Bob Berwyn:
"SUMMIT COUNTY — Coral reefs may get all the glory when it comes to biodiversity, but new research shows that relatively unsung seagrass communities may play a vital role in sequestering atmospheric carbon.
Any carbon that’s not in the atmosphere means it’s not trapping heat, so cultivating and protecting existing coastal seagrass communities could be a vital part of the solution to climate change, according to the first global analysis of carbon storage in seagrass.
The results of the study suggest that seagrass meadows can store up to twice as much carbon as the world’s temperate and tropical forests — up to 83,000 metric tons of carbon per square kilometer, mostly in the soils beneath them, as compared to typical terrestrial forests, which store about 30,000 metric tons per square kilometer, most of which is in the form of wood.
The research also estimates that, although seagrass meadows occupy less than 0.2 percent of the world’s oceans, they are responsible for more than 10 percent of all carbon buried annually in the sea.
“Seagrasses only take up a small percentage of global coastal area, but this assessment shows that they’re a dynamic ecosystem for carbon transformation,” said James Fourqurean, the lead author of the paper and a scientist at Florida International University and the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Florida Coastal Everglades Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) site.
The Florida Coastal Everglades LTER site is one of 26 such NSF LTER sites around the world in ecosystems from forests to tundra, coral reefs to barrier islands.
“Seagrasses have the unique ability to continue to store carbon in their roots and soil in coastal seas,” said Fourqurean. “We found places where seagrass beds have been storing carbon for thousands of years.”...."
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"Unapologetic pursuit and tracking of patterns within the news others make since 2010."
Showing posts with label bio-diversity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bio-diversity. Show all posts
May 26, 2012
April 21, 2012
SandBoxBlogs: Summit County Citizens Voice "Oceans: Feds start recovery plan for right & blue whales"
'SandBox Nanny' is stunned almost speechless!
It's like environmental journalist Bob Berwyn has a hidden cache of tantalizing headlines that exist just for her perusal.
Today, we discover the politics of whales. They have 'right' leanings and they have 'blue' leanings!
Amazing.
In his stunningly brilliant expose', Berwyn also reveals that the 'right' leaning whales are an "endangered species".
Who knew?
"Back from the brink?"
By Summit Voice
Bringing the cetacean back from the brink of extinction won’t be easy (lol on the word play..says, 'Nanny')— by most estimates, there are only about 30 right whales in the Bering Sea and the Gulf of Alaska and perhaps several hundred in the Sea of Okhotsk.
Right whales are so named because during the whaling era, they were a prime target, considered the “right” whale to hunt. Unlike other cetaceans, they haven’t been able to bounce back yet from the whaling slaughter. Collisions with ships is one of the biggest threats facing the whales.
To prove 'right' whales do exist, here is a photo from NOAA:
It's like environmental journalist Bob Berwyn has a hidden cache of tantalizing headlines that exist just for her perusal.
Today, we discover the politics of whales. They have 'right' leanings and they have 'blue' leanings!
Amazing.
In his stunningly brilliant expose', Berwyn also reveals that the 'right' leaning whales are an "endangered species".
Who knew?
"Back from the brink?"
By Summit Voice
SUMMIT COUNTY — The National Marine Fisheries Service last week announced it will prepare a recovery plan for endangered North Pacific right whales, one of the most endangered animals on Earth.
Bringing the cetacean back from the brink of extinction won’t be easy (lol on the word play..says, 'Nanny')— by most estimates, there are only about 30 right whales in the Bering Sea and the Gulf of Alaska and perhaps several hundred in the Sea of Okhotsk.
Right whales are so named because during the whaling era, they were a prime target, considered the “right” whale to hunt. Unlike other cetaceans, they haven’t been able to bounce back yet from the whaling slaughter. Collisions with ships is one of the biggest threats facing the whales.
The decision to develop a recovery plan came after the Center for Biological Diversity filed a notice of intent to sue. At the same time, the federal agency said it will update an outdated recovery plan for endangered blue whales, the largest animals on Earth....." (Read more? Click title)
To prove 'right' whales do exist, here is a photo from NOAA:
April 10, 2012
SandBoxBlogs: Summit County Citizens Voice "Biodiversity: Bat-killing fungus traced to Europe"
Fascinating report from Bob Berwyn. Up and over on the Summit County Citizens Voice.
Bats are vitally important to our global eco-systems. To finally trace the deadly 'white-nose syndrome' to Europe origins and start narrowing down the transmitters as being likely humans visiting caves and carrying away particle traces on their bodies and clothing is major progress.
Will the research become solid enough to close our fragile caves to human visitors?
