St. Francis and Ecology

 Page 1: Would Saint Francis be Pleased?  &  In Response to the
              Sacred: Living for God
 Page 2: Habitat, Coastal Wetlands, & What can I do?
 Page 3: Are we protecting our flora and fauna?
 Page 4: What can we do to protect the environment?
 Page 5: Horses and Mules are our friends, too!
 Page 6: Global Warming
 Page 7: More on Global Warming

Reflections & More Reflections
These two "Reflections" are on Ecology

St. Francis is the Patron Saint of Ecology and Animals

Habitat is a combination of environmental factors that provides food, water, cover and space that a living thing needs to survive and reproduce.

Destruction, degradation, and fragmentation of habitat is the driving force behind today's decline in species and biodiversity. Impacts to habitat can be caused directly by such activities as the clearing of forests to grow crops or build homes, or indirectly, for example, by the introduction of invasive species or increased pollution run-off from yards and fields. Ask St. Francis to help conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats. Franciscans should be more involved in the protection of critical habitat for our flora and fauna.

Coastal Wetlands

Wetlands were once found all along the coastline, along the Eastern and Western coasts. Although wetlands are often wet, a wetland might not be wet year-round. In fact, some of the most important wetlands are only seasonally wet. Wetlands are the link between the land and the water. They are transition zones where the flow of water, the cycling of nutrients, and the energy of the sun meet to produce a unique ecosystem characterized by hydrology, soils, and vegetation—making these areas very important features of a watershed. Using a watershed-based approach to wetland protection ensures that the whole system, including land, air, and water resources, is protected.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How Can I Help?

First, identify your watershed and find the wetlands in your neighborhood. Learn more about them and share what you learn with
someone you know! Encourage neighbors,
developers, and state and local governments to
protect the functions and values of wetlands in
your watershed.

To prevent wetland loss or degradation, follow
these simple guidelines:

  • Instead of draining or filling wetlands, find more compatible uses, such as waterfowl and wildlife habitat.
     

  • When developing your landscaping plan,
    keep wetlands in mind. Plant native grasses or forested buffer strips along wetlands on your property to protect water quality.
     

  • Participate in a volunteer wetland
    monitoring program.
     

  • Plan to avoid wetlands when developing or improving a site. Get technical assistance from your state environmental agency before you alter a wetland.
     

  • Maintain wetlands and adjacent buffer
    strips as open space.
     

  • Support your local watershed association.
     

  • Plan a wetland program or invite a wetland expert to speak at your school, club, youth group, or professional organization.
     

  • Build a wetland in your backyard. Learn
    how by visiting the U.S. Department of
    Agriculture’s web site at
    www.nrcs.usda.gov/feature/backyard/

Sources:
US Fish & Wildlife Service, and, Environmental Protection Agency
 
 

Our coastal and ocean waters are critical to the well-being of our quality of life – from ecological, economic, recreation, and esthetic perspectives. Coastal and ocean waters include some of the most biologically diverse and productive habitats on the planet. Marine waters of the United States include over 6,000 square miles of coral reefs, ecosystems that are second in species diversity only to rainforests. The coastal and near-shore marine areas of the United States provide habitat for almost half of all protected, threatened, and endangered species.

Our oceans and coasts are also among the most economically productive areas. The coastal recreation and tourism industry is the largest employer in the United States, and the second largest contributor to the gross domestic product. Over 180 million people visit America's coasts for an average of 10 days each year, generating almost $600 billion in revenue from their trips. In addition, one of every six jobs in the United States is marine related.

Two-thirds of all commercial and recreational fishing catch comes from U.S. coastal waters. The commercial fish and shellfish industry contributes $45 billion to the U.S. economy annually; the recreational fishing industry adds another $30 billion to the economy.

A number of current pharmaceutical products are derived from marine sources, such as algae and other marine plants, snails, sea cucumbers, and corals. A product derived from marine algae and mosses is used to make a vast number of food items, ranging from chocolate milk, to peanut butter, to ice cream and cake batters.

Even though we depend on our oceans and coasts for so many things, some of our coastal areas contain the nation's most degraded watersheds. The "National Coastal Condition Report," released in 2002, found the national overall condition of coastal areas to be only fair to poor. There are fish advisories for nearly three-quarters of the overall coastline of the lower 48 States.

The vast majority of the most impaired waters are along the coastline. There is a very large area in the Gulf of Mexico where oxygen levels will not support life. Further, studies have shown that eutrophication (where the flow of increased nutrients to coastal waters can result in adverse effects, such as algal blooms and reduced oxygen levels) is likely to worsen in the majority of the nation's estuarine areas (where freshwater from rivers and streams flows into the ocean) in the foreseeable future.