4/5 Past and Future of Natural History

We learned about different vegetation zones and other important technical aspects of natural history today. I didn't think there was any difference between flora and vegetation, but I learned that flora is a list of plants in a specific area while vegetation means how dominant the flora is. The reason for such a large difference between Western and Eastern Washington was also explained: When the air cools as it passes through the mountains, it isn't able to hold as much water, so it condenses. This causes rain near the Cascades, which allows the air to pass through the mountains, but it will be much dryer than before. Although the Seattle region is much more green compared to the rest of the country, we learned that the Puget Sound lowlands have seen a 70% reduction in forest in just 25 years. This, as one would expect, has important biological repercussions and will be an important issue in the following decades. I think it is important to be aware of such issues, as they influence decisions in everyday life, as well as politics.

Posted on May 1, 2012 07:02 AM by beardendb