Bob Berwyn:
"SUMMIT COUNTY — Researchers are closer to pinpointing the origins of a deadly disease that has killed almost 7 million bats in the eastern and central U.S.
White nose syndrome, which affects hibernating bats, likely results from a fungus native to Europe, Canadian researchers reported this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Previous research had also suggested a European origin for the disease. The fungus is know to exist in European bat habitat, but the bats have apparently developed some genetic immunity.
In a controlled setting, biologists exposed separate groups of test bats to European and American strains of the fungus and monitored the onset of the disease for several months.
Both groups of bats showed all the known signs of the disease, including powdery white fungal growths on the bats’ exposed skin and damage to the wings. Infected bats were likely roused three to four times more often than uninfected bats from their hibernation, resulting in the depletion of precious subcutaneous fat reserves and in body wasting, which, the authors suggest, is the likely cause of mortality.
Because European bats largely survive the fungal infection possibly through the evolution of immunity, the authors suggest that the introduction of the fungus from Europe into North America is the likely cause of white nose syndrome among North American bats.
Researchers don’t know how the fungus may have spread from Europe to the U.S. There has been some speculation that visitors to caves carried a few of the spores on their clothes or shoes...."
(Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
Bats are vitally important to our global eco-systems. To finally trace the deadly 'white-nose syndrome' to Europe origins and start narrowing down the transmitters as being likely humans visiting caves and carrying away particle traces on their bodies and clothing is major progress.
Will the research become solid enough to close our fragile caves to human visitors?
Bob Berwyn:
"SUMMIT COUNTY — Researchers are closer to pinpointing the origins of a deadly disease that has killed almost 7 million bats in the eastern and central U.S.
White nose syndrome, which affects hibernating bats, likely results from a fungus native to Europe, Canadian researchers reported this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Previous research had also suggested a European origin for the disease. The fungus is know to exist in European bat habitat, but the bats have apparently developed some genetic immunity.
In a controlled setting, biologists exposed separate groups of test bats to European and American strains of the fungus and monitored the onset of the disease for several months.
Both groups of bats showed all the known signs of the disease, including powdery white fungal growths on the bats’ exposed skin and damage to the wings. Infected bats were likely roused three to four times more often than uninfected bats from their hibernation, resulting in the depletion of precious subcutaneous fat reserves and in body wasting, which, the authors suggest, is the likely cause of mortality.
Because European bats largely survive the fungal infection possibly through the evolution of immunity, the authors suggest that the introduction of the fungus from Europe into North America is the likely cause of white nose syndrome among North American bats.
Researchers don’t know how the fungus may have spread from Europe to the U.S. There has been some speculation that visitors to caves carried a few of the spores on their clothes or shoes...."
(Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
March 30, 2012
SandBoxBlogs: Summit County Citizens Voice "Biodiversity: Key European butterfly species in decline"
Bob Berwyn:
"SUMMIT COUNTY — European butterfly populations and diversity are rapidly dwindling, as habitat is converted or lost to development. Biologists estimate that about 10 percent of all species are now threatened with extinction, with a European grassland indicator showing that overall abundance of 17 characteristic butterflies has declined by more than 70 percent in just the last 15 years.
Butterflies are sensitive indicators of the environment and populations respond very quickly to habitat change. Management for butterflies will help ensure the survival of a wide range of other insects, which form the bedrock of European biodiversity.
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
"SUMMIT COUNTY — European butterfly populations and diversity are rapidly dwindling, as habitat is converted or lost to development. Biologists estimate that about 10 percent of all species are now threatened with extinction, with a European grassland indicator showing that overall abundance of 17 characteristic butterflies has declined by more than 70 percent in just the last 15 years.
Butterflies are sensitive indicators of the environment and populations respond very quickly to habitat change. Management for butterflies will help ensure the survival of a wide range of other insects, which form the bedrock of European biodiversity.
After a major collaborative research effort, European scientists say that downward spiral could be slowed significantly with good management of the habitat that’s left. Many agricultural areas have been abandoned are are overgrown with brush, while others are too managed too extensively, the scientists said in a new report published in the form of an “applied Conservation paper in the newly launched open-access journal Nature Conservation...." (Read more? Click title)
March 23, 2012
SandBoxBlogs: Summit County Citizens Voice "Biodiversity: Monarch butterflies in steep decline"
Bob Berwyn:
" A decades-long downward trend in Monarch butterfly numbers is expected to continue this year, with reports from the World Wildlife Fund and other sources indicating there may be almost one-third fewer butterflies making the northward flight from Mexico this spring and summer.
