by Josh Mueller
Natural Threats to Caribbean Area Islands
Hurricanes throughout the Caribbean Area are recognized every bit the dominant ecological motility of ecosystem together with economical disruption [1, 2]. For example, recent storms such every bit hurricane Irma inwards September 2017 broke records of sustained hurricane size together with current of air speed for Atlantic Ocean tropical depressions. Irma caused pregnant economical harm alongside estimates inwards the attain of over $100 billion inwards costs together with damages throughout the Caribbean Area islands (Figure 1). The hurricane every bit good resulted inwards over 130 human casualties making it ane of the deadliest together with costliest always recorded. Yet, what remains unknown are the lingering economical together with ecological costs from ecological threats to many of the isle nations whose markets depend greatly on the tourism industry. Additionally, piffling is known regarding the futurity demeanour of hurricanes every bit global climate alter continues to influence atmospheric together with oceanic conditions.
Wildfires, both naturally occurring together with human induced, lead maintain every bit good been a dominant gamble to the Caribbean Area islands, especially during the 15th together with 16th centuries when English linguistic communication together with Dutch explorers began to colonize the British Virgin Islands (BVI) [2]. Throughout this period, colonists introduced cash crops together with production via aggressive together with destructive burning techniques to clear the landscape for sugarcane, corn, together with tobacco. Such agricultural methods tin drastically alter natural vegetation together with sack regimes for isle ecosystems. But through paleoecological research, it is possible to gain insight into how impactful prehistoric hurricanes together with human activities were on Caribbean Area ecosystems, together with the necessary fourth dimension needed for isle ecosystems to recover later catastrophic disturbances, such every bit hurricane Irma.
Paleoecological Insight
Recent scientific breakthroughs from a paleoecological enquiry squad out of the Natural History Museum of Utah [2] has provided critical insight into the fourth dimension it volition accept for BVI ecosystems to recover together with render to their ‘pre-damaged’ conditions. They discovered that European colonists explicitly targeted larger islands (Tortola) over smaller islands inwards the BVI (Figure 2), viewing them as optimal settings to initiate cash crop production due to the larger landmass; Tortola beingness the largest, Beef Island the mid-sized, together with Thatch beingness the smallest island. Agricultural activities were demonstrated past times an increment inwards charcoal particle concentrations (a proxy for sack activity) found inside coastal sediment cores collected from each of the 3 islands (Figure 3). Tortola showed increases inwards sack activeness at the early onslaught of European colonization inwards the 15th century, followed past times like increases inwards sack activeness on Beef Island, together with lastly sack increases are seen latest inwards fourth dimension at the smallest island, Thatch Island. Researchers every bit good found that the rapid burning employed past times Europeans had serious impacts on the native vegetation on the landscape. The authors scream for out that recovery times for mangrove forests together with coastal swamps, which are ii dominant vegetation types found on the islands, are typically some a century to render to ‘pre-disturbed’ weather [2]. Being that both mangrove forests together with coastal swamps are place most pristine Caribbean Area beaches, agreement how long these ecosystems volition accept to recover, together with if they volition render to a ‘pre-hurricane state’ is a vital for tourism together with economical stimulation. The authors every bit good scream for out that early successional species such every bit Saltwort (Batis Maritima) may promote together with stimulate mangrove growth together with establishment.
Lasting Impacts
The findings from this enquiry are especially pregnant because together with therefore much of the BVI economic scheme is subject upon the influx together with growth of the tourism industry. Tourists are drawn to the Caribbean Area islands for their pristine warm waters, coastal vegetation, scenic views, together with white sands that they lead maintain either seen on Google ikon searches or seen on past times holidays. However, tourists may non run across precisely or sense the images seen online every bit the islands are currently experiencing a telephone substitution recovery menses from hurricane Irma [2]. Yet, it is critical for the economies of these isle nations, every bit good every bit for the ecological recovery efforts, such every bit the mangrove restoration plan through the BVI Parks Trust, that tourists render to these islands together with pass money. Particularly if they desire to run across the islands render to their ‘natural state’. The British Virgin Islands are opened upwards to tourism again, they are recovering, together with they stay a stunning place to visit!
Josh Mueller, Ph.D.
Academic Staff, Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
If y'all lead maintain questions or comments concerning Josh's post, delight larn out a comment below, or transportation him an email. You tin every bit good connect alongside him on Twitter and follow his enquiry on ResearchGate.
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[1] Liu, K-B together with Fearn, ML (1993). Lake-sediment tape of piece of cake Holocene hurricane activities from coastal Alabama. Geology 21, 793-796.
[2] Mueller, JR, Power, MJ, Long, CJ (2018). Climate together with human influence on Late- Holocene sack regimes inwards the British Virgin Islands. Quaternary Research. 12, 1-15.
