Biodiversity Loss (Endangered, Threatened and Extinct Species)

Biodiversity Loss

Ever since the US President refused to sign the Biodiversity Treaty at the Earth Summit in 1992 the word ‘biodiversity’ has been bandied around by politicians and economists. But what exactly is biodiversity? How important is it to humanity?

Biodiversity is shorthand for biological diversity or the variability of living organisms and the ecological complexes of which they are part. It is the total variety of genetic strains, species and ecosystems. This diversity is a wonder and a delight but also a great responsibility.

Currently there is much concern over the increasing impact of our human actions on biodiversity. There are widespread calls for political action to halt the loss of species and protect the living world around us.

Worldwide there are an estimated 5 to 30 million species of animals and plants, each genetically unique. Most remain unidentified. Some 1.4 million animal species alive today have been named and described. Named plant species are far fewer, numbering around 400,000. Biodiversity is not uniformly distributed over the earth’s surface. The tropics cover 42% of all land but contain two-thirds of all animal species. Rain-forests cover 6 % of all land but contain two-fifths of all plant and animal species. Comprehensive measurement of biodiversity is difficult. However, we can compare numbers of species between sites as a simple index of relative biodiversity.

Endangered

An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters. Also it could mean that due to deforestation there may be a lack of food and/or water. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has calculated the percentage of endangered species as 40 percent of all organisms based on the sample of species that have been evaluated through 2006. (Note: the IUCN groups all threatened species for their summary purposes.) Many nations have laws offering protection to conservation reliant species: for example, forbidding hunting, restricting land development or creating preserves. Only a few of the many species at risk of extinction actually make it to the lists and obtain legal protection. Many more species become extinct, or potentially will become extinct, without gaining public notice.




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endangered_species

Threatened and Extinct Species

he International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is a group of organisations and scientific experts that work for the protection of sustainable (able to be maintained) living resources. It is considered to be the best authority about the status of living things on the planet.

The IUCN:
keeps watch on species* and ecosystems** thoughout the world;

plans conservation action;

encourages conservation by governments and other organisations;

provides help and advice necessary for conservation action.

*species means a group of one kind of animal

** an ecosystem is a group of living things in the one environment, all interacting together and depending on each other. For example, if a forest disappears then all the plants, mammals, birds, insects, reptiles and perhaps even fish are affected in some way because their shelter, food, protection, nests etc have gone.

The IUCN has developed categories to describe threatened species. 'Threatened' is the term used for species that are in the Critically Endangered, Endangered and Vulnerable categories below.

The IUCN publishes a Red List of Threatened Species every four years. You can see the Red List:

The IUCN categories for threatened species are:

Extinct 'Extinct in the Wild'	The species has definitely not been seen in the wild in the past 50 years The species only exists in captivity, and no longer in the wild	Example: Thylacine Example: Kakapo	Find out more about extinction
Critically Endangered	The species is facing an extremely high risk of becoming extinct very soon	Example: Mountain Gorilla	Find out about the Critically endangered Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat
Endangered	The species is in danger of becoming extinct. This includes species that may be extinct but have been seen in the wild less than 50 years ago.	Example: Peregrine Falcon	Some Australian endangered species
Vulnerable	The species is likely to move into the Endangered category soon if conditions do not change.	Examples: Hippopotamus Galapagos marine iguana	Find out about the Humpback Whale
Near Threatened	Species whose numbers are dropping and is close to becoming vulnerable or endangered.	Example: European Otter	Find out about the Near Threatened Buzzing Frog
Least Concern	A species that is not vulnerable or endangered, but is common
Data Deficient	There is not enough information at this time to know which category a species is in.
Commercially threatened	A species with good numbers at the moment, but which are being killed in large numbers for commercial reasons. The species will become endangered unless the killing can be controlled.	Example: Pearl oysters

http://www.redlist.org/

El Nino and La Nina Weather Disturbances, Typhoons (Phil Setting)

Here comes La Niña

Strong rains, flash floods, erosion, crop losses - these are just some of the problems Filipinos can expect as La Niña hits the country this summer.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) based its forecast from the increases in the incidence of typhoons, floods and frequent heavy rains since November last year.

"The persistence of present oceanic and atmospheric patterns in the next two months will confirm the occurrence of a La Niña episode and continue to influence the climate of the Philippines," weather bureau chief Graciano Yumul said.

