Collapsed - Chapter 1 (practice)
- Created by: FudgeRev123
- Created on: 02-05-21 20:46
- Big Hole Basin in South of Bitterroot Valley, Montana, US. Broad flat valley covered with meadows and meandering creeks, surrounded by seasonally snow-covered mountains rising on horizons. Montana self-proclaimed ' the big sky state.'
- Unlike Big Hole Basin, most states with lower parts of sky obscured view by buildings with rugged terrain and narrow valleys (E.g. New Guinea or Alps) or with broad sky view but wothiout distinctive mountains (e.g. Iowa and Nebraska).
- Patient of Diamond's Father had patient called Johnny Elies. l (Great-grandson of Fred Hirschy Sr.), Hirschy Swiss immigrant, pioneer of Big Hole in 1890. Fred Jr. ran family ranch with his sons **** and Jack and his daughters Jill and Joyce.
- Bitterroot Valley (and Montana in General) land of paradoxes;
- Montana is third largest state in the lower 48 of states with sixth smallest population, second lowest state in population density.
- Original natural vegetation of Bitterroot is sagebrush. Ravalli County (County of Bitterroot) attracts many immigrants from elsewhere in the U.S..
- 70% of its own high school graduates leave the valley, and most of those leave Montana.
- Population growing in Bitterroot, decreasing in Eastern Montana.
- Number of residentss in 50s steeply increased within past ten years of Ravalli county but number in 30s sharply decreased.
- Some residents extremely wealthy such as brokerage house founder Charles Schwab and Intel president Craig Barrett. However, Ravalli County one of poorest counties in Montana (which is nearly poorest state in the US).
- Many residents have to hold 2-3 jobs to maintain poverty-level incomes.
- Montana one of least environmentally damaged states, main reason to move to Ravalli.
Federal government owns over 1/4 of Montana's land with 3/4 of Rvalli's land, mostly under title of national forest.
Bitterroot is a clear case study on common environmental issues of USA (past and present). With personal account of decisions made by inhabitat, providing better insight on life history and how humanity effects the environment:
increasing population
immigration
scarcity and quality issues of water supplies
poor air quality
toxic wastes
increased wildlife risks
forest deterioration
loss of soil nutrients
decreased biodiversity
pest damage
climate change effects
Environmental disadvantaging hindering American food production also limit Montana's suitability for crops and livestock:
1. Relatively low rainfall --> low rates of plant growth
2. High latitude+altitude --> short growth seasons, limiting crops to one season a year over two a year (which is possible for areas with longer summers)
Thus, Montana requires cheaply grown crops with high productivity in its agriculture, which can be transport faster/cheaper to population centres. Has reputation of agriculturally non-competitive land.
Native Americans arrived 13,000 years ago. Those in Montana remained hunter-gatherers before European arrivals, even in agricultural/livestock areas of today.
This is because Montana lacked native wild plant and animal species for domestication as well as being far from two Native American centres of independent agricultural origins, crops from there did not spread to Montana by time of Europeans arriving. Three-quarters of Montana's remaining Native Americans live on seven reservations, most of which are poor in natural…
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