Lyme Disease And Top Predators

Lyme disease is a growing problem, reaching epidemic status in some areas.

See:
NPR SciFri: Tick Talk: Lyme Disease Under The Microscope
Vancouver Sun: B.C. must act to combat Lyme 'disease explosion,' scientist says

The most common explanation is that warmer winters lead to better survivability and hence a growing range for the disease. I took CDC data from 2001 - 2010 to show the change in reported Lyme disease cases from 2001 - 2010:

 
The NYT reports on a new study indicating a plausible relationship between coyotes and foxes and Lyme disease carrying white footed mice: Predators, Prey and Lyme Disease

The hypothesis is with coyotes expanding east they are displacing foxes. And since mice are a main component in the fox diet this change in the top predator is contributing to a decline in mice mortality and this leads to more cases of Lyme disease because there are more mice.

Why are coyotes expanding their range to the Eastern U.S.?
[NatGeo: Coyotes Now at Home in Eastern U.S.]

Prior to 1850 coyotes lived in the plains and western U.S.
[via NWF]

While the wolf was top predator for most of the United States
 
 [via NPS]
(the lack of wolves in the southeast United States could be due to this being part of the historical range of Mountain Lions)

Wolves and foxes occupy different niches in the ecological ladder and are able to coexist in a shared habitat whereas coyotes occupy the range between these Canids hence wolves/coyotes and coyotes/foxes compete with each other for the same food with the smaller species the loser in these interactions. By extirpating wolves from their historic range beginning around 1850 humans set the stage for the expansion of coyotes. As coyotes became the top predators the fox populations declined. As this happened the population of the favorite foods of wolves and foxes exploded (deer and mice). As these former prey populations have grown so have their ability to be disease vectors.

The Inter-connectedness of Things

Therefore, the killing of wolves has likely led to a potential lyme disease epidemic.

An unbalanced ecosystem missing its top predator is nudged by the perturbation of climate chaos; and the result is an explosion in cases of Lyme disease.

"The Earth isn't fragile; we are"

Stop Me If You've Heard This Old Chestnut

I've been making updates about the return of American Chestnuts since 2006.

The WaPo is getting in the act now: The mighty American chestnut tree, poised for a comeback

The Limit Of Natural Resources

Two items of note.

The Guardian has this story: Key oil figures were distorted by US pressure, says whistleblower

The world is much closer to running out of oil than official estimates admit, according to a whistleblower at the International Energy Agency who claims it has been deliberately underplaying a looming shortage for fear of triggering panic buying.

And the Natural Gas lobby has been on a PR blitz about how great it is that there is a "100 year supply" of natural gas in the United States as if this is supposed to be reassuring. (you won't run out of natural gas but your kids will - hooray!) My immediate reaction was there would be a panic if there was an announcement that the U.S. had a 100 year supply of trees left. Or water. Or air. Et cetera.

You don't have to be a geologist to recognize that 100 years is a very short time frame.

1600+ Acres Placed Under Easement Near My Honory Hometown

More signs of the new west. Where keeping the land green turns the state blue.

Via SBPilot: 1,613 acres to be conserved

A group of partners have joined forces to conserve more than 1,600 acres of working agriculture land and critical environmental habitat in West Routt County.

Aided by funds from the Colorado Division of Wildlife and Routt County’s Purchase of Development Rights program, the land on Wolf Mountain Ranch will be placed under a conservation easement and permanently precluded from development.

View Larger Map

For Reel

I've been using a Brill Luxus reel mower for eight years and love it. Brill has an updated reel mower now that looks even better.

See CleanAirGardening: Brill Razorcut 38 Reel Mower

Chestnuts On The Verge

Perhaps just 150 years away to full reforestation!

See: Blight-resistant American chestnut trees nearing reality

Granola Types

Outdoors people like to watch wildlife

A recent report from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says the participation rates and economic impact of hunting and fishing now trail those of wildlife watching.

Suburbs Are Not Intrinsically Evil

It is how they're usually built that is so bad.

See:

MJ: How to Build Smarter Suburbs

Greener Prospects - "a unique consulting firm that bridges the gap between land-use planning and land conservation"

Vanity Fair On The Theft Of American Wilderness

Sale of the Wild

Department of the Interior employees are horrified by how Secretary Gale Norton and her powerful deputy, J. Steven Griles, have allowed industry to exploit America’s wilderness. Probing stealthy bureaucratic maneuvers and Griles’s ties to coal, oil, and gas, the author finds a massive, irreversible landgrab.

Another Economic Option For Farmers And Land Owners

Via PhysOrg: Farmers get money for capturing carbon

Interested parties can join here:
Farmers Union Carbon Credit Program

However, the web site indicates there are no more offset enrollment "pools" available for 2008 and Spring, 2009 will be the earliest anyone can join.

If a farmer were to install some windmills, get paid for sequestering carbon, and continue farming; then the business of farming becomes much more diverse and appealing to more people.

Wilderness

WaPo - Congress Pushes to Keep Land Untamed

With little fanfare, Congress has embarked on a push to protect as many as a dozen pristine areas this year in places ranging from the glacier-fed streams of the Wild Sky Wilderness here to West Virginia's Monongahela National Forest. By the end of the year, conservation experts predict, this drive could place as much as 2 million acres of unspoiled land under federal control, a total that rivals the wilderness acreage set aside by Congress over the previous five years.

Meanwhile, fatties in Michigan want less wilderness at Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore so they can drive to more places in the park.

Eating For Conservation

IHT - To save a species, serve it for dinner

Fascinating article about Gary Paul Nabhan who has written a book about North America's most endangered food traditions.