| Abstract Detail
Human Transformation of California: Botany, History, and Sociology Rice, Stanley A. [1]. Human transformation of California: botany, history, and sociology. HUMANS have long had a transformative impact on California native plant habitats. As in many other areas of North America, the Native Americans of California managed fire, which maintained grasslands; fire suppression, under European and white American control of California, allowed the spread of shrubland and changes in montane forests. Fire suppression also influenced the chaparral. The Central Valley, which was once an extensive wetland, was transformed into a largely artificial, agricultural landscape by the diversion of water resources. The diversion of water resources has also strongly influenced the transmontane deserts. Introduction of exotic plant and animal species has had a strong impact on native ecosystems, particularly on the Channel Islands. The effects of these transformations has gone beyond the habitats themselves and influenced the history and sociology of California. This symposium offers a multidisciplinary approach to understanding these striking transformations. -DU Log in to add this item to your schedule
1 - Southeastern Oklahoma State University, Biological Sciences, Box 4027, Durant, Oklahoma, 74701, USA
Keywords: California Human impact Ecosystems Fire suppression Water resources History Human culture.
Presentation Type: Symposium or Colloquium Presentation Session: 41-1 Location: 106/Ayres Date: Tuesday, August 1st, 2006 Time: 8:45 AM Abstract ID:5 |