La Niña is the counterpart of the climate phenomenon called El Niño, which was first observed and named by fishermen off the coast of South America. El Niño -- which got its "Christ child" name because of the its tendency to occur around Christmas -- describes the the appearance of unusually warm water in the Pacific Ocean. This results in a reversal of normal weather patterns -- drought during the rainy season, deluges during summer.

ow does La Niña affect the country's weather? According to PAGASA, "La Niña's effects could be manifested in above the normal rainfall conditions in major parts of the country, particularly along the eastern sections. This is mainly due to more intense northeast monsoon and tropical cyclone activities."

The coming La Niña would greatly affect the country's eastern seaboard, particularly Cagayan Valley, Isabela, Southern Leyte, Leyte, Agusan del Sur and Norte, Davao Oriental, Samar, Aurora and the Bicol provinces. These regions will see a lot of soil erosion. "When land is denuded of trees, scorched by burning, and deprived of its humus by intense heat, the earth soon erodes," explains Steve Musen, the director of the Davao-based Mindanao Baptist Rural Life Center (MBRLC) Foundation, Inc.

ttp://www.hotmanila.ph/leantech/lanina2.htm

El Niño phenomena

The series of storms that devastated Luzon in 2009 and the menacing persistence of El Niño have convinced state experts at the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) that the country will be faced by abnormal climate and harsher weather disturbances this year.

"It has been very difficult for us to expect a normal climate outlook for (this) year because of glaring climate variabilities and abnormal trends," Dr. Susan Espinueva, chief of PAGASA Hydrometeorological Division, said.

"We began to observe this two or three years back when we realize that these abnormal trends in climate was the impacts of climate change and variability," she noted.

The top hydrologist noted that El Niño cycle used to happen after four to seven years, instead of every other year, which began to occur since 2007.

Espinueva also expressed concern that the dry spell conditions due to El Niño in Capiz, Masbate, Northern Samar, and Occidental Mindoro since September hinted an exact opposite climate to be experienced all throughout the country come second half of 2010.

She also explained that the phenomena is followed by La Niña that dramatically increases rainfall.

"With or without El Niño, we recorded a trend wherein the accumulated amount of rainfall in a year stays the same annually. It (the figure) does not vary, which means that of we have less rainfall for the first half, we will more rainfall in the second half of 2010," she said.

"So if we have drought conditions this summer, we will have wetter rainy season," she said, adding that the country may even have strong storms and unusually erratic typhoons similar to storm "Ondoy" and typhoon "Pepeng" last year.

PAGASA Climatology and Hydrometeorology Division chief Dr. Flaviana Hilario likened the climate outlook this year to what happened in 2007 when typhoon "Marce" left several provinces in ruins in August immediately after the drought conditions were severely felt from June to July.

http://www.mb.com.ph/node/236639/expert

Typhoons in the Philippines

Typhoons in the Philippines describes the most notable tropical cyclones to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility and affect the Philippines. Bagyo is a term referring to any tropical cyclone in the Philippine Islands. An average of 6 to 7 tropical cyclones hit the Philippines per year. A bagyo is categorized into four types according to its wind speed by the PAGASA. All tropical cyclones, regardless of strength, are named by PAGASA. Tropical depressions have maximum sustained winds of between 55 kilometres per hour (30 kn) and 64 kilometres per hour (35 kn) near its center. Tropical storms have maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometres per hour (35 kn) and 119 kilometres per hour (64 kn). Typhoons achieve maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometres per hour (65 kn) to 185 kilometres per hour (100 kn), with super typhoons having maximum winds exceeding 185 kilometres per hour (100 kn). The most destructive tropical cyclone to impact the Philippines was Tropical Storm Thelma in 1991, which killed thousands of people from its resultant flooding. The wettest known tropical cyclone to impact the archipelago was the July 1911 cyclone which dropped over 1,168 millimetres (46.0 in) of rainfall within a 24 hour period at Baguio City. At least 30 percent of the annual rainfall in the northern Philippines could be traced to tropical cyclones, while the southern islands receive less than 10 percent of their annual rainfall from tropical cyclones.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhoons_in_the_Philippines

Mineral Depletion, Deforestation, Coral Bleaching, Mangrove Ecosystem

Soil Mineral Depletion

Can a healthy diet be sufficient in today's world?

There was a time when simply eating a healthy diet and avoiding all anti-nutrients ensured that we got all the minerals needed to stay healthy - research today shows that this may no longer be the case as the nutrient content of our food is on the decline.

