Ray Roberts Lake State Park

Attached are links that provide information on climate and weather for Ray Roberts Lake State Park located in the Dallas/Fort Worth area in North Texas. The information includes the current weather, past weather, climatology, air quality, and weather averages.  I also included two taxonomy links for the species that are in the park/area.  Climate and Weather National Weather Service for Dallas, TX https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=32.77822000000003&lon=-96.79511999999994#.YrvAH3bMJPY NOAA -Past Weather in Dallas / Fort Worth, TX https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/past-weather/Dallas%20tx North Texas Air Quality https://www.nctcog.org/trans/quality/air/ozone   National Weather Service for North Texas https://www.weather.gov/fwd/ntexclimo   North Texas Climatology https://drought.unl.edu/archive/climographs/DallasANC.htm   Weather Averages North Texas https://www.usclimatedata.com/climate/dallas-dfw-intl-arpt/texas/unite...

  Google My Map I enjoyed learning how to map out Ray Roberts Lake State Park using My Maps. I used two layers, one for trails and biodiversity and the other for campsites. Most of my experience using this for the first time was very easy. However, I ran into some issues finding trails on My Maps.  It could be that this state park is rather small and not everything is well documented but it would have been nice to include all the trails for reference.   The overall structure of my maps is very easy to read and it will be very helpful in the future.

Below is a link to a 30-minute slideshow on Abiotic and Biotic Factors I created this slideshow as an introductory tool regarding Abiotic and Biotic Factors describing what they are and how they work together within different terrains and regions. Also, how the Anthropocene time period is affecting the symbiosis of the abiotic and biotic factors.  https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vQ-lcrwRoZVx6DrW8J8epy5extJj3kPKLdWN4woNjyQkjk9ezHINm5u4Dlwt5KaaQBas9kzUW87GDs1/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000      (Helmenstine, 2022)

Importance of Biodiversity Locally, Regionally, Nationally and Internationally Biodiversity on an international level provides humans with the natural resources to survive. There are five values that the human population places on biodiversity: economics, ecological life support, culture, recreation, and science.  Globally , we take a closer look at the ecosystem, including the animals, plants, and microorganisms. We must value the nature we live in and keep the environment healthy as it maintains the air we breathe and the food we eat. ( A Warning Sign: Where Biodiversity Loss Is Happening around the World , 2021) However, globally we have had a 68% drop since the 1970s in species from habitat destruction from logging and unsustainable agriculture. With climate change, habitat loss, and species loss, the ecosystem will eventually adapt, but it could be detrimental to numerous species, including the human species.  ( Importance of Biodiversity , 2018) Biodiversity regionally p...

What is Biodiversity? Biodiversity was not in our vocabulary until the late 1980s. So what is it? To me, the definition describes a critical number of important basic details.  Biodiversity: Biodiversity is a diverse variety of living species on earth and how they interconnect with one another, within their system, and the world. Everything is interconnected and dependent on everything else. Adapted from (Biodiversity | National Geographic Society, 2022), Biodiversity comprises animals, fungi, bacteria, and plants in a particular area. These species and organisms work together and maintain a balance in the ecosystem. Adapted from (What Is Biodiversity? Why Is It Important? | AMNH, 2022), it includes the variety of life in all forms, from genes to ecosystems. It encompasses an evolutional, ecological, and cultural process for the sustainability of life.

  Ray Roberts Lake State Park is a beautiful thirty-minute drive from my house, located in northern Texas between the towns of Pilot Point and Sanger, Texas. The land within the park is made up of three ecoregions, making it a unique, diverse ecosystem. The ecoregions within the park are the Eastern Cross Timbers, Blackland Prairie, and Grand Prairie. There are over 300 plant species, 229 bird species, a mix of different trees within each ecosystem, and an abundant amount of animals and insects in all the ecoregions. The park has four units: Isle du Bois, Johnson Branch, Jordon, and Sanger, covering 29,350 acres. There are nine hiking trails within the park, and depending on what path you are in the park, you may see wetlands, woodlands, or prairie grass. It will be captivating to see the different mammals, fish, birds, butterflies, insects, dragonflies, frogs, turtles, lizards, snakes, and rodents living together in a symbiotic relationship.   My genuine fascination will...