There is no doubt in my mind that people are making a devastating impact on nature. I hate seeing the use of pesticides at my apartment building. Just for weeds and "decorative plants" This could probably be debated on and on. I'm just glad I never had any kids. There are too many people on this plant in my opinion.
I'm with you, Kitty. We're probably on the way to killing all the bees off now and there are some of you on this forum that know great deal more about this threat to our wild life than I do.
@Patsy Faye Perhaps many animal species replenish themselves during those periods when human beings take primarily to killing each other, instead of animals. Frank
If you believe in (macro)evolution, then wouldn't you consider that the earth is eliminating one species so that another can take its place? Or is there some reason why evolutionists believe that evolution should be stopped?
Well certainly more animals are becoming extinct, but I think alot of things in nature are strong and powerful. For instance, the woods behind my house were clear cut several years ago. I was very upset about it at the time because it ruined our nice woodland view. However, in this 5 or 6 years since this has been done, the woods have truly rebounded. You can not even tell it was cut other than some of the larger trees were removed. It has amazed me how quickly nature has reclaimed the property.
Woodlands support more wildlife than forests because there is more life in a woodlands than in a forest, and the older the growth in the forest, the less useful it is to wildlife. Large clear-cut areas will take a long time to grow back in but when smaller areas are clear cut, the new growth will provide food and cover for all variety of wildlife. I get lost in my woods regularly, yet it was mostly potato fields only twenty-five years ago, I'm told. Even though I have fairly young trees, it is useful for me to cut small clearings in the woods since moose and deer feed on saplings, not on mature trees, and before the trees come in, the area grows up in blueberries and raspberries, which feed bear, birds, and all manner of smaller animals.
Here is an interesting article about trees that kind of goes along with the whole discussion we are having. The gist of the article is that trees can actually tell which seedlinngs aree theirs and which are from other trees. Not only that, but they send things like carbon down and through the roots to their own seedlings to help them grow. It also talks about colonizing them with fungi, which I do not totally understand; but apparently it helps the young tree to grow and develop into a healthier tree, too. http://www.treehugger.com/natural-s...medium=website&utm_content=link&ICID=ref_fark
@Yvonne Smith Saw a series on plant life by David Attenborough - it was truly amazing to watch and learn
We have plenty of bugs here in Maine so you can come and pick some up whenever you want. We have a sale on black flies this year. We didn't have June bugs this year because it was too cold in June but the other insects seem to be doing fine. I'm even seeing a lot of bees this year.
In a few days, I'll find out if we still have June Bugs. They used to show up just about exactly on schedule, around June 1st, each year here in Maine. However, for the past couple of years I haven't seen them. I think I saw one a couple of years ago, and none last year. We used to be thick with them in June.
If anyone is lacking an abundance of wasps this year....we will be glad to send some of ours your way! And that goes for the flies too. We plant flowers that encourage the butterflies to come, of course those same plants and flowers usually draw the bees too. But hey....feed them and they will come, each year we see more birds at our feeders and some squirrels too. Even if you can only grow things in pots if you grow the plants and flowers that attract butterflies, etc. those things will draw them in. We have noticed a lot of flies the past few years, but we also notice there are plenty of lizards around too...and lizards love flies and mosquitoes, etc. I'm glad the June bugs aren't as bad as they used to be...I really dislike the mess they make and can't think of one thing they are good for.
We have an organization here that goes deep into the woods and clear cuts areas deliberately to provide wildlife habitat. It was discovered that the reason moose (and the bears that follow) gravitate toward human habitation is that there are too much woodland. Moose are browsers and eat young tree growth and bushes. In many areas here, we have suppressed the natural fire cycle (near where people live) that the browsers and grazers gather near the highways, since the highway borders are regularly cut back. The same happens around the railroad right-of-way. This leads to the death of many animals and a number of people every year. By clear cutting areas deep in the forests, more wildlife is drawn to those areas and away from populated areas and highways.
When I was young I worked in a service station pumping gas our job was to clean the windshield and check the oil. I remember that we would go many days that there would not be a car which we did not have to clean the windshield and some it was quite a job. Now you hardly see dead insects on the windshield. Times have changed a lot in my life time
Come to think of it, I haven't had a bug on my windshield in I don't remember when. Now that you mention it something must be going on. where are all my bugs? And I never did hear, Where did all them lightning bugs go?