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To the article Drought Refuge, I plan to provide information on the drought refuge and its direct impact on particular species of animals. As the article also has information on the threats and conservations of drought refuge, I would like to add more information pertaining to the threats and conservation efforts made by the government as well as efforts that individuals can make as well. Also, I would like to add information into the description as to how the drought refuge is maintained.

1.  By Ben Ikenson, National Wildlife Refuge System. (n.d.). Refuge Update 2016, National Wildlife Refuge System. Retrieved October 16, 2016, from https://www.fws.gov/refuges/refugeUpdate/MarApril_2016/managing-for-drought.html

2.  Lake, P. S. (2011). Drought and aquatic ecosystems: Effects and responses. Chichester, West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell.

3.  Pacific Southwest Region - US Fish & Wildlife Service. (n.d.). Retrieved October 16, 2016, from https://www.fws.gov/cno/restore_022611/press/release.cfm?rid=665

4.  A (n.d.). The Renewable Resources Report. Retrieved October 16, 2016, from http://blog.rnrf.org/uncategorized/drought-a-growing-challenge-for-u-s-fish-and-wildlife-service-managers/

Draft

“Drought refuge is a secure place persisting through a disturbance with the critical criterion being that after after the disturbance the refuge provides colonist to allow populations to recover.” W

The refuge, during times of drought, for some species is their only water sources, needed for survival. (Lake, P. Sam Drought and Aquatic Ecosystems: Effects and Responses). For birds and invertebrate taxa, the drought refuge is not only necessary for survival but contribute to their reproductive success. Some organisms that are able to adapt to the environment when in drought but adapting traits that will be beneficial for survival in a prolong drought is extremely difficult

The drought from 1996 until 2009 had a great impact on the Murray-Darling Basin, in Northern Australia (Murphy and Timbal 2007; Ummenhofer et al. 2009). When this drought occurred, it dried the wetlands and water storages (the drought refuge). There are multiple threats to the refuge that serves many species of birds and fish, for these species, that body of water is the only fresh water that have for food and shelter, it must be conserved. Some things that continue to be a threat to drought refuge conservation include; sedimentation, waterhole pumping, and the lack of the structure of the water, it is not near any other bodies of water. These of course, lead to situations where there is an extreme decrease in water availability. As water availability decreases, it increases the chances for dependent species to die out. Droughts have the ability to reduce agriculture products and be the cause loss of crops and lives. Hence, reserving the refuge is of extreme importance in more ways than one.

In order to conserve the drought refuge for these species, action needs to be taken that will effect short term and long term impacts that the drought have on the species that dwell on it for survival. In California, efforts to conserve the drought refuge there, include reserving water when possible. Water conservation is done in order to migrating bird populations (National Wildlife Refuge; March, 1, 2016). The National wildlife refuge also takes part in mowing, disking, spraying and controlled burns. These measures are taken in an effort to stop non-native vegetation from growing, this type of vegetation typically out grows the native when in drought. Thus, allowing for native vegetation to survive during drought, leading to the dependent species to forage on the available vegetation.

The clean water act was passed in order to protect the American waters from pollution. Although the act does not protect all waters, it protects many bodies of water. When drought refuges are polluted, they become an even greater danger for the dwelling species. The clean water act is just one step in cleaning waters, and saving drought refuges (The Clean Water Rule; National Wildlife Organization).

Final paper

Description

“Drought refuge is a secure place persisting through a disturbance with the critical criterion being that after the disturbance the refuge provides colonist to allow populations to recover.”

For some species the refuge is their only water sources and is necessary for survival. (Lake, P. Sam Drought and Aquatic Ecosystems: Effects and Responses). For birds and invertebrate taxa, the drought refuge is not only necessary for survival but contribute to their reproductive success. Some organisms that are able to adapt to the environment when their is a drought but adapting traits that will be beneficial for survival in a prolong drought is extremely difficult to accomplish.

Importance of the Drought Refuge

The drought from 1996 until 2009 had a great impact on the Murray-Darling Basin, in Northern Australia (Murphy and Timbal 2007; Ummenhofer et al. 2009). When this drought occurred, it dried the wetlands and water storages (the drought refuge). For many species of birds and fish, the refuge is the only freshwater available. The body of water serves as food and shelter; therefore, it must be conserved. Drought refuges are likely to sustain biodiversity over larger spatial scales such as groups of streams or whole drainage networks. Chester, E. T. and Robson, B. J. (2011), Drought refuges, spatial scale and recolonisation by invertebrates in non-perennial streams. Freshwater Biology, 56: 2094–2104.

Threats to the Drought Refuge

Continuous threats to the drought refuge conservation include; sedimentation, waterhole pumping, and the lack of the structure of the water, it is not near any other bodies of water. These of course, lead to situations where there is an extreme decrease in water availability. As water availability decreases, it increases the chances for dependent species to die out.

Conservation Efforts

Droughts have the ability to reduce agriculture products and be the cause loss of crops and lives. Hence, reserving the refuge is of extreme importance in more ways than one. In order to conserve the drought refuge for these species, action needs to be taken that will effect short term and long term impacts that the drought have on the species that dwell on it for survival. In California, efforts to conserve the drought refuge there, include reserving water when possible. Water conservation is done in order to migrating bird populations (National Wildlife Refuge; March, 1, 2016). The National wildlife refuge also takes part in mowing, disking, spraying and controlled burns. These measures are taken in an effort to stop non-native vegetation from growing; this type of vegetation typically out grows the native when in drought. Thus, allowing for native vegetation to survive during drought, leading to the dependent species to forage on the available vegetation. The clean water act was passed in order to protect the American waters from pollution. Although the act does not protect all waters, it protects many bodies of water. When drought refuges are polluted, they become an even greater danger for the dwelling species. The clean water act is just one step in cleaning waters, and saving drought refuges (The Clean Water Rule; National Wildlife Organization).