South Carolina

South Carolina Ecosystems

Christopher Montoure

Teacher: Mrs. McFadden

BIO/280 Conservation Biology

September 2, 2014

South Carolina Ecosystems

Over the last hundred years the Bison, Elk and Coneflowers have come to the point of extinction due to the ever changing ecosystems where they once was more than abundant.

In the 1800’s Bison and Elk once roamed the Piedmont and Sand Hill ecosystems, the numbers for the Bison were in the millions, it was said they would stretch as far as the eye could see.

The meat from the Bison would be used to feed the families that lived in the area and the fur was used to make clothes and shoes to keep warm. The settlers only shot what the needed to survive. The meat of the Bison had a better nutritional value then beef, pork and chicken. It has no cholesterol, high in omega 3, zero fat and low in calories.

The more families that moved into the area and with the new railroad coming the Bison were hunted and slaughtered to clear the way for development of the land and build the new railroad to connect the east to the west. The Bison’s carcasses were left to rot in the sun as they were slaughtered. As families grew the Bison became more and scarcer to the point that Bison were thought to have numbered only three hundreds in the United States. You do not see Bison in the Piedmont and Sand Hill areas no more unless you go to the Zoo’s.

In the past Bison provided not only food for families but clothing and shoes so the settlers did not have to go to the trading post to purchase these items, as the bison became less plentiful the settlers either had to trade or pay for those items.

My personal opinion is that the way we as a country are developing land and changing the ecosystems and forcing the animals to live in smaller areas.

The Coneflower that used to be abundant in the two ecosystems is also facing extinction do to the over development of the land. This flower once swayed in the breeze and was so plentiful it...