County is flourishing, and is one of the richest counties in the United States. As more and more people flocked to the county, businesses were created to satisfy their needs.
A number of species have been effected by the human growth in Marin. Animals like deer and raccoons have been pushed out of their natural habitat. The trash created by humans has negatively effected the local streams and waterways. In the Corte Madera Creek (where I row) there has been more and more eutrophication over the last few years. This eutrophication makes it more difficult for any type of life to survive in the creek due to a lack of oxygen. On a personal level, I have seen the negative effects of Corte Madera creek pollution. I can no longer swim in the creek after practice without getting sick, and this year there were a few weeks where we couldn't row due to sewage spills from San Quentin and the Marin County Municipal Service. Besides termites and other animals that thrive of human waste, no organisms have benefited from human growth in Marin.