Timothy Liu Extra Credit

During Timothy Liu's poetry reading at NE Wesleyan, one line of his poem's that particularly struck me was "Barns loomed in the distance like bison grazing."
This line had particular significance to me because of its reference to Nebraska, the Great Plains, and the relatively recent changes that humans have caused in this landscape. He makes a statement that connects the now with the past. Replacing the herds of Bison that characterized the Great Plains before it became the heartlands and cornbelt, are herds of barns, farms, and fields that displaced the bison and altered their livestyles. Although his statement may not have been meant for this reason within context, it was I immediately thought of when I heard it. It also made me reflect a little bit on the lifestyle that I and many people within the Midwest live.
Much of my family's income is based on farming the land that was taken from bison and entire prairie ecosystem. Prairie has basically disappeared from the Midwest, although the farms that replaced it are the source of food for much of our nation, it is frightening to think about what longterm negative effects this could have. What significane does the loss of species and ecosystems play in the success of the human race? Does each individual species really matter? Timothy Liu's statement sort of woke me up to the fact that humans can greatly alter landscapes and systems within the world. I have no opinion to how good or how bad this is. But I think it is necessary to think about what long term effects actions can have before they are undertaken.