Little Rock, Arkansas, is located in the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains, on the south bank of the Arkansas River. Lake Maumelle is northwest of Little Rock and provides the city's drinking water. The city lies in a humid, subtropical climate zone. Winters are mild, with temperatures in the coldest months, December and January, hovering around fifty degrees Fahrenheit. Summers are hot and humid, with July and August temperatures averaging well above ninety. Little Rock averages over one hundred inches of rain per year and typically gets around four inches of snow. Ecology and Environment

The residential area in which I live is within city limits. The neighborhood is predominantly single family homes on small lots. Most people maintain typical home landscapes comprised of shrubs, annual and perennial flowers and small vegetable gardens. The wildlife is not very diverse. The trees in the neighborhood attract song birds and squirrels, as do the feeders some residents keep. Occasionally, one might see a rabbit or a small garden snake.

Human activity has affected the local ecosystem. When houses were built, land had to be cleared, displacing native plants,

The area is warmer than it would have been before construction and human habitation because there are not as many shade trees and other vegetation that would have had a cooling effect on the land. Concrete, asphalt and roof shingles all serve to absorb and retain heat. Plants, animals and insects enjoy a symbiotic relationship in their natural state and this was disrupted when the neighborhood was built. Plants can no longer grow in places where pavement has replaced soil. There is not as much soil left to absorb rainwater. Drainage paths changed when houses and roads were constructed. Insects and animals that depended on the plants and the water sources may no longer thrive under the changed conditions.
Effects of Global Warming

Life would change for the nearly 200,000 people of Little Rock with the effects of global warming. Winter temperatures are already mild, and warming would make them even milder. In that case, Little Rock probably would not experience any snow at all. Since one inch of snow…