The flora and fauna of the Northwest are in serious decline because of human influences, according to a report released on Friday by the U.S. Geological Survey, the first large-scale assessment of such trends by the feds. Species declines are blamed on urban sprawl, population growth, the consumption of water for industry and agriculture, global warming, chemical pollution, and the human transport of plants and animals outside their native habitats. West of the Cascade Mountains, logging of old-growth forests has dramatically affected many bird and plant species, and east of the Cascades, decades of grazing and fire suppression have transformed the landscape. The report, which compiles scientific research conducted over the last few decades, didn’t reach new conclusions, but its scope is unprecedented.