Soil is the prime source of minerals on which every living cell depends for its structure and function. Vitamins, enzymes, amino acids (protein) and a host of other biologically active substances are essential for our bodies to function properly. They virtually all include minerals as an integral part of their chemical structure. Dr Linus Pauling, twice noble prize winner, said “you can trace every sickness, every disease and every ailment to a mineral deficiency”. Yet, all over the world, minerals are disappearing from agricultural soils at an alarming rate. In 1992, the official report of the Rio Earth Summit concluded “there is deep concern over continuing major declines in the mineral values in farm and range soils throughout the world”. This statement was based on data showing that over the last 100 years, average mineral levels in agricultural soils had fallen worldwide – by 72% in Europe, 76% in Asia and 85% in North America. What has caused this staggering decline?

Most of the blame lies with artificial chemical fertilisers. We now know that plants absorb 70 to 80 different minerals from the soil, while the number returned to it by plants grown with commercial fertilisers can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Every crop that is cut or animal that is sent to market marks a further depletion in the mineral status of the soil on which it was raised. Organic wastes that in former times would have been composted and returned to the land are nowadays mostly consigned to landfill sites or incineration.

There are many other ways in which the move to chemical farming prevents crops from taking up even the sparse amounts of trace minerals left in the soil. Soil contains bacteria, fungi, plant and animal life, in a state of constant interaction and balance. Every one of these organisms needs dozens of different minerals to survive and play its part in the ecosystem. Some bacteria have a vital role in converting soil minerals into chemical forms that plants can use. NPK fertilisers (fertilisers used in modern farming that only contain nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium) gradually change the soil pH towards acidic conditions in which these bacteria can not survive. To combat soil acidification farmers lay lime on the land adding back calcium and magnesium to raise the soil pH, but it also converts manganese and some other trace minerals into chemical forms that plants are unable to absorb.

Pesticides and herbicides also reduce the uptake of trace minerals by plants. Plants have an important relationship with certain fungi that can form networks covering several acres. The fungus obtains carbohydrates from the plant root, at the same time supplying the plant with nutrients it draws from the soil. This gives the plant access to a vastly greater mineral extraction system than is possible by their roots alone. Chemical fungicide sprays destroy these beneficial fungi and so again reduce the ability of plants to absorb soil minerals. Insecticides can also reduce trace mineral uptake by inactivating choline-containing enzymes in plants, essential for the absorption of manganese and other minerals.

The combined effect of soil mineral depletion and the reduced availability of those minerals that remain is that most of the food that we eat is mineral deficient. The table below summarizes the reductions in the average mineral content of 27 vegetables and 17 fruits, between 1940 and 1991. The results of the latest research are expected to show mineral values in continual decline.

Reduction in average mineral content of fruit and vegetables between 1940 and 1991

Mineral		Vegetables		Fruit
Sodium		-49%		-29%
Potassium		-16%		-19%
Magnesium		-24%		-16%
Calcium		-46%		-16%
Iron		-27%		-24%
Copper		-76%		-20%
Zinc		-59%		-27%

A new study published earlier this year shows that, as might be expected, mineral levels in animal products reflect the picture in plant foods. Comparing levels measured in 2002 with those present in 1940, the iron content of milk was found to be 62% less, calcium and magnesium in parmesan cheese had each fallen by 70% and copper in dairy produce had plummeted by a remarkable 90%.

The UK government is putting resources into improving health by encouraging people to eat a healthy diet, including 5 portions of fruit and vegetables per day, but you scarcely hear a word about the problem of soil mineral depletion. Food seems to be considered as something quite separate from its source and means of production. But this is not rocket science – the foundation of human health is the quality of the food we eat, which relies ultimately on the vitality of the soil on which it is raised.

Minerals are needed for the proper formation of blood and bone, the maintenance of healthy nerve function, heartbeat regulation, reproduction and foetal development. They are essential to the process of growth, healing and energy release. And it is not just the presence of the mineral in the body that is important – they must be in the correct ratio to each other. The level of each mineral has an effect, directly or indirectly, on every other, so if one is out of kilter the whole system is affected.

Minerals are an essential part of our natural diet and a lack of them may in part account for our increasing susceptibility to the “diseases of civilisation” – such as heart disease (magnesium), cancer (selenium), diabetes (chromium) and mental illnesses (zinc). Every one of us should take care to get the minerals we need, for the good of our health.

http://www.physicalnutrition.net/soil-mineral-depletion.htm

Deforestation is the clearance of naturally occurring forests by logging and burning.

Deforestation occurs for many reasons: trees or derived charcoal are used as, or sold, for fuel or as a commodity, while cleared land is used as pasture for livestock, plantations of commodities, and settlements. The removal of trees without sufficientreforestation has resulted in damage to habitat, biodiversity loss and aridity. It has adverse impacts on biosequestration of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Deforested regions typically incur significant adverse soil erosion and frequently degrade intowasteland.

Disregard or ignorance of intrinsic value, lack of ascribed value, lax forest management and deficient environmental law are some of the factors that allow deforestation to occur on a large scale. In many countries, deforestation is an ongoing issue that is causingextinction, changes to climatic conditions, desertification, and displacement of indigenous people.

Examples:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deforestatio

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Coral Bleaching

Coral bleaching is the whitening of corals, due to stress-induced expulsion or death of symbiotic, algae-like protozoa, or due to the loss of pigmentation within the protozoa. The corals that form the structure of the great reef ecosystems of tropical seas depend upon a symbiotic relationship with unicellular flagellate protozoa, called zooxanthellae, that are photosynthetic and live within their tissues. Zooxanthellae give coral its coloration, with the specific color depending on the particular clade. Under stress, corals may expel their zooxanthellae, which leads to a lighter or completely white appearance, hence the term "bleached".

Once bleaching begins, it tends to continue even without continuing stress. If the coral colony survives the stress period, zooxanthellae often require weeks to months to return to normal density.The new residents may be of a different species. Some species of zooxanthellae and corals are more resistant to stress than other species.

Causes of coral bleaching:

Coral bleaching is a vivid sign of corals responding to stress, which can be induced by any of:

• increased (most commonly), or reduced water temperatures
• increased solar irradiance (photosynthetically active radiation and ultraviolet band light)
• changes in water chemistry (in particular acidification)
• starvation caused by a decline in zooplankton^]
• increased sedimentation (due to silt runoff)
• pathogen infections
• changes in salinity
• wind
• low tide air exposure

Mangroves

Mangroves are trees and shrubs that grow in saline coastal habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes 25° N and 25° S. The saline conditions tolerated by various species range from brackish water, through pure seawater (30 to 40 ppt), to water of over twice the salinity of ocean seawater, where the salt has become concentrated by evaporation (up to 90 ppt).

There are many species of trees and shrubs adapted to saline conditions. Not all are closely related, and the term "mangrove" may be used for all of them, or more narrowly only for the mangrove family of plants, the Rhizophoraceae, or even more specifically just for mangrove trees of the genus Rhizophora.

Mangroves form a characteristic saline woodland or shrubland habitat, called mangrove swamp, mangrove forest, mangrove ormangal. Mangals are found in depositional coastal environments where fine sediments (often with high organic content) collect in areas protected from high energy wave action. They occur both in estuaries and along open coastlines. Mangroves dominate three quarters of tropical coastlines.

The mangrove ecosystem covers the flora, fauna and ground conditions with in the parameters of a mangrove. From the climatic conditions to the members and relationships in the food chain, the mangrove ecosystem is dependant on the major resources available. The mangrove ecosystem is unique to its area between brackish and fresh water. The mangroves are vital to filtering out the salt from the water to enable the trees to grow.

The fauna in a mangrove ecosystem will include the minute and the massive. The mangrove ecosystem offers shelter and living conditions to insects, birds, arachnids and mammals, from the tiny bush mouse to large mammals, lizards or water dwelling predators.

In the mangrove ecosystem the smallest creatures and plants are still important to the structure of the environment. From the smallest gnat to the largest predator, the relationship between the food chain is vital to the balance of the ecosystem.

Even the plants of the mangrove will become fodder for larger herbivores or small fish and water dwelling creatures. The mangrove ecosystem is balanced by the resources available. The number of trees is maintained by the number of animals or insects using them for their lifestyle or food sources. If the number of predators in the mangrove ecosystem should alter, then the food chain would be unbalanced right down to the fundamental level. Even a slight alteration in the mangrove ecosystem, due to floods, pollution, drought or human intervention, can lead to the destruction of the mangrove ecosystem itself.

The mangrove ecosystem is reliant on the balance being maintained, between growth and decay. While rotting plants, brackish water, carcasses and mulch can offer sustenance to some creatures, the death of a plant is still part of the mangrove ecosystem. The mulch provides the ideal place for germination of other seeds. All this is part of the balance of the mangrove ecosystem.

The mangrove ecosystem includes the life cycle of the larger animals too. Their living, reproducing, hunting and dying all effect the way the mangrove ecosystem achieves balance. Any variation to the numbers of creatures within the mangrove ecosystem could change the fragile balance drastically. Too few predators could mean an over production of marine life that relies on the mangroves. Once the balance is lost, it can be impossible to regain.

The delicate balance of the mangrove ecosystem is vital to the health and vitality of the mangrove itself. From climate conditions, water quality and quantity, to human intervention, or exploitation, the mangrove ecosystem is prone to influences that can alter it forever.

A huge mangrove

Renewable-vs-non renewable resources (types and uses)

Renewable Resources

Natural resources that are renewable include solar, wind, geothermal, water, and biomass. These resources can last indefinitely because of the properties of that resource. For example, solar energy from sunlight won't really run out since the sun is always shining. Wood, garbage, leaves, and many burnable things exist in large quantities already, and trees can always be planted.

Nonrenewable Resources

Natural resource, such as coal, oil, or natural gas, that takes millions of years to form naturally and therefore cannot be replaced once it is consumed; it will eventually be used up. The main energy sources used by humans are non-renewable; renewable resources, such as solar, tidal, wind, and geothermal power, have so far been less exploited.

Example of Renewable Resources

Renewable energy

Five Types and Uses Of Renewable and Non Renewable Resources:

1.) Hydropower

Hydropower is the capture of the energy of moving water (falling of water from one level to another) for some useful purpose. This falling of water can be natural falling source or from a dam. The falling water is used to turn waterwheels or modern turbine blades which is used to powering a generator to produce electricity. Hydropower system is a clean source of energy systems that can neither be polluted or consumed during its operation. It eliminates the cost of fuel, making it immune to price increases for fossil fuels. As long there is a water source (lake, river etc.) it is renewable.

2.) Solar Energy

Solar energy is the energy from the sun ( in the form of heat and light) that is directly capture and converted into thermal or electrical energy and harnessed as solar power. Solar power is the technology of obtaining (harnessing) usable energy from the light of the sun. Some applications of solar energy are hot water heating and space heating in the home. It is also used in the application of solar panels where individual homes (in region where it is warm and sunny) convert solar energy into thermal energy to generate electricity.

The use of solar energy displaces conventional energy where it results in a proportional decrease in green house gas emissions. The energy from the sun is free with just the initial cost to set up the technology. The sun provides unlimited (renewable) supply of solar energy. The only draw back is that its requires a large area to collect the sun’s radiation and requires some means of storage.

3.) Wind Power

Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into electricity using wind turbines (usually mounted on a tower). Wind power is used in large scale wind farms for national electrical grids. On a small scale it is also used to provide electricity to rural residences. Wind energy is ample, free, widely available, clean, renewable, produces no waste or greenhouse gases, need no fuel, good method of supplying energy to remote areas and can be a site for tourist attraction.

4.) Biomass Fuel

Biomass Fuel (Biofuels) is any organic material produced by living organisms (plants, animals, or microorganisms) that can be burned directly as a heat source or converted into a liquid or gas. Some examples of biomass fuels are wood, crop residues, peat, manure, leaves, animal materials and other plant material.

There are two major sources of biomass;
i. trees, gains, sugar crops and oil-bearing plants.
ii. waste organic materials from industrial, commercial, domestic, or agricultural wastes. Examples, crop residues, animal wastes, garbage, and human sewage.

5.) Geothermal Energy

Geothermal Energy is power generated by the harnessing of heat from the interior of the earth when it comes to (or close to) the earth’s surface. The regions with highest underground temperatures are in areas with active or geologically young volcanoes. Chief energy resources are hot dry rock, magma (molten rock), hydrothermal (water/steam from geysers and fissures) and geo-pressure (methane-saturated water under tremendous pressure at great depths).

There are several methods of deriving energy from the earth’s heat where the heat energy that is generated by converting hot water or steam from deep beneath the Earth’s surface is converted into electricity. This hot water or steam come from a mile or more beneath the earth surface. geothermal applications includes:

i. Geothermal Electricity Production - generating electricity from the earth's heat. The steam rotates a turbine that activates a generator, which produces electricity.
ii. Geothermal Direct Use - Producing heat directly from hot water within the earth.
iii. Geothermal Heat Pumps - Using the shallow ground to heat and cool buildings.