Natural Threats to Caribbean Area Islands
Hurricanes throughout the Caribbean Area are recognized every bit the dominant ecological motility of ecosystem together with economical disruption [1, 2]. For example, recent storms such every bit hurricane Irma inwards September 2017 broke records of sustained hurricane size together with current of air speed for Atlantic Ocean tropical depressions. Irma caused pregnant economical harm alongside estimates inwards the attain of over $100 billion inwards costs together with damages throughout the Caribbean Area islands (Figure 1). The hurricane every bit good resulted inwards over 130 human casualties making it ane of the deadliest together with costliest always recorded. Yet, what remains unknown are the lingering economical together with ecological costs from ecological threats to many of the isle nations whose markets depend greatly on the tourism industry. Additionally, piffling is known regarding the futurity demeanour of hurricanes every bit global climate alter continues to influence atmospheric together with oceanic conditions.
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| Figure 1. Belmont Pond on the isle of Tortola. Left ikon is from March 2015, earlier impacts from Irma. Right ikon is from Jan 2018, later the impacts of Irma |
Wildfires, both naturally occurring together with human induced, lead maintain every bit good been a dominant gamble to the Caribbean Area islands, especially during the 15th together with 16th centuries when English linguistic communication together with Dutch explorers began to colonize the British Virgin Islands (BVI) [2]. Throughout this period, colonists introduced cash crops together with production via aggressive together with destructive burning techniques to clear the landscape for sugarcane, corn, together with tobacco. Such agricultural methods tin drastically alter natural vegetation together with sack regimes for isle ecosystems. But through paleoecological research, it is possible to gain insight into how impactful prehistoric hurricanes together with human activities were on Caribbean Area ecosystems, together with the necessary fourth dimension needed for isle ecosystems to recover later catastrophic disturbances, such every bit hurricane Irma.
Paleoecological Insight
Recent scientific breakthroughs from a paleoecological enquiry squad out of the Natural History Museum of Utah [2] has provided critical insight into the fourth dimension it volition accept for BVI ecosystems to recover together with render to their ‘pre-damaged’ conditions. They discovered that European colonists explicitly targeted larger islands (Tortola) over smaller islands inwards the BVI (Figure 2), viewing them as optimal settings to initiate cash crop production due to the larger landmass; Tortola beingness the largest, Beef Island the mid-sized, together with Thatch beingness the smallest island. Agricultural activities were demonstrated past times an increment inwards charcoal particle concentrations (a proxy for sack activity) found inside coastal sediment cores collected from each of the 3 islands (Figure 3). Tortola showed increases inwards sack activeness at the early onslaught of European colonization inwards the 15th century, followed past times like increases inwards sack activeness on Beef Island, together with lastly sack increases are seen latest inwards fourth dimension at the smallest island, Thatch Island. Researchers every bit good found that the rapid burning employed past times Europeans had serious impacts on the native vegetation on the landscape. The authors scream for out that recovery times for mangrove forests together with coastal swamps, which are ii dominant vegetation types found on the islands, are typically some a century to render to ‘pre-disturbed’ weather [2]. Being that both mangrove forests together with coastal swamps are place most pristine Caribbean Area beaches, agreement how long these ecosystems volition accept to recover, together with if they volition render to a ‘pre-hurricane state’ is a vital for tourism together with economical stimulation. The authors every bit good scream for out that early successional species such every bit Saltwort (Batis Maritima) may promote together with stimulate mangrove growth together with establishment.
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| Figure 2. Map of the British Virgin Islands from largest to smallest inwards size; Tortola, Beef Island, Thatch Island. Research was conducted past times Josh Mueller together with colleagues from the Natural History Museum of Utah [2] |
Lasting Impacts
The findings from this enquiry are especially pregnant because together with therefore much of the BVI economic scheme is subject upon the influx together with growth of the tourism industry. Tourists are drawn to the Caribbean Area islands for their pristine warm waters, coastal vegetation, scenic views, together with white sands that they lead maintain either seen on Google ikon searches or seen on past times holidays. However, tourists may non run across precisely or sense the images seen online every bit the islands are currently experiencing a telephone substitution recovery menses from hurricane Irma [2]. Yet, it is critical for the economies of these isle nations, every bit good every bit for the ecological recovery efforts, such every bit the mangrove restoration plan through the BVI Parks Trust, that tourists render to these islands together with pass money. Particularly if they desire to run across the islands render to their ‘natural state’. The British Virgin Islands are opened upwards to tourism again, they are recovering, together with they stay a stunning place to visit!
 |
| Field operate photograph showing sediments collected from Belmont Pond, Tortola inwards Jan 2017 |
Josh Mueller, Ph.D.
Academic Staff, Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
If y'all lead maintain questions or comments concerning Josh's post, delight larn out a comment below, or transportation him an email. You tin every bit good connect alongside him on Twitter and follow his enquiry on ResearchGate.
_____________________________________________________
References:
[2] Mueller, JR, Power, MJ, Long, CJ (2018). Climate together with human influence on Late- Holocene sack regimes inwards the British Virgin Islands. Quaternary Research. 12, 1-15.