Environmental Effects of the Border Wall on Animal Migration and Vegetation
Introduction:
The border wall has long been a controversial issue since its original proposition in the early 2000s. Aside from the obvious differences in opinions, there is a clear problem with the building of a border wall between Mexico and America, the impact on the environment due to the border wall itself and the surrounding a travelling populations of humans associated with it. As much as individuals would like to think that the border wall is effective in deterring illegal immigrants, it really does little except drive migrants deeper into the dangerous and desolate wilderness in order to cross. What is effected is not the migration of humans, but the migration …show more content…
The border wall severely limits the ability of animals, especially those with small population, to migrate, increasing endangered animal’s risk of extinction. According to Gaskill, “the barriers reduce range by as much as 75%, and those with a small range size have a higher risk of extinction” (Gaskill 2011). The US Fish and Wildlife Service made it possible for 100 openings to be put in the gates. However helpful this may seem, the openings in the gates are only useful for small animals and cannot be used by large animals. Additionally, these animals that can slip through often do not because they don’t go out looking for these holes to travel through. Possible mitigations could include habitat restoration which may help reduce the effects of the border wall; this will help in some ways on preserving the natural habitat of these …show more content…
It describes the desert as a fragile environment because even the slightest change to it could cause dramatic consequences on the vegetation and animal life there. Tire tracks, stage coach tracks, even tracks from indigenous people from 500 years ago are visible and remain so for hundreds of years. The amount of disturbance to the desert landscape between the Mexico and United States border is increasing due to the nearly 12 million people along the border as of 2000. Because of this reason, many think that proper planning must be done in order to ensure that the delicate ecosystem is not too greatly disturbed or more so than it already has. (Goodwin
Introduction:
The border wall has long been a controversial issue since its original proposition in the early 2000s. Aside from the obvious differences in opinions, there is a clear problem with the building of a border wall between Mexico and America, the impact on the environment due to the border wall itself and the surrounding a travelling populations of humans associated with it. As much as individuals would like to think that the border wall is effective in deterring illegal immigrants, it really does little except drive migrants deeper into the dangerous and desolate wilderness in order to cross. What is effected is not the migration of humans, but the migration …show more content…
The border wall severely limits the ability of animals, especially those with small population, to migrate, increasing endangered animal’s risk of extinction. According to Gaskill, “the barriers reduce range by as much as 75%, and those with a small range size have a higher risk of extinction” (Gaskill 2011). The US Fish and Wildlife Service made it possible for 100 openings to be put in the gates. However helpful this may seem, the openings in the gates are only useful for small animals and cannot be used by large animals. Additionally, these animals that can slip through often do not because they don’t go out looking for these holes to travel through. Possible mitigations could include habitat restoration which may help reduce the effects of the border wall; this will help in some ways on preserving the natural habitat of these …show more content…
It describes the desert as a fragile environment because even the slightest change to it could cause dramatic consequences on the vegetation and animal life there. Tire tracks, stage coach tracks, even tracks from indigenous people from 500 years ago are visible and remain so for hundreds of years. The amount of disturbance to the desert landscape between the Mexico and United States border is increasing due to the nearly 12 million people along the border as of 2000. Because of this reason, many think that proper planning must be done in order to ensure that the delicate ecosystem is not too greatly disturbed or more so than it already has. (Goodwin