This year’s steep decline may, in part, be due to last summer’s severe drought in Texas, which resulted in less food for the showy insects as they traveled south. But year-to-year fluctuations don’t hide the overall long-term trend of population decline.
“The latest information shows that Monarchs will be down from 25 to 30 percent this year, and that has been part of a disturbing trend the last few years,” said Craig Wilson, a senior research associate in the Center for Mathematics and Science Education and a long-time butterfly enthusiast.
This year, according to the Texas Monarch Watch, Monarchs covered about 7.14 acres of forest in their Mexican breeding grounds compared to 9.9 acres last year, and it shows a continued long-term downward trend in Monarch population since official surveys began in 1994...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
" A decades-long downward trend in Monarch butterfly numbers is expected to continue this year, with reports from the World Wildlife Fund and other sources indicating there may be almost one-third fewer butterflies making the northward flight from Mexico this spring and summer.
This year’s steep decline may, in part, be due to last summer’s severe drought in Texas, which resulted in less food for the showy insects as they traveled south. But year-to-year fluctuations don’t hide the overall long-term trend of population decline.
“The latest information shows that Monarchs will be down from 25 to 30 percent this year, and that has been part of a disturbing trend the last few years,” said Craig Wilson, a senior research associate in the Center for Mathematics and Science Education and a long-time butterfly enthusiast.
This year, according to the Texas Monarch Watch, Monarchs covered about 7.14 acres of forest in their Mexican breeding grounds compared to 9.9 acres last year, and it shows a continued long-term downward trend in Monarch population since official surveys began in 1994...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
February 17, 2012
SandBox Comments: Summit County Citizens Voice "Biodiversity: Great Backyard Bird Count starts today"
Bob Berwyn with photo credit to MiaMPhotography:
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
January 23, 2012
SandBox Comments: Summit County Citizens Voice "Rare turtle released to the wilds of Cambodia"
Bob Berwyn:
"SUMMIT COUNTY —In an age when global biodiversity is collapsing at an astounding rate, it’s good to celebrate small conservation victories, like last week’s release of a rare southern river terrapin to the Sre Ambel River in Cambodia.
The female turtle weighs about 75 pounds and has been equipped with a satellite transmitter that will allow conservationists to track its whereabouts – the first-ever satellite monitoring study for this species.
The turtle was captured in the Sre Ambel River by local fishermen in April, 2011. It’s one of only about 200 adults remaining in the wilds of Cambodia, Malaysia, and Indonesia. It was voluntarily turned it over to the WCS Cambodia turtle team instead of being sold into the black market trade, where it would have been sent to food markets in China.
The population in the Sre Ambel River is estimated at less than ten nesting females. Thus, this individual is extremely important for maintaining genetic diversity of this species that has already suffered drastic population declines...."
(Read more? Click title. Comment to discuss)
"SUMMIT COUNTY —In an age when global biodiversity is collapsing at an astounding rate, it’s good to celebrate small conservation victories, like last week’s release of a rare southern river terrapin to the Sre Ambel River in Cambodia.
Working with government agencies in the region, the Wildlife Conservation Society last week said biologists released one of the most endangered turtles on earth into the wild in an area where the reptiles may be able to re-establish a stronghold.
The female turtle weighs about 75 pounds and has been equipped with a satellite transmitter that will allow conservationists to track its whereabouts – the first-ever satellite monitoring study for this species.
The turtle was captured in the Sre Ambel River by local fishermen in April, 2011. It’s one of only about 200 adults remaining in the wilds of Cambodia, Malaysia, and Indonesia. It was voluntarily turned it over to the WCS Cambodia turtle team instead of being sold into the black market trade, where it would have been sent to food markets in China.
The population in the Sre Ambel River is estimated at less than ten nesting females. Thus, this individual is extremely important for maintaining genetic diversity of this species that has already suffered drastic population declines...."
(Read more? Click title. Comment to discuss)
SandBox Comments: Summit County Citizens Voice "Australia planning world’s largest marine sanctuary"
Bob Berwyn:
"SUMMIT COUNTY —Two leading scientists are urging Australians to support a government plan to create one of the world’s largest marine sanctuaries in the Coral Sea.
"SUMMIT COUNTY —Two leading scientists are urging Australians to support a government plan to create one of the world’s largest marine sanctuaries in the Coral Sea.
“The Coral Sea is one of a handful of places in the world where a very large oceanic no-take park can be created and monitored in a single national jurisdiction,” said Professors Terry Hughes and Bob Pressey of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and James Cook University. “Public comment on the proposal is now open – and it is time for all Australians to have their say.”...."
(Read more? Click title. Comment to discuss)
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