How protecting the biodiversity of our planet protects us all

Posted on September 24, 2015 by GarryRogers

“The number of living animals, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish, has been halved since 1970, according to WWF’s Living Planet Report. The pace at which species are becoming extinct is 1000 times higher than the natural rate of extinction, and we are currently experiencing the largest extinction wave since the disappearance of the dinosaurs. We are destroying life on earth at an unprecedented pace.

“All human activities depend on healthy ecosystems. These ecosystems provide services such as clean water, arable land for agriculture, fish, timber, pollination and nutrient cycling required for crops, which enable us to grow and harvest the food we need to feed our increasing population and to build our economies. Furthermore, robust, intact ecosystems are more resilient to a changing climate. So protecting biodiversity is not about saving charismatic species for the sake of curiosity and science, but it is crucial for life on earth.” From: agenda.weforum.org

GR: This needs more detail, but the generalities are essentially correct.

How does climate change affect biodiversity

Posted on August 31, 2015 by GarryRogers

https://www.youtube.com/v/aoQzK7nbmIc?fs=1&hl=fr_FR

Great animation from the California Academy of Sciences about climate change (induced by global warming) and its effects on biodiversity. Sourced through Scoop.it from: www.youtube.com

GR: This is one of three excellent presentations. I highly recommend them to anyone who wishes to learn more or teach more about these critical subjects.

Banned pesticides pose a greater risk to bees than thought, EU experts warn

Posted on August 26, 2015 by GarryRogers

“Three pesticides banned in Europe for their potential to damage bee populations could pose an even greater threat than was thought, according to a new assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (Efsa).

“Already proscribed for seed treatments and soil applications, the Efsa analysis says that clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam also pose a ‘high risk’ to bees when sprayed on leaves.

“The UK is currently facing a legal challenge to an emergency exemption it granted, allowing use of two of the substances, after protests by the National Farmers Union.

“But far from supporting the British case, the advisory expert assessment will add to pressure for an extension of the ban to apply to fruit orchards after blooming, and crops gown in greenhouses, Greenpeace says.

“The commission should expand the EU-wide ban to cover all uses of neonicotinoids on all crops, and end the self-service approach to derogations. Viable non-chemical alternatives exist and the EU should encourage farmers to use them,” said the group’s agriculture policy director, Marco Contiero.” Sourced through Scoop.it from: www.theguardian.com

GR: The rest of the world needs to pay attention here and see the need to escape from the chemistry industry’s death grip.

Fossil Fuel Ecocide Forces Starving Polar Bear to Hold Breath For Three Minutes in Seal Hunt

Posted on August 8, 2015 by GarryRogers

Image courtesy of the American Dream (The gaunt, emaciated and obviously starving polar bear that broke the recent diving record in a photo by Rinie van Meurs. Image source: Meurs Study and The Weather Network).

Like so many other innocent creatures on this planet, polar bears are facing ever-worsening life-threatening conditions due to the fossil fuel industry’s insistence to keep burning, and to keep us dependent on their horrific energy sources. The bears’ Arctic home has been transformed in ways that are profound and terrible. The sea ice they used for hunting grounds is greatly depleted. The seals they hunted for prey have ever-more-numerous avenues of escape into dark and warming waters. Sourced through Scoop.it from: robertscribbler.com

GR: Painful to see knowing that this is just one victim of our American dream.

Biodiversity conservation: The key is reducing meat consumption

Posted on August 8, 2015 by GarryRogers

RT @mzaraska: Meat consumption is a threat to biodiversity, study shows http://t.co/A4CXgpVXwG http://t.co/AzUj9Qzn4h. Sourced through Scoop.it from: www.sciencedirect.com

GR: This is an important key, but there are others that are required. Population, pollution, land use, and pets come to mind.

Endangered and Threatened Arizona Species Qualifying for Endangered-Species-Act Protection

Posted on July 22, 2015 by GarryRogers

A Small Subset of Arizona’s #EndangeredSpecies

The Arizona Game and Fish Department provided this photo of an endangered ocelot.

