Accumulation of wind-dispersed trash in desert environments

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• 作者：E.R. Zylstra ; ^{ezylstra@email.arizona.edu}
• 关键词：Distance sampling ; Latex balloon ; Plastic ; Sonoran Desert
• 刊名：Journal of Arid Environments
• 出版年：2013
• 出版时间：February, 2013
• 年：2013
• 卷：89
• 期：Complete
• 页码：13-15
• 全文大小：165 K

文摘

Detrimental effects of plastic debris and other trash have been well-studied in marine and coastal environments, but the extent and severity of the threat to terrestrial ecosystems are largely unknown. I used distance-sampling methods to quantify density of wind-dispersed trash in two protected areas of the Sonoran Desert in southern Arizona. Densities of plastic bags ranged from 5.6/km² to 35.4/km², and densities of balloon clusters ranged from 39.2/km² to 62.7/km². Density of balloon clusters was greater than the density of desert tortoises, Gopherus morafkai, and western diamond-backed rattlesnakes, Crotalus atrox, in both study areas. Results of this study provide evidence that wind can disperse substantial amounts of trash >2?km into protected natural areas and suggest that accumulation of trash poses a potential threat to desert ecosystems.