Preservation Of The Pine Barrens Essays - Pine Barrens, Barrens

Preservation Of The Pine Barrens There is much preservation throughout this country. One that is most famous to New Jersey is the Pine Barrens. I don't believe this bio diverse ecosystem should be developed on. This precious preservation should be saved. In these following paragraphs the author will discuss the animals involved, the plants, major parts, and the dangers facing it today. The Pine Barrens is one of the world's unique nature areas. It is designated as a biosphere reserve by the United Nations, and a last great place by the Nature Conservancy. It covers Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, and Ocean counties. This is definitely a place worth saving. First, in this paragraph the author would like to discuss the animals of the Pine Barrens, and where they live. The habitats of the animals consist of forests, lakes, and the wet lands. The majority of forest is dry and full of pine trees. Most of the animals live in this habitat. The next most populated area is the lake, which can be man made or naturally made. This is where the fish, the chain pickerel, the animals that seek refuge such as the carpenter frog, or the animals that prey on them, the Northern Water Snake live. The wet lands are grassy areas near lakes and tributaries of the lakes like rivers and streams. Many small fish, small water reptiles, paint turtles , snakes, and amphibians live here. There are many endangered animals in New Jersey, and most of them live in the Pinelands. The reason most of them are endangered is because they are losing their natural habitat. Many animals are being reintroduced to our state. For instance the black bear, which was once endangered is now plentiful and populates much of North Jersey. Another animal being reintroduced is the coyote, which is now thriving in the Garden State . The Barred Owl, which is endangered altogether, lives here in small numbers. The pine snake is a vicious terrestrial snake that can also be arboreal. Plants are abundant throughout the Pine Barrens. The pine tree is the most typical, especially the pitcher pine. This is a pygmy pine tree only about ten feet. Other trees consist of pin oaks and cedar. Cedar trees and their roots are what make the water a brownish red color. One of the most popular plants is also their main crop. This plant is the blueberry and cranberry bushes. The Pinelands also have rare plants. The pitcher plant, for one is related to the Venus Fly Trap. This amazing plant traps flies by attracting them with a liquid which is like pollen located at the bottom of the pitcher. The wetlands are an amazing part of the pinelands. They prevent pollution from entering the lakes as well as preventing floods. This is a major part of the safety of the Pine Barrens. This is where the endangered Pine Barrens tree frog lives. On a clear night you can hear these frogs a mile away. They hang out on reeds and trees near the water. This forest is home to many other animals. For instance, there are cranes, water snake, turtles, salamanders, small pickerel and bass, and other frogs like spring peepers. The water snakes are usually mistaken for poisonous water moccasins, which do not live in New Jersey. Wetlands are usually near lake edges, stream edges, or bogs and swamps. There are many dangers facing the Pine Barrens today. The most dangerous is industrialization. Industry pollutes the water land,and air. This greatly impacts the delicate ecosystem of the Pinelands and the animals that live there. This also leads way for more development of housing units. There is already limited forest, we do not need more housing on this precious land. Sure it may look pretty to the buyers, but do they know what's really being done. Only 295,000 acres of 1.1 million are in protection. This ecosystem is too important to waste. Another problem that faces the pinelands is forest fires. There are as many as four hundred forest fires per year. An astonishing twenty four of them are serious, which means they destroy over four hundred acres. Most of these fires are caused by human mistakes. Just