Many Arizona species with shrinking populations will never receive protection under the U. S. Endangered Species Act. Some are doing well outside Arizona, but the principal reason for the absence of protection is that many Arizona species have not been identified. Of those that biologists have identified, most have not been studied in enough detail to know how well they are doing. This tragic lack of data is true of most wild species worldwide.

Click here for lists of some of Arizona’s other endangered species.

According to the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), the list below, updated 02/13/2015,

shows listed species or populations believed to or known to occur in Arizona
does not include experimental populations and similarity-of-appearance listings.
includes species or populations under the sole jurisdiction of the National Marine Fisheries Service.

The list includes 21 plants and 44 animals. The links for the species scientific names connect to official details for the listing. The linked pages include maps and some photos. More species photos and other information are found at: FWS Digital Media Library. However, the best resource for photos is a simple Google Image search.

E = Endangered

T = Threatened

Arizona #Endangered and #Threatened Animals (44)

	..
E	Ambersnail, Kanab Entire (Oxyloma haydeni kanabensis)
E	Bat, lesser long-nosed Entire (Leptonycteris curasoae yerbabuenae)
E	Bobwhite, masked (quail) Entire (Colinus virginianus ridgwayi)
T	Catfish, Yaqui Entire (Ictalurus pricei)
E	Chub, bonytail Entire (Gila elegans)
E	Chub, Gila Entire (Gila intermedia)
E	Chub, humpback Entire (Gila cypha)
T	Chub, Sonora Entire (Gila ditaenia)
E	Chub, Virgin River Entire (Gila seminuda (=robusta))
E	Chub, Yaqui Entire (Gila purpurea)
E	Condor, California Entire, except where listed as an experimental population (Gymnogyps californianus)
T	Cuckoo, yellow-billed Western U.S. DPS (Coccyzus americanus)
E	Ferret, black-footed entire population, except where EXPN (Mustela nigripes)
E	Flycatcher, southwestern willow Entire (Empidonax traillii extimus)
T	Frog, Chiricahua leopard Entire (Rana chiricahuensis)
T	gartersnake, northern Mexican (Thamnophis eques megalops)
E	Jaguar U.S.A(AZ,CA,LA,NM,TX),Mexico,Central and South America (Panthera onca)
E	Minnow, loach Entire (Tiaroga cobitis)
E	Mouse, New Mexico meadow jumping (Zapus hudsonius luteus)
E	Ocelot U.S.A.(AZ, TX) to Central and South America (Leopardus (=Felis) pardalis)
T	Owl, Mexican spotted Entire (Strix occidentalis lucida)
E	Pikeminnow (=squawfish), Colorado Entire, except EXPN (Ptychocheilus lucius)
E	Pronghorn, Sonoran Entire (Antilocapra americana sonoriensis)
E	Pupfish, desert Entire (Cyprinodon macularius)
E	Rail, Yuma clapper U.S.A. only (Rallus longirostris yumanensis)
T	Rattlesnake, New Mexican ridge-nosed Entire (Crotalus willardi obscurus)
E	Salamander, Sonora tiger Entire (Ambystoma tigrinum stebbinsi)
T	Shiner, beautiful Entire (Cyprinella formosa)
T	Snake, narrow-headed garter (Thamnophis rufipunctatus)
E	Spikedace Entire (Meda fulgida)
T	Spinedace, Little Colorado Entire (Lepidomeda vittata)
T	springsnail, San Bernardino Entire (Pyrgulopsis bernardina)
E	Springsnail, Three Forks Entire (Pyrgulopsis trivialis)
E	Squirrel, Mount Graham red Entire (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus grahamensis)
E	Sucker, razorback Entire (Xyrauchen texanus)
E	Sucker, Zuni bluehead (Catostomus discobolus yarrowi)
E	Tern, California least (Sterna antillarum browni)
E	Topminnow, Gila (incl. Yaqui) U.S.A. only (Poeciliopsis occidentalis)
T	Tortoise, desert U.S.A., except in Sonoran Desert (Gopherus agassizii)
T	Trout, Apache Entire (Oncorhynchus apache)
T	Trout, Gila Entire (Oncorhynchus gilae)
E	Vole, Hualapai Mexican Entire (Microtus mexicanus hualpaiensis)
E	Wolf, Mexican gray Entire, except where an experimental population (Canis lupus baileyi)
E	Woundfin Entire, except EXPN (Plagopterus argentissimus)

Arizona Endangered and Threatened Plants (21)


E	Blue-star, Kearney’s (Amsonia kearneyana)
E	Cactus, Acuna (Echinomastus erectocentrus var. acunensis)
E	Cactus, Arizona hedgehog (Echinocereus triglochidiatus var. arizonicus)
E	Cactus, Brady pincushion (Pediocactus bradyi)
T	Cactus, Cochise pincushion (Coryphantha robbinsiorum)
E	Cactus, Fickeisen plains (Pediocactus peeblesianus fickeiseniae)
E	Cactus, Nichol’s Turk’s head (Echinocactus horizonthalonius var. nicholii)
E	Cactus, Peebles Navajo (Pediocactus peeblesianus var. peeblesianus)
E	Cactus, Pima pineapple (Coryphantha scheeri var. robustispina)
T	Cactus, Siler pincushion (Pediocactus (=Echinocactus,=Utahia) sileri)
E	Cliff-rose, Arizona (Purshia (=Cowania) subintegra)
T	Cycladenia, Jones (Cycladenia humilis var. jonesii)
T	Fleabane, Zuni (Erigeron rhizomatus)
E	Ladies’-tresses, Canelo Hills (Spiranthes delitescens)
E	mallow, Gierisch (Sphaeralcea gierischii)
E	Milk-vetch, Holmgren (Astragalus holmgreniorum)
E	Milk-vetch, Sentry (Astragalus cremnophylax var. cremnophylax)
T	Milkweed, Welsh’s (Asclepias welshii)
T	Ragwort, San Francisco Peaks (Packera franciscana)
T	Sedge, Navajo (Carex specuicola)
E	Water-umbel, Huachuca (Lilaeopsis schaffneriana var. recurva)

Extinction Resources: Information, Opinion, Ideas, & Questions

Posted on July 22, 2015 by GarryRogers

Extinction Information Resources

Passenger Pigeon

Stopping human-caused extinction of Earth’s plant and animal species is the greatest challenge of our time. This post provides access to the latest articles on extinction. The first item (Ceballos et al. 2015) is the latest detailed report on what we know and how we acquired the information.

Ceballos, Gerardo, Paul R. Ehrlich, Anthony D. Barnosky, Andrés García, Robert M. Pringle, and Todd M. Palmer. 19 June 2015. Accelerated modern human–induced species losses: Entering the sixth mass extinction. Science Advances Vol. 1, no. 5 (e1400253, DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1400253). Corresponding author. E-mail: gceballo@ecologia.unam.mx.

More than a thousand recent articles are linked to my blog (http://garryrogers.com/blog):

Causes of Extinction

My blog covers the things that people do to cause extinctions and reduce biodiversity. These deeds of ours are woven into individual and our collective habits and beliefs. Stopping them will alter our society and our culture. It will be difficult. Our population must be reduced, our food choices must change, and our resource harvest must decline. Nothing less will succeed. Search the blog using the following terms for recent reports: Burning, Coal, Construction, Deforestation, Desertification, Energy, Farming, Fishing, Fracking, Grazing, Hunting, Invasive Species, Logging, Mining, Oil, Pesticides, Pet Trade, Pollution, Population, Roads, and Soil.

Climate change will become the major cause of extinction. Here’s its search link on my blog: Climate Change.

For more reading, my Internet newsletters include a wider variety of articles than my blog.

Sightings of Australia’s common birds are declining

Posted on July 16, 2015 by GarryRogers

Sightings of some of Australia’s most common birds, including those that have inspired folk songs and become mascots of football teams, are decreasing in parts of Australia, according to a major report on the health of the country’s bird population.

Among the species for which fewer sightings have been recorded are the laughing kookaburra, magpie and willie wagtail.

Released by Environment Minister Greg Hunt on the eve of Thursday’s Threatened Species Summit at Melbourne Zoo, the State of Australia’s Birds 2015 report’s surprise finding was that it was the country’s “common birds” that weren’t faring so well.

Sourced through Scoop.it from: www.theage.com.au

GR: This is being reported around the world, and not just for birds; most